Kuwait voted Saturday for the country’s parliament. The snap elections were triggered by the emir’s order to dissolve the previous legislature in October following cuts in welfare benefits and hike in gasoline prices. Only a few of the 293 candidates running Saturday are seasoned politicians. Opposition members boycotted the last polls in December 2012 and many now have either retired from politics or belong to groups that are seen as fractured and ineffectual. The emir pointed to "regional circumstances" and "security challenges" in his decision to dissolve parliament. (Bloomberg)