Bahrain dissolves opposition party, activists boycott parliamentary election

Opposition groups decry that round 47 percent of the population in Bahrain lives in poverty as a result of the current legal system and the unequal distribution of wealth

Taliban to export coal to Iran, deepen economic ties

Afghanistan's reliance on Pakistan to import most of its sellable goods puts it under pressure to avoid angering the leadership in Islamabad

Lebanese president boycotts budget and delays new exchange rate

A dollar currently fetches around 38,000 Lira on the black market

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

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.

The unholy alliance: Hindutva and Zionism

The ideologies of Hindutva and Zionism have taken centre stage in India and Israel’s apartheid-based policies. They have a lot in common, probably more so than their supporters would like.

Zelensky makes surprise address to Doha Forum amid GCC split between Washington, Moscow

The Ukrainian president is the latest western envoy to try his hand at convincing GCC countries to increase oil production

Israelis shunned at Qatar World Cup

Despite Qatar's burgeoning ties with Israel, the World Cup has paved the way for an amplified Palestinian voice on an international stage

Iraq investigates theft of $2.5 billion from tax agency

The missing $2.5 billion from a bank fund of Iraq’s General Tax Authority is considered one of the biggest corruption scandals in recent history

Qatar asks local banks to stop currency exchange deals abroad: Report

Last year, KSA, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt ended a dispute with Doha over allegations that it supports Islamic militants in the region

Saudi crown prince welcomes Iraqi CF leader for talks

The meeting comes two days after Iraq held a national dialogue session aimed at ending the ongoing political deadlock

Why are Lebanon’s military judges releasing dozens of Israeli spies?

Hundreds of Lebanese detainees have been released, despite the serious charges of espionage on behalf of Israel

Qatari emir in Egypt for first visit since 2015

The emir's visit comes just days after the Saudi crown prince visited Cairo and signed investment deals worth $7.7 billion

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

Lebanese Forces leader warns of ‘major confrontation’ with Hezbollah

The Christian leader said his party will boycott a government that includes members of Hezbollah, ignoring calls by the resistance for political cooperation

Envoys from Sweden, Finland in Turkey to discuss NATO membership

Turkey considers several Kurdish militant groups in Syria and Iraq to be terrorist organizations backed by Nordic countries

Final results for Lebanese election show no clear majority alliance

Independent candidates made big strides, winning over a dozen parliament seats, while the Saudi-backed Lebanese Forces party gained 19 seats

The ultimate explainer to Lebanon’s 2022 elections

Even the Lebanese struggle to understand the mechanics of their elections. So The Cradle has provided a handy guide to understand the basics.

Turkish president on first visit to Saudi Arabia since Khashoggi murder

Turkey has sought to rebuild economic ties with the kingdom to offset runaway inflation and a depreciating currency caused by Erdogan's unorthodox economic policies

Turkey approves transfer of Khashoggi murder case to Saudi Arabia

The move, slammed by rights groups, comes as Ankara seeks to improve its economic ties with Riyadh

Israel and Turkey: a return to opportunism

Last month's reset in Turkish-Israeli relations coincides with several geopolitical developments that bring the two countries even closer together.

Sadrist bloc withdraws from negotiations to form Iraqi government

Days after saying that a consensus government with the Coordination Framework would mean 'the end of the country,' Muqtada al-Sadr has stepped aside to allow the Coordination Framework to lead negotiations

Saudi crown prince snubbed Olympics to join king’s phone call with Biden

The call took place during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, before the recent hike in the global oil price

Lebanese government discusses 2022 budget during first meeting in three months

The long-awaited meeting comes after Hezbollah and the Amal Movement ended their boycott of cabinet sessions following the Tayouneh massacre last October

Lebanese government to hold first meeting in three months on 24 January

The announcement comes two days after Hezbollah and the Amal Movement announced they would be ending their boycott of government sessions

Turkish president to visit Saudi Arabia in February

The souring of relations between Riyadh and Ankara over the Khashoggi murder case have led to a drop in Turkish exports to Saudi Arabia

Buckle up: Yemen is about to deliver a Saudi lesson

Every time the Saudis bomb Sanaa, the Yemeni resistance retaliates against Riyadh's strategic vulnerabilities. With non-stop strikes on Yemen's capital city today, brace yourself for a big Saudi explosion.

Senior Iranian official accuses western countries of plotting against Palestine

Concerns over Hamas ban were expressed by a number of Iranian officials, who took to Twitter to denounce the designation

An American ploy to pump stolen Palestinian gas into Lebanese homes?

The American offer to supply Lebanon's energy needs via an Arab Pipeline through Egypt, Jordan and Syria has one glaring downside. It will likely be Israeli gas lighting up Lebanon's grids.