Edward Finkelstein

In Harasta, a suburb east of Damascus, restoration crews are working to bring a centuries-old public bathhouse back into use after years in which war and displacement disrupted daily life across Eastern Ghouta. 

The Bank of Israel’s Monetary Committee, chaired by Governor Prof. Amir Yaron, cut the benchmark interest rate from 4.25% to 4% in a move that surprised most economists, who had expected policy to remain unchanged. 

Iran’s top judicial official said on Monday that the country’s courts would show “no leniency” toward those involved in violent unrest, as nationwide protests entered their ninth consecutive day. 

A group of at least 100 Haredi donors and lay leaders in the United States has pledged to withdraw financial support from Israeli yeshivot and other religious institutions that publicly denigrate the Israel Defense Forces.

Saudi Arabian Mining Co. (Maaden) and Australia-based Midana Exploration Pty Ltd, part of Hancock Prospecting, have formed a joint venture to accelerate mineral exploration across Saudi Arabia, with initial work set to target the Nabita–Ad-Duwayhi Gold Belt after winning exploration licenses from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources.

Libya is exploring cooperation with Tunisia as it seeks to accelerate the digital transformation of its education system. 

A new innovation and entrepreneurship hub is set to open next month in northern Israel near the Lebanon border, as local organizers push to rebuild the region’s economy after months of disruption and evacuation linked to the war.

A United Arab Emirates-based mining company that says it is Guinea’s second-largest bauxite producer has launched a $28.9 billion legal claim against the West African nation, accusing the government of unlawfully stripping it of mining rights.

In a precision operation conducted deep within Gaza City, Israeli special forces have reportedly apprehended a high-ranking Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) member linked to the kidnapping of an Israeli citizen.

Dubai’s wellness scene is about to get a major new player. Sacra, a Russian-inspired bathhouse and spa backed by Bulldozer Group, is preparing to open in Jumeirah with an ambitious promise: a ritual-led recovery destination that blends old-world bathing traditions with modern wellness tech.

Israel’s decision on December 26, 2025 to recognise Somaliland as an independent state has landed like a starting pistol for dealmakers: a rush of exploratory calls, “we should go now” trade missions, and early jockeying for pole positions that tend to vanish once bigger capitals and multilateral lenders pile in.

The fashionable claim in Western commentary is that Israel is sliding into pariah status, scolded by international bodies, shunned in cultural spaces, and punished in reputational terms for the Gaza war.