Middle East & North Africa

27 March 2022; MEMO: The Iraqi Parliament on Saturday failed to elect the country's president after dozens of lawmakers boycotted the voting session, Anadolu Agency reports.

A statement issued by the Parliament said 126 out of 329 legislators boycotted the session.

At least 220 deputies should attend the session for presidential elections to take place.

A parliamentary statement said the Parliament set March 30 to hold a session to elect the president.

27 March 2022; MEMO: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has said his country is ready to supply Lebanon with wheat, amid heightened concerns of a regional food crisis following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

27 March 2022; MEMO: European Union's coordinator for Iran nuclear talks held wide-ranging discussions with Iranian officials in Tehran on Sunday in a bid to close remaining gaps on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, Anadolu Agency reports.

Enrique Mora met with Ali Bagheri Kani, who has been leading Iran's team of negotiators in Vienna since November, after four weeks of deadlock.

28 March 2022; MEMO:The High Follow-up Committee of the National Islamic Factions condemned yesterday the "normalisation summit" that brought the foreign ministers of Israel and Arab states together in the Negev. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Sameh Shoukry of Egypt, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed of the UAE, Abdullatif Al-Zayani of Bahrain and Nasser Bourita of Morocco were joined at the meeting by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

28 March 2022; MEMO: Israeli parliamentarians and settler leaders have criticised Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for using the term "West Bank" during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday.

They said that the extremist, right-wing Bennett should have used "Judea and Samaria" to refer to the West Bank, which is occupied Palestinian territory.

27 March 2022; MEMO: Microsoft has been accused of being involved in a bribery scheme whereby millions of dollars were paid in illegal bribes in the Middle East and Africa.

According to a former senior director at the firm, Yasser Elabd, the tech giant spent over $200 million a year.

Los Angeles, Mar 28 (PTI) Hollywood star Will Smith ended his dry run at the Oscars as he lifted the best actor trophy for "King Richard" minutes after he punched comedian Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith.

The punch will go down in the Oscars history as one of the wildest moments after the 2017's mix up when "La La Land" was mistakenly named as the best picture instead of "Moonlight".

The confrontation took place after

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s prime minister has tested positive for the coronavirus and is working from home, his office said Monday as authorities piece together a fatal shooting that took place hours earlier.

Naftali Bennett’s office said the premier was feeling well and would continue his schedule as planned, which includes a briefing on an attack late Sunday that killed two Border officers.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates’ energy minister doubled down Monday on an oil alliance with Russia that’s helped buoy crude prices to their highest in years as Moscow’s war on Ukraine rattles markets and sends energy and commodity prices soaring.

The minister said Russia, with its 10 million barrels of oil a day, is an important member of the global OPEC+ energy alliance.

BEIRUT (AP) — Layal Aswad was already exhausted by Lebanon’s devastating two-year economic collapse. Now, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sends food and energy prices soaring even further, she finds herself struggling to put food on the table for her family of four.

“Even bread is not something we take for granted anymore,” said the 48-year-old housewife, standing recently in a supermarket aisle in front of gallons of cooking oil whose prices had risen to an all-time high.