Barclays plays down Israel military links as protesters target branches More than 15 branches of the bank across England and Scotland were found with windows smashed and red paint daubed over the buildings as part of a protest calling on the bank to divest from arms companies that sell to Israel as well as from fossil fuel businesses. Palestine
Turkey extends flight ban on Iraq's Sulaimaniyah airport for 6 months The extension of the ban indicated that Ankara and the Iraqi Kurdish party controlling Sulaimaniyah had yet to resolve their differences. Turkey
Egypt's year-on-year inflation drops below 30% in first since January The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) announced that Egypt’s inflation rate has maintained its downturn for the fourth consecutive month, dropping to 28.15% in May from 32.54% in April. Egypt
With China-Iran ties on rollercoaster, Tehran can only grit its teeth, hang on Iran can get upset about China’s statement over Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, or they can express their anger at China, move on and focus instead on extracting the many economic and political benefits that they derive from their relationship with Beijing. Iran
Blinken returns to Middle East in high-stakes push for Gaza cease-fire Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the region to push for a cease-fire as the UN Security Council was set to vote on a US-drafted resolution supporting the deal. Israel
As Hajj kicks off, Saudi Arabia looks to expand tourism sector While leisure tourism is gaining momentum in Saudi Arabia, religious tourism still dominates the sector. By Sebastian Castelier In Dubai, reporting on regional business
Analysis Did migration, Gaza propel far-right victory in European elections? Far-right parties in Europe traditionally support Israel, but their achievements in the elections for the European Parliament do not necessarily mean a change in Middle East policies within the European Union. By Rina Bassist , Adam Lucente
With Larijani, Ahmadinejad disqualified, six main contenders in Iran's elections Iran’s electoral Guardian Council has approved the candidacy of six political figures for the snap elections that follow the death of Ebrahim Raisi, rejecting dozens of other potential candidates. Iran
