A New Year's message of hope for Mena Today readers. As we bid farewell to 2023, it's impossible to ignore the turbulent and often harrowing events that have defined the year.
Bruno Finel © Mena Today
As we bid farewell to 2023, it's impossible to ignore the turbulent and often harrowing events that have defined the year. The ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas, coupled with looming Iranian threats in Lebanon and Yemen, has cast a shadow over the region.
Uncertainties persist in Syria and Iraq, while the bloodshed in Sudan and the instability in Libya have left a trail of devastation. Indeed, 2023 will be remembered as a year marked by violence and at times, utter despair.
Yet, as we stand on the threshold of a new year, we hold on to hope. Hope for a brighter and more peaceful future in the Middle East and North Africa. The dawn of 2024 presents us with an opportunity to reset our aspirations, to work together, and to strive for lasting peace and stability.
In Arabic, we say:
عام سعيد وكل عام وأنتم بخير - Happy New Year and may every year find you well.
It is our sincere wish that 2024 brings an era of tranquility and harmony to all the nations and people of the MENA region. Let us join hands in the pursuit of a better tomorrow, where dialogue prevails over conflict and prosperity flourishes amid unity.
Happy New Year to all our readers, and may the days ahead be filled with peace, progress, and prosperity.
Bruno Finel, Editor in Chief
The US imposed fresh sanctions on Iran on Thursday, targeting individuals, networks and 17 vessels for transporting Iranian crude, oil products and petrochemicals, the Treasury Department said, as Washington stepped up economic pressure on Tehran.
Intensifying attacks by Russia and Ukraine ahead of the winter are further endangering navigational safety in the Black Sea, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday, adding that world powers must not allow the region to be turned into a new front in the war.
Dodging the broken glass carpeting her home in southern Lebanon, Mariam al-Yaghi exited onto her upper balcony and pointed. A few hundred metres away was a sight the 67-year-old had grown accustomed to: military vehicles moving through the adjacent Lebanese village, still occupied by Israeli troops.
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