Turkey hosted talks between Libya's eastern and western administrations last week with the goal of reunifying them, a senior Turkish official familiar with the talks told AFP Wednesday.

Ankara is one of the rare countries that maintains ties with both sides in Libya, which has been divided between rival leaderships since 2014 following the 2011 downfall of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

"Discussions have so far focused primarily on military unification, while political unity is expected to be addressed at a later stage," the official said.

The talks, which took place in the capital Ankara, were attended by military officials from Libya's eastern and western administrations as well as diplomats, the source said, adding that Turkey was acting as a mediator between the two sides.

Beset by instability since the overthrow of Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising, Libya is divided between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.

Turkey strongly backed the Tripoli-based government during years of conflict in Libya, but ties with eastern authorities have warmed significantly in recent years.

On Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the time had come to reunify the eastern and western administrations, hinting that an announcement could come soon.

"We have now reached a stage where the conditions are ripe to permanently secure the reunification of the east and the west," Fidan said after hosting a meeting of top European diplomats and regional powers in Istanbul.

"One of the most important pillars of national unification is how the military units currently controlled separately by both sides will be brought together under a single umbrella," he added.

US 'backing'

The Turkish official who spoke to AFP on Wednesday said that no agreement had yet been reached, but the parties had agreed to continue the talks.

"Turkey is the priority to host the talks but they could also take place in Libya," he said.

"Given that Ankara now enjoys close ties with both Libya's eastern and western administrations, it is undoubtedly in a stronger position than any other external actor to negotiate a compromise on military and political reunification," Hamish Kinnear, an analyst at UK-based consulting group Verisk Maplecroft, told AFP.

Turkish mediation comes as Washington and the United Nations are also pushing for the reunification of the oil-rich country.

Asked whether Turkish and US plans conflicted, a foreign observer told AFP that Ankara and Washington's positions "are, in fact, aligned".

"If there is any significant friction, it is primarily with the Europeans, who are deeply divided on this issue, notably France and Italy, as well as Russia, which would see its influence diminish," the observer commented.

Kinnear agreed that Turkey's push for what he described as an "elite bargain" to reunify Libya "likely has the tacit backing of Washington".

Competition for power

Under the proposed US plan for Libya's reunification, Abdulhamid Dbeibah, who heads the Tripoli-based government, would remain prime minister, while Saddam Haftar, the eastern commander's son, would become head of the Presidential Council.

Kinnear suggested that the Turkish initiative might be "enough to secure a temporary reunification of Libya's governments", but warned that, in the longer term, destabilising competition for greater power and influence "is likely".

He said it was unlikely that these key figures would relinquish their direct influence over militias loyal to them and remain satisfied with their formal positions alone.

Last week, Libya's eastern-based parliament approved a maritime demarcation deal with Turkey, years after rejecting it when it was first signed.

The agreement has drawn anger from the European Union, Greece, Israel and Egypt, who denounced it as an infringement of their sovereign rights and a violation of international law.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at the criticism, saying it had "no legitimate basis", speaking after a cabinet meeting on Monday.

Analysts say Libya's approval gives Turkey stronger political backing for offshore surveys and negotiations over exploration.

Multiple civilian vendors were among the dozens reportedly killed in an attack on a market earlier this week in a poverty-stricken Darfur city in southwestern Sudan, where they had gathered to sell goods to paramilitary fighters, witnesses said Wednesday.

More than 100 people were killed and 113 others were wounded on Monday in a Sudanese military drone strike on a busy market in Nyala, the capital of the South Darfur province, said Emergency Lawyers, a rights group tracking violence. The group said many of those killed and wounded were women and children.

A cigarette vendor told The Associated Press by phone on Wednesday that hundreds of Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, fighters had gathered at the market that evening. He said that he moved his stall between gatherings of the paramilitary fighters to sell cigarettes and that a drone struck around 8 p.m., killing dozens of fighters and women selling food. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Mohamed Didan, the official spokesperson for the Special Operations Forces fighting with the army, wrote on Facebook that more than “150 militia recruits” were killed at the Dumaya camp, west of Nyala, in what he described as a “precise and targeted airstrike.”

The latest attack came as part of the ongoing war between the army and the RSF, which broke out in April 2023, triggering one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, according to aid organizations. The war has killed at least 59,000 people and displaced around 13 million people.

Another witness told the AP that the explosion was massive and killed many fighters. He estimated that around 14 civilians, including women and children, were also killed, most of them women selling tea and food.

The witness, who also spoke on condition of anonymity in fear of reprisals, said that civilians in Nyala often gather wherever fighters congregate to sell food and tea to earn a living amid widespread unemployment and few sources of income.

Final casualty figures from Monday’s attack in Nyala are unconfirmed amid limited information from the city.

Sudan Doctors Network, another group that tracks violence, gave a lower death toll and said that the attack was from shelling. It said in a statement Wednesday that at least 21 people were killed and more than 40 others were wounded. The toll includes civilians.

