JERUSALEM: A group of artists has filled a Palestinian area of East Jerusalem with paintings of large, wide-open eyes.

ALGIERS: French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Algeria carried important economic prospects, over which lukewarm diplomatic ties cast a shadow.

From a French perspective, Macron’s visit aimed to open a new chapter in the tumultuous relations between Algeria and France.

From an Algerian perspective, it was more about asserting political sovereignty vis-à-vis the former colonizer.

JEDDAH: The Arab region is the most unequal worldwide, according to a new report from the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, which warned there was a risk of a “breakdown in social cohesion” if inequalities were not addressed.
The report, called “Inequality in the Arab Region: A ticking time bomb,” said the region had registered some of the highest levels of income inequality globally.

BAGHDAD: Iraq’s caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi warned Saturday that the political crisis in the country is threatening security achievements made in past years.
Al-Kadhimi’s warning is a clear indication of the dangers of one of Iraq’s worst political crises since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. It is the result of disagreements between followers of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr and rival Iran-backed groups since last year’s parliamentary elections.

INSTANBUL: Turkey on Friday said Sweden and Finland renewed their commitment to fight “terror,” at the first meeting aimed at addressing Ankara’s conditions for accepting their NATO membership bids.
The talks in the Finnish capital Helsinki were the first since the three sides signed an agreement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in June paving the way for the Nordic countries’ drive to join the Western defense alliance.