The Palestinians said they would formally apply for enhanced observer status at the United Nations during a meeting of the General Assembly on November 29th. A large majority is likely to say yes.

A series of bomb blasts killed two foreign workers in Bahrain. The official news agency blamed terrorists for the attacks.

Increases in fuel prices sparked demonstrations and calls for a general strike in Amman, Jordan. There was a rare show of public anger directed at the monarchy.

Libya’s fledgling parliament elected a new prime minister. Ali Zidan is a former career diplomat who served under Muammar Ghaddafi until going into exile in 1980.

The electoral commission in Jordan said there would be an election on January 23rd 2013. The oppostion Islamic Action Front, a group affiliating itself to the Muslim Brotherhood, said it would boycott the poll.

Egypt’s president Mohamed Morsi pardoned all political prisoners arrested since the start of the revolt last year against Hosni Mubarak, except for those convicted of murder.

Tensions between Turkey and Syria remain high as they continue to shell each other following a spillover effect from the Syrian uprising. Turkish jets forced a Syrian passenger plane en route to Moscow to land in Turkey because there was “objectionable material” on board according to the foreign minister.

In Jordan a group close to the Muslim Brotherhood organised protests against what it claimed was King Abdullah’s failure to make adequate reforms in the run-up to an election expected next year.

A suicide bomber from Jordan operating as a CIA double-agent killed seven American CIA men and a Jordanian intelligence officer at a base in Khost (Afghanistan). The bomber was a trusted double-agent whose task it was to track down Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Al-Qaeda’s number two.

The Burj Khalifa Tower was officially opened in Dubai. Standing at 828 meters, the tower is the world’s tallest building and cost USD 1.5 billion to build. The ceremony came at a time of financial difficulty for Dubai, only having received a USD 10bn bailout from (neighbouring emirate) Abu Dhabi a few weeks ago for state-backed Dubai World.

In order to revive peace negotiations with the Palestinians, Benjamin Netanjahu, prime minister of Israel, offered to put a hold on building settlements in the West Bank for a period of ten months. To the dismay of the Palestinians, the offers excluded East Jerusalem, existing settlements and settlements already under construction.

The parliament of Jordan was dissolved halfway its 4-year term by King Abdullah, following tensions between the government and Islamist opposition.

A row erupted between supporters of the Egyptian and Algerian football teams, following a victory by Algeria. Both sides accuse each other of violent attacks. Dozens were hurt in Egypt, Algeria and Sudan. The Arab League has asked President Ghaddafi of Libya to mediate in the conflict.