“The release of this statement was delayed due to difficulties in verifying the information, given the challenges of accessing field documentation sources within Nyala amid ongoing active military operations and security constraints that hinder efforts to monitor and verify the conditions of victims and the injured,” the group said. “The identities of all victims and the circumstances surrounding their presence at the site remain under verification, particularly in the absence of detailed and confirmed casualty lists.”

Doctors Without Borders, which is also known as Médecins Sans Frontières, or MSF, said Tuesday that 36 bodies arrived at its hospital in Nyala and reported seeing 150 wounded in an emergency room. It said 21 of them were wearing civilian clothing.

“Medical staff worked around the clock treating patients, including women and children. They’re all very shaken. The question everyone is asking is ‘Why are markets being targeted? The places where people need to access food, where a lot of civilians gather,’” said Dale Koninckx, MSF project coordinator in Nyala.

The war has pushed some parts of the country into famine. In RSF-controlled Nyala, the share of children seeking treatment for severe acute malnutrition more than doubled between January and August, from five to 11%, according to the latest figures by the United Nations released earlier this month.

Drone warfare has become the deadliest threat to civilians in Sudan’s conflict and both the military and the RSF are being supplied with drones by a number of countries in the Middle East and beyond, experts previously said.

Mubarak Bekheit, an aid worker in Darfur, told the AP by phone on Wednesday that many people remained missing and some bodies had yet to be recovered from homes in the area after the strike hit a civilian neighborhood.

“I personally know that war has no morality, but the reality we witness every day is that civilians are the ones paying the highest price. They lose their lives, their loved ones, and their homes, while living under the constant fear of further bombardment," he said.

Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to face more constraints as Israel's caretaker prime minister after Tuesday's election, but experts say his government could still retain significant powers including when it comes to waging war on Iran.

Neither Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition nor an opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot is projected by Israeli media to win a majority in the country’s 120-seat legislature. Eisenkot has acknowledged the prime minister was still in office as a caretaker but issued a warning that Netanyahu might use security for political ends.

Netanyahu's office has previously rejected accusations he is using the Iran conflict for political gain. His office did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday.

“If you look at the letter of the law, a caretaker government has the same authority, has the same powers as a regular government,” said Guy Lurie, a research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, adding however that a caretaker government “has a duty of restraint” and more limited discretion to act in some areas.

A caretaker government faces limitations when it comes to issues such as appointments, but has leeway to act in matters where there is a public interest, analysts say.

“In general, security issues are the clearest exception to this duty of restraint,” said Or Asher, a researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Tachlith Institute, noting that Israel's supreme court has previously held that a caretaker government must avoid far-reaching decisions unless they are justified by a pressing necessity.

“The Supreme Court has historically avoided intervening in decisions to go to war, and parliamentary oversight is at its thinnest in the weeks after the new Knesset convenes and before its committees are formed,” Asher said, adding that “a caretaker prime minister can legally take Israel to war, including against Iran”.

After the final ​tally is in, Israel’s President ​Isaac Herzog is expected to consult ⁠party leaders and then tap the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a ​government, with the nominee then getting up to 42 days to establish a government.

Syria summoned the Jordanian ambassador to Damascus on Wednesday and handed him a formal protest note over Jordanian airstrikes in the southern province of Daraa that killed seven civilians, including three children.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry summoned Ambassador Sufian al-Qudah over Monday evening's strikes, which also wounded three people, according to the state news agency SANA.

The diplomatic protest came just a day after Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi agreed to establish a joint security committee to investigate the strikes and prevent similar incidents.

The agreement also included plans to strengthen intelligence sharing and security coordination between the neighbouring countries.

During a telephone conversation with Shaibani, Safadi expressed "deep regret" over the civilian deaths and offered condolences to the Syrian people.

However, he maintained that the strikes had targeted positions belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group, citing intelligence about imminent threats and planned attacks against Jordan.

The dispute began on Monday when the Jordanian military announced an air operation in southern Syria targeting alleged terrorist organisations linked to those responsible for Friday's deadly attack on a church in Jordan's Karak province.

Jordan's military said the operation was coordinated with the Syrian government, a claim Damascus rejected.

Syrian authorities said no prior coordination had taken place and condemned the strikes as an unacceptable violation of the country's sovereignty and airspace.

According to Daraa's health directorate, the bombardment killed seven people, including three children, a woman and three men, one of whom was elderly.

Three others were wounded in strikes targeting the al-Tuff area and locations near the towns of Nasib and Muzayrib.

Emergency teams conducted search-and-rescue operations at four sites affected by the bombardment.

On Tuesday, Syria's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as a breach of the principles of good neighbourly relations.

Syria's parliament also called for a joint investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the strikes and ensure that civilians were not targeted again.

The escalating tensions prompted Syrian authorities to close the Nasib border crossing with Jordan to passengers and commercial traffic on Tuesday.

The crossing reopened on Wednesday morning, with movement returning to normal following diplomatic discussions between the two countries.

