US, Saudi, UAE security advisors meet to counter Iran
Washington: The national security advisors of the US, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) met at the White House on Friday to discuss joint efforts to counter the "Iranian regime's malign influence and provocative behavior."
The White House said in a statement that security officials of the three nations talked about issues of strategic importance to the three countries.
Senior officials from the US Departments of State, Defense, the Treasury and the intelligence community participated in the meeting, Xinhua reported.
The leaders agreed to meet trilaterally on a regular basis to develop and implement joint frameworks to mitigate threats to regional security and to bring greater peace, stability and prosperity to the Middle East.
"Additionally, the National Security Advisor of Afghanistan joined a session focused on discussing ways the US, Saudi Arabia and the UAE can partner with Afghanistan to support the Afghan government and set conditions for an enduring peace settlement," said the White House.
Also on Friday, the US sanctioned an Iranian entity and 10 individuals over "malicious cyber-enabled activities," saying the hackers worked at the behest of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that the US measures were "illegal and provocative," proving the US inherent hostility against Tehran.
It also condemned Saudi Arabia's allegations that Iran "is the source of terror and extremism," saying that Saudi Arabia itself was the "essential source and cause of terrorism and extremism.
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AIMIM wins Malegaon Central seat by 162 votes
Malegaon (Maharashtra), Nov 23: In a closely contested election, Mohammad Ismail Abdul Khalique of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has retained the Malegaon Central assembly seat, winning by a razor-thin margin of 162 votes.
This victory in the north Maharashtra constituency marks a significant turnaround for Khalique, who previously enjoyed a commanding lead in the 2019 elections, winning by over one lakh votes.
Khalique, an Islamic scholar, received a total of 1,09,653 votes this time, narrowly defeating his nearest rival, Asif Shaikh Rasheed of the Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra party, who got 1,09,491 votes.
There were a total of 13 candidates contesting in this Muslim dominated constituency. Barring Khalique and Rasheed, two other candidates -- Shaan-e-Hind Nihal Ahmed of Samajwadi Party and Ejaz Baig Aziz Baig managed below 10,000 votes. Other remaining candidates were below 1,000 votes.
This election marks Khalique's third term as an MLA. He initially represented the Malegaon Central seat in 2009 as a member of the Jan Surajya Shakti party.
However, Khalique faced a setback in the 2014 elections when he contested under the banner of the Nationalist Congress Party and lost.
His return to the assembly in 2019 under the AIMIM banner solidified his political presence, and despite the significantly reduced margin this year, he has once again emerged victorious.
The results highlight the competitive nature of the Malegaon Central constituency and underscore Khalique's resilience in maintaining his position amidst changing political dynamics.
