Israel's President Reuven Rivlin was set Thursday to task parliament with forming a government to avoid new elections, after Benjamin Netanyahu and rival Benny Gantz each failed to form a coalition.

Two protesters were killed and dozens wounded in overnight clashes with security forces in Iraq's capital Baghdad, security and medical sources told AFP on Thursday.

Forces loyal to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar said they shot down an Italian drone in western Libya, flying in a zone under their control.

Israeli authorities closed several Palestinian organizations in Jerusalem Wednesday, including a television channel, an Israeli minister and officials from the organizations said.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman urged arch-rival Iran on Wednesday to abandon an expansionist ideology that has "harmed" its own people, following violent street protests in the Islamic republic.

Israel edged ever closer to a third general election in a year Wednesday, as Benny Gantz announced his Blue and White coalition -- the winner of the most seats in September's national poll -- was unable to form a government.

Two gay Saudi journalists who sought asylum in Australia after being threatened at home over their relationship have been held for weeks at an immigration detention centre, their lawyer said Wednesday.

The Israeli army carried out a "wide-scale" attack against Iranian forces and Syrian army targets in Syria Wednesday, killing at least 11 fighters, the Israeli army and a monitoring group said. 

Iraqi protesters Tuesday brushed off new government promises of reform, skeptical that top political leaders would deliver the sweeping change they demand.

Yaakov Berg recently lost a battle against Europe over labeling his wine, so when the United States announced it no longer considered the Israeli settlement where he lives illegal, he popped open a bottle.