Middle East Experience

Two weeks after seizing power in a sweeping offensive, Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has stepped up regional contacts, vowing in a meeting Sunday not to "negatively" interfere in neighbouring Lebanon.Sharaa also met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, video released by the Anadolu state news agency showed, after Ankara-backed rebels played a key role in supporting his Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which seized Damascus on December 8 and ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Syria's new leader vows not to negatively interfere in Lebanon

It is not clear how Trump would seek to regain control over the canal, and he would have no recourse under international law if he decided to make a play for the passage.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Trump threatens to retake control of Panama Canal over 'unfair rates'

An asteroid the size of around nine reindeer - coincidentally, how many reindeer Santa Claus supposedly uses - is set to pass by the Earth on Christmas.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Ho ho ho: Asteroid the size of nine reindeer to pass by Earth on Christmas - NASA

The Town Market Committee decision was reportedly motivated by the concern that the hanukkiah would be “insensitive to other religious groups.”
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Epping UK to have Hanukkah display after battle with town council

A new dawn is sure to dawn in Irish-Israeli relations, but until then, many Christians will continue to be Israel's friends.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: As an Irishman I am ashamed of Ireland's antisemitic government

Two US Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea early Sunday in "an apparent case of friendly fire," the US military said.Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels said later on Sunday they had "targeted" the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman a day earlier in an operation that led to "shooting down an F-18 aircraft" and thwarting "American-British aggression" against Yemen.United States Central Command said late on Saturday that both US pilots were recovered alive but "initial assessments indicate that one of the crew members sustained minor injuries".
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: 2 US pilots shot down over Red Sea in 'friendly fire' incident: military

On Saturday, the US military said it conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility operated by Houthis in Yemen's capital, Sanaa.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Netanyahu: 'Just as we acted forcefully against Iran's axis of evil, we will act against Houthis'

Human Rights Watch criticised the treatment of migrant workers on construction projects in Saudi Arabia Wednesday ahead of the expected confirmation of the kingdom's hosting of the 2034 World Cup.The New York-based rights group reported working conditions it said amounted to "forced labour", even on high-profile megaprojects at the heart of Saudi's ambitious Vision 2030 economic reform programme.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: HRW slams Saudi labour abuses ahead of 2034 World Cup vote

Most Arab Gulf states have quickly expressed solidarity with Damascus, but the ongoing rebel offensive has caught many by surprise and adds a layer of uncertainty over Arab normalization with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Syrian rebel offensive worries Gulf states as they rally around Assad

Opposition MKs criticized the proposed bill as being discriminatory and as legitimizing segregation in Israeli society. 
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Knesset advances controversial gender segregation bill for higher education