Mena Today

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Turkey on Thursday for talks focused on a critical aspect of establishing stability in Syria: clashes in the north of the country between U.S.-backed Kurdish forces and Turkey-backed rebels.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Jordan's King Abdullah in the Red Sea town of Aqaba on Thursday as he arrived in the region for talks on Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.

Pope Francis met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Vatican on Thursday, their first face-to-face encounter in three years, as the pontiff has become more vocal in his criticism of Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

Samy Gemayel, Lebanese MP and leader of the Kataeb Party, has celebrated what he described as a new era of sovereignty and independence for Lebanon. 

Britain, France and Germany have told the United Nations Security Council that they are ready - if necessary - to trigger a so-called "snap back" of all international sanctions on Iran to prevent the country from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa's Islamist group is stamping its authority on Syria's state with the same lightning speed that it seized the country, deploying police, installing an interim government and meeting foreign envoys - raising concerns over how inclusive Damascus' new rulers intend to be.

Israelis and Palestinians are signalling new efforts to forge a ceasefire deal, even a limited one, for the first time in a year that would pause the fighting in Gaza and return to Israel some of the hostages still held in the Palestinian enclave.

U.S. President Joe Biden's top aides were heading to the Middle East on Wednesday seeking to advance efforts to reach an elusive Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal and help ensure a smooth transition in Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.

Somalia and Ethiopia said they would work together to resolve a dispute over Addis Ababa's plan to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland, which had drawn in regional powers and threatened to further destabilise the Horn of Africa.

There are currently 99 million Swiss francs ($112 million) worth of frozen Syrian assets in Switzerland, most of which have been blocked for years, the Swiss government said on Wednesday.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met on Wednesday with Irish President Michael D. Higgins in Dublin to discuss bilateral relations and pressing international issues.

Ten weeks away from elections and with a double-digit lead over his closest rival's party, conservative leader Friedrich Merz is getting used to being feted as Germany's next Chancellor.