Mena Today

Iraqis began casting ballots on Tuesday in parliamentary elections to choose a new 329-member legislature, state television said, with nationwide polling set to close at 6:00 p.m. (1500 GMT).

A de facto partition of Gaza between an area controlled by Israel and another ruled by Hamas is increasingly likely, multiple sources said, with efforts to advance U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war beyond a ceasefire faltering. 

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister said on Tuesday the U.S. was sending Tehran contradictory messages about nuclear talks through third countries.

U.S. President Donald Trump vowed on Monday to do everything he can to make Syria successful after landmark talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander who until recently was sanctioned by Washington as a foreign terrorist.

Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Council of Togo, took part in the Chad Investment and Trade Forum in Abu Dhabi on Monday, dedicated to the launch of the Chad Connection 2030 plan.

Russian Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu arrived in Cairo on Sunday leading a large delegation of senior arms and nuclear officials for military talks with Egypt's leadership, RIA news agency reported.

Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, is taking off into new territory, literally. In a major stride toward reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s standing as a global aviation powerhouse, the airline has launched four brand-new direct routes to Hong Kong, Hanoi, Chiang Mai, and Tunis.

U.S. forces are taking part in overseeing and coordinating aid transfers into the Gaza Strip together with Israel as part of U.S. President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan, an Israeli security official said on Saturday.

Syria has carried out nationwide pre-emptive operations targeting Islamic State cells, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.

The United States seeks to take advantage of a "moment" in Lebanon in which it can cut Iranian funding to Hezbollah and press the group to disarm, the U.S. Treasury Department's top sanctions official said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been talking up the prospects of Saudi Arabia agreeing to normalise ties with Israel, but it is unlikely to happen when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits the White House this month.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plotted to assassinate Israel's ambassador to Mexico starting late last year, but the effort was contained and there is no current threat, a U.S. official said on Friday.