Top Headlines

• Death toll of Cairo’s church bombing rises to 28
• Egypt defends its decision to withdraw anti-settlement resolution at the UN
• ‘Sinai Province’ admits its former leader was killed by the Egyptian army
• Egypt confirms Al Jazeera producer’s arrest fo “provoking sedition”
• Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji is released from prison pending final verdict
• Split in the Muslim Brotherhood deepens with creation of new advisory council

 Main Headlines

 Monday

• Interior ministry: A police conscript and a leader of Hasam movement were killed in an exchange of fire in Giza
• Egypt’s President Sisi meets delegation from American-Jewish committee
• Administrative court postpones final verdict on Red Sea islands deal to 16 January
• Former Egyptian PM Ahmed Shafiq is removed from travel ban and arrival watch lists
• Egypt receives $500 million in 2nd tranche of African Development Bank loan
• Egypt and Bahrain begin joint military drills
• Foreign ministry: Brotherhood’s condemnation of militant’s execution reflects the organization’s “support of terrorism”

 Tuesday

• Death toll of Cairo’s church bombing rises to 27 after a ten-year old was declared dead
• Egyptian pound continues to decline, approaches 20 to dollar in banks
• Qatari FM departs Cairo for talks in Addis Ababa
• Saudi Arabia to temporarily ban Egyptian pepper exports over pesticide contamination
• Egypt closes Rafah border crossing after three-day opening
• The World Bank approved a second $1 billion disbursement of a $3 billion loan to Egypt
• Interior Ministry arrests photographer accused of staging scenes from Aleppo

 Wednesday

• Egyptian electricity lines feeding southern Gaza Strip were damaged
• Egypt’s long-term trade outlook positive despite current challenges: HSBC Egypt Trade report
• Egyptian MPs to meet with foreign minister to discuss Saudi visit to Ethiopian dam
• Egypt and EU sign €420 million in financing to support economic reforms
• Egypt says ‘sovereign body’ to print high school exams to prevent leaks

Thursday

• Israel reportedly urged Egypt to postpone voting on UN settlements resolution
• Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji is released from prison pending final verdict
• Court suspends imprisoning of Egypt’s top former auditor
• Egypt to operate 4 weekly flights between Germany and Sharm El-Sheikh
• Splits in the Muslim Brotherhood deepens with creation of new advisory council
• Encrypted-messaging service Signal is back online after Egypt blocked access
• Flights between Cairo and Moscow to resume soon

Friday

• Sisi, Trump agree to delay UN vote on Israeli settlements
• Four U.N. council members issue an ultimatum to Egypt on settlements resolution
• Egypt reports 21-month low in Suez Canal revenues in November

 Saturday

• ‘Sinai Province’ admits its former leader was killed by the Egyptian army
• Egypt defends its decision to withdraw anti-settlement resolution at the UN
• Death toll in Cairo’s church bombing rises to 28 as another injured victim dies
• The United States’ State Department reintroduced on Friday Egypt to its travel warning list
• ‪Ethiopian prime minister accuses Egyptian institutions of funding opposition groups
• El-Sisi: Armed forces’ economic activity represents no more than 2 percent of Egypt’s economy
• Egypt’s cargo air service flies to Moscow for the first time since the Russian plane crash
  
• 19 policemen jailed one to three years for “extreme negligence” in Ismailiya prison break
• Lawyers urge Egypt to lift travel ban on “Facebook girl” journalist

 Sunday

• Egypt confirms Al Jazeera producer’s arrest for “provoking sedition”
• Egypt’s security forces kill 2 men over the assassination of a senior military officer
• HRW urges Egypt to investigate alleged abuses at Borg Al-Arab prison
• 1,045 Facebook pages were closed in 2016 in Egypt for inciting violence
• Prosecution renews detention of police officers implicated in cart driver’s torture and death

Good Report

• To cope or to resist: How people deal with abruptly deteriorating economic conditions. Mada Masr
• Informants at AUC? Mai Shams El-Din

Good Read

(Posts do not represent my views, but they are definitely worth reading)  

• A ‪UN Security Council draft resolution tale. Zenobia
• Why did Egypt risk ties to Israel and Trump with a UN resolution? Oren Kessler
• Trump can create a triangular partnership in the Middle East. Adel El-Adawy
• How Egyptian ‘democracy’ really works. Evan Hill

From Twitter

Plus

• First baby giraffe born at Giza Zoo in decades dies days after birth

Finally here are Jason Casper’s prayers for Egypt

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah