Warships, militia threats and multi-billion dollar deals: the scramble for gas in the Eastern Mediterranean is fuelling hope and tensions across a volatile region.

Seven Egyptian soldiers and 71 jihadists have been killed since the launch of a wide-ranging operation to quell an Islamic State group affiliate in Sinai earlier this month, the military said.  

Every morning, Umm Jamal stirs her coffee as heavy bombardment thuds overhead. This sparsely furnished basement in Syria's Eastern Ghouta has become her home since bombardment made life above ground too dangerous.

Like Umm Jamal, many in the rebel-controlled enclave outside the Syrian capital have been forced to live in spartan basements and makeshift shelters by fierce government shelling.

Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party accused the government of "spreading misinformation" about no civilian deaths in its latest Syrian offensive on Thursday, calling on Ankara to halt the operation.

Over 200 people on Thursday protested outside the Russian consulate in Istanbul against the deadly assault on Syria's rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

After two weeks of negotiations, Russia on Thursday told the U.N. Security Council that there was still no agreement on a 30-day ceasefire in Syria, dimming hopes of international action to halt the carnage in Eastern Ghouta.

Hundreds of African migrants protested Thursday outside an Israeli prison where at least nine others have been incarcerated under Israel's controversial new policy of expelling or imprisoning them.

An Egyptian court sentenced on Thursday 21 people to death for planning attacks and weapons possession.

Only five of the defendants sentenced to death were present at the trial, and they may appeal the ruling.

Moscow on Thursday said fighters in Syria's rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta had rejected Russia's offer to evacuate peacefully and were using civilians there as human shields.

The U.S., rights groups and pro-government Syrian press have said Russia is taking part in air strikes that have killed more than 350 people in the enclave over five days, but Moscow has denied the claims.

Russia has tested over 200 new types of arms in Syria during its campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad, a senior lawmaker said Thursday, as Moscow was accused of taking part in air strikes against rebel-held Eastern Ghouta.

"As we helped the brotherly Syrian people, we tested over 200 new types of weapons," said Vladimir Shamanov, a former commander of Russia's airborne troops who now serves as head of the Russian Duma's defense committee.