Middle East & North Africa

Iran to release 3 Americans in exchange for frozen funds in South Korea

09 April 2022; MEMO: An Iranian newspaper reported that Iranian funds frozen in South Korea would be released in exchange for three US citizens of Iranian origin.

On Friday, Entekhab newspaper reported: "Three dual-citizen spies will be released in exchange for Iran regaining its frozen funds in Korea, amounting to $7 billion."

Egypt: Imprisonments for 14 Muslim Brotherhood leaders

09 April 2022; MEMO: The Egyptian Supreme State Security Criminal Court at the Tura Courts Complex, south of Cairo, issued a judgment on Thursday convicting defendants in the case known in the media as "returnees from Kuwait" with penalties ranging from life to rigorous imprisonment.

The judgment issued, headed by counsellor Moataz Khafagy, included 14 defendants from the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood group opposed to the ruling, which the Egyptian authorities classify as "terrorists", according to Egyptian media.

Palestine factions agree to carry out Gaza elections

09 April 2022; MEMO: Six Palestinian factions have agreed to carry out municipal, student and syndicate elections, Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations reported on Friday.

According to the centre, senior official of the Popular Front Osama Haj Ahmed said that Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front, the General Command, the Palestinian Initiative and Al-Saiqa Organisation agreed to hold the elections within the coming six months.

Iraq: $20bn foreign debts, $48bn internal debts

09 April 2022; MEMO: The Iraqi government reiterated on Friday that it owes $20 billion in foreign debts and $48 billion in internal debts, Jordanian news agency Petra reported.

Mazhar Mohammed Saleh, advisor for financial affairs to the Iraqi prime minister, said that 67 per cent of the internal debts ($48 billion) is currently deposited in the Central Bank, pointing out a plan to repay the debts in three years.

India: BJP's attempts to impose Hindi language on non-Hindi states will be resisted: TMC

Kolkata, Apr 8 (PTI) The TMC on Friday said any effort to impose Hindi by the BJP-led Centre on non-Hindi speaking states will be resisted.

The party's assertion came a day after Shah, presiding over the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee here, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided that the medium of running the government is the official language, and this will definitely increase the importance of Hindi.

Israel will use force against Iran if nuclear deal fails, insists DM

07 April 2022; MEMO: Israel is seeking a good agreement that restricts Iran from nuclear advancement, Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz said yesterday.

"We want an agreement that has no expiration date, that wouldn't give Iran legitimacy to advance in the nuclear programme," Gantz said during a joint briefing with 80 foreign ambassadors.

He added that if an agreement was not achieved, "Plan B must be used: to use force, to exert economic pressure, to exert political pressure."

Arab States welcome formation of Presidential Council in Yemen

07 April 2022; MEMO: Arab countries have welcomed the formation of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, headed by Rashad Al-Alimi, as well as the urgent financial support provided by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the Yemeni economy, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Saudi Arabia shakes up Yemen alliance in bid to exit quagmire

07 April 2022; MEMO: Saudi-backed Yemeni President, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, on Thursday, ceded power to a Council whose members form the core of an anti-Houthi alliance as Saudi Arabia looks to exit a costly war that has strained Washington's ties with Gulf allies, Reuters reports.

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