The U.N. special envoy for Syria has expressed regret that talks between the government and opposition scheduled to start on July 25 in Geneva "are no longer possible," reportedly because President Bashar Assad's government contends that Switzerland is not neutral because of its support for European Union sanctions against its ally Russia.

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq didn't directly confirm the reason but said Monday that "we do reaffirm the neutrality of Switzerland as a venue for much of the work that the United Nations does." Geneva is the major European headquarters for the 193-member United Nations.

It began with a message that appeared on Danah al-Mayouf's phone from an anonymous Instagram account — a promise to help her "crush" a $5 million lawsuit she faced from a pro-government Saudi fashion model.

But, the mystery texter said, she had to meet him in person.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday told visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that any offensive by Ankara in northern Syria would be "detrimental" to the region.

His statement came shortly before Iran's ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi hosts his Russian and Turkish counterparts for talks on the Syrian conflict.

The leader of Tunisia's Islamist-inspired opposition party Ennahdha arrived Tuesday for questioning by an investigating judge at an anti-terror center, just days before a hotly contested constitutional referendum.

More than 20 security vans were stationed in front of the headquarters of the anti-terror center where about 200 Ennahdha activists were gathered in support of their leader Rached Ghannouchi, AFP correspondents said.

At least 22 people were killed and 33 injured in southern Egypt on Tuesday when the bus they were travelling in smashed into a parked truck, officials said.

The bus carrying around 45 passengers crashed into the stationary truck near the village of al-Barsha, some 300 kilometers (185 miles) south of the capital Cairo in al-Minya governorate.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Iran starting Tuesday is intended to deepen ties with regional heavyweights as part of Moscow's challenge to the United States and Europe amid its grinding campaign in Ukraine.

In only his second trip abroad since Russian tanks rolled into its neighbor in February, Putin is scheduled to hold talks with Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the pressing issues facing the region, including the conflict in Syria and a U.N.-backed proposal to resume exports of Ukrainian grain to ease the global food crisis.

The United States on Monday said it had not sought the arrest of the former lawyer of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, contradicting the United Arab Emirates' official explanation for the American citizen's detention.

The UAE on Saturday sentenced the civil rights lawyer, U.S. citizen Asim Ghafoor, to three years in prison followed by deportation on charges of money laundering and tax evasion. Ghafoor has rejected the charges and said he had no idea he had been convicted on the charges at some point in the past, in absentia.

Egyptian authorities suspended hot air ballooning over the ancient city of Luxor after two tourists were lightly injured during a ride early on Monday.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, a hot air balloon with 28 tourists drifted off course but eventually landed. The two injured tourists were taken to hospital for treatment, it said.

French President Emmanuel Macron hosted United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan for lunch in Paris on Monday, with increased diesel supplies on the menu for their official talks.

Tehran on Sunday accused Washington of provoking tensions in the Middle East, a day after U.S. President Joe Biden ended a tour to Iran's rival Saudi Arabia and arch-foe Israel.