DAMASCUS -- The death toll from an explosion inside a cafe in central Damascus on Thursday has risen to nine, while the injuries have surged to 20, Syria's interior authorities said Thursday night in a statement.
The blast, occurred at around 3:00 p.m. local time (1200 GMT), was caused by an improvised explosive device weighing about 1 kg and packed with metal fragments, the authorities said. (Syria-Central Damascus Cafe-Blast)
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TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Thursday officials from more than 100 countries will attend the funeral ceremonies of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In an interview with state-run IRIB TV, Baghaei said the foreign guests would include heads of state, parliament speakers, foreign ministers, governments' special envoys as well as a large number of personalities and popular groups. (Iran-Supreme Leader-Funeral)
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TEHRAN -- Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, on Thursday warned that any U.S. interference in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with the Iranian armed forces' "decisive and swift" response.
In a statement carried by Iranian media, the headquarters stressed that the strait is not the "aggressive U.S. playground," but the territory of Iran's "undisputed sovereignty," with its security and stability considered a red line for the Iranian military. (Iran-US-Hormuz Strait)
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ALGIERS -- Algerian voters began casting their ballots on Thursday to elect the country's eighth multiparty parliament since 1989 and the second under President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
More than 24.7 million registered voters are eligible to take part in the one-day election, conducted under an open-list proportional representation system. (Algeria-Parliamentary Election-Casting Ballots) Enditem
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