Hello from The National in Abu Dhabi. Here is your morning newsletter with all the top stories from the Mena region.
IRAN
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has been confirmed dead in a helicopter crash, state media announced on Monday.
"Ayatollah Raisi, the beloved president of our country, was martyred in a helicopter crash in the Varzghan region of East Azerbaijan and joined the Supreme Kingdom," IRNA said.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, East Azerbaijan Governor Malik Rahmati and Mohammed Ali Ale-Hashem, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative to East Azerbaijan, were among several others killed in the crash.
The group was travelling from Azerbaijan to Iran’s city of Tabriz when their helicopter made a “hard landing” due to heavy fog, state media said.
SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi King Salman had medical examinations on Sunday after having fever and joint pain, and had a lung infection diagnosed, the royal court reported.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman postponed a planned four-day trip to Japan due to concerns over the king’s health, Japan’s top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said.
GAZA/ISRAEL
Pressure to create a credible plan for post-war Gaza was mounting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend, as war cabinet member Benny Gantz threatened to quit the government. Follow the latest developments here.
Jordan is calling for an investigation into “war crimes” in Gaza, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Sunday, as the kingdom puts further diplomatic pressure on Israel after international ceasefire efforts floundered.
The US Central Command said the first aid shipment was delivered to Gaza using the newly built pier, but emphasised that no American troops went ashore.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met on Sunday to discuss a broad bilateral agreement and Israel's war in Gaza.
Spain will stop any ship carrying weapons to Israel from docking at its ports, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Friday.
Austria became the latest country to resume funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, having suspended its support after Israel accused UNRWA employees of allegedly being involved in the October 7 attacks.
IRAQ
Iraq’s parliament descended into chaos as politicians fought each other and at least one was reported injured. The brawl between MPs broke out on Saturday after attempts to elect a speaker had failed with neither of the two main candidates securing enough votes.
LEBANON
A war between Hezbollah and Israel poses a significantly greater threat, France’s ambassador to the UN told The National, as he warned of the risks of a full-scale regional spill over erupting along the country's northern border.
Ireland is determined that the people responsible for killing an Irish UN peacekeeper in Lebanon will be brought to justice, Deputy Prime Minister Micheal Martin has said. He spoke as he visited Beirut to meet Irish troops serving with the UN Interim Force Lebanon (Unifil).
ALGERIA
Algerian authorities have charged eight people in the case of Omar bin Omran, who was abducted as a teenager more than 25 years ago and discovered this week in a cellar only a few hundred metres from his family home.
UAE
Mohammed Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs, was awarded an honorary doctorate by Georgetown University at a graduation ceremony in Washington.
Companies across the UAE are extending paternity leave and embedding more support for new fathers in HR policies, workplace experts have told The National.
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PLUS …
This week on Beyond The Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the diplomatic options available to Arab countries to put an end to the Israeli-Palestine conflict.
Nickolay Mladenov, director general of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, writes on how the diplomatic playbook on Palestine and Israel has been torn up.
AND …
Honeymoonish star Nour Al Ghandour sees Netflix hit as 'comforting escape' in tough times, the Egyptian-Kuwaiti actress tells The National.
The National’s features writer Saeed Saeed explores the melodic similarities between the Arabic and Greek languages.
All this and more in The National – subscribe to the print edition, visit TheNationalNews.com, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for round-the-clock updates.
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