Egypt's parliament convenes after 3 years

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

• Nigerians have staged rallies in five different states to demand the release of top cleric Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky. They said Zakzaky and hundreds of his followers should be released immediately without any pre-conditions. They also condemned the army’s massacre of Muslims during the cleric’s arrest.
   
• Egypt’s parliament convenes for the first time in more than three years. The new parliament is dominated by lawmakers loyal to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The last legislature was closed down after Sisi came to power following the ouster of the first democratically-elected president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
   
• The Iraqi army has captured the Sufia district, east of the city of Ramadi from Daesh terrorists. Local officials say hundreds of families caught in the crossfire were evacuated from the area. Government troops are now in control of most of Ramadi and are fighting to fully liberate the city.
   
• Yemeni sources say Saudi fighter jets have targeted another hospital run by Doctors Without Borders or MSF. The international medical group has confirmed the attack on the hospital in the Razih district of Sa'ada province. It says three people were killed and 10 injured in the strike.
   
• Hundreds of Australians have taken to the streets of Sydney to condemn Saudi Arabia’s execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. The protesters chanted slogans against Saudi rulers and demanded that the kingdom be held accountable for its actions. They also slammed Riyadh's role in the crackdown on peaceful protests in Bahrain.
   
• Iran’s Parliament Speaker has urged Washington to stop the anti-Iran bills in Congress. Ali Larijani said the recently-approved bills aim to destroy the nuclear deal between Tehran and the P5+1. He warned that Iran would rethink its defense and nuclear policies if the US doesn't change its approach.
   
• Opinion polls in Taiwan put opposition candidate Tsai Ing-wenb ahead of her main challenger Eric Chu of the ruling Nationalist Party. Tsai has gathered support for advocating more cautious ties with China. The presidential and legislative elections are scheduled for January 17.
   
• Mosques in France are hosting an open-door event to promote unity with non-Muslims. The cultural move also aims to expose the falsity of cliches about Islam’s links to violence and terrorism. Islamophobic sentiment has been on the rise following the recent terrorist attacks in France.

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