Iran on Friday described Bahrain's hosting of Israel's foreign minister, who the previous day inaugurated the Jewish state's embassy in Manama, as "shameful".

Iran and Israel are sworn enemies and Bahrain is one of four Arab nations to have normalized ties with the Jewish state over the past year or so.

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously on Thursday to extend the U.N. political mission in Libya until after the country's critical presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for late December.

However, the U.N.'s most powerfule body remained divided over the withdrawal of all mercenaries and foreign forces from the oil-rich North African nation and the mission's leadership.

A slow death if they stay or possible detention if they leave: the last residents of a Syria desert camp face an unenviable choice ahead of a new "voluntary departure" program.

The nearly 10,000 displaced Syrians still living in the Rukban camp, established in 2014 on the berm between Jordan and Syria, are the last remnants of the nearly 50,000 people who lived there a few years ago.

Israel and Bahrain cemented their year-old agreement to establish diplomatic ties on Thursday, with the king of the small Gulf Arab state hosting Israel's foreign minister who for the first time opened an embassy in the capital of Manama.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on the same day as the first direct flight from Manama touched down in Tel Aviv. The top Israeli diplomat later called the visit "warm and optimistic."

After eight years of planning and billions of dollars in spending, the Middle East's first ever World Fair opened on Friday in Dubai, with hopes the months-long extravaganza draws both visitors and global attention to this desert-turned-dreamscape.

Named Expo 2020, the event was postponed by a year due to the outbreak of the coronavirus last year. While that could have an impact on how many people flock to the United Arab Emirates, the six-month-long exhibition offers Dubai a momentous opportunity to showcase its unique East-meets-West appeal as a place where all are welcome for business.

Regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran have met again in Iraq, several local sources said, as talks aiming to ease tensions have continued under Iran's ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi. 

Muslim Shiite-majority Iran and Sunni power Saudi Arabia, on opposing sides in multiple Middle East conflicts, have been engaged in talks since April at the highest level since cutting ties in 2016.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has hosted his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi that were expected to focus on war-torn Syria.

It was the first in-person meeting for Putin in over two weeks. On Sept. 14, the Russian president went into self-isolation after a staff member he worked closely with contracted coronavirus. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin's two-week self-isolation ended on Wednesday.

Iraq's top Shiite cleric has called for wide participation in next month's parliament elections, saying that despite "shortcomings," voting remains the best way for Iraqis to take part in shaping their country's future.

Iraqis are headed to the polls Oct. 10 for early elections characterized by widespread apathy and concerns of low voter turnout. The elections are being held a year before they had been scheduled to take place in line with a key demand of protesters who filled the streets in October 2019 demanding change in the country, where corruption is widespread.

Israel's foreign minister headed to Bahrain on Thursday, the first high-level visit to the small Gulf state by a senior Israeli official since the signing last year of a landmark agreement to establish diplomatic ties.

Yair Lapid flew to Bahrain's capital, Manama, for meetings with his Bahraini counterpart and to inaugurate Israel's embassy. It will be the first official visit by an Israeli Cabinet member.

Three Palestinians were killed Thursday by Israeli fire, including a woman who tried to stab officers in Jerusalem, a militant shot during West Bank clashes and a Gazan who approached the border fence.   

The violence comes days after an Israeli raid on militants in the occupied West Bank left five Palestinians dead.