Mena Today

The American and Qatari energy giants ExxonMobil and Qatar Energy have launched a new drilling operation off the coast of Cyprus, aiming to tap into the island's potentially vast natural gas reserves. 

Two Iraqi border guards were killed on Friday during a clash with fighters from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Iraq's interior ministry said.

Palestinian terrorist group Hamas on Friday announced the names of four Israeli women soldiers to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in the second swap under the ceasefire deal in Gaza.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he and Donald Trump should meet to talk about the Ukraine war and energy prices, issues that the U.S. president has highlighted in the first five days of his new administration.

Syria's new ruling administration has cancelled a contract with a Russian firm to manage and operate the country's Tartous port that was signed under former President Bashar al-Assad, according to three Syrian businessmen and media reports.

Fahad Almasri, President of the National Salvation Front in Syria, has issued a message of congratulations to Donald J. Trump for his return to the presidency of the United States of America. 

Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon beyond a 60-day deadline stipulated in a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah because its terms have not been fully implemented, the Israeli prime minister's office said on Friday.

The United Nations said on Friday that the Houthis who control northern Yemen had detained an unspecified number of U.N. personnel, and it was suspending movement in all Houthi-held areas while seeking the detainees' immediate release.

Red Sea shipping remains risky despite the Gaza ceasefire and an announcement by Yemen’s Houthis to limit attacks, according to the CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's logistics and shipping arm.

Saudi Economy Minister Faisal Alibrahim said on Friday that the $600 billion of expanded investment and trade with the United States mentioned by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman includes investments as well as procurement from the public and private sectors.

A fire broke out at a crude processing unit at Iraq's Rumaila oilfield on Friday and fire crews were trying to bring it under control, three energy sources told Reuters.