French President Emmanuel Macron urged Algerian authorities to organise a "reasonable" transition after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika dropped a bid for a fifth term in office and scrapped upcoming elections.

Turkey on Tuesday denounced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "blatant racism" after he called Israel the nation-state of "the Jewish people" only, not all its citizens.

An audio recording purportedly from the Islamic State group is calling on supporters across the world to stage attacks in defense of die-hard militants besieged by U.S.-backed forces in their last foothold in a village in eastern Syria.

The brief, minute-and-a half recording, released by IS supporters on social media and reported by the SITE Intelligence Group late on Monday says men, women and children in the village of Baghouz are being subjected to a "holocaust."

Violence in northwestern Syria has killed dozens over the past three weeks and displaced tens of thousands, raising concerns a truce reached six months ago between Turkey and Russia is in danger.

The violence in Idlib comes as the world is focused on eastern Syria, where U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters are on the verge of defeating the Islamic State group in the last area they control.

Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his withdrawal Monday from a bid to win another term in office and postponed an April 18 election, following weeks of protests against his candidacy.

An influential U.S. senator allied to President Donald Trump toured the occupied Golan Heights on Monday and vowed to work to have Washington recognize Israeli sovereignty over the strategic plateau.

Lindsey Graham's pledge was a boost to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who toured the Golan with him, ahead of April 9 Israeli elections.

Barristers across Algeria on Monday joined strike action against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term in office, a day after the ailing leader's return from hospital in Switzerland.

Children raised in the Islamic State group's "caliphate" should not be treated as terrorists, the United Nations' Children Fund (UNICEF) warned Monday.

Egypt's army on Monday said 46 suspected jihadists were killed in clashes in the restive Sinai Peninsula, where troops are fighting the Islamic State group.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza began receiving $100 payouts from Qatar on Monday, the latest tranche of funds under an informal deal between the territory's Islamist rulers Hamas and Israel.