The assassination of a top Iranian nuclear scientist, which Tehran has blamed on Israel, risks not only sharpening tensions across the region but also severely complicating plans by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to resume dialogue with the Islamic republic, analysts said Saturday.

From the first cases in central China to hopes of a vaccine a year later, here are a dozen key developments in the spread and subsequent fight against Covid-19.

Speculation is mounting that Israel and Saudi Arabia may be about to normalise ties after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly held secret talks in the kingdom.

If a deal is done, Saudi Arabia would become the sixth Arab nation to recognise Israel after historic accords since September with the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan.

Ten years ago, a wildfire of revolts in the Arab world touched off an unlikely series of events that swelled, then dashed many hopes, and irrevocably changed the region.

What's Donald Trump's top diplomat to do when allies have turned the page and are waiting for Joe Biden but the president refuses to concede?

Firing the U.S. election security chief and pressuring local officials to throw out valid votes, President Donald Trump and his Republicans are making desperate -- though likely futile -- attempts to invalidate Democrat Joe Biden's election win.

Mike Pompeo is expected to become the first U.S. secretary of state ever to visit land used by settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Thursday.

Eyeing Washington's withdrawal of 500 more troops from Iraq, pro-Iran factions have boldly resumed attacks on the U.S. embassy there despite suspicions outgoing President Donald Trump could strike back.

Fighting has come to an end in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region a week after Armenia agreed to sign a Russian-brokered peace accord sealing its defeat to longtime rival Azerbaijan. 

With little more than two months left in office, President Donald Trump appears to be pushing ahead with plans to pull out of Afghanistan as he stacks the Pentagon with loyalists.

Trump, who refuses to acknowledge defeat to President-elect Joe Biden, in his campaign declared that he was winding down "endless wars" and his new picks are enthusiastic supporters of his position.