Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who spent hundreds of hours on the phone and in meetings with U.S. presidents and secretaries of state in the past 12 years, has tried unsuccessfully to reach out to President Donald Trump. Abbas and his aides are alarmed by the possibility of being sidelined at a time when the administration is embracing Israel's prime minister who heads to the White House next week. Here's a look at what's at stake for Abbas and Palestinian hopes for statehood.

ARE THE PALESTINIANS REALLY BEING IGNORED?

Rohi Atassi was among 117 immigrants to become the newest American citizens during a Chicago naturalization ceremony, but the Syrian dentist stood out among his peers.

The 29-year-old was unexpectedly asked to lead immigrants from 37 countries in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Federal Judge Sara Ellis, who oversaw Tuesday's ceremony, asked for a Syrian volunteer after delivering an impassioned speech about the difficulties immigrants face.

A Pakistani official says a strong, magnitude 6.4 earthquake has struck the country's remote southwest and that there are reports of damages to houses but no casualties.

Nasir Mahmood of Pakistan's Meteorological Department says the epicenter of the quake was west of the coastal town of Pasni in Baluchistan province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran. The town lies about 700 kilometers (437 miles) south of Quetta, the provincial capital.

A Lebanese man has been arrested in the United States in connection with a scheme to smuggle guns purchased in the state of Iowa to Lebanon.

The World Bank said Tuesday it has earmarked $200 million for repairing Lebanon's unsafe roads, signaling a resumption of international aid months after the election of a president following two and a half years of political vacuum in the country.

An Afghan official says a suicide bomber has struck near the Supreme Court building in Kabil, killing at least 12 people.

Najib Danish, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry, says that at least 10 people were also wounded in Tuesday's bombing.

At $250 million, a new mega mansion in the exclusive Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles is the most expensive home listed in the United States.

The passion project of developer and handbag tycoon Bruce Makowsky, the four-level, 38,000-square-foot mansion built on spec includes 12 bedroom suites, 21 bathrooms, five bars, three gourmet kitchens, a spa and an 85-foot infinity swimming pool with stunning views of Los Angeles. There's also a 40-seat movie theater, a bowling alley, and a fleet of exotic and vintage cars worth $30 million.

Iran's missiles will come down on the country's enemies if they do wrong, a senior commander in Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard was quoted as saying in a Saturday report from semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, chief of the Guard's airspace division, said: "If the enemy does not walk the line, our missiles come down on them."

President Donald Trump's ban on travelers and immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries was blocked by a federal judge who imposed a nationwide hold on the executive order that had sparked protests across the country.

It wasn't immediately clear what happens next for people who had waited years to receive visas to come to America, however an internal email circulated among Homeland Security officials told employees to comply with the ruling immediately. About 60,000 people from the affected countries had their visas cancelled by the State Department.

The United States has denied reports claiming that seven countries including Lebanon will soon be added to a new travel ban list.

An Executive Order recently signed by U.S. President Donald Trump had imposed a 90-day pause on the entry into the United States of nationals from Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen.