President Joseph Aoun said Tuesday that Lebanon has asked friendly countries to pressure Israel to abide by a ceasefire agreement reached in late November last year.

"So far we have not reached a result," Aoun said from Sofia where he met with Bulgarian officials.

Taiwan evacuated more than 3,000 people from vulnerable areas and closed schools and offices on Tuesday ahead of the arrival of tropical storm Fung-wong, which killed at least 18 people and displaced more than 1.4 million in the Philippines after making landfall there Sunday.

Fung-wong was classified as a typhoon but is losing intensity while approaching Taiwan and is expected to make landfall Wednesday afternoon or evening near the southwestern port city of Kaohsiung.

Yemen's Houthi rebels are signaling they've stopped their attacks against Israel and shipping in the Red Sea as a shaky ceasefire holds in the Gaza Strip.

In an undated letter to Hamas' Qassam Brigades published online by the group, the Houthis offered their clearest signal that their attacks have halted.

The longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history appears to be nearing an end, but not without leaving a mark on an already-struggling economy.

About 1.25 million federal workers haven't been paid since Oct. 1. Thousands of flights have been canceled, a trend that is expected to continue this week even as Congress moves toward reopening the government. Government contract awards have slowed and some food aid recipients have seen their benefits interrupted.

The Senate passed legislation Monday to reopen the government, bringing the longest shutdown in history closer to an end as a small group of Democrats ratified a deal with Republicans despite searing criticism from within their party.

The 41-day shutdown could last a few more days as members of the House, which has been on recess since mid-September, return to Washington to vote on the legislation. President Donald Trump has signaled support for the bill, saying Monday that "we're going to be opening up our country very quickly."

Iraqis headed to the polls on Tuesday to vote in a parliamentary election marked by tight security and a boycott by a major political bloc.

A total of 8,703 polling stations were open across the country for the general election. Members of the security forces and displaced people living in camps cast their ballots in early voting on Sunday.

Lebanese authorities have released the son of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi after he paid a $900,000 bail, ending his 10-year detention for allegedly withholding information about a missing Lebanese cleric, security officials and a member of his defense team said.

One of Hannibal Gadhafi's lawyers, Charbel Milad al-Khoury, told The Associated Press that Gadhafi was released Monday evening after necessary paperwork was finished. Two security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, also confirmed that Gadhafi was set free.

Robert Lewandowski scored a hat trick to help Barcelona gain ground on Real Madrid in the Spanish league on Sunday.

After Madrid was held by Rayo Vallecano to a 0-0 draw — its second consecutive setback following a Champions League loss at Liverpool — Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal led Barcelona to a 4-2 victory at Celta Vigo to move the Catalan club within three points of the lead.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is expected to miss Belgium's upcoming World Cup qualifiers because of a muscle injury.

Madrid said in a statement on Monday the 33-year-old Courtois has been diagnosed with an injury "to the long abductor muscle in his right leg" after undergoing medical tests with the club. The Spanish league side did not specify how long he will be sidelined, saying only that "his recovery will be assessed."

Shares advanced in Europe and Asia on Monday as tentative moves by the U.S. Senate to end the federal government shutdown pushed U.S. futures higher.

The Senate voted late Sunday, in a test vote that begins a series of procedural maneuvers, to move toward passing compromise legislation to fund the federal government, though final passage could be several days away. The Senate may hold a vote by mid-December on extending expiring health care tax credits, the key sticking point.