Mena Today

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Monday for a final push for a Gaza ceasefire before President Joe Biden leaves office, after a Hamas official told Reuters the group had cleared a list of 34 hostages as first to go free under a truce.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy went on trial on Monday, on charges of having received millions of euros in illegal financing from Libya's late strongman Muammar Gaddafi for his successful 2007 presidential bid.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the Iranian nuclear programme was approaching the point of no return, adding that France would need to have a strategic discussion regarding Iran with U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty and his Lebanese counterpart, Abdullah Bou Habib, held a phone conversation to discuss the political developments in Lebanon, particularly in light of the upcoming parliamentary session aimed at electing a new president.

Three Israelis were killed on Monday and several injured in a shooting attack on a car and bus near the settlement of Kedumim in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Israel's national ambulance service Magen David Adom (MDA) said.

Turkey has launched an investigation into an opposition mayor's comments about Syrians, including his claims that he unlawfully revoked some of their business licences in his northwestern district of Bolu.

China's top diplomat began his annual New Year tour of Africa on Sunday, maintaining a 35-year-long tradition, to quietly advance Beijing's already sizeable influence across the resource-rich continent as Europe's presence wanes and America's wavers.

The U.S. is set to announce an easing of restrictions on providing humanitarian aid and other basic services such as electricity to Syria while maintaining its strict sanctions regime, people briefed on the matter told Reuters.

There’s no easing into the 2025 Dakar Rally for this year’s competitors, as organisers have thrown some of the biggest challenges at them immediately. 

The Israeli government has announced plans for the return of northern residents to their homes starting March 1, provided the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah holds. 

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Syria's new leadership is determined to root out separatists there, as Ankara said its military had "neutralised" 32 members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, in the country.

Syria's finance minister said on Sunday the government would hike salaries for many public sector employees by 400% next month after completing an administrative restructuring of ministries to boost efficiency and accountability.