Middle East & North Africa

17 August 2022; MEMO: A Cairo criminal court yesterday handed the death sentence to a judge who has been found guilty of killing his wife. The case has now been transferred to the Grand Mufti, standard procedure under Egyptian law for death sentences to be ratified.

Ayman Hajjaj was convicted of murdering his wife, Egyptian TV presenter Shaimaa Gamal, assisted by his friend, Hussein Al-Gharably.

17 August 2022; MEMO: Lebanon has received a third batch of monthly financial assistance from Qatar, as the country and its health sector continue to suffer from the severe economic crisis.

According to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA), the assistance from the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) is used for the purchasing of fuel and oil required to run the country's healthcare facilities every month.

18 August 2022; MEMO: Egyptian Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir yesterday witnessed the signing of a preliminary agreement for the management and operation of the three lines of the high-speed electric train network.

The agreement was signed between the National Authority for Tunnels in Egypt, the Egyptian private-sector company Elsewedy Electric, and the German railway company Deutsche Bahn (DB).

18 August 2022; MEMO: Traders in Qatar can face a fine of up to $274,650 (one million Qatari riyals) if they are found selling or displaying goods that are deemed to be non-compliant with Islamic values, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI).

Other forms of punishment may include administrative closure for a period of three months or the revocation of commercial licences.

18 August 2022; MEMO: After meeting with political leaders, the leaders of three political institutions in Iraq yesterday called on followers of Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr to engage in national dialogue to resolve the political deadlock, news agencies reported.

17 August 2022; MEMO: Israel and Turkiye announced the full normalisation of their relations on Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reports.

According to the report, the normalisation agreement was released by Israel's Prime Minister, Yair Lapid's office.

The agreement highlights the new appointments of the ambassadors and consuls to Tel Aviv and Ankara,  the report says.

18 August 2022; MEMO: A senior security officer from the Palestinian Authority has met with Russia's deputy defence minister to discuss security and intelligence cooperation, agencies reported yesterday.

Major General Nidal Abu Dukhan met Alexander Fomin on the fringe of Russia's Army-2022 forum on Tuesday. The meeting came as Russia is looking for new allies after six months of war in Ukraine.

18 August 2022; MEMO: Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz yesterday defended his recent meetings with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, saying they saved the souls of Israeli soldiers.

"Whoever does not send soldiers off to battle, and whoever does not show responsibility for the lives of Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers – better not criticize meetings that prevented and continue to prevent the next war and bring stability and freedom of national action upon us," Gantz said in a statement.

18 August 2022; MEMO: Hundreds of members of the Israeli Teachers Union yesterday protested outside the  Israeli Finance Ministry demanding higher wages Arab48 reported.

Union Head Yaffa Ben David threatened that teachers would go on strike and prevent schools from opening next month, Ynet News site reported.

She called on all the government bodies and the prime minister to immediately interfere to resolve the issue with the Finance Ministry "before it is too late."

AMMAN, Aug 17 (NNN-PETRA) – Jordanian Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, and his visiting Bahraini counterpart, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, yesterday, vowed to expand bilateral cooperation in various fields, according to a Jordanian Foreign Ministry statement.

The two ministers also agreed to enhance coordinating efforts, in resolving regional crises, active pan-Arab action and counter-terrorism.

Safadi highlighted the two-state solution as the only way to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, saying, any other proposals are “pointless and in vain.”