New figures show that there are still almost 24 million unemployed people in the European Union. The overall figure fell slightly in the one month period from January to February. However, compared with a year ago, the number of people out of work grew in six EU countries.

Saudi Arabia and its allies have been attacking targets in Yemen since Wednesday. Riyadh has asked Islamabad to join the military action. Religious and political parties in Pakistan have opposed the request and vowed to pressure the government not to be part of the Saudi-led campaign.

The Lebanese army has held a seminar in the capital Beirut to discuss regional security challenges facing the country. The gathering was attended by prominent military and political figures. Participants agreed on the need for a thorough revision in the army's current master plans.

The European Union’s decision to keep the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas on its list of terrorist organizations has angered Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Hamas officials have condemned the move as unjust and immoral. They say all evidence show this is Israel that should be brought to justice for the crimes it has committed against Palestinians over the past decades. Press TV's Ashraf Shannon reports from Gaza.

Pakistan’s leading political party M-Q-M is in hot water after some of its former members claimed to have killed political figures and religious leaders throughout the country. Now the party faces banishment from political scene after petitions were filed with country’s top court about its alleged involvement in terrorism and sectarian violence. Javed Rana has more from Islamabad.

Doctors in France have launched a fresh strike in the capital Paris to pressure the government into dropping its controversial package of health reforms. Months of walkouts and rallies have so far failed to discourage the government on its path to implement the measures. However, doctors say they stand for their rights and continue to oppose the policies which they say will neither reward the physicians, nor help the patients. Our correspondent Anustup Roy has more details from Paris.

The large number of European Union citizens joining the ranks of the ISIL in Syria and Iraq has raised the alarm among EU members. The bloc’s anti-terrorism chief says the shocking fact should be subject to thorough investigations. However, analysts point to the West's behavior in Syria and Iraq as the main reason behind the trend. Our correspondent Jerome Hughes has more in a report from Brussels.

Iraqi forces have liberated key areas in the center of Tikrit. This includes, the presidential palaces, the main mosque and the University of Tikrit.

Israeli forces press ahead with measures aimed at diminishing Palestinian presence in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem al-Quds. In the latest move, an Israeli court has banned nine Palestinians from entering the holy Muslim site and forced them to pay large fines. Our correspondent Mona Kandil has interviewed one of the Palestinians.

Even though Christian Democratic parties have been a mainstay of European politics since World War two, many in France have reacted with Islamophobic shock at the creation of a new political party for Muslims. Sadly, the Muslim party was forced to abandon recent elections due to repeated cases of violent intimidation. Ramin Mazaheri reports from Paris.