Al-Monitor Daily Briefing: Iran, Russia-led bloc move toward free trade

[logo]( [fb_icon]( [twitter_icon]( EDITOR'S PICKS Wednesday, December 12 | Daily Briefing [By: Mohsen Shariatinia on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018]( Iran 1 [Iran, Russia-led bloc move toward free trade]( The Iranian government is widening channels of trade with Eurasia and India in an effort to dodge the impacts of reimposed US sanctions. Turkey 2 [Erdogan expands gold business partnership with Venezuela despite sanctions]( Despite US sanctions against the South American country, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro are expanding their gold business. Washington 3 [Congress seeks to formally condemn Saudi prince for journalist’s death]( Republican leaders in Congress are securing support to formally condemn Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Israel 4 [Netanyahu against anti-porn bill, rejects online regulation]( Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, fearing the very concept of regulating internet use, objects to proposed legislation that would limit and block visits to pornography sites on the internet. 5 [Mosul's new literary cafe brings together readers, budding writers]( With its walls lined with books in Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Russian, Book Forum cafe provides a place for Mosul's youth to read, debate and smoke the hookah. Israel 6 [Can annexation save Israel from charges of apartheid on West Bank?]( Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett is promoting the idea that the annexation of Area C on the West Bank will negate claims of Israel pursuing apartheid-like policies in the occupied territories. 7 [Italy names five Egyptian officials as suspects in student's murder]( An Italian prosecutor is investigating five Egyptian police officials concerning the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni while Egypt's own investigation drags on. 8 [Tunisia's Ennahda party faces more assassination allegations]( Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi is threatening to sue the Ennahda political party, which was recently accused of planning in 2013 to assassinate him and the French president. Iran 9 [Hard-liner accuses Rouhani of blocking Telegram]( A hard-line politician in Iran has accused President Hassan Rouhani of ordering the ban on a popular social media app in the wake of the nationwide protests in early 2018. Israel 10 [Storm in Haifa over Israeli-Arab council member]( The newly elected mayor of Haifa, Einat Kalisch-Rotem, refused to back down from the coalition agreement she signed with the Israeli-Arab Communist Party. Turkey 11 [Roman-era mosaics home at last in Turkey's Zeugma]( Turkey has welcomed back 12 fragments of mosaics illegally excavated and exported decades ago to the United States and they are now on exhibit at the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep. STAY CONNECTED [fb_icon_footer]( [twitter_icon_footer]( [instagram_icon_footer]( [rss_icon_footer]( CONTACT US [Support & Contact]( [Advertise](mailto:advertise@al-monitor.com) NEWSLETTERS [Subscribe]( TERMS OF USE [Visitor Agreement]( [Privacy Policy]( © 2018 Al-Monitor. All Rights Reserved. If you no longer wish to receive these emails you may [unsubscribe or manage your preferences]( at any time. Al-Monitor · 1850 K St NW · Suite 1225 · Washington, DC 20006 · USA