Al-Monitor Daily Briefing: What will 2019 have in store for the dysfunctional GCC?

[logo]( [fb_icon]( [twitter_icon]( EDITOR'S PICKS Friday, December 14 | Daily Briefing [By: Giorgio Cafiero on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018]( Gulf 1 [What will 2019 have in store for the dysfunctional GCC?]( The Gulf Cooperation has essentially been split in, with Qatar, Kuwait and Oman resisting the actions of Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE's Mohammed bin Zayed. Washington 2 [Saudi ambassador again departs US amid Khashoggi controversy]( Ambassador Khalid bin Salman, who has faced scrutiny over his public handling of the Jamal Khashoggi affair, has left Washington for the second time since the journalist’s killing. Egypt 3 [Regeni case still complicating ties between Rome, Cairo]( Almost three years on, Egypt has yet to reach tangible results in the murder case of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni, but now Italy’s public prosecutor has named five Egyptian national security officers as suspects. 4 [Video: Egypt's golden age of cinema]( Al-Monitor visited with Mortada Anis, an Egyptian film poster artist from the country’s golden age, to discuss the legacy of this bygone era. Israel 5 [Netanyahu's stab at premier for life]( Ahead of Israel's next elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing a bill that would limit the task of forming a coalition to a party leader. Washington 6 [Senate votes to end US involvement in Yemen war]( The Senate voted to end US support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. Iran 7 [Iran says US is ‘bragging’ about violating UNSC resolution]( While the United States has failed to receive European support for scrapping the nuclear deal, Europe is more sympathetic to concerns about Iran’s missile program. Israel 8 [Hike price: a nightmare for Israel’s finance minister]( Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon knows that in order to preserve political support, he must act quickly and curd the recent rise of water, electricity and food prices. Iran 9 [Shrinking pie causes intense struggle over wages in Iran]( Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the Rouhani administration is under pressure to increase salaries while facing the threat of spiraling inflation. Egypt 10 [Egypt eyes bigger exports to Arab, African markets]( Egypt has announced the imminent launch of a free zone in Nuweiba, the first in the Sinai Peninsula, and experts believe such a project will boost economic ties with Saudi Arabia and increase Egyptian exports. 11 [Jordanian activists left disappointed by PM Razzaz]( When Jordan’s Omar Razzaz was appointed prime minister this summer, many in civil society were pleased given his longtime support for liberal causes and free speech including serving on the board of a human rights organization; however, during his time in power, Jordanian activists have faced many of the same challenges. Palestine 12 [South Africa takes Palestinian side, supports BDS]( A Hamas parliamentary delegation has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the African National Congress during a visit to South Africa — an achievement as far as relations between the two parties are concerned. Iraq 13 [Do Iraqis consider George Bush a liberator or oppressor?]( Iraqis have different opinions about the late President George Bush, as some praise him for attacking the dictator Saddam Hussein, and some slam him for the devastating sanctions he imposed on Iraq. STAY CONNECTED [fb_icon_footer]( [twitter_icon_footer]( [instagram_icon_footer]( [rss_icon_footer]( CONTACT US [Support & Contact]( [Advertise](mailto:advertise@al-monitor.com) NEWSLETTERS [Subscribe]( TERMS OF USE [Visitor Agreement]( [Privacy Policy]( © 2018 Al-Monitor. All Rights Reserved. If you no longer wish to receive these emails you may [unsubscribe or manage your preferences]( at any time. Al-Monitor · 1850 K St NW · Suite 1225 · Washington, DC 20006 · USA