Shiite leaders gather in Baghdad to break political deadlock In order to break the political deadlock resulting from Iraq's recent elections, Shiite leaders gathered to find a solution to forming the next government. Iraq
Omicron variant sickens Israeli coalition With two cases of the Omicron variant detected in Israel, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is confronted with an array of political problems. Israel
Israel wants Erdogan to act on Hamas For Jerusalem, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's intentions for better relations need to be backed up with actions. Israel
Gazans prepare more protests of Hamas policies Activists are preparing to stage new popular demonstrations across the Gaza Strip, blaming Hamas’ governance for high prices and increasing unemployment. Palestine
UN says Iran advances nuclear enrichment amid Vienna talks Iran's latest violation of the 2015 nuclear agreement comes three days into a resumption of long-stalled negotiations in Vienna aimed at reviving the deal. Iran
Historic Cairo regains its ancient glory The Egyptian government is reviving Historic Cairo to make a unique tourist attraction. Egypt
UAE detects first case of Omicron variant Saudi Arabia also reported a case of the new variant of COVID-19. News Brief
Tel Aviv named most expensive city in the world Rising real estate prices and the strength of Israel’s currency contributed to the unaffordability of Israel’s largest city, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. News Brief
Lebanon announces curfew for unvaccinated amid Omicron concerns For three weeks beginning Dec. 17, those without at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose or a recent negative PCR test will be subject to a curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Lebanon
Turkish Central Bank intervenes to curb 'unhealthy' lira losses Amid a sharp slide in the nation’s currency, the Turkish Central Bank announced it would intervene in markets and sell foreign exchange reserves Wednesday to stem volatility in the Turkish lira. Turkey
Italian parliament panel implicates Egyptian security in Regeni murder An Italian parliament panel has accused Egyptian officials of murdering Giulio Regeni in Cairo in 2016 while he was researching Egyptian labor unions. News Brief
Iranian forces, Taliban clash over Afghan 'border misunderstanding' Iranian media denied reports that several Iranian border checkpoints fell to the Taliban on Wednesday. Iran
Egypt reveals new drones at Cairo defense expo Cairo is hosting the Egypt Defense Expo (EDEX) through Thursday. Egypt
Mr. Olympia Big Ramy's second marriage sparks debate over polygamy in Egypt The news of Mr. Olympia, otherwise known as Big Ramy, marrying for the second time without the knowledge of his first wife sparked controversy in Egypt, especially in the wake of statements whereby an Islamic preacher denied a woman’s right to ask for divorce when her husband marries another. Egypt
Saudi Arabia confirms first case of Omicron variant The detection of Omicron in Saudi Arabia comes days after the kingdom suspended flights to 14 African countries. Saudi Arabia
Europe seeking to end latest round of Iran nuclear talks According to sources quoted in Iranian media, the European delegation is seeking to end the current talks and consult with the United States. Iran