Lebanon can ration $2 billion in reserves left for subsidies to last six more months, the caretaker prime minister said on Tuesday, as the country’s financial meltdown raises fears of rising hunger. Lebanon’s worst crisis since its 1975-1990 civil war has crashed the currency and sent...

Rights groups on Tuesday demanded that Palestinian authorities free a woman disc jockey arrested after a dance event at a Muslim religious site near the West Bank city of Jericho.  Palestinian Authority police arrested Sama Abdulhadi, 30, on Sunday, the day after she performed at Nebi...

Turkey’s top court on Tuesday ruled that high-profile philanthropist Osman Kavala’s detention had not violated his right to liberty and security, state media said, after he spent more than three years in jail without a conviction. Kavala, 63, has been jailed since late 2017 and was remanded...

Palestinian armed groups staged military exercises in Gaza on Tuesday, including firing rockets into the sea, to mark the anniversary of the start of the 2008 conflict with Israel. The demonstrations were scheduled to last several hours and involve about 10 groups in the Israeli-blockaded...

Iran warned Israel on Monday not to cross its "red lines" in the Gulf in the final days of Donald Trump's presidency and following a reported Israeli submarine deployment. Foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh stressed the Islamic republic would defend itself against any American...

 Iraq’s capital Baghdad and other cities are at risk of serious power shortages after Iran slashed gas exports, the electricity ministry said on Sunday, potentially placing further pressure on the government of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Iran has reduced gas exports to Iraq to...

Israel was set Sunday to begin its third coronavirus lockdown, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced optimism that a "world record" vaccination drive will restore a degree of normality within weeks. After a sharp rebound in detected infections, Netanyahu's government announced three...

 Oman will reopen its land, air and sea borders as of Tuesday December 29, a government Twitter account said on Sunday. A negative COVID-19 polymerase test within 72 hours of entry is required for people from all countries and another test will be taken by those arriving from abroad at...

 Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar warned on Sunday that the forces of Khalifa Haftar and their supporters based in eastern Libya would be viewed as "legitimate targets" if they attempted to attack Turkish forces in the region. Speaking during a visit to Turkish troops in Tripoli,...

A 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Sunday, the US Geological Survey said, with initial reports indicating no immediate casualties. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said there were no reports of material damage or casualties so far. The USGS said the quake was registered...

ISTANBUL: Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar made a surprise trip to Libya on Saturday flanked by top military officers to inspect his country's troops, the ministry said. Turkish forces backing the UN-recognised government are under strain after strongman Khalifa Haftar called on his...

Turkey and Israel, once allies, have had a bitter falling out in recent years. Ankara has repeatedly condemned Israel's occupation in the West Bank and its treatment of Palestinians. It has also criticised recent U.S.-brokered rapprochements between Israel and four Muslim countries....

The Turkish police arrested a network led by a Syrian citizen in Istanbul over cyber robbery and money laundry, seizing millions of Turkish liras, local newspaper said Friday. According to Sozcu news website, the police have arrested a criminal network, including 13 people and led by a...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Friday with Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and invited him to visit Israel, Netanyahu’s office said. The two leaders spoke about moving forward with a U.S.-brokered agreement announced earlier this month to normalize bilateral ties, according...

Turkey would like better ties with Israel but Israeli policy towards the Palestinians remains "unacceptable", President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.  Turkey and Israel, once allies, have had a bitter falling out in recent years. Ankara has repeatedly condemned Israel's occupation in...

Dozens of Palestinians were injured Friday in the occupied West Bank when the Israeli army used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse protesters, according to eyewitnesses. Eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency that Israeli forces fired live and rubber bullets as well as tear gas canisters to...

It wasn't Santa on a sleigh, but it was close: just before dusk on Christmas Eve, a busload of volunteers pulled into the Iraqi Christian town of Qaraqosh to deliver holiday happiness. Under a pinkish sky, they disembarked from their charter bus with cardboard boxes full of Christmas cards,...

Iran’s foreign minister on Thursday dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s allegations that Tehran was behind the recent rocket attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. "Putting your own citizens at risk abroad won't divert attention from catastrophic failures at home," Foreign Minister...

Iran has reached an initial agreement to buy coronavirus vaccines from overseas and plans to test a domestically produced shot soon, state media reported on Thursday, as the daily number of deaths fell to a three-month low. Central Bank chief Abdolnaser Hemmati said Iran had reached a...

Israel on Thursday announced the arrest of a Palestinian in connection with the murder of a Jewish settler in the occupied West Bank, in a case that raised tensions in the area. Esther Horgan, a 52-year-old mother of six and a French-Israeli dual national, was found dead this week in a...