Iranians increase pressure on government to purchase vaccines Puzzled by their government’s reluctance to purchase coronavirus vaccines, Iranians launched campaigns for their “basic right to live” at a moment when the pandemic is raging and neighboring countries have started vaccinating their citizens. Iran
Sudan’s fragile transition boosted by turnaround in ties with US, Israel Khartoum is also a key broker in the Nile River dam talks with Egypt and Ethiopia. Originals
Does Iran have a plan for a successor to Khamenei? Recent rumors regarding a decline in Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s health have led to renewed speculation about who will succeed him. Iran
Israel braces for lockdown amid coronavirus spike, new UK strain Egypt is also heading for new restrictions amid a new wave Israel
Flight victims' families reject Iran’s compensation, demand justice Families of the victims of the downed Ukraine Airlines flight warned the Iranian government that they will not accept any planned compensation and rather will fight for justice. Iran
US Customs clarifies position on labeling of West Bank products The US government said areas in the West Bank run by Israel must label products as "Made in Israel" when exporting to the United States, but goods from Palestinian-administered areas do not need to. Israel
Egypt records highest single-day coronavirus count in months The surge in cases led the government to impose a ban on New Year's Eve celebrations across the North African country. Egypt
The Takeaway: How COVID-19 (almost) stole Christmas in Gaza and West Bank Hamas backtracks on plans to cancel Christmas celebrations as COVID-19 cases spike; Palestinians fear ‘double whammy’; Bibi sees Morocco normalization as key to election; and more! Originals
Turkish journalist sentenced to prison over report on Turkey sending weapons to Syria Can Dundar was tried in absentia. The now Germany-based journalist reported on Turkish support for Syrian rebel groups in 2015, which angered President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
Trump administration weighs immunity for Saudi crown prince Saad al-Jabri alleged that Mohammed bin Salman has led an attempt to lure him back to the kingdom and kill him. Saudi Arabia
New draft law seeks to paralyze Turkish civil society Groups across the ideological spectrum say the law, aimed at keeping Turkey from being blacklisted by the international money laundering watchdog, includes articles that will severely hamper their work. Turkey
Israeli Deni Avdija to make NBA debut The former player for Maccabi Tel Aviv could become the first international basketball star to come out of Israel. Israel
Erdogan blasts European court's ruling on jailed Kurdish leader The European Court of Human Rights said the imprisonment of Selahattin Demirtas had violated his basic rights. Turkey
Dubai begins administering Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Saudi Arabia and Israel have also approved the American-German vaccine. United Arab Emirates
Turkish Parliament extends troop deployment to Libya The measure, which extends Turkey's presence in Libya by 18 months, had the backing of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party. Turkey
PKK remains thorn in side of Turkish-Iraqi relations The Iraqi government needs Turkey to counterbalance Iran and help alleviate Baghdad's economic problems, but the Kurdish issue, which has long strained bilateral ties, might further snag progress in economic and strategic projects. Iraq