International human rights organisations and press freedom groups have condemned the conviction of Egyptian journalist Lina Attalah and the court-ordered closure of Mada Masr, warning of an escalating crackdown on independent journalism in Egypt.

In a joint statement signed by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders, among others, the organisations called on Egyptian authorities to allow the independent outlet to operate freely.

"We, the undersigned organizations, condemn in the strongest terms the conviction of Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of the independent Egyptian news outlet Mada Masr, and the court's order to shut down one of the country's leading and last remaining independent newsrooms," the statement said.

The organisations described the ruling as the latest development in an expanding campaign against Egypt's independent media.

The New Cairo Misdemeanor Court on Tuesday convicted Attalah of operating a website without a licence, imposing a fine of three million Egyptian pounds (approximately $54,000) on her and ordering Mada Masr's closure and confiscating its equipment.

Attalah was detained inside the courthouse following the ruling and released seven hours later after the fine was paid.

During her release procedures, she discovered that a separate conviction had been issued against her in absentia in 2024, sentencing her to one year in prison for "spreading false news" and operating an unlicensed website.

Her lawyers have challenged that conviction, with a hearing scheduled for 11 November.

The joint statement by rights groups also raised serious concerns about alleged procedural irregularities during Tuesday's trial.

Journalists were reportedly excluded from the courtroom during critical proceedings, while Attalah's defence team was denied sufficient time to examine the case file or submit evidence and call witnesses.

The court also reportedly appointed another lawyer to represent Attalah despite her objections and the presence of her eight-member legal team.

Amnesty International described the ruling as a "crushing blow to press freedom in Egypt", while CPJ regional director Sara Qudah warned that it sent a message to journalists throughout the country.

"If Egypt can put in custody one of its most respected editors and shut down her newsroom, no independent journalist in the country is safe," Qudah said.

Mada Masr, founded in 2013, has repeatedly sought a licence from Egyptian authorities, but its applications have been rejected or left unanswered.

Its website has been blocked inside Egypt since 2017, although it has continued publishing investigations into government corruption, human rights abuses and other politically sensitive subjects.

The latest prosecution followed Mada Masr's participation in a solidarity newsroom established after Egyptian authorities arrested six journalists from the investigative and fact-checking platform Matsadaash in September.

Some of those detained told prosecutors they had been tortured and forced to record fabricated confessions, according to the joint statement.

The signatories said the crackdown had since expanded to include the questioning of journalist Rasha Azab and a coordinated defamation campaign against the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate.

CPJ reported that 25 journalists were imprisoned in Egypt as of late October, the highest number since 2021.

The Egyptian Journalists Syndicate has separately intervened in Attalah's case, urging media regulators to resolve Mada Masr's longstanding licensing dispute rather than pursuing criminal proceedings.

The organisations called on Egyptian authorities to overturn the closure order, end the use of licensing laws to criminalise journalism and immediately release imprisoned journalists.

"The expanding arrest, closure and defamation campaign against independent media sends a clear message of fear and intimidation to newsrooms across the country," the joint statement warned.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly attributed the joint statement to the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP). The statement was issued by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The article has been updated to reflect this.

French prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into death threats against Muslims and racist hate speech broadcast during a live discussion on social media platform X, according to French media reports on Tuesday.

The investigation follows an X Spaces discussion in which participants allegedly called for violence against Muslims and immigrants, prompting La France Insoumise (LFI) politician Thomas Portes to alert authorities to the threats last week.

Portes shared excerpts of the discussion, highlighting racist remarks including "this is not the country of Arabs".

Other participants reportedly urged listeners to "take advantage of street prayers because they're all gathered together" and said they "need to target a small neighbourhood and make it French". Some allegedly discussed killing people.

"I am immediately referring the matter to the Prosecutor of the Republic of Paris [Laure Beccuau]," Portes said.

According to French media reports, the Paris Public Prosecutor's Office referred the case to police after becoming aware of the threats targeting Muslims and immigrants.

Prosecutors reportedly launched an investigation into suspected public incitement to hatred or violence based on origin or religion, direct online incitement to commit a terrorist act, and public calls to commit violent crimes.

The New Arab has approached the Paris Public Prosecutor's Office for comment and could not independently verify whether Portes' complaint directly prompted the investigation.

The investigation comes days after a series of racially motivated attacks in Trappes and nearby La Verrière, outside Paris, last week.

A gunman killed one person and wounded five others, including a 12-year-old girl, in shootings that officials said may have constituted an Islamophobic "terrorist crime".

Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh said the person killed was "of African origin", while one of the wounded, who was in critical condition, was "of North African origin".

Following the attacks, the French Council of the Muslim Faith condemned the "consequences of hate speech, stigmatisation and scapegoating", renewing its warnings about the dangers of rhetoric targeting Muslim communities.

The incidents have heightened concerns over growing anti-Muslim hostility in France, where far-right political figures have increasingly targeted Muslims and immigrants in their rhetoric.

French Muslim organisations have repeatedly condemned anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies promoted by far-right politicians.

Marine Le Pen, a leading figure in the far-right National Rally party, has previously proposed fining women who wear the headscarf in public spaces.

Israel's opposition has approached Arab parties to discuss cooperation on forming a new government, following an election in which high turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel helped deny Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a parliamentary majority.

Ahmad Tibi, leader of the Arab Movement for Change and a member of the Knesset, revealed that opposition parties had contacted Arab political leaders to coordinate efforts to replace the current Knesset speaker and explore future cooperation.

Tibi said Arab parties were not seeking ministerial portfolios in the next government but intended to use their parliamentary strength to end Netanyahu's rule.

He credited the surge in Palestinian voter turnout with preventing Netanyahu from securing the majority needed to form a government, opening the door to an alternative that could end the far-right coalition's grip on power.

The Joint List would support an opposition-backed candidate to replace the Knesset speaker, Tibi said, while condemning politicians who refuse to cooperate with Arab parties.

"Whoever insists on not forming alliances with Arab parties will lose power," he said, describing attempts to portray Arab votes as illegitimate as racist.

Arab parties offer Eisenkot parliamentary support

According to Israeli public broadcaster Kan, Tibi confirmed that the Joint List was negotiating with the opposition's "change camp" to facilitate the formation of a new government without formally joining the coalition.

"I want to do everything I can in the Knesset to pave the way for the announcement of a government," he said. "We will probably not be an integral part of this government, but there are other arrangements and possibilities."

Sources familiar with the discussions said the Joint List had offered opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot a parliamentary "safety net", similar to the arrangement under which Arab lawmakers supported Yitzhak Rabin's government in 1992.

Such an arrangement could allow Arab parties to support a government from outside the coalition without accepting ministerial positions.

The sources said contacts with Eisenkot's camp had continued over recent days and remained ongoing.

Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen also called for a "genuine Jewish-Arab partnership" to remove Netanyahu from power.

"Anyone who wants to offer a substantive and genuine alternative to Netanyahu's blood-soaked government must engage in dialogue with us and pave the way for the change that the public in Israel is seeking," Jabareen told Israeli media.

Netanyahu incites against Arab voters

The developments follow an election campaign in which Netanyahu repeatedly warned supporters about rising turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu shared photographs and videos focusing on Arab lawmaker Ahmad Tibi and high turnout in Arab communities.

In one post on X, Netanyahu shared an image purportedly showing voters outside a polling station in Rahat, a predominantly Arab city in southern Israel.

"This is what is happening today in Rahat. You cannot stay at home; go out immediately and vote Likud. We are fighting for our homeland," he wrote.

Meanwhile, Democrats leader Yair Golan suggested that Arab parties should be included in opposition efforts to form a new government.

"Every member of the Knesset elected through the legal process is a legitimate part of our political system," Golan said.

However, far-right Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman rejected cooperation with Arab parties, instead calling for a rebellion within Likud against Netanyahu.

Lieberman accused Netanyahu of destroying the nationalist camp, saying the prime minister had behaved "like the head of a criminal organisation".

A diplomatic initiative involving Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan has exposed divisions among Iranian hardliners, with influential conservative figures disagreeing over whether the talks represent recognition of Tehran's regional influence or an attempt to force concessions over Yemen.

Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin and Pakistani military chief Asim Munir visited Tehran on Monday for talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and senior security officials.

The meeting, held amid renewed threats of US and Israeli military action against Iran, concluded with an agreement to continue discussions on regional security.

According to Reuters, citing a Pakistani official, Munir presented Tehran with a proposal to end hostilities that had received US President Donald Trump's approval.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar could reportedly act as guarantors of an agreement, although no diplomatic breakthrough was announced.

The initiative has generated contrasting reactions among Iranian political figures, according to Iranian media reports.

Iran's state-run Iran newspaper welcomed the visit, declaring that regional security was impossible without Tehran's participation.

Abdollah Ganji, a former editor of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Javan newspaper, similarly portrayed the talks as recognition of Iran's regional importance.

Writing on X, Ganji suggested that Tehran was becoming central to an emerging regional security arrangement opposed to Israel.

However, Hossein Shariatmadari, the influential editor of the hardline Kayhan newspaper, questioned the intentions of the visiting governments.

Shariatmadari argued that Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan were too closely aligned with Washington to act as credible mediators.

He also challenged the optimism expressed by Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, who had presented the meeting as an opportunity to establish a new regional security framework.

Shariatmadari warned that the initiative could weaken Iran's position by relieving pressure on Washington while encouraging Tehran to distance itself from regional allies.

Former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, meanwhile, advocated a broader regional security arrangement based on non-aggression, confidence-building and economic cooperation.

Much of the controversy concerns Yemen's Houthi movement, which has renewed attacks against Saudi Arabia amid continuing tensions over the country's unresolved conflict.

Saudi Arabia led a military intervention in Yemen beginning in 2015, launching a devastating bombing campaign and imposing restrictions on the country's ports and borders that contributed to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Although large-scale fighting diminished following a UN-brokered truce in 2022, the conflict remains unresolved, with the Houthis controlling much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.

