Thousands of protesters flocked to the Riad al-Solh Square in downtown Beirut on Sunday to voice rejection of the new taxes that the parliament has approved as part of measures aimed at funding the long-stalled new wage scale.

A Lebanese businessman that the U.S. says has provided millions of dollars to Hizbullah has been arrested by Moroccan authorities, his lawyer has confirmed.

The Maldives' government said Friday that Saudi Arabia's king has postponed an official visit because of the spread of swine flu in the archipelago nation.

King Salman was scheduled to visit the Maldives on Saturday. The president's office quoted Foreign Minister Mohamed Asim as saying that a new date will be decided later.

Israeli warplanes struck several targets in Syria early Friday, prompting retaliatory missile launches, in the most serious incident between the two countries since the Syrian civil war began six years ago.

An official from one of Syria's rebel factions has denied reports that rebels will send representatives to the present round of talks with the Syrian government underway in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Mamoun Haj Mousa, from the Suqour al-Sham Brigade, says there are no plans for factions to attend the talks — contrary to reports by the Kazakhstan Foreign Ministry.

The Bank of England says it's newly appointed deputy governor, Charlotte Hogg, has resigned.

The move comes after a controversy ensued because of allegations of the appearance of impropriety for failing to disclose in a timely manner that her brother held a senior position at London-based bank Barclays.

The mysterious Facebook blogger kept dishing up alleged government secrets. One day it was a shadowy faction looting cash from Uganda's presidential palace with impunity. The next was a claim that the president was suffering from a debilitating illness.

For authorities in a country that has seen just one president since 1986, the critic who goes by Tom Voltaire Okwalinga is an example of the threat some African governments see in the exploding reach of the internet — bringing growing attempts to throttle it.

Ground staff at Berlin's two airports are on strike for the second consecutive day in a wage dispute, again forcing the cancellation of most flights to and from the German capital.

The ver.di union, which is seeking improved pay for about 2,000 employees at several companies at the Tegel and Schoenefeld airports, called them out on strike from early Monday morning to 5 a.m. (0400 GMT) Wednesday.

North Korea on Monday tried to shift the blame for the deadly attack in Malaysia on the estranged half- brother of its leader Kim Jong Un to the United States and South Korea.

North Korea's deputy U.N. ambassador, Kim In Ryong, told a news conference that "from A to Z, this case is the product of reckless moves of the United States and South Korean authorities," who he said are trying to tarnish the North's image and bringing down its social system.

Saudi Foreign Minster Adel al-Jubeir has reportedly said that the United States and Israel plan to wage a war against Iran and Hizbullah, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

During a visit to Iraq in February, al-Jubeir spoke of a future war that Washington and Tel Aviv intend to wage against Iran and Hizbullah, the daily quoted unnamed sources on condition of anonymity.