The latest ballot follows the collapse of the so-called "change" coalition, which united eight disparate parties who succeeded in ousting Netanyahu last year after a record run as prime minister, but ultimately failed to bring political stability.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan hailed the "historical and solid relationship" between the major oil exporter and Beijing after talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Indonesia reaffirmed its undying support for Palestine by pledging more humanitarian assistance and capacity building to establish the country's own food and drug monitoring agency.

A number of senior government ministers including Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan, State Secretary Pratikno and head of Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency (BPOM) Penny Lukito joined President Jokowi during the meeting.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the city's status should be decided by Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, unwinding a contentious decision by the previous conservative government.

Stormy US-Saudi relations have seen new strain over Riyadh's recent support for oil production cuts, with Biden warning of unspecified "consequences."

The Saudi-led OPEC+ cartel -- which includes Russia -- angered Washington by cutting production by two million barrels a day from November, adding further pressure on soaring crude prices.

The 13-nation OPEC cartel and its 10 allies headed by Moscow angered the White House last week with its decision to cut production by two million barrels a day from November, raising fears that oil prices could soar.

The White House pushed hard to prevent the OPEC output cut, these sources said. Biden hopes to keep US gasoline prices from spiking again ahead of midterm elections in which his Democratic party is struggling to maintain control of the US Congress. Washington also wants to limit Russia's energy revenue during the Ukraine war.

The move effectively formalises power already wielded by Prince Muhammad, who has been the kingdom's de facto ruler for several years, analysts said.

It also enables Riyadh to argue that preserving ties with Moscow -– a source of tension with Washington, especially since Russia's invasion of Ukraine -– can be a positive factor, while potentially deflecting attention from human rights concerns that consistently generate negative headlines.

His mention of a two-state solution, the first by an Israeli leader in years at the United Nations General Assembly, echoed US President Joe Biden's support in Israel in August for the long-dormant proposal.

Iranian media and a local prosecutor said four people were killed in the last two days, bringing the total death toll according to official sources to eight, including a member of the police and a pro-government militia member.

Indonesia and South Sudan established diplomatic ties on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the United States.

"The purchase of the Sukhoi 35 from Russia is being considered by the Air Force" of Iran, Vahedi told Borna news agency which affiliated to the sports ministry, on Sunday.

"We support the peaceful upholding of democratic, constitutional and legal principles," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

The strikes in oil-rich Deir Ezzor province "targeted infrastructure facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," Central Command (Centcom) spokesman Colonel Joe Buccino said in a statement.

Iran and Saudi Arabia, the leading Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim powers in the Middle East, severed ties in 2016, with both parties backing allies fighting proxy wars across the region, from Yemen to Syria and elsewhere.

At a University of Indonesia discussion on the Palestine issue, the former vice president said he hoped the government would take a more active role in brokering peace between the two conflicting sides, which necessitated building ties with both Palestine and Israel.

The plane overshot the runway at Bole International Airport in the Ethiopian capital on Monday before landing safely, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.

To tighten their grip, the Taliban have poured thousands of fighters into the Panshjir Valley, home to the only conventional military threat the Islamists have faced since their takeover.

The remote Khayyam sensing satellite, named after the 11th Century Persian poet and philosopher Omar Khayyam, was launched by a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and entered orbit successfully, Russia's space agency said.

Israeli forces pounded Palestinian targets through the weekend, triggering rocket attacks against its cities, which largely tapered off by the time the truce came into effect at 23:30 (20:30 GMT). 

But the US government had not given up its pursuit of one of the planners of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the heir to Osama bin Laden.

The call comes less than a week after Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler met visiting US President Joe Biden.

The meeting in Iran was Putin's first with a NATO alliance leader since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. 

The life of any politician is dotted with campaign pledges that ultimately backfire, and for Biden that list now includes his 2019 vow to make the desert kingdom a "pariah" over its human rights record. 

On issues ranging from energy prices to human rights and Israel's role in the region, Biden could point only to small -- if any -- gains after four whirlwind days of meetings and speeches. 

The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said the country's airspace was now open to all carriers that meet its requirements for overflights, in line with international conventions that say there should be no discrimination between civil aircraft.

Biden will restate his backing for a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict and will unveil a fresh package of economic and technical assistance for the Palestinians, but there are no expectations of any major political breakthrough.