Mena Today

Britain is backing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as the next secretary-general of the NATO alliance.

Two missiles were fired at a vessel off the southeast coast of the Yemeni city of Aden on Thursday, causing a fire onboard, Britain's maritime agencies said, as Houthis keep up attacks on shipping to show support for the Palestinians in the Gaza war.

Turkey will provide maritime security support to Somalia to help the African country defend its territorial waters, an official from the Turkish defence ministry said on Thursday.

Iran entered a brief campaign period on Thursday for the legislative elections scheduled for March 1st.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Joe Biden had debased the United States by calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a "crazy SOB", casting the U.S. president's remark as part of a failed "Hollywood cowboy" act. 

United Airlines said on Wednesday it plans to resume direct U.S. flights to Israel early next month, becoming the first American carrier to resume service since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on the international community to take a more active role towards an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and a two-state solution to the conflict during talks at the G20 meeting in Brazil, a Turkish diplomatic source said.

Dozens of lawmakers stormed out of Britain's parliament on Wednesday with tempers flaring as the three biggest political parties sought to outmanoeuvre each other over a vote on a ceasefire in Gaza.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco received Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the Royal Palace in Rabat on Wednesday.

The Israeli military and Hezbollah have a window to de-escalate tensions along Lebanon's southern border before a possible Israeli military offensive against the Lebanese armed group, two Democratic U.S. senators told Reuters on Wednesday.

Sources told the Saudi television network Al-Arabiya that talks between the Hamas delegation and Egyptian officials regarding a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip have begun.

The U.S. State Department on Wednesday condemned internet shutdowns in Pakistan, including restrictions on social media platforms, and urged the Pakistani government to lift such restrictions.