The movement maintains close political and military ties with Iran but has its own domestic political objectives and decision-making structures.

Shariatmadari warned that the diplomatic initiative could result in pressure on Tehran to abandon the Houthis, something he insisted Iran would not do.

Hardline parliamentarian Mahmoud Nabavian defended the movement, arguing that attacks against Saudi Arabia would continue while restrictions on Yemen remained in place.

Former parliamentary national security committee chairman Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, however, suggested that resolving the Yemen conflict was a central priority for Saudi Arabia and its regional partners.

The diplomatic initiative comes as Washington reportedly prepares for another military campaign against Iran following the 3 November US midterm elections.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the Trump administration had warned Gulf governments to prepare for a possible short but intense military operation.

The prospect of renewed fighting has increased the urgency of regional diplomacy, even as Iranian political figures disagree over whether negotiations could protect Tehran's interests or undermine its regional alliances.

Hello and welcome to our continuing coverage of the Israeli elections and news from across the region.

More than 90% of the votes have been counted in Israel, with polls suggesting no outright winner and Netanyahu's coalition only slightly ahead of the opposition alliance.

Arab parties are set to win roughly 18-19 seats in a record projected performance, meaning they will likely become a key element to the future government formation. Despite this, neither main bloc has agreed to invite them to form a government.

Voter turnout in Tuesday's general election stood at 77.7%, with reports also suggesting voter turnout among Palestinian communities inside Israel reaching about 80%.

Meanwhile, Israel's military raid and siege of Hebron continues for the sixth day, displacing more than 4,000 people and imposing restrictions across the southern West Bank.

In Yemen, the Houthis have attacked Taiz and ordered the evacuation of Aden Airport.

Syria on Wednesday said a French jihadist was killed in a shootout with security forces in the country's northwest, the latest violence with foreign fighters since Syria's new authorities took power.

In October last year, government forces clashed with French jihadists from the so-called Firqat al-Ghuraba (the Foreigners' Brigade), before the sides agreed a ceasefire that also involved the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the Harem camp, where they are holed up in Idlib province.

In a statement carried by state television, security forces in Idlib said a patrol observed "an armed group leaving the French camp... in violation of the agreement that prohibits exiting (the site) with weapons."

Some from the group began shooting at the patrol which had begun taking up pursuit, "requiring a response to the source of fire", the statement said.

One of the members of the armed group was killed and a civilian wounded, it added.

Firqat al-Ghuraba is led by Franco-Senegalese criminal-turned-preacher Oumar Diaby, also called Omar Omsen, and is estimated to include a few dozen to a hundred fighters accompanied by women and children.

On messaging app Telegram, a channel affiliated with the group published a statement accusing the security forces of opening fire after "our brothers went to buy food in the city", killing a man it identified as Abu Ayman al-Faransi, meaning "Abu Ayman the Frenchman".

The statement said the man had lived in Syria for 13 years and had fought against the forces of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled by an Islamist alliance in December 2024.

Accusing Syria's authorities of killing the man, the statement vowed that "we will not leave this land before taking revenge".

The issue of foreign fighters who flocked to Syria during its civil war is a thorny one, with many countries refusing to take them back.

Hundreds of French citizens joined jihadist ranks in Syria during the war.

In September 2016, the United States designated Diaby, suspected of helping French-speaking fighters travel to Syria, as an "international terrorist".

Diaby, in his 50s, is also wanted on a French arrest warrant.

While some foreign fighters have joined the ranks of Syria's new military or security forces, the French jihadists have remained in Idlib where they had fought for years alongside factions that went on to help topple Assad.

Indian FlyDubai pilot Smit Machchhar and crew members who subdued an attacker and safely landed a flight from Dubai to Israel last month have been awarded one of the United Arab Emirates’ highest honours for bravery.  

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan praised their actions during the mid-flight incident, which attracted international attention. 

During a ceremony on Tuesday, Machchhar and the crew received the Order of Zayed II, First Class, in recognition of their “courage and professionalism in ensuring the safety of passengers and securing the aircraft,” the Emirates News Agency reported. 

Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also attended the ceremony and presented the awards to the FlyDubai crew.  

He commended their bravery, sense of responsibility and commitment to protecting passengers during the incident. 

The incident occurred when the suspect, 29-year-old Omani national and co-pilot Hamam Al Hammami, attacked Machchhar with a cockpit axe aboard FlyDubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv.  

Machchhar sustained serious injuries, while crew members, off-duty pilots and passengers were also credited with helping to bring the situation under control. 

The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia following the confrontation in the cockpit, where it landed safely. All 172 passengers and crew members were reported safe. 

UAE prosecutors later described the incident as an attempted “terrorist attack” intended to crash the plane into Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. 

FlyDubai suspended all flights to Tel Aviv in the aftermath of the incident.  

The airline has yet to resume services to the Israeli city and has extended the suspension of flights between Dubai International Airport and Ben Gurion Airport until the end of October. 

