Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, Dec. 19

SANAA -- Yemen's Houthi movement on Tuesday announced firing a ballistic missile towards a Kingdom's royal palace in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, Houthi-controlled state Saba news agency reported.

A senior military official at Houthi-controlled Defence Ministry told Xinhua that "the Rocket's Force fired the ballistic missile, Burkan H2, towards the kingdom's royal palace of Yamamah at the center of the Saudi capital of Riyadh at the same time there was an important meeting for the Saudi royal family." (Yemen-Houthis)

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SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq -- Five people were killed and 96 injured Tuesday in demonstrations in Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan amid widespread anger over unpaid salaries and corruption, medical source told Xinhua.

The heavy casualties occurred in the town of Rania in Sulaimaniyah province when the security forces opened fire and used tear gas after protesters torched offices of the Kurdish parties, leaving five people killed and some 80 others wounded, Taha Mohammed, spokesman of the town's health office, told reporters. (Iraq-Kurdish Region)

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CAIRO -- An officer was killed and two others wounded in a terrorist attack on an airport in Arish city of North Sinai province bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, an Egyptian military spokesman said on Tuesday.

"A shelling attack targeted Arish airport, leaving an officer dead and two others wounded and causing partial damage of one of the helicopters," said the military spokesman Tamer al-Refaay in a statement. (Egypt-Sinai-Attack)

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BEIRUT -- The European Union (EU) High Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini arrived Tuesday in Lebanon for talks with top officials, reaffirming partnership with and support for Beirut, said an EU statement.

The senior EU official's second visit here this year shows "the EU's strong and long-standing partnership with Lebanon," the statement added. (Lebanon-EU-Mogherini) Enditem