Spotlight
Israel's president Reuven Rivlin tasked ex-military chief Benny Gantz on Wednesday with forming a new governing coalition and bringing Israel out of the longest political impasse in its history.

Tunisia's new President Kais Saied took the oath of office on Wednesday after his surprise election victory over champions of the political establishment.

A Turkish-Russian deal signed in the Black Sea resort of Sochi that carves up northeastern Syria sounds the death knell for Kurdish autonomy, analysts say.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed "a historic agreement" with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after hours of talks between the two leaders over the conflict in Syria.

The UN's chemical weapons watchdog said Tuesday it was checking Kurdish allegations that Turkish forces fired non-conventional weapons in northern Syria, but emphasized it had not launched a formal investigation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suffered a serious defeat in his bid to stay on as premier by failing to form a new coalition government, but his opponent faced similar difficulties on Tuesday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel threw her support Tuesday behind a controversial call by her defense minister for international troops to create a "safe zone" in northeastern Syria.

The death toll from week-long anti-government protests that erupted in the Iraqi capital and other cities at the start of the month totaled 157, an official inquiry found on Tuesday.

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper discussed "strategic cooperation" with Saudi King Salman Tuesday, shortly after Washington ordered thousands of soldiers to the kingdom as tensions fester with Iran.
The meeting in Riyadh, where Esper arrived late Monday after an unannounced visit to Afghanistan, also took in defence issues and the current situation in the region, the official SPA news agency said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday to discuss the situation in northern Syria, where Turkey has vowed to resume an offensive against Kurdish fighters.
