Iraqis head to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new parliament for a four-year term in a vote that will be closely watched in Washington and Tehran. Here is a look at what could come next and what the regional impact could be. - What happens after the vote? - Iraq's Supreme
Iraqis began voting for a new parliament on Tuesday at a pivotal time for the country and the wider region, in an election that both Iran and the United States will be closely watching. Iraq has been unusually stable in recent years, as the nation tries to move past decades of
By Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) -Iraqis vote on Tuesday in a parliamentary election in which Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is seeking a second term and which a growing young electorate sees as a vehicle for established parties to divide up the country's oil wealth.
LONDON (Reuters) -British pro-Palestinian commentator Sami Hamdi, who is being held by U.S. immigration authorities, is set to be released, his family said on Monday, a fortnight after he was detained midway through a national speaking tour. U.S. Homeland Security officials
(Reuters) -Syria recently signed a political cooperation declaration with the Global Coalition to Defeat Islamic State, the Syrian information minister said in a post on X post on Monday. "The agreement is political and until now contains no military components," he said.
Before his Oval Office visit, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with a key lawmaker whose support is needed to repeal the Caesar Act.
TRIPOLI (Reuters) -Hannibal Gaddafi, youngest son of Libya's late leader Muammar Gaddafi, was released on Monday after almost a decade of detention without trial in Lebanon over the disappearance of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric, Lebanon's National News Agency said. Gaddafi was
By Alexander Dziadosz CAIRO (Reuters) -A packed field of parties is contesting Egypt's parliamentary election but those set to dominate the chamber agree on most issues of substance, including their staunch support for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Voting in Egypt began on
Gorka, who led the US Treasury Department delegation that met Aoun, referred to the president as a “friend” and "Christian leader" in a post on X and said he could help expand the Abraham Accords.
(Reuters) -Turkey is working with the United States and Arab mediators to secure safe passage for Hamas fighters who are holed up in tunnels in the Israel-controlled area of Gaza, a Palestinian source, a Hamas official and Turkish officials said on Monday. The fate of about 200
Fifteen Hezbollah operatives were killed in IDF strikes since the start of November, according to the IDF. Last week, Israeli military officials warned Hezbollah is ramping up efforts to rebuild forces, inducing Israel to expand operations against the group
Iran has ramped up its crackdown against individuals suspected of collaborating with Israel amid a heated cyberwarfare between the two countries.
The IDF declared their villages to be in a 'seam zone' two months ago, and about 300 residents are still waiting for entry and exit permits. Until then, they can't leave their village. 'If I go out to work, they won't let me return. And if I stay home, someone will take my
As Syria's president Ahmad al-Sharaa plans to enter the U.S.-led coalition to take out the Islamic State forces amid repeated bouts of sectarian violence, officials say his long battle with the militant group could become personal
HOLON, Israel (Reuters) -Released Israeli hostage Bar Kupershtein says he managed to survive two years in a cramped Hamas tunnel in Gaza with no sunlight, little food and regular beatings, by clinging to his belief that he was in God's hands the entire time. Kupershtein, 23,
"Sixteen killed." "Seven killed." "Thirty-one killed." "People are eating cowhide to survive." "The bombs are getting closer." "They're shooting people trying to run away." These were the grim updates shared with AFP's veteran Sudan correspondent Abdelmoneim Abu Idris Ali by
The stronger reserve position signals that Egypt has largely emerged from its worst economic crunch in decades.
A Saudi doctor went on trial in Germany Monday accused of driving an SUV through a Christmas market, killing six people and wounding more than 300. Taleb Jawad al-Abdulmohsen, a 51-year-old psychiatrist, was arrested next to the battered rental vehicle after the attack on
(Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Canada's Niagara region this week to join the Group of Seven foreign ministers' meeting, his office said. Rubio intends to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to bring peace to Ukraine and Gaza, security in
Fidan's surprise visit coincides with Syrian president’s historic White House talks and ongoing Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
Fidan's surprise visit coincides with Syrian president’s historic White House talks and ongoing Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
Fidan's surprise visit coincides with Syrian president’s historic White House talks and ongoing Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
By Steven Scheer and Nidal al-Mughrabi JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) -U.S. mediators are meeting Israel's prime minister on Monday with attention turning to the second, far more complex, phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal and the immediate problem of a standoff over a group of Hamas
US mediator Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks Monday on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, as Washington intensified its efforts to ensure the fragile truce endures. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, said Israel would
US envoy Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday as Washington pressed efforts to ensure the fragile Gaza ceasefire holds. The truce, in effect since October 10, has largely halted the war that erupted after Hamas's surprise
US envoy Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks Monday on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, as Washington intensified its efforts to ensure the fragile truce endures. The truce, in effect for exactly a month now, has largely halted the war
Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived at the White House on Monday for a landmark meeting with President Donald Trump, becoming the first Syrian leader to visit the Oval Office. Sharaa was not greeted by Trump at the entrance of the White House, a protocol typical for
By Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) -Lukoil has declared force majeure at Iraq's giant West Qurna-2 oilfield, four sources with knowledge of the matter said on Monday, after Western sanctions on the Russian oil major hampered its operations. Lukoil did not immediately respond to
Amid Israel's increasing number of daily strikes against what it says is Hezbollah infrastructure, the Lebanese army is confident it can declare Lebanon's south free of Hezbollah arms by the end of 2025, in line with last year's Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire
By Maha El Dahan and Jana Choukeir DUBAI (Reuters) -The United Arab Emirates does not yet see a clear framework for the proposed international stability force in Gaza and, under the current circumstances, will not take part, a senior Emirati official said on Monday. Anwar
As the U.S. brokers talks between Syria and Israel on a possible security pact, sanctions and the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State will likely be discussed in Monday's meeting
By Maya Gebeily and Maayan Lubell BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel is pressing Lebanon's army to be more aggressive in disarming the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah by searching private homes in the south for weaponry, three Lebanese security officials and two Israeli
By Timour Azhari DAMASCUS (Reuters) -Syria has foiled two separate Islamic State plots to assassinate President Ahmed al-Sharaa, two senior officials said, adding a personal dimension to the leader's plans to join a U.S.-led coalition to fight the militant group that he has
By Ebru Tuncay and Can Sezer ISTANBUL (Reuters) -A team from the international crime watchdog FATF will evaluate Turkey this month after removing it from its "grey list" last year for progress made in fighting money laundering and the funding of terrorist activity, five sources
DUBAI (Reuters) -Inspectors of the U.N. nuclear watchdog IAEA visited Iranian nuclear sites last week, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, according to state media, a week after the IAEA urged Iran to "seriously improve" cooperation. The IAEA has carried out
BAMAKO (Reuters) -The African Union has called for an urgent international response, including intelligence-sharing, to address worsening security conditions in Mali, where insurgents are imposing a fuel blockade and kidnapping foreigners. An Al Qaeda-linked jihadist group
Egyptians head to the polls on Monday to elect a new parliament, which critics say will only further cement President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's grip on power. The opening of polling stations at 9:00 am (0700 GMT) marks the start of a weeks-long process to fill 568 of the 596 seats
By Steve Holland and Timour Azhari WASHINGTON/RIYADH (Reuters) -Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday caps a stunning year for the rebel-turned-ruler who toppled a longtime autocratic leader and has since toured the