Mena Today

 The United States and other top powers need to use their influence with Israel to end the ongoing "carnage" in Gaza, Jordan's Prime Minister, Bisher al Khasawaneh, said on Friday.

Between 10,000 and 15,000 people were killed in one city in Sudan's West Darfur region last year in ethnic violence by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied Arab militia, according to a United Nations report seen by Reuters on Friday.

Iraq's National Security Service announced it had uncovered a corruption scheme involving fraud and embezzlement of payments intended for victims of Islamic State that saw more than 1 trillion Iraqi dinars ($760 million) taken from state coffers.

Spaniard Carlos Sainz extended his record as the oldest winner of the Dakar Rally on Friday with his fourth victory in the car category, and Audi's first, at the age of 61 and a year after breaking his back.

In a surprising statement, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell accused Israel of financing the creation of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, contradicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's repeated denials of such allegations.

Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre is organising Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF), on February 3-4, 2024, at the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park.

Iran said on Friday that it successfully carried out an air defence drill using drones designed to intercept hostile targets in an area stretching from its southwestern to southeastern coasts, amid heightened tensions in the region. 

At a dinner in the Swiss ski resort of Davos this week, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani hosted business and political leaders to showcase Iraq's improved security and finances.

The Russian foreign ministry said on Friday it had received a delegation from the Hamas militant movement and had urged it to release hostages the group is holding in the Gaza strip, including three Russian nationals.

Yemen's Houthis have said they did not intend to expand their attacks on shipping in and around the Red Sea further, beyond their stated aims of blockading Israel and retaliating against the United States and Britain for air strikes.

Leaders of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries on Friday denounced Israel's military campaign in Gaza and demanded an immediate ceasefire there, during the annual summit of the 120-member bloc.

Turkey's first astronaut and three other crew members representing Europe were launched from Florida on Thursday on a voyage to the International Space Station in the latest commercially arranged mission from Texas startup Axiom Space.