Mena Today

The Netherlands heads to the polls for the third time in less than five years on October 29. Here is an overview of how the general election works and what to expect in coming months.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted on Wednesday at his opposition to any role for Turkish security forces in the Gaza Strip as part of a mission to monitor a U.S.-backed ceasefire with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

Iran will not return to negotiations with the United States as long as Washington makes "unreasonable demands," the Iranian foreign minister said on Wednesday according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Dubai real estate developer Emaar has not been approached for any post-war Gaza reconstruction work and would not be inclined to do any, said its founder and chairman Mohammed Alabbar.

A planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was put on hold on Tuesday, as Moscow's rejection of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine cast a cloud over attempts at negotiations.

Anxious to bolster its air power, Turkey has proposed to European partners and the U.S. ways it could swiftly obtain advanced fighter jets as it seeks to make up ground on regional rivals such as Israel, sources familiar with the talks say.  

Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the United Arab Emirates president, said on Wednesday that maximalist views on the Palestinian issues are no longer valid, emphasizing the need for security for Israel alongside the establishment of a viable Palestinian state.

A small contingent of British military planning officers has been sent to Israel to join a task force led by the United States to support stabilisation efforts in Gaza, the UK defence ministry said.

Iran's economy is at risk of simultaneous hyperinflation and severe recession, officials and analysts say, as clerical rulers scramble to preserve stability with limited room to manoeuvre after a snapback of U.N. sanctions.

An Iranian student detained in France has been readied for a prisoner swap, an Iranian diplomat told semi-official Tasnim news agency on Tuesday, a day after Iran said there was necessary will to exchange prisoners with France.

Beneath a smog-choked sky, the once-glistening waters of Gabes in southern Tunisia run dark with rust-coloured streaks. Trees are dying, fish vanishing and a suffocating stench infuses the air. 

The British government on Tuesday removed Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group which spearheaded the Syrian rebel alliance that helped oust President Bashar al-Assad, from its list of banned terrorist organisations.