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The Syrian opposition’s defense minister has resigned after reports of disagreements with the group’s head, opposition sources said on Monday.

Dissident Asaad Mustafa’s resignation from the government-in-exile highlights divisions among President Bashar al-Assad's opponents.

Mustafa, in his sixties,had been appointed to his post in November as part of a plan by the opposition National Coalition to administer rebel-held areas of the war-torn country, according to Reuters news agency.

Kuwait will hold parliamentary by-elections on June 26 to replace five lawmakers who quit over a row about questioning the Gulf state's prime minister in parliament, a senior government official said late on Sunday.

Some Kuwaiti media have said the resignations of the five in April and May could lead to the dissolution of the 50-member assembly. By setting a date for by-elections, the government is signaling it wants to push ahead with the current parliament.

Le président du Front national pour la démocratie et l’unité (FNDU) a regretté -faisant allusion à la posture aux chancelleries européennes dans la crise en Maurittanie- que les partenaires au développement du pays minimisent la  gravité de la situation de crise politique dans lauqelle il patauge à la veille d'une élection présidentielle.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s political coalition has emerged as the biggest winner in Iraq’s general elections, according to preliminary results announced Monday.

Maliki’s State of Law bloc won 92 seats in the 328-member parliament, said the Independent High Electoral Commission. It took the lead in 10 of 18 provinces.

The runners-up were his two main Shiite rivals: cleric Ammar al-Hakim’s Al-Muwatin bloc with 29 seats, and cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Al-Ahrar bloc with 28 seats.

On May 13, a division bench of the LHC had directed petitioner Bytes for All to approach the Supreme Court in this regard. In the meantime, the court stopped proceedings on the petition for restoration of access to the website.

The LHC had issued these directions to the petitioner when the federal government had informed the court that they had imposed the ban on the orders of the Supreme Court.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Monday warned government officials that it would not remain silent about interference if any occurs in the final round of this year’s presidential election.

Somali Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed assumed office in December last year amid difficult circumstances after parliamen

Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie is reported to have signed an agreement with Gerindra Party chief patron and presidential candidate, Prabowo Subianto, on the formation of a coalition between the two parties.

Tribunnews.com reported that the signing of the agreement, taking place shortly after the declaration of Prabowo and his running mate, Hatta Rajasa, as the coalition’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates today, was held at Aburizal’s residence in Menteng, Central Jakarta.