Security forces in Myanmar on Saturday again met protests against last month's military takeover with lethal force, killing at least four people by shooting live ammunition at demonstrators.

Three deaths were reported in Mandalay, the country's second-biggest city, and one in Pyay, a town in south-central Myanmar. There were multiple reports on social media of the deaths, along with photos of dead and wounded people in both locations.

Parliament on Friday approved a $246 million World Bank loan agreement aimed at supporting families impacted by Lebanon's near two-year-long crippling economic crisis that has been aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

As the session got underway at the UNESCO Palace in Beirut, parliament's temporary venue, large crowds of protesters spread in different areas of Beirut and outside the UNESCO Palace, raising different demands.

Mohammed Zakaria has lived in a plastic tent in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley for almost as long as war has raged in his native Syria.

He and his family fled bombings in 2012, thinking it would be a short, temporary stay. His hometown of Homs was under siege, and subject to a ferocious Syrian military campaign. He didn't even bring his ID with him.

Top U.S. and Israeli national security officials met Thursday by secure video conference for their first round of talks on Iran and other regional issues as the Biden administration looks to avoid antagonizing Israel while attempting to resurrect the U.S.-Iran nuclear deal.

Japan is marking the 10th anniversary Thursday of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that hit the northeastern region, where many survivors' lives are still on hold.

People, some carrying bouquets, walked to the coast or graves to pray for relatives and friends washed away by the tsunami. Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga were among those observing a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m. — the minute the shaking started — and were to speak at the memorial service later.

Hamas on Tuesday held a leadership election in its Gaza Strip stronghold, a race with deep implications for its relations with Israel and other regional players, as well as upcoming Palestinian elections.

A Hamas official said the field had narrowed down to a tight race between Yehiyeh Sinwar, the group's current firebrand leader, and Nizar Awadallah, a co-founder of the movement. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing internal deliberations of the secretive group.

It's an expression of anger but also of helplessness: Anti-government protesters in Lebanon are burning tires to block key roads, releasing dense palls of smoke that rise above the capital Beirut and other parts of the country.

Half a year after the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain established diplomatic relations with Israel, discreet Jewish communities in the Gulf Arab states that once lived in the shadow of the Arab-Israeli conflict are adopting a more public profile.

Kosher food is now available. Jewish holidays are celebrated openly. There is even a fledgling religious court to sort out issues such as marriages and divorces.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians face continued displacement each coming year that the conflict continues and economic conditions deteriorate, the Norwegian Refugee Council has said.

Economic deterioration and hardship are increasingly driving Syrians out of their homes, but the number of displaced will be higher if large military operations resume, according to a report by the humanitarian group.

Syrian President Bashar Assad and his wife have tested positive for the coronavirus, the president's office said Monday, with both having only mild symptoms of the illness.

In a statement, Assad's office said the first couple did PCR tests after they experienced minor symptoms consistent with the COVID-19 illness. It said Assad, 55, and his wife Asma, who is 10 years younger and announced her recovery from breast cancer in 2019, will continue to work from home where they will isolate between two to three weeks.