Jordan arrests three suspects after deadly church attack: What to know The arrests follow days of searching for the three suspects in Friday’s attack, which killed nine people. Jordan
Analysis Corruption trial, ICC warrant: Why Netanyahu will stay in politics even if he loses Netanyahu stands to lose more than the premiership. His criminal corruption trial and the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against him are also at stake. By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Jordan’s King Abdullah calls church shooting ‘terror attack,’ at least 7 killed: What to know Jordan has experienced sporadic violence targeting the Christian community, though attacks of this kind are relatively rare in the kingdom. Jordan
Culture Turkey egg donor scam allegedly sold clients on promise of blond babies An investigation triggered by a husband’s tip has led to at least 45 arrests in an alleged network that sold Turkish donor eggs to foreign clients seeking Scandinavian ancestry. Turkey
Top Turkish court rejects appeal for release of philanthropist Kavala Turkey’s Constitutional Court has rejected an appeal for the release of philanthropist Osman Kavala, ruling his more than three-year imprisonment without conviction did not violate his rights in contradiction to rulings by the European Court of Human Rights. Turkey
Acquittal in assault of Christian woman casts pall over Christmas for Egypt's Coptic community The acquittal by a Minya court of three defendants who in May 2016 stripped an elderly Christian woman naked and dragged her through the streets of her village has provoked outrage among Christians and rights groups. Egypt
Israeli sex abuse suspect finally to be extradited to Australia Twelve years after she fled to Israel, Malka Leifer is to be extradited to Australia, to stand trial over heavy suspicions of sexual abuse against minors. Originals
Egypt demands Italy hand over ex-officials accused of stealing artifacts The case centers on some 22,000 Egyptian relics, including gold coins, discovered by Italian authorities in 2017. Egypt
Lebanese activist sentenced to prison for collaborating with Israel Kinda El-Khatib, a critic of Hezbollah on social media, was sentenced to three years in prison by a military court. Lebanon
Hezbollah operative receives life sentences for Hariri assassination The Special Tribunal for Lebanon at the Hague had already convicted Salim Jamil Ayyash for involvement in the 2005 car-bomb assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister. Lebanon
Honor killings against women increase in southeast Syrian city Civil activists protested the lack of judiciary against domestic violence and honor killings, launching the hashtag “Our blood is on your hands” and calling on the government to consider honor killings as a crime to prevent the death of more women. Syria
Women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul to stand trial in Saudi Arabia Loujain al-Hathloul will appear in a Saudi court Wednesday more than two years after she was first detained in a crackdown on human rights defenders. Saudi Arabia
Family appeals conviction in Lockerbie bombing in Scottish court A lawyer for the family of the late Libyan intelligence officer Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, convicted in the 1988 plane bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, argues there was insufficient evidence to convict him. Libya
Egypt to dismiss public servants with alleged ties to Muslim Brotherhood Egypt’s parliament has approved controversial new amendments to a law allowing the dismissal of public servants with alleged ties to terrorist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood. Originals
Bulgarian court sentences two men in bus bombing that killed Israelis Bulgaria said that two dual citizens of Lebanon were responsible for the Black Sea attack that targeted Israeli tourists in 2012; Hezbollah has denied involvement. Israel
The Netherlands takes first step in holding Syria’s torturers to account The Dutch Foreign Ministry says it will hold Syria responsible for "gross human rights violations" in a process that could make its way to the UN's International Court of Justice. Syria
