As Iranian state TV showed people streaming to cast their ballots Friday and news anchors praised them for coming out to vote, very different scenes played out on Tehran's streets, where many polling places appeared relatively empty.

Amid rising anger and apathy over a presidential vote tipped in favor of Ebrahim Raisi, the hard-line judiciary chief cultivated by Iran's supreme leader, the election atmosphere was distinctly subdued.

French President Emmanuel Macron has kissed two World War II veterans on the cheeks, returning to a tradition that was abandoned at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

French authorities have recommended people to avoid "la bise," the custom of giving kisses of greeting, to avoid spreading the virus. Macron kissed the veterans on Friday while wearing a mask.

Shops, government offices, businesses and banks shuttered their doors in Lebanon on Thursday, as part of a general strike to protest deteriorating economic conditions and press for a government to deal with worsening crises.

The strike, which was accompanied by several roadblocks set up around Beirut and other cities, was ironically supported by the very political parties blamed for the deadlock over forming a government. This drew criticism from many activists and commentators, who questioned why those who were driving the economic and financial meltdown were themselves on strike.

A senior army official confirmed in remarks to the Associated Press on Wednesday that the economic situation in Lebanon has greatly affected the army’s morale.

Since the civil war, through wars with Israel, militant bombings and domestic turmoil, Lebanese have considered their military as an anchor for stability, one of the only institutions standing above the country's divisions.

But the military is now threatened by Lebanon's devastating financial collapse, one of the worst the world has seen in the past 150 years, according to the World Bank.

The health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has long been a source of morbid fascination in rival South Korea, which sits in the shadow of Kim's 1.2-million-strong army and his growing arsenal of nuclear-armed missiles.

Has he gained even more weight? Is he struggling for breath after relatively short walks? What about that cane? Why did he miss that important state anniversary?

Israel's fragile new government has shown little interest in addressing the decades-old conflict with the Palestinians, but it may not have a choice.

Jewish ultranationalists are already staging provocations aimed at splitting the coalition and bringing about a return to right-wing rule. In doing so, they risk escalating tensions with the Palestinians weeks after an 11-day Gaza war was halted by an informal cease-fire.

Americans Michael Taylor and his son Peter Taylor go on trial in Tokyo on Monday on charges they helped Nissan's former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, skip bail and flee to Lebanon in December 2019.

HOW DID THE TAYLORS END UP IN JAPAN?

The maritime demarcation negotiations between Lebanon and Israeli reportedly jumped back to the forefront once the head of the US delegation sponsoring the Naqoura talks, American Ambassador John Desrocher, arrived in Beirut yesterday afternoon, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

Lebanon's local currency hit a new record low on Sunday, with the country's economic and political crisis worsening with no apparent solutions in the near future.

The currency has lost more than 90% of its value since October 2019, when anti-government protests erupted. Inflation and prices of basic goods have skyrocketed in the country, which imports more than 80% of its basic goods.