Conservatives tipped to win in Iranian elections as counting begins
Tehran, Iran - Iran began counting ballots on Saturday after a vote for parliament and a key clerical body, with local...Geostrategy Politics
Biden announces US aid air drops in Gaza
Biden had been planning air drops for some time but Thursday's incident "certainly underscored for the president" the need to...Geostrategy
Male candidates sweep Qatar’s first legislative polls
Male candidates were elected in all 30 of the seats up for election despite 28 women initially being cleared to...Women candidates fail to break through in Qatar vote for the Shura Council
It is not known when the appointments will be announced, or when the council will meet
Ballot count begins as voting ends in first Qatar legislative election
Qatar wrapped up its first legislative election Saturday with reports of a solid turnout even though the vote is not...The count getsunderway straight after the 1500 GMT close of polls
More than a third of the 101 candidates dropped out of the race by Saturday afternoon
Iran bans LG and Samsung home appliances
The import of home appliances made by these two South Korean companies is now banned by Iran, following an apparent...Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei ordered the ban in response to a call by local producers
Their request followed Khamenei’s insistence in recent years to ramp up local production of goods and banning the import of similar products
Protests in Bahrain over new Israeli embassy
Protesters marched waving Palestinian and Bahraini flags, chanting "Death to Israel" and "No to Israeli embassy in Islamic Bahrain".Protesters marched waving Palestinian and Bahraini flags, chanting "Death to Israel" and "No to Israeli embassy in Islamic Bahrain".
Police fired tear gas during one rally as scattered, small-scale protests took place around the tiny Gulf state
US urges Turkey not to buy more Russian arms
Turkey, a NATO member, defied US warnings in 2017 to buy the S-400 air defense system, a deal that the...The statement came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin earlier this week
The US has expelled Turkey from its state-of-the-art F-35 jet program in which multiple Turkish companies were involved
Hundreds of Iraqis rally to mark protests anniversary
On October 1, 2019, widespread rallies erupted across Baghdad and the south of the country against a government seen as...Dozens of activists have died in targeted killings or been abducted since October 2019 by men on motorbikes.
Activists and parties claiming to be part of the uprising are boycotting the October 10 parliamentary election.
Jordan, Lebanon discuss cooperation
Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr Khasawneh met his Lebanese counterpart Najib Mikati to discuss cooperation and help Lebanon.Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr Khasawneh underlined his country’s support for Lebanon to overcome ongoing challenges
He also pointed to the relations that bind the two countries and peoples, highlighting Jordan's commitment to enhancing joint cooperation
UN extends mission to Libya, but only until January
The 15-member Council had been on track to extend the mission in mid-September for a yearThe 15-member Council had been on track to extend the mission in mid-September for a year
Libya was gripped by violence and political turmoil in the aftermath of the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted dictator Moamer Kadhafi
Qatari women take careful steps at first polls
Qatari women are standing in the country's first legislative election Saturday, but in far lower numbers than men, prompting warnings...Of the 284 hopefuls running for the 30 available council seats, just 28 are women.
The remaining 15 seats will be appointed by the emir with analysts suggesting he may name more women
Israel foreign minister opens embassy in Bahrain
Yair Lapid began a landmark visit Thursday to Bahrain where he opened the Israeli embassy one year after the US-brokered...The Bahrain flight and Israel's first bilateral ministerial visit to the Gulf country are part of a thaw in regional relations
Bahrain reaffirms its commitment to the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
