Propelled by inflation, the price of air tickets has begun to take off again after tumbling during the pandemic, a reversal that looks set to intensify due to environmental pressures, experts say.

For members of the International Air Transport Association, gathered in Doha for their annual meeting this week, minds are focused on how far such increases risk undermining passenger growth targets.

The IATA is also pleading for government support in reconciling the long-term commitment to net zero carbon emissions with those ambitious targets.

Tucked away in Tehran's famed Grand Bazaar, Iran's oldest pistachio wholesaler quietly prepares a small revolution -- he will hand his business to his youngest daughter, in a trade dominated by men.

Abbas Emami, 88, began working for his own father at the age of 15. More than seven decades on, bags of pistachios at the family shop are emblazoned with the slogan "over a century of experience".

He doesn't know exactly when his family first got into the business.

Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler took a big step out of international isolation Wednesday by paying his first visit to Sunni rival Turkey since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate.

The talks in Ankara between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan come one month before US President Joe Biden visits Riyadh for a regional summit. Those talks will focus on the energy crunch caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday promised strong support for Israel as the ally heads to its fifth election in less than four years.

In a telephone call to Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who will become caretaker prime minister in an unwieldy coalition arrangement, Blinken confirmed that President Joe Biden still plans to visit Israel next month.

Blinken "underscored our respect for democratic processes and reiterated our unwavering commitment to the strong US-Israel strategic relationship," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

Israel's unlikely coalition government, the first ever backed by an Arab party, was forged a year ago to oust right-wing premier Benjamin Netanyahu, but ultimately collapsed over the Palestinian conflict.

As a result, Israel looks headed for new elections -- the fifth in three and a half years -- and the threat of widening fissures between the groups that made up the eight-party "change" alliance.

A US Navy vessel fired a warning flare towards an Iranian military speedboat that approached it in the Strait of Hormuz, the US Fifth Fleet said.

The incident Monday involving the patrol ship USS Sirocco comes amid tensions as Western powers and the Islamic republic seek to salvage their tattered 2015 nuclear deal.

"Three vessels from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy interacted in an unsafe and unprofessional manner as US Navy ships transited the Strait of Hormuz," said the US Navy statement.

Consumers must be prepared to endure up to five years of turbulent oil markets, the head of ExxonMobil said Tuesday, citing under-investment and the coronavirus pandemic.

Energy markets have been roiled by the Ukraine war as Russia has reduced some exports and faced sanctions while Europe has announced plans to wean itself off dependency on Russian fossil fuels in coming years.

Speaking ahead of ExxonMobil's unveiling as the fourth international partner for Qatar's natural gas expansion, chairman and chief executive Darren Woods said major uncertainty lies ahead.

Israel's unlikely coalition government, the first ever backed by an Arab party, was forged a year ago to oust right-wing premier Benjamin Netanyahu, but ultimately collapsed over the Palestinian conflict.

As a result, Israel looks headed for new elections -- the fifth in less than four years -- and the threat of widening fissures between the groups that made up the eight-party "change" alliance.

Eleven Dubai restaurants were awarded the first Michelin stars in the Middle East on Tuesday as dozens of the city's eateries made it into the prestigious gastronomic guide.

Two restaurants were given two-star ratings, another nine gained one star and 14 received the Bib Gourmand for value-for-money gourmet fare.

Dubai, the United Arab Emirates' commercial hub, joins a growing number of cities worldwide covered by the coveted French listings.

Umm Mohammed, 74, waves a fan back and forth to cool down, but in the blistering heat of Iraq's southern city of Basra there is nothing but stiflingly hot air.

While Basra is used to scorching summers, this year it has started sooner than expected, bringing misery to residents in a city also plagued by chronic electricity shortages.

"By God, we are tired," Umm Mohammed said faintly, adding that the heat had woken her up in the middle of the night.

Just days into summer, the temperature in Basra has already soared to around 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit).