Turkey eyes offshore energy pact with Syria in 2026 amid East Med isolation

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has offered up details on a deal with Syria that could unsettle regional rivals in the gas-rich Eastern Mediterranean.

Iraq parliament elects new speaker

Iraq's new parliament elected a senior figure from the Sunni Taqadom party as its speaker Monday, the first session since November elections that consolidated the main parties' grip on power. Parliament's media office said 309 out of 329 lawmakers took part in the inaugural

Tehran shopkeepers shut stores over economic conditions

Some shopkeepers in Tehran shut their stores for the second day in a row Monday in protest against economic hardships and sharp swings in Iran's embattled currency, media reports said. The rial has hit new lows on the unofficial market, with the US dollar trading at around 1.42

Somalia’s president heads to Turkey as Israel’s Somaliland recognition rattles region

The Somali leader’s visit comes amid a heightened Turkish-Israeli rivalry, fueled by Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, in the region and beyond.

Hamas confirms deaths this year of armed wing spokesperson Abu Ubaida and Gaza chief Sinwar

Dec 29 (Reuters) - Hamas confirmed on Monday that its armed wing spokesperson, Abu Ubaida, and then Gaza chief Mohammed Sinwar were killed in the Gaza war earlier this year. The Israeli military said in May that it had killed Sinwar, the younger brother of former Hamas leader

Aid workers find little life in Sudan's al-Fashir after paramilitary takeover

By Nafisa Eltahir Dec 29 - International aid staff who accessed Sudan's al-Fashir for the first time since its takeover by a paramilitary force found the city largely deserted, with a few people sheltering in buildings or under plastic sheets, a senior U.N. official said on

Australian LNG deal marks latest step in Turkey's energy diversification push

Although Turkey does not have abundant oil and gas resources, Ankara wants to position itself as a regional gas hub linking Europe and Asia.

Greece, Israel and Cyprus to step up joint exercises in eastern Mediterranean

ATHENS, Dec 29 - Greece, Israel and Cyprus will step up joint air and naval exercises in the eastern Mediterranean in 2026, deepening their defence cooperation, Greek military officials and a senior source said on Monday. The three eastern Mediterranean nations have drawn

Gazan medical students graduate in ceremony amid ruins of Al Shifa Hospital

The doctors studied for their exams amid hunger, displacement and bombardment. The hospital's medical director said the ceremony defied Israeli efforts to dismantle Palestinian society: 'They sought to destroy Palestine's human capital ... but failed'

Three Turkish police officers and six Islamic State militants killed in clash in northwest ‍Turkey

Turkish President Erdogan vowed to press ahead with the fight against extremism, saying Turkey would act 'with determination, comprehensively and without compromise' as authorities closed schools, cut utilities and detained five suspects following the clashes

India's navy sails back to the future with historic voyage

India's navy boasts aircraft carriers, submarines, warships and frontline vessels of steel as it spreads its maritime power worldwide. But none of its vessels is as unusual as its newest addition that sets sail on its maiden Indian Ocean crossing on Monday -- a wooden stitched

Emirates mining company challenges Guinea licence withdrawal

Mining company Axis International said Monday it was seeking World Bank arbitration against Guinea for withdrawing its right to operate a major bauxite mine in the west African country. Guinea, which has been run by a junta since a coup in 2021, has cancelled dozens of licences

Kremlin says Ukraine should withdraw troops from Donbas, and a Putin-Trump call expected soon

MOSCOW, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Monday that Ukraine should withdraw its troops from the part of Donbas that it still controls if it wanted peace, and that if Kyiv did not strike a deal then it would lose yet more territory. Putin and Trump spoke on Sunday ahead

Iraq's newly elected parliament holds first session

BAGHDAD, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Iraq's newly elected parliament convened on Monday for its first session since the November national election, opening the way for lawmakers to begin the process of forming a new government. Parliament is due to elect a speaker and two deputies

Egyptian-British activist Abd el-Fattah apologises for past social media posts

Dec 29 (Reuters) - Activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, freed from prison in Egypt and now in Britain, apologised on Monday for his "shocking and hurtful" social media posts made more than a decade ago, which have led to calls for his deportation from opposition British politicians.

