Jordan
Three Jordanian police killed in raid on militant shooting suspects -police | Reuters
Three Jordanian police were killed on Monday as they raided a hideout of militants suspected of gunning down an officer during riots in the southern city of Maan, police and security sources said.
IMF Executive Board concludes 5th review under Jordan’s EFF | Jordan Times
AMMAN — The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday completed the fifth review of Jordan’s programme supported by the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The completion of the review will make the equivalent of SDR 257.325 million (about $343 million) immediately available. This brings total IMF disbursements to Jordan since the start of 2020 to SDR 1,276.247 million (about $1.699 billion) including a purchase of SDR 291.55 million (about $407 million) in May 2020 under the Rapid Financing Instrument, according to an IMF statement.
The Muslim World
Economic pain, Turkish strikes drive Syrian Kurds to Europe | AP News
QAMISHLI, Syria (AP) — Baran Ramadan Mesko had been hiding with other migrants for weeks in the coastal Algerian city of Oran, awaiting a chance to take a boat across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
Mideast, Europe leaders meet in Jordan on security in Iraq | AP News
DEAD SEA, Jordan (AP) — Leaders from the Middle East and Europe gathered in Jordan Tuesday in a conference focused on bolstering security and stability in Iraq. The meeting included high-level officials from regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, along with leaders from France, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the European Union.
Islamic State Suspected to Be Behind Series of Attacks in Iraq - WSJ
The attack, the fourth in two weeks, is the latest sign that the militant group is attempting a violent resurgence.
Turkey raises monthly minimum wage by 55% for 2023 | Reuters
Turkey's monthly minimum wage will be 8,506.80 lira ($455) in 2023, the presidency said on Thursday - a 55% increase from the level determined in July and a 100% hike from January.
Taliban minister defends ban on women's university studies | AP News
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The minister of higher education in the Taliban government on Thursday defended his decision to ban women from universities — a decree that had triggered a global backlash.
Iran's clerical leaders to grapple with deepening dissent in 2023 | Reuters
Nationwide protests sparked by the death in custody of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini have ushered Iran into a new era of deepening crisis between the clerical leadership and society at large.
Finance and Economy
Oil falls by $1/bbl as rate hike fears outweigh tighter U.S. stockpiles | Reuters
Oil fell by around $1 a barrel on Thursday in volatile trade as the impact of tighter U.S. crude stocks due to a winter storm in the United States was outweighed by fears that Federal Reserve interest rate hikes and China's rising COVID-19 cases would dent demand.
Quds Matters
Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu Says He Can Form a Government, Bringing Him Closer to Return to Power - WSJ
Benjamin Netanyahu will have seven days to finalize coalition deals with his allies before he can be sworn in as prime minister.
Israeli forces kill Palestinian fighter in West Bank clashes | Reuters
Israeli forces killed a Palestinian combatant in clashes near a flashpoint site on Thursday, underlining the continuing violence in the occupied West Bank that will confront the incoming government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Tech Watch
Police seize on COVID-19 tech to expand global surveillance | AP News
JERUSALEM (AP) — Majd Ramlawi was serving coffee in Jerusalem’s Old City when a chilling text message appeared on his phone. “You have been spotted as having participated in acts of violence in the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” it read in Arabic.