BAGHDAD -- Iraq held the sixth parliamentary election since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion on Tuesday, with over 20 million eligible voters casting ballots at 8,703 polling centers to choose among 7,744 candidates competing for 329 parliamentary seats.
The voting process began at 7:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) and ended at 6:00 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) under the supervision of the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). More than 2,200 women were among the candidates contesting in what Iraqi leaders described as a pivotal moment for the country's future. (Iraq-Parliamentary Elections-Voting)
- - - -
ISTANBUL -- Former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, jailed since March, faces up to 2,352 years in prison on 142 criminal charges, including leading a criminal organization, bribery, money laundering, and fraud, authorities announced on Tuesday.
The indictment, prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and announced by Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akin Gurlek at a press conference, accuses Imamoglu of 142 criminal acts. According to the indictment, "the total public loss is estimated at 160 billion Turkish liras (3.8 billion U.S. dollars) and 24 million U.S. dollars." (Türkiye-Istanbul Mayor-Indictment)
- - - -
GAZA -- Gaza's Civil Defense said Tuesday that its teams recovered 20 bodies from the area of the Sheikh Radwan Clinic in Gaza City.
It said in a press statement that the bodies were found buried randomly within the clinic's perimeter, and most of them are unidentified. The statement added that search operations are continuing for others reported missing in the area. (Gaza-Bodies-Recovery)
- - - -
DAMASCUS -- Mazloum Abdi, the commander-in-chief of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said Tuesday his forces are committed to "advancing the integration process" into the Syrian state, following high-level talks between Syrian and U.S. officials in Washington.
In a post on X, Abdi said he held a phone call with U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack to discuss the outcomes of the recent meeting between Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. (Syria-SDF-Integration)
