News

Former PM Benjamin Netanyahu set to form a government and seal a dramatic return to power, as Lapid concedes defeat.

A coalition led by the right-wing former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has won a majority of seats in the 120-seat parliament, or Knesset, allowing the controversial figure to return to power.

Protesters have once again breached Iraq’s parliament in a show of support for influential Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr, leaving at least 125 people injured and escalating a political standoff.

Saturday’s demonstration comes days after protesters stormed the legislative body and suspended a session to nominate a new prime minister.

Official results are in for Lebanon’s legislative elections, with the incoming Parliament set to be a contested one: Hezbollah and its allies have failed to retain their majority, while the withdrawal of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s Future Movement opened the path for a re-shuffling of the rest of the establishment in Parliament, with opposition figures now holding a bloc in parliament.

BEIRUT, May 16 (Reuters) - Iran-backed Hezbollah has been dealt a blow in Lebanon's parliamentary election with preliminary results showing losses for some of its oldest allies and the Saudi-aligned Lebanese Forces party saying it had gained seats.

Beirut, Lebanon – Lebanese expatriates have begun casting their votes in Lebanon’s parliamentary elections, almost three years into a crippling economic crisis that has decimated the Lebanese pound, sparked unprecedented inflation, and pushed thousands of people to leave the country.

Lebanese expats living in 10 countries – including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, and Iraq – will vote on Friday, while the diaspora living in 48 other countries will vote on Sunday.

Lebanese citizens at home will vote on May 15.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received at Bayan Palace on Tuesday His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, who tendered a letter of the Cabinet’s resignation.

President Dr Arif Alvi on Sunday dissolved the National Assembly on Prime Minister Imran Khan's advice under Article 58 of the Constitution.

"The president of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi, has approved the advice of the prime minister of Pakistan to dissolve the National Assembly under the Article 58 (1) read with Article 48(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," according to a statement issued by the President's Secretariat.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Imran, in an address to the nation, said he had advised the president to "dissolve assemblies".

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its main ally, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), have submitted a draft law to the parliament to decrease the election threshold from the current 10 percent to 7 percent.