Sunday, January 18, 2026

Middle East

Syrian, Saudi FMs hold meeting ahead of Arab summit

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, have met on the sidelines of preparatory meetings for the Arab League summit in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Turkey’s opposition says filed complaints over suspected irregularities at ballot boxes

Turkey's main opposition party announced on Wednesday it had filed complaints over suspected irregularities at thousands of ballot boxes in Sunday's landmark elections, in which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan performed better than expected.

Syria’s presence in Jeddah summit ‘a new phase’ in Arab world: Arab League

The Arab League has welcomed Syria’s readmission to the 22-member organization. It has said that the presence of Damascus in ongoing meetings in the Saudi port city of Jeddah is a new era in the Arab world.

French judge issues arrest warrant for Lebanon’s central bank governor; he vows to appeal

French prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for Lebanon’s central bank governor, Riad Salameh. The governor has slammed the move and promised that he would appeal against the decision.

Erdogan calls on Turkish voters to support him in runoff vote

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has called on Turkish voters to support him in a May 28 election runoff “to maintain stability and security” in the country. Erdogan stood ahead of his main rival in Sunday election, but could not win 50 percent of the votes to secure a third term in office.

Turkey presidential election goes to run-off: Council

Turkey’s presidential election is headed for a runoff vote, the country's electoral chief Ahmet Yener has said citing official results from the country’s Supreme Election Council. The results for both frontrunners remained just below the threshold of 50% mark after 100% of ballot boxes were opened.

Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian youth in WB refuge camp

Israeli soldiers killed a young Palestinian man and wounded another during a raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Monday.

UAE says has invited Syrian president to UN climate conference

UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has invited Syrian President Bashar al- Assad to take part in the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change scheduled to take place in Dubai later this year, according to the Abu Dhabi Embassy in Damascus.

Polls show Palestinians opposed to Arab-Israel normalization

A new survey shows that the majority of Palestinians are adamantly opposed to the US-sponsored normalization agreements between Israel and some Arab countries. They say the deal have made Tel Aviv more aggressive.

Iran congratulates Turkey over presidential, parliamentary votes

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman says the high voter turn-out in Turkey’s Sunday elections is a sign of “victory for democracy” in Turkey.

Turkey presidential election: Runoff likely between Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his main rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu appear to be headed to a runoff as preliminary results show neither candidate winning a majority of the votes in Sunday's election.

Israeli protesters rally against PM’s judicial overhaul plan for 19th straight week

Tens of Thousands of demonstrators have held rallies across the occupied territories for the 19th consecutive week to denounce Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned judicial reforms.

MP: Iran, Egypt will soon re-open embassies, plan Raisi-Sisi meeting

An Iranian lawmaker says the Embassies of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Arab Republic of Egypt will resume activities in both countries in the near future, following a historic reconciliation deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Polls open in Turkey’s presidential elections

Polls opened on Sunday in Turkey’s fiercely fought presidential and parliamentary elections that could bring an end to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 20-year rule.

Israel and Palestinian groups in Gaza reach shaky truce

Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza have agreed to a truce, officially in place since 10 pm (19:00 GMT), Palestinian officials have confirmed, signaling an end to the worst episode of the cross-border fire since a 10-day war in 2021. The clashes have claimed the lives of more than 30 Palestinians including women and children.

Palestine says hundreds displaced by Israeli onslaught

Almost 800 Palestinians have been displaced by the Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which began on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Social Development.

Ahead of election, Erdogan accuses opposition of working with Biden to topple him

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held his last election rallies in Istanbul on Saturday. He has accused the opposition of working with US President Joe Biden to topple him while making a final appeal ahead of the biggest challenge to his 20-year rule.

Israel kills 2 Palestinians in WB, pounds several sites in Gaza

Israeli soldiers have fatally shot two Palestinians and injured several others in a raid on the Balata refugee camp near the occupied West Bank city of Nablus. Israeli fighter jets also launched a fresh round of strikes on several locations in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, the fifth consecutive day of its air raids against the besieged enclave.

Erdogan says ready to vacate office if loses presidential election

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he is ready to vacate his office if he loses presidential polls on May 14.

US says bolstering “defense posture” in Persian Gulf after Iran’s seizure of 2 ships

The US will bolster its defensive posture with heightened patrols in the Persian Gulf after Iran confiscated two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, according to a US National Security Council spokesperson.

Netanyahu attacked Gaza to divert attention away from Israeli crisis: Nasrallah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a deadly campaign of bombardment and assassinations in the Gaza Strip in an attempt to divert attention away from the crisis in Israel, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary of Hezbollah, has stated.

Iran says necessary preparations made for re-opening of missions in Saudi Arabia

The Iranian foreign ministers says Tehran has made the necessary preparations for the reopening of its embassy and consulate in Saudi Arabia.

Top Palestinian commander killed in Israeli strike on Gaza

At least two Palestinians, including a senior leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), have been killed and several others wounded on the fourth consecutive day of Israeli bombardment on the Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical officials have confirmed.

Ankara accuses US of meddling in Turkey’s presidential vote

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has once again accused the US government of attempting to interfere in his country’s upcoming presidential election.

French says gravely concerned over developments in Gaza

The French Foreign Minister says Paris is gravely concerned over what is unfolding in the Gaza Strip.

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