TEHRAN – The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Monday Israel would soon be destroyed by the “hands of Hezbollah”, the Lebanese group which is backed by the Islamic Republic, Fars News Agency reported.

BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday she saw no need to change parliamentary mandates that set limits on the number of troops her government can send to Afghanistan despite mounting pressure from NATO allies.

MOSCOW – Chechen rebels fighting to secede from Russia hailed Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence, comparing Pristina’s fight against Serbia to their own struggle against Moscow.