Dollars for democracy: Corruption was the real winner in Lebanon’s election

Bribing desperate voters during an economic crisis may have led to Lebanon’s parliamentary impasse. If candidates are bought, how can the country fix anything?

Bahraini spiritual leader: Elections might reinforce dictatorship under guise of democracy

The exiled spiritual leader suggested that a choice lies between free elections that represent the will of the people, or a boycott of the ballots

Israeli Knesset votes to disband, snap elections incoming

The coalition that unseated former PM Benjamin Netanyahu from power lasted just over a year amid growing internal strife

Bahrain king orders largest cabinet reshuffle in history of kingdom

The reshuffle comes after exiled Bahraini spiritual leader Ayatollah Isa Qassem urged citizens to boycott the elections only if they are held in a way that undermines the will of the people

Tuberculosis outbreak strikes controversial Bahrain prison

Jau Central Prison in Bahrain is notorious for its inhumane conditions and the large number of political prisoners arrested on dubious charges

Israeli delegation visits Bahrain for bilateral talks

This is the second time the bilateral steering committee between Israel and Bahrain have met since the normalization of relations in 2020

Israeli Knesset submits draft law to ban Palestinian flag in state-funded institutions

The bill saw the parties of opponents Benjamin Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett unite in favor of outlawing the Palestinian flag

Bahrainis to defy ban on Friday prayers in Diraz for second week in a row

Bahrain's ruling authorities banned Friday prayers at the main mosque in Diraz in 2016, a move criticized for silencing political dissent from the pulpits of mosques

Juggling grenades: To contain China, the US will ignore Russia in India

Divergent policies on Moscow will not get in the way of Indo-US efforts to counter Beijing’s regional influence.

PIJ releases drone footage of Israeli settlements near Gaza

The release of the footage comes just two days before the anniversary of the Palestinian victory following Operation Sayf Al-Quds in May of last year

Turkey swings west: the Ukraine war and domestic elections

Ankara’s rapprochement with the US has been accelerated by events in Ukraine. These ties will also shape Turkey domestically, with or without a 2023 Erdogan electoral win.

Vote count ongoing in Lebanon one day after critical elections

Hezbollah and the Lebanese Forces have both claimed major gains in parliament ahead of the release of official results

Participation down as polls close across Lebanon

Citizens took to the polls for the first time since the start of what the World Bank describes as the world's worst economic crisis in 150 years

Lebanon votes in first polls since economic collapse

Lebanon's complex ‘confessional' power-sharing system sees the 128 parliament seats divided into two groups – 64 Muslims and 64 Christians

Qatar sentences three to life imprisonment over criticism of election law

The detainees took part in protests against an election law they said treated their tribes as 'third-class citizens'

Terror from Balochistan: a menacing tool to disrupt Sino-Pakistani economics

A Baloch suicide bombing targeting Chinese workers in Karachi comes a mere month after the US-backed ousting of PM Imran Khan. Pakistan is a critical BRI hub in Beijing's vast Eurasian connectivity project, and it looks like CPEC is the ultimate target of this disruption.

‘Mutually Assured Development’: a winning formula for Iran-Saudi rapprochement

Restoring diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia will not only benefit both countries economically, but can help stabilize global oil prices and end the war in Yemen.

Israel refusing Russian, Belarusian asylum seekers

The Israeli policy of discrimination towards refugees also includes imposing restrictions on non-Jewish refugees from Ukraine

Turkey’s Road to Damascus is difficult but necessary

Turkish reports suggest that Ankara is exploring the possibility of resetting ties with Syria. This policy shift will be complex but will be in the interests of both countries going forward.

Israeli Pegasus spyware used on British PM, Catalan separatist leaders

The Israeli-made spyware has also been used by governments across the globe to target dissidents, journalists, and human rights activists

Nine Saudi judges accused of high treason against crown prince

A number of the judges arrested were involved in the mass execution of 81 detainees last month

Will Lebanon’s Arab tribes fill Saudi Arabia’s ‘Hariri void’ in upcoming elections?

The Arab Tribe Federation of Lebanon has grown into a powerful political force that may be poised to replace the Future Movement as Saudi Arabia’s main Sunni political ally. 

Erbil strikes: Is Mossad illegally operating in Iraqi Kurdistan?

The Tehran-Tel Aviv war is out in the open. Israel's Mossad is actively pursuing an infiltration of Iran's strategic depth and edging up to its borders. But now Iran will retaliate to oust the Israelis from places they don't belong.

The Last American War … will be in Europe

Two weeks into the Ukraine conflict, the Atlantic alliance is already fraying. Europe, which helped destroy much of West Asia, is now the battlefield for the Last American War.

Follow the money: how Russia will bypass western economic warfare

The US and EU are over-reaching on Russian sanctions. The end result could be the de-dollarization of the global economy and massive commodity shortages worldwide.

Syria, Yemen support Russia’s recognition of the republics of Luhansk and Donetsk

As reactions continue to pour in regarding the Kremlin's decision, Iran has called on all parties to exercise restraint

Iraqi PM meets Al-Ameri while Barzani congratulates parliament speaker

Attempts to de-escalate tensions in Iraq continue

Erdogan presses for legislation to criminalize the circulation of ‘lies and disinformation’

Critics say that Turkey is tightening restrictions on freedom of speech

Palestinian villagers vote in West Bank municipal elections amid rising discontent with the PA

People in the occupied West Bank have accused PA President Mahmoud Abbas of collaborating with the Israeli occupation

The Reconquest: In 2022 elections, an Algerian Islamophobe wants to purge France from ‘the Muslim peril’

An Algerian Jewish ‘demonizer’ of Arabs and Islam is the new political protagonist electrifying France’s 2022 presidential elections