Mena Today

Turkey jailed two men late on Tuesday pending trial after prosecutors said their online show included a joke referencing a hadith or teaching of the Prophet Muhammad, which they allege could incite religious hatred.

Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, King Abdullah II of Jordan urged the release of hostages held by Hamas and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, while refraining from explicitly demanding the dismantling of armed groups operating in the enclave.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Tuesday that she is not opposed to the recognition of a Palestinian state, but only under two conditions: the release of hostages held by Hamas and the exclusion of the Islamist movement from any future Palestinian government.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that negotiations with the United States would not serve Tehran's interests and would prove a "dead-end".

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia he is prepared to impose strong economic measures over the war in Ukraine and rejected a global move toward recognition of a Palestinian state, in a combative speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

Senior Israeli officials traveled to Egypt on Monday evening for high-level discussions focused on border security arrangements between Israel, Egypt, and the Gaza Strip, according to a report by the Qatari newspaper Araby al-Jadeed, citing well-informed Egyptian sources close to the negotiations.

Israel will indefinitely close the only crossing between the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jordan from Wednesday, days after reopening it following a shooting that killed two Israeli soldiers.

Italian prosecutors said on Tuesday they had dismantled a Syrian-led network accused of laundering drug-trafficking proceeds in Italy and France by converting cash into gold bars.

Several European capitals — Paris, London, Lisbon, Luxembourg, and even Monte Carlo (yes, Monaco, between a casino and a yacht party) — have proudly recognized the “State of Palestine.” Speeches were made, flags were waved, and lofty declarations about peace and justice filled the air.

Russia has unleashed a massive wave of attacks on Ukraine's railways since the summer, using new tactics to hit key nodes with long-range drones, but the network is holding up for now, the CEO of the state railway company told Reuters.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa renewed his call on Monday for Washington to formally lift U.S. sanctions imposed under the 2019 Caesar Act while visiting New York to attend the first U.N. General Assembly of a Syrian leader in nearly six decades.

Monaco, the glittering microstate better known for its casinos, yachts, and secretive banking practices, has stepped onto the global stage with an announcement as bizarre as it is irresponsible: on Monday, it formally recognized a Palestinian state.