Raisi: Iran 'never has hope' in Vienna talks Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has struck a pessimistic tone commenting on the nuclear talks between Iran and world powers. Iran
Iraq receives 145% more foreign visitors in 2021 Iraq waived the visa requirements for citizens of many economically powerful countries last year in a bid to attract tourists and businesspeople. News Brief
Saudi Arabia building support for Expo 2030 bid The kingdom wants to host the international cultural forum, which is currently being held in Dubai. News Brief
Saudi IT industry to work with German software firm SAP on cloud technology The memorandum of understanding is the latest to come out of the LEAP technology forum in Riyadh, and reflects the kingdom’s diversification efforts. News Brief
Iran denies having military base in Yemen The Saudi-led coalition claimed it bombed a secret facility used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Yemen. News Brief
Libyan court rules Gadhafi's son eligible to run for president The court's decision comes a week after Libya's electoral commission disqualified Saif Al-Islam Gadhafi and 24 other candidates for president. Libya
Iraq repatriates more citizens from Belarus The Kurdistan Regional Government previously reported that it had helped bring more than 1,800 people home from the Belarus-Poland border. News Brief
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
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
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
Egypt reveals new drones at Cairo defense expo Cairo is hosting the Egypt Defense Expo (EDEX) through Thursday. Egypt
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
Iranian forces, Taliban clash over Afghan 'border misunderstanding' Iranian media denied reports that several Iranian border checkpoints fell to the Taliban on Wednesday. Iran
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
Iraq approves booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines Other nations in the region have already approved similar measures, due to concerns about waning immunity, although the World Health Organization says that first rounds of shots should be a priority. News Brief
