Gulf News, Latest Middle East News Headlines & Live News Updates - Times of India

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strongest challengers in Israel's April general election joined forces, a dramatic turn in a race his right-wing Likud party has been predicted to win easily.

Prince Mohammed's arrival on Thursday was reported first by Saudi media. He's due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, highlighting bilateral trade in oil and Chinese manufacturing. Prince Mohammed's visit to Beijing follows one earlier this week by a high-powered delegation from Saudi Arabia's chief strategic rival Iran.

Mustafa Bali, a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, the US-backed militia spearheading the fight against IS in Syria, confirmed the trucks were carrying civilians from the enclave.

Animosity between Washington and Tehran - bitter foes since Iran’s 1979 revolution - has intensified since May when US President Donald Trump withdrew from an international nuclear deal with Tehran and reimposed sanctions lifted under the accord.

Saudi Prince Salman predicted "good things" will come out of talks with President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he started a landmark visit to India Wednesday. "Today we want to be sure this relationship is maintained and improved for the sake of both countries," the crown prince said after full ceremonial welcome in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Imran Khan at a ceremony held to welcome the Saudi crown prince at PM House on Sunday night had made a "special request" to him on the Pakistani prisoners. Salman, who was here on a visit, responded by assuring Khan to consider him Pakistan's ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

"Last night, a terrorist cell was identified and destroyed in an operation," the Corps said in a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Three militants were arrested and explosive material was seized from houses in the cities of Saravan and Khash, it said.

Construction of the refinery began in 2006 and it now has the capacity of 400,000 barrels a day, which amounts to about 20 percent of Iran's 2.1 million barrels of daily refining capacity.

Iran's foreign ministry summoned Pakistan's ambassador on Sunday to protest the attack.

President's Tweet Comes Amid Claims That US-Backed Forces Are Set To Capture IS Last Stronghold In Syria

An Iranian official at the ministry called on Pakistan to quickly take the necessary steps for the identification and arrest of the attack's perpetrators. The suicide bombing on Wednesday killed 27 members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards travelling on a bus in the volatile southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, which straddles the border with Pakistan.