Mena Today

The United Nations rights office called on Wednesday for a independent investigation into the discovery of mass graves at detention centres in Libya's capital Tripoli.

More than one million Muslim pilgrims began the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca on Wednesday, with Saudi authorities stepping up safety measures after last year’s tragedy, when over 1,300 people died due to extreme heat.

A member of Israel's right-wing coalition threatened to quit the cabinet on Wednesday and support an opposition motion to dissolve parliament tabled for next week, piling pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Despite escalating international criticism over its military campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen, Israel saw a record-breaking year in defense exports in 2024—much of it fueled by European buyers. 

Turkey will press European allies which plan to sharply ramp up their defence spending to ease restrictions that now require most of that money to be spent in the EU, Defence Minister Yasar Guler told Reuters on Wednesday ahead of a NATO meeting.

A French-Moroccan man suspected of being involved in recent violent kidnappings in France has been arrested in Morocco, a senior Moroccan police source said on Wednesday.

The Georgian government is to close its information centre on NATO and the European Union, Georgian media reported on Wednesday, citing the country's foreign ministry, amid souring ties between Tbilisi and the West.

Israel has carried out its first airstrikes in Syria in nearly a month, saying it hit weapons belonging to the government in retaliation for the firing of two projectiles towards Israel and holding interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa responsible.

Foreign investors returned to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in force last month, increasing their holdings despite ongoing conflict in Gaza and heightened regional tensions. Net foreign purchases reached an estimated NIS 2.5 billion ($700 million) in May, with much of the capital concentrated in the banking sector.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared on Wednesday that the United States has no authority to dictate Tehran’s uranium enrichment policies, amid ongoing indirect negotiations between the two countries over the Iranian nuclear program.

The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will not give out any aid on Wednesday as it presses Israel to boost civilian safety beyond the perimeter of its distribution sites, a day after dozens of Palestinians seeking aid were killed.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call on Tuesday from President of the European Council, António Costa, during which the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepening Egypt-EU cooperation on multiple fronts.