Qatari mediators presented Iran with a new draft deal on Sunday to end the war with the US and Israel, and Tehran is expected to send a response to the draft by the end of the week, an official briefed on the negotiations said on Wednesday.

The new draft being considered by Iran sets a seven-day timeline addressing both Tehran's and Washington's concerns, laying out daily confidence-building steps that each side must take, the official said.

The timeline could begin early next week and several countries would act as guarantors of the deal, the official added.

However, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday Qatar has not presented a proposal to Iran but has instead put forward ideas that are unacceptable, adding that Tehran would show no flexibility regarding the nuclear issue.

Qatar, along with Pakistan, has led mediation to end the war that the US and Israel launched in February. The conflict has disrupted global shipping and oil supplies and spilled over across other parts of the Middle East.

There were concerns ahead of Sunday's meeting in Tehran that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, fighting for another term in a general election, could resume attacks on the Islamic Republic this week, the official briefed on the negotiations said.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump repeated threats to strike Iran again, while Iranian security officials told Reuters Tehran had drawn up detailed plans to attack Gulf undersea cables if the US and Israel resumed attacks.

Earlier mediation ​efforts helped produce an interim peace agreement in June, but the deal quickly unravelled.

In recent weeks Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have launched repeated attacks against Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude exporter.

Concerns are mounting in Iraq over the smuggling and circulation of counterfeit currency in local markets, as authorities continue to seize fake Iraqi and foreign banknotes at border crossings and inside the country.

The phenomenon, which has persisted for years, has raised concerns among currency exchange offices and businesses over potential financial losses.

It has also prompted questions about the sources of the counterfeit money, the networks responsible for bringing it into Iraq, and the effectiveness of government measures to prevent it from entering circulation, particularly given the widespread reliance on cash transactions.

Official data show that tens of millions of counterfeit Iraqi dinars have been seized in recent years, including around 12.9 million dinars at the Shalamcheh border crossing in May 2024 and 10 million dinars at the same crossing in September 2019.

In the latest developments, authorities foiled three smuggling attempts this month at the al-Sheeb and Shalamcheh crossings on the border with Iran. One operation resulted in the seizure of 48.5 million counterfeit dinars, alongside a stash of local and foreign banknotes whose value was not disclosed.

The latest seizures coincided with an announcement by Prime Minister's adviser Abdul Amir Taiban that the closure of the al-Sheeb crossing with Iran was prompted by violations involving the entry of counterfeit money, drugs and prohibited goods.

The developments have raised concerns that counterfeit currency could be used to purchase US dollars and smuggle them abroad, potentially causing losses for traders and undermining confidence in cash transactions.

Government tightens measures

Alaa al-Din al-Qaisi, spokesperson for Iraq's Border Crossings Authority, said efforts to combat counterfeit currency smuggling and prevent its entry into the country had intensified.

The measures follow government directives to strengthen border controls and improve coordination between security, customs and intelligence agencies, particularly amid repeated attempts to smuggle counterfeit money into Iraq.

Al-Qaisi told The New Arab that smugglers used various methods, including concealing counterfeit banknotes in travellers' luggage and personal belongings.

Border personnel rely on modern screening and inspection equipment, alongside intelligence monitoring and scrutiny of passenger movements, to detect and thwart such attempts, he said.

The measures extend beyond confiscating counterfeit money to pursuing those involved in smuggling operations.

Al-Qaisi said one recent operation had led to the identification of a third person inside Iraq who had been tasked with receiving the seized money, in coordination with the relevant intelligence authorities.

Risks facing currency exchange offices

Hareth al-Rawi, a currency exchange office owner, warned of the risks posed by counterfeit money circulating in Iraqi markets, particularly 25,000-dinar banknotes, which require diligent scrutiny when received.

Exchange offices face challenges detecting some counterfeit notes, especially during busy periods of cash transactions, he said.

Speaking to The New Arab, al-Rawi said some exchange offices had received counterfeit 25,000-dinar notes, with some only identified as fake after examination using specialised equipment.

The danger lies in the possibility of counterfeit notes being mixed into bundles containing genuine banknotes, making them difficult to detect through rapid inspection, he added.

He said currency dealers had become more cautious, checking bundles of banknotes and scrutinising security features rather than relying on their appearance alone.

He stressed the importance of updating detection equipment, raising public awareness and tightening oversight of entities attempting to circulate counterfeit money.

Suspicions of dollar purchases and smuggling to Iran

Economist Ahmed Sabah suggested that attempts to bring counterfeit currency into Iraq across the Iranian border could be linked to organised activities aimed at circulating fake banknotes in local markets and using them to purchase dollars on the parallel market to then smuggle into Iran.

Speaking to The New Arab, Sabah said smuggling was not limited to official border crossings. Unofficial routes and passages were also used to move money and goods beyond government oversight.

These routes could be exploited to bring counterfeit currency into Iraq, meaning that announced seizures might not reflect the actual scale of the activities, he warned.

Those involved can use counterfeit money to purchase dollars, even at elevated exchange rates, because the banknotes they use are worthless, Sabah said.

