Saudi Arabia, long on the lookout for a global platform to showcase its sporting ambitions, is nearing the end of its search. The Gulf kingdom is close to acquiring up to a 10 percent stake in DAZN, a sports-only network that has been privately funded by the billionaire businessman Len Blavatnik, according to three people […]

Israel and Hamas are engaging in another round of talks in Qatar on Tuesday as they near an agreement for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages, according to a diplomat and a Palestinian in touch with Hamas leaders. The new talks were a sign that the negotiations, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and […]

High-level cease-fire talks appeared to be gaining momentum on Monday as Arab and American mediators pressed for an agreement to halt the fighting in Gaza and release hostages held by Hamas before President-elect Donald J. Trump assumes office on Jan. 20. It was still unclear whether the parties had reached resolution on central disputes that […]

When Donald J. Trump was last president of the United States, the wealthy monarchies of the Persian Gulf had a mostly harmonious relationship with his administration. As Mr. Trump prepares to return to the White House, the leaders of those Gulf countries have generally welcomed him back. But this time around, the Gulf states and […]

Israeli security and policy chiefs were expected to arrive in Qatar on Sunday for high-level talks about a proposed cease-fire deal in Gaza that would see hostages released in the final days of President Joe Biden’s term and before Donald J. Trump takes office. Biden administration officials have been pressing for a deal that would […]

The Lebanese prime minister on Saturday headed to the Syrian capital, Damascus, for the first official visit to meet with the new government there, after clashes along the countries’ shared border left several Lebanese soldiers wounded last week. The prime minister, Najib Mikati, spoke with Ahmad al-Shara, the leader of the new Syrian government, on […]

Israeli soldiers have raided Syrian border villages, prompting nervous residents to huddle in their homes. They have captured the country’s highest peak, have set up roadblocks between Syrian towns and now overlook local villages from former Syrian military outposts. The stunning downfall of Syria’s longtime leader, Bashar al-Assad, closed a chapter in the country’s decade-long […]

The Islamic State lauded the man who killed 14 people when he rammed a truck into a busy New Orleans street early on New Year’s Day, with the group claiming in a digital newsletter dated Thursday that its online propaganda had inspired the attack. The group said the attacker who ran over pedestrians walking on […]

Israeli fighter jets bombed ports and a power plant in Yemeni territory controlled by the Houthis on Friday, the Israeli military said, in the latest attempt to force the Iranian-backed militant group to stop firing at Israel and commercial ships in the Red Sea. Israel has escalated its strikes on the Houthis in recent weeks […]

For decades, Hezbollah’s grip on Lebanon was iron tight. With its vast arsenal, the militant group was more powerful than the country’s national military. It controlled or held sway over Lebanon’s most important government agencies as well as critical infrastructure, like its border with Syria and commercial port. Almost no major political decisions could be […]