Another sandstorm that descended yesterday on climate-stressed Iraq sent at least 4,000 people to hospital with breathing problems and led to the closure of airports, schools and public offices across the country.

The Catholic archbishop in Jerusalem on Monday strongly criticised Israel's "police invasion" last week of a Christian hospital ahead of the funeral of slain Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh.

Lebanon held its first election yesterday since a painful economic crisis dragged it to the brink of becoming a failed state, a major test for new opposition groups bent on ousting the ruling elite.

World leaders descended on the United Arab Emirates yesterday to offer condolences to new leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on the death of his half-brother President Khalifa bin Zayed.

A crowd estimated at more than 2,000, lower than expected, took part yesterday in the first demonstration of a new alliance to oppose a power grab by President Kais Saied.

Palestinians rallied yesterday to mark the “Nakba,” or catastrophe, 74 years after Israel’s creation, with condemnation spreading over a police raid on the funeral of a slain journalist. The annual demonstrations across the occupied West Bank, annexed east Jerusalem and inside Israel came with tensi

Thousands of Tunisians protested on Sunday against President Kais Saied, demanding a return to the normal democratic order and rejecting his replacement of the independent electoral commission with one he named himself.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with the family of slain Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh after criticizing Israel's use of force at her funeral, an official said Sunday.

The Palestinian Authority said yesterday it would welcome international support in the inquiry into the death of an Al Jazeera journalist, while Israel said it would investigate an eruption of violence at her funeral.

Egypt is in talks with Indian officials about getting an exemption from India's decision to ban wheat exports, Egypt's plant quarantine head Ahmed El Attar told Reuters.

The UAE's long-time de facto ruler Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was elected as president on Saturday, official media said, a day after the death of former leader Sheikh Khalifa.

Lebanese vote tomorrow in the first election since their country’s economic collapse, a test of whether Hezbollah and its allies can preserve their parliamentary majority amidst soaring poverty and anger at ruling parties.