This could create illicit demand for foreign currency and add pressure to the parallel market if the operations expand, while transferring losses to currency exchange offices and others who accept the fake money.

Sabah warned that repeated smuggling operations, whether through official crossings or unofficial routes, could contribute to the spread of counterfeit banknotes and weaken confidence in cash transactions.

The lack of official statistics identifying the volume of counterfeit money that has successfully entered circulation makes it difficult to assess the full scale of the problem, he added.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has dismissed four senior Interior Ministry officers for failing to prevent members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) from "desecrating the US flag" during a military parade in Baghdad last month, according to an official document obtained by The New Arab.

The decision, believed to be the first of its kind in Iraq, also orders an investigation into the officers over alleged security negligence during celebrations marking the end of the US-led coalition's military presence in the country.

The dismissals were outlined in an official document issued by the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and signed by General Abdul Amir al-Shammari.

Those removed include Brigadier General Dawood Salman Dawood Hassan, director of the second security sector, and Brigadier General Riyadh Jizan Rasan Salloum, an officer at Baghdad's Rusafa Police Command.

Colonel Dhulfiqar Awda Kitab, commander of the fifth Rusafa Emergency Police Regiment, and Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Saleh Muhaidi, an intelligence officer in the same unit, were also dismissed.

According to the document, the officers failed in their security duties by allowing PMF members to desecrate the US flag during a parade held on 30 September to mark "Sovereignty Day".

The document described the incident as an "irresponsible act that harms international relations and Iraq's standing abroad".

Al-Zaidi also instructed security forces in Baghdad's Rusafa district to strengthen their readiness and monitoring to prevent similar incidents during demonstrations and public gatherings.

US flag driven over during military parade

Videos circulated from the Sovereignty Day celebrations showed military vehicles belonging to Iraqi armed factions driving over a US flag laid on the ground in central Baghdad.

The incident drew criticism from US figures and prompted Iraqi authorities to take action.

On 4 October, Major General Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for Iraq's commander-in-chief, announced the arrest of individuals accused of desecrating the flag, stressing that authorities would not tolerate violations of public order or existing laws.

Although disciplinary action against senior officers over such an incident is unprecedented, similar acts have occurred during previous demonstrations and military parades.

Members of the PMF and other armed factions, many aligned with Iran, have repeatedly painted US flags on roads and walked over them during public events as an expression of hostility towards Washington.

The New Arab contacted three officials close to Prime Minister al-Zaidi, all of whom declined to comment formally on the dismissals.

However, one official said the decision was intended to prevent actions that could damage Iraq's relations with Washington or other countries.

"The decision is a government measure aimed at preventing insults to Washington, as well as preventing similar incidents that could target other countries," the official said.

The official added that dismissing the officers would strengthen security forces' ability to enforce discipline and prevent similar incidents.

The arrests have already drawn criticism from Iran-aligned armed groups.

Abdul Qader al-Karbalai, a military aide to the Nujaba Movement, previously described the arrests of PMF members accused of desecrating the US flag as a "dangerous precedent" that could not be ignored.

The group's secretary-general, Akram al-Kaabi, also posted a video on X showing himself walking over a US flag.

He accompanied the footage with the words, "Your crimes are beneath our feet", in an apparent protest against the Iraqi government's arrests.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Wednesday that any Israeli-instigated attack in the Gulf region would have a "devastating impact" on global markets.

"Devastating impact on int'l markets of any Israel-instigated military misadventure in Persian Gulf region remains major concern for both gas suppliers and consumers," Araghchi said in a post on X.

The United States and Israel have in recent days raised the prospect of renewed attacks on Iran in a war they launched in February with deadly strikes on the Islamic republic.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is seeking to form a new government after close elections, said on Wednesday he could work with US President Donald Trump to eliminate the "existential threat" posed by Iran.

Previously, Qatar's foreign ministry said mediation efforts aimed at halting regional tensions and securing a lasting agreement were continuing in coordination with Pakistan and other regional and international partners.

Ibrahim al-Hashimi, director of the ministry's Media and Communication Department, told a weekly press briefing in Doha on Tuesday that diplomatic efforts to the US-Israeli war on Iran were moving in a positive direction.

Israel's extreme-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has vowed to establish Jewish settlements in Gaza, as uncertainty surrounds the future of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition following Tuesday's parliamentary election.

Addressing supporters at his extremist Religious Zionism party's election headquarters in Jerusalem early Wednesday, Smotrich dismissed celebrations among opposition parties and Palestinian citizens of Israel over initial exit polls suggesting gains for Palestinian parties and that Netanyahu's bloc could lose its parliamentary majority.

"I see on some of the screens that the Arabs are celebrating, so I am announcing to you and to them: We will not let them celebrate," Smotrich said, according to Israeli media.

"They are celebrating because they think they will succeed in reversing our settlement revolution in Judea and Samaria," he added, using an Israeli term for the occupied West Bank.

