Former National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Undersecretary Hakan Fidan who earlier resigned from his position to run for Parliament from the ranks of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has withdrawn his candidacy and has been appointed back to his post.
 
The withdrawal comes after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke out against Fidan's candidacy, in what was seen as a sign of friction between Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in broadcast remarks on Tuesday there was a "huge, worldwide effort" to ensure he loses next week's closely contested election.

Army Radio, which aired what it said were comments he made on Monday to activists of his right-wing Likud party, interpreted them as referring to foreign funding for advocacy groups campaigning for a change of government in Israel.

The committee responsible for amending the Election Constituency Division Law seeks to increase the number of seats elected as single candidates from 420 to 440, a member of the committee told Al-Ahram Arabic news website on Sunday.

The Parliamentary Elections law as it is now allocates 420 seats to be elected as single candidates and 120 for party lists, in addition to 27 to be appointed by the president upon recommendations from respective state councils and professional syndicates.

Au fil des jours, la popularité du président s’évapore sous l’effet de son style de gouvernance et de sa conception de l’exercice de la fonction présidentielle. Depuis son intronisation à la tête du pays, M. Bouteflika n’a pas fait montre d’une débauche de respect pour le peuple et pour les institutions.

Les habitants d’In Salah continuent de se mobiliser contre l’exploitation du gaz de schiste. Ce dimanche après-midi, les manifestants se sont rassemblés à place Semoud (résistance) pour accueillir les représentants des partis membres de la Coordination nationale pour les libertés et la transition démocratique (CNLTD), a-t-on appris auprès d’un représentant de la société civile.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan suggested on Friday that he would favor the possible candidacy of his predecessor, former President Abdullah Gül, for Parliament.

“The issue of his candidacy is up to Mr. Gül to decide. I had a conversation with him last night, I called him and gave my best wishes for his father, who is ill,” Erdoğan told reporters asking about Gül's possible bid for Parliament. “His decision [to run for Parliament] would be good. It would be for the best. It would be fitting. But the decision is up to him.”

Mali has postponed local and regional elections scheduled for next month because insecurity in the country's north has held up the revision of voter rolls, a government official said. 

Nearly two years after a French-led operation pushed al Qaeda-linked rebels from towns in the north, remnants of Islamist militant and separatist groups continue to launch sporadic attacks in the area.