Israel's Supreme Court on Monday tackled the vexed question of whether a political deal to form a coalition government after three inconclusive elections in less than a year is actually legal. A ruling against the pact could leave the country facing a fourth poll. Under the proposed...

Protest-hit Lebanon has approved an economic rescue plan and requested aid from the International Monetary Fund as it battles its worst financial crisis in decades. But how did Lebanon become one of the most indebted countries in the world? What's the plan out of this quagmire, and how...

The coronavirus death toll in Iran, one of the hardest hit countries in the Middle East, rose by 74 in the past 24 hours to 6,277, the Health Ministry said Monday, as mosques were due to reopen in many cities. The total number of diagnosed cases rose to 98,647, ministry spokesman Kianush...

Turkey’s health minister has announced 61 new deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the lowest number in over a month. The country's total death toll stands at 3,397. Fahrettin Koca tweeted Sunday that 1,670 more cases were confirmed, with the total number of infections now at...

Thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank entered Israel to work Sunday after weeks of absence over fears of the coronavirus, as the pandemic's spread slowed. An Israeli security official said that as of the morning, some 11,500 Palestinians with permits had entered Israel and settler...

A top Iranian official Sunday warned that a nuclear deal the U.S. withdrew unilaterally from would "die forever" if an arms embargo on Tehran is extended. The United States is campaigning to extend the ban on selling conventional weapons to Iran, which is set to be progressively lifted as...

Jordan said Sunday it had lifted all restrictions on economic activity in the latest easing of coronavirus lockdown rules to help jump-start the cash-strapped economy. Jordan has in the last two weeks been lifting restrictions to allow businesses back to work, but with lower levels of staff...

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said mosques would reopen across large parts of the country Monday, after they were closed in early March amid the Middle East's deadliest novel coronavirus outbreak. Rouhani said 132 counties, around one third of the country's administrative divisions,...

Israel's top court will consider Sunday whether to block the coalition government agreed between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival-turned-partner Benny Gantz, a case that could force another election. Netanyahu, a right-wing premier in power since 2009, and the centrist...

Egyptian authorities said Saturday they have relocated four ancient sphinxes to Tahrir Square, the congested traffic circle in the heart of Cairo. Archaeologists and others have criticized the move, expressing fear that the city's notoriously high air pollution could damage the...

Daesh militants killed at least 10 Iraqi militiamen in a coordinated assault overnight near the central city of Samarra, security officials said Saturday, adding to concerns the extremist group that once controlled large areas of the country is staging a comeback. The military and the...

Lebanon on Friday signed a request for financial help from the International Monetary Fund, initiating a long process the government hopes will ease the country’s worst post-war economic crisis. "Prime Minister Hassan Diab and Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni signed a request for assistance...

 Two medics in protective suits jumped out of a car in a deserted street in central Ankara and hurried inside a building - one carrying medical equipment and the other, paperwork. Some 15 minutes later, they sped off to their next appointment, one of nearly 6,000 teams deployed across...

The death toll in Iran from the coronavirus surged to 6,091, as 63 new deaths were reported over the past 24 hours, state media said on Friday. A total of 1,006 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total infections to 95,646, Iran's state broadcaster...

Iran has slammed Germany's ban on the activities of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement on its soil, saying it would face consequences for its decision to give in to Israeli and US pressure. Germany branded Hezbollah a "Shiite terrorist organisation" on Thursday, with dozens of police and...

Israel Thursday applauded Germany's decision to ban all activities of the Iran-backed Lebanese movement Hezbollah as "a significant step in the global fight against terrorism". The German government labelled Hezbollah "a Shiite terrorist organisation" and announced raids on mosques and...

 Israel's attorney general said Thursday he sees no legal grounds for barring Benjamin Netanyahu from serving as prime minister while facing criminal charges, an announcement that came ahead of a Supreme Court hearing next week to decide whether to disqualify the embattled leader. A...

Iran's health ministry said Thursday that 71 new deaths from the novel coronavirus took the country's overall toll past the 6,000 mark. "The number of deaths from this disease effectively crossed 6,000 today," ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in televised remarks. "Considering...

Lebanese politicians who have led their country into financial disaster are squabbling over who is to blame, stirring up old rivalries that may spell even deeper trouble ahead. Lebanon faces its gravest threat since the 1975-90 civil war as its currency sinks, inflation spirals and...

Germany has banned Iran-backed Hezbollah activity on its soil and designated it a terrorist organisation, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday. Police conducted early morning raids in Germany to detain suspected members of the group. Security officials believe up to 1,050 people in...