A powerful earthquake struck southeast Iran near the border with Pakistan on Tuesday but with communications to the area badly disrupted, officials gave differing assessments of the casualty toll.

Pervez Musharraf was Tuesday disqualified from contesting Pakistani elections next month, crushing his ambition to “save” the troubled nuclear-armed country just weeks after his return from exile.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has declared an amnesty, and troops who deserted but did not fight against the regime may be pardoned if they surrender within a month, state news agency SANA reported.

Seismologists say a major earthquake has struck a region near the Iran-Pakistan border, less than a week after a quake in Iran killed at least 37 people.

Insurgents launched what appeared to be a highly coordinated string of attacks across Iraq on Monday morning, killing at least 32 and wounding more than 200, according to officials.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad resigned on Saturday, leaving the Palestinians without one of their most moderate and well-respected voices just as the U.S. is launching a new push for Mideast peace.

A roadside bomb planted by the Taliban in restive northwest Pakistan killed a political party official on Sunday, a month before the country votes in a historic general election.

A roadside bomb killed an Iraqi provincial elections candidate and three other people north of Baghdad on Sunday, bringing the number of candidates killed in attacks to 14, officials said.

Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has indicated support of allowing women there to drive.

U.S. senators, including some of President Barack Obama's fellow Democrats, pushed the White House on Thursday to shift its policy and provide lethal military assistance to rebels waging a civil war against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.