Iranian people held massive rallies across the country on Friday morning to mark the International Quds Day, an annual display of solidarity with Palestinians and condemnation of the Israeli and US crimes and policies.

Turkish and Russian personnel will be deployed in Syria's northern Idlib region as part of a de-escalation agreement brokered by Russia last month, Turkish broadcasters quoted the Turkish presidential spokesman as saying on Thursday.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei described the International Quds Day as very important, saying that it is “the symbol of fighting Arrogance and global hegemons”.

Hundreds of men swept up in the hunt for al Qaeda militants have disappeared into a secret network of prisons in southern Yemen where abuse is routine and torture extreme -- including the "grill," in which the victim is tied to a spit like a roast and spun in a circle of fire, an Associated Press investigation has found.

A car bomb exploded outside a bank in Lashkar Gah, capital of the southern Afghan province of Helmand on Thursday, killing and wounding dozens of civilians and members of the security forces waiting to collect their pay, officials said.

France no longer sees the departure of President Bashar al-Assad as a priority in the Syrian conflict, President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday, making the policy official for the first time.

Daesh has blown up Mosul’s Grand al-Nuri Mosque, where the terrorist group’s leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi announced the formation of a so-called caliphate after capturing the northern city in 2014.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has censured Israel for supporting terrorism, saying the regime is, either covertly or overtly, complicit in almost all crises gripping the Middle East region.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Tuesday called on the Iraqis to keep vigilance about the US divisive plots, underlining that Washington is not trustworthy since it is seeking to harm Iraq.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has replaced Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud with his own son, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the deputy crown prince and defense minister.