Egyptian activist sorry for violent posts after UK uproar

A British-Egyptian activist apologised Monday for resurfaced social media posts in which he called for violence against Zionists and police, as opposition lawmakers urged the UK government to revoke his citizenship. The posts, dating back to 2010, came to light just days after

Egyptian activist sorry for 'hurtful' posts after UK uproar

A British-Egyptian activist apologised Monday for resurfaced social media posts in which he called for violence against Zionists and police, as opposition lawmakers urged the UK government to revoke his citizenship. The posts, dating back to 2010, came to light just days after

China opposes recognition of Somaliland, affirms support for Somalia

BEIJING, Dec 29 (Reuters) - China opposes any attempt to split territories in Somalia, the foreign ministry said on Monday, affirming Chinese support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the East African country. "No country should encourage or support other

Houthi leader threatens any Israeli presence in Somaliland will be military target after recognition move

Yemen's Houthi leader also accused Israel of threatening security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, urging Arab and Islamic states to take action. Israeli sources have warned in recent months of the diplomatic costs Israel could face as a result of recognizing Somaliland,

Syria secures Assad-era mass grave revealed by Reuters and opens criminal investigation

Dec 29 - Syria’s government has ordered soldiers to guard a mass grave created to conceal atrocities under Bashar al-Assad and has opened a criminal investigation, following a Reuters report that revealed a yearslong conspiracy by the fallen dictatorship to hide thousands of

Seven Turkish police wounded in clash with Islamic State militants

By Umit Bektas YALOVA, Turkey, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Seven Turkish police officers were wounded in a clash with suspected Islamic State militants in northwest Turkey on Monday and a police operation against them was ongoing, a Reuters witness and state media reported. Sporadic

Netanyahu to meet Trump in Florida for talks on Gaza, Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump in Florida on Monday, with the US president pushing to move to the next stage of his fragile Gaza truce plan. Netanyahu is also expected to try to shift some focus onto Iran, amid reports he will call for more US

Netanyahu to meet Trump in Florida for crucial Gaza talks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump in Florida on Monday, with the US president pushing to move to the next stage of the fragile Gaza truce plan. The crucial meeting at Trump's lavish Mar-a-Lago resort comes as some White House officials fear both

By recognizing Somaliland, Israel steps into a complex labyrinth of regional rivalries

Israel's recognition might grant the country a military presence in the Horn of Africa, but it will find itself constrained by the UAE and its regional commitments to its neighbors. For Somaliland, the 'deal' with Israel may include a promise that its biggest prize – Trump –

Trump hosts Netanyahu in Mar-a-Lago: 'Hope to get to phase two of Gaza cease-fire quickly'

Four killed in clashes in Syria between al-Sharaa forces and Alawites

Clashes ensued as Alawite demonstrators sought federalism and self-determination, while Syrian authorities blamed 'remnants of the former regime' for the unrest and deployed soldiers to contain the situation. On Friday, an attack on an Alawite mosque in Homs killed eight people

Australia says Bondi review to check if terror attack could have been averted

SYDNEY, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday an independent review into law enforcement agencies set up after the Bondi mass shooting will assess whether authorities could have taken additional steps to prevent the terror attack. Albanese

Trump, Netanyahu to discuss next phase of Gaza plan

JERUSALEM/PALM BEACH, Florida, Dec 28 - U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to push for progress in the stalled ceasefire in Gaza when he meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for talks that will include Israel’s concerns over Hezbollah in Lebanon

At Mar-a-Lago, Netanyahu seeks Iran strike approval while Trump presses Gaza plan

US President Donald Trump is expected to push Israel to enter the second phase of his Gaza peace plan, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will focus on securing Trump’s approval for a potential strike on Iran’s ballistic missile program.