Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi has been remanded in custody following his arrest earlier this week, his Ennahdha party said Thursday, denouncing his "unjust imprisonment".

Ghannouchi, 81, a former speaker of parliament, was arrested on Monday after remarks warning that eradicating different viewpoints such as the left or political Islam, from which his party originated, might lead to a "civil war".

A crowd apparently panicked by gunfire and an electrical explosion stampeded at an event to distribute financial aid during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Yemen's capital late Wednesday, killing at least 78 people and injuring at least 73 others, according to witnesses and Houthi rebel officials.

The tragedy was Yemen's deadliest in years that was not related to the country's long-running war, and came ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan later this week.

Syria's semi-autonomous Kurdish administration said it was ready for talks with Damascus, as the government's ties with Arab states thaw more than a decade after the country's war broke out.

The government of President Bashar al-Assad rejects the Kurdish administration in north and northeast Syria and accuses it of "separatism".

The U.S. Navy sailed its first drone boat through the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, a crucial waterway for global energy supplies where American sailors often faces tense encounters with Iranian forces.

The trip by the L3 Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13, a 13-meter (41-foot) speedboat carrying sensors and cameras, drew the attention of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, but took place without incident, said Navy spokesman Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins. Two U.S. Coast Guard cutters, the USCGC Charles Moulthrope and USCGC John Scheuerman, accompanied the drone.

A former Iraqi religious official convicted of corruption has escaped police custody, prompting the arrest of more than two dozen officers suspected of helping him flee, the government said Wednesday.

Saad Qambash was once head of Iraq's Sunni Waqf, the state body overseeing religious and civilian properties for Sunni Muslims, and had been jailed for four years earlier this month for fraud.

Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank arrested a Palestinian teenager suspected of wounding two Israelis in a shooting in annexed east Jerusalem, the army said Wednesday.

Special military and police forces operating in Nablus overnight "apprehended within a few minutes the terrorist who carried out the shooting attack in Jerusalem yesterday", an army statement said.

Syria's chief diplomat is on a three-day official visit to Tunisia meant to restore diplomatic relations that have been cut off since 2012 during the civil war that followed President Bashar Assad's brutal crackdown on mass protests against his rule.

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad had a meeting with Tunisian counterpart Nabil Ammar shortly after his arrival on Monday evening. No details were disclosed about the talks and Mikdad's schedule for Tuesday or Wednesday.

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday both acknowledged they are edging closer to reopening embassies in each others' countries after a yearslong boycott of Doha over a political dispute.

Qatar's International Media Office said in a statement that "work is underway" to reopen embassies "as soon as possible." The UAE said in a statement that "the activation of diplomatic ties, which will include the reopening of embassies, is under process between both countries."

China's foreign minister told his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts that his country is ready to help facilitate peace talks between the two sides, in its latest effort at mediation in the region.

In separate phone calls to the two officials on Monday, Qin Gang expressed China's concern over intensifying tensions between Israel and Palestinians and its support for a resumption of peace talks, the Foreign Ministry said in statements issued late Monday.

Iran's president on Tuesday reiterated threats against Israel while marking the country's annual Army Day, though he stayed away from criticizing Saudi Arabia as Tehran seeks a détente with the kingdom.

The comments by Ebrahim Raisi came as fighter jets and helicopters flew overhead in Tehran, and as Iranian submarines sailed across its waters during a ceremony carried live by state television.