"They will not succeed. Jewish settlements will rise in Gaza."

Smotrich's Religious Zionism party, running on a joint electoral list with Moshe Feiglin's Zehut party, was projected to secure six or seven seats in the 120-member Knesset, according to Israeli exit polls.

The result would represent a political lifeline for the extremist minister, whose party had struggled to clear the electoral threshold in several pre-election surveys.

However, neither Netanyahu's right-wing bloc nor the opposition led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot appeared to have secured the 61 seats necessary to form a government.

With the final results still pending, the composition of Israel's next coalition remains uncertain, as does Smotrich's ability to pursue his settlement ambitions.

Renewed push to settle Gaza

Israel dismantled its settlements in Gaza in 2005, withdrawing around 8,000 settlers and its permanent ground forces from the territory.

Since Israel launched its devastating war on Gaza in October 2023, Smotrich and other far-right politicians have repeatedly advocated re-establishing settlements in the Palestinian territory.

In September, Smotrich called for Israel to annex territory under Israeli military control up to the ceasefire's so-called "Yellow Line", while also advocating territorial annexation in southern Lebanon.

He has additionally called for dismantling the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank and expanding Israeli settlements across that territory.

His latest remarks came as Israeli settlers intensified their campaign to return to Gaza.

According to a report published by Le Monde on Tuesday, around 20 Israeli families have established an unauthorised encampment known as the "Gaza Pioneers" near the territory's border.

The initiative, supported by the far-right Nachala settler movement, aims to prepare for the eventual re-establishment of settlements inside Gaza.

The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in occupied Palestinian territory is illegal under international law.

Palestinian voters targeted

Smotrich's remarks also followed a contentious election campaign in which Netanyahu and his far-right allies repeatedly warned supporters about rising turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel.

On election day, Netanyahu highlighted queues at polling stations in Arab communities and suggested that an opposition victory could produce a government dependent on Palestinian parties.

Smotrich similarly urged right-wing voters to abandon smaller parties, claiming unusually high turnout among Arab voters threatened the governing coalition.

Palestinian political leaders condemned the campaign rhetoric as racist, while welcoming increased participation among Arab voters.

The election produced no immediate parliamentary majority for either principal bloc, with Palestinian Arab parties potentially playing an important role in determining whether a new government can be formed.

 

A Tunisian court has sentenced the former acting leader of the moderate Islamist opposition Ennahda movement Mondher Ounissi to nine years in prison in a case involving leaked audio recordings, as authorities continue their crackdown on political opponents and journalists.

The ruling was issued late on Tuesday by the criminal chamber specialising in terrorism cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance, 

Journalist Zied El Heni was also sentenced to four years in prison in the same case, while several defendants tried in absentia received 25-year prison terms.

Those sentenced in absentia include former minister and senior Ennahda official Rafik Abdessalem, journalist Maher Zid and media personality Shahrazad Akacha. The sentences were issued with immediate enforcement orders.

The case dates back to September 2023, when an audio recording allegedly featuring Ounissi in a telephone conversation with Akacha was leaked.

In the recording, Ounissi reportedly discussed internal disputes within Ennahda, allegations of corruption and claims that the party had received foreign funding.

According to Tunisia's official news agency TAP, citing a judicial source, the defendants were convicted of offences including failing to report information concerning the commission or possible commission of "terrorist crimes".

The charges also included establishing contacts with agents of a foreign state with the intention of harming Tunisia's diplomatic interests in connection with terrorism-related offences.

Ounissi's wife, Rahma Laabidi, expressed shock at the verdict in a Facebook post and called for her husband's release.

The Tunisian Journalists' Syndicate separately condemned the four-year sentence handed to El Heni, describing it as another escalation in the targeting of journalists and press freedom.

The syndicate said El Heni had initially been summoned as a witness in the investigation into Ounissi's leaked recordings and questioned about his relationship with sources who had provided information about the case.

However, his legal status was subsequently changed from witness to defendant, and he was charged under Tunisia's anti-terrorism and money laundering legislation.

The charges included forming a terrorist organisation, disclosing secrets for the benefit of a terrorist organisation, failing to report a terrorist offence and contacting foreign state agents to encourage actions harmful to Tunisia's interests.

The syndicate described the prosecution as politically motivated and raised serious concerns about whether the defendants had received a fair trial.

Ounissi previously served as acting president of Ennahda, one of Tunisia's main opposition parties, which has faced mounting legal and political pressure since President Kais Saied consolidated power in July 2021.

Saied suspended parliament that year and subsequently dissolved it, before introducing a new constitution that significantly expanded presidential powers.

Opposition groups have accused his administration of dismantling democratic institutions and using the judiciary to silence critics, allegations Saied has rejected.

Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi has been imprisoned since April 2023 and has received several prison sentences in separate cases.

The movement was a major force in Tunisian politics following the 2011 revolution that overthrew longtime ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Since Saied's power grab, numerous opposition politicians, activists and journalists have faced prosecution on charges ranging from conspiracy against state security to terrorism-related offences.