Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, Feb. 28

CAIRO -- The death toll of the train crash that took place in Beheira province northern the capital Cairo on Wednesday has risen to 15, official MENA news agency reported.

"The number of victims of Beheira train crash mounted to 15 dead and 40 wounded so far," MENA quoted Transport Ministry's spokesman Mohamed Ezz as saying. (Egypt-Train-Crash)

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CAIRO -- Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said on Wednesday that normal Arab relations with Israel cannot be achieved without a just and permanent settlement of the Palestinian cause.

"It will not be possible to establish normal relations between the Arabs and Israel before settling the Palestinian cause fairly and permanently, ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital," said Abul-Gheit. (Arab League-Israel-Palestinians)

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ADEN, Yemen -- At least nine Yemeni civilians were killed and several others injured by Saudi-led airstrikes in two provinces of the war-torn Yemen on Wednesday, medical officials told Xinhua.

Local medical sources said about four Yemeni civilians were killed in airstrike that targeted a house in the northern province of Sa'ada, the major stronghold of the Shiite Houthi group. (Yemen-Airstrikes-Civilians)

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TEHRAN -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday unveiled a new anti-armor missile that can be mounted on combat helicopters, Press TV reported.

The 127-millimeter (mm) caliber missile, dubbed Azarakhsh (Thunderbolt) can be used in low-altitude air operations and against ground targets. (Iran-IRGC-Missile) Enditem