November 2017 has seen dramatic developments in the Middle East. For the last few months, indications have been that the region has finally gained the upper hand in its three-year war against the self-styled “Islamic State” (referred to as Daesh or ISIS), after the liberation of both Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria, the capital of the so-called “Islamic State.” In Iraq, the central government has demonstrated enough political will to project its authority throughout Iraq in the context of the Iraqi constitution. It has successfully, and wisely, dealt with the Kurdistan referendum of September 25, 2017, and forced Massoud Barzani, president of the Iraqi Kurdistan, to beat a retreat from announcing an independent Kurdistan.

A month ago, a friend asked me to write a very short piece on de-radicalisation and the deadline was quite short — less than 10 hours. I started my research, helped by my familiarity with some French debates. I downloaded working papers and studies, watched videos, read some articles, but the clock was ticking, and I had to stop my inquiry and start writing.

Ahmed Shafiq continued to receive media attention as he returned to Egypt for the first time since he left to the UAE after the 2012 presidential elections. Shafiq announced his intention to enter the presidential election against President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, who is expected to run for a second term. In state-run daily Al-Ahram, Head of the Supreme Media Council Makram Mohamed Ahmed wrote an op-ed titled “Al-Sisi and Shafiq” where he strongly argued that Al-Sisi should continue a second presidential term and advised that it would be better for the country s sake if Shafiq did not run.

Germany s current political limbo is not a tragedy for Germany. Its stale democracy could use a good shaking up, which is exactly what s been happening since the national vote in September. Germans are once again talking politics and hashing out political differences. The same is not true for the workings of the European Union, which is on the cusp of a vital overhaul at a decisive, precarious moment in its existence. The EU s reform process has ground to a virtual halt with Germany sidelined.

Netanyahu s recent bragging reminds us of similar conceit displayed by Fukuyama when he announced the final victory of capitalism and the advent of what he called the “end of History” two and a half decades ago. What are the signs of Israeli victory? The establishment of Israel with the aid of colonial powers as a base for their colonial plans for the region; the ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people in 1948, laying the foundations for the longest occupation in modern history; entrenching the apartheid regime and the worst racial discrimination in the history of mankind; and finally torpedoing stability in the Middle East through waging 11 wars and confronting two Intifadas and innumerable uprisings of the Palestinian people.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is right to be irked that it is not him but first daughter Ivanka Trump who will lead the US delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India. The annual event is put on by the State Department and in the past has been attended by Secretary of State John Kerry and President Barack Obama. This year, not only is the nation s top diplomat not attending but the State Department, in a widely noted snub, is also withholding high-level delegation support from what is being billed as Ivanka s most high-profile event representing the United States.

What happened on Friday was the largest attack in terms of casualties and the first targetting a mosque in Egypt as the terrorists targetted the Rawdah mosque in North Sinai s Bir al-Abed. No group has claimed responsibility. Local newspapers blackened their front pages as the topic took over most writers op-eds, sharing different viewpoints. They included the media s handling of the attack, the relationship between terrorism and religious and media discourse, accusations against the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, calls for national unity, and assertions that Egypt will recover and defeat terrorism.

It is the right of any Egyptian to speak, and write, about the Nile River, because that is his right to life. There is a lot of confusion about our rights regarding the waters of this river, and confusion about why we negotiate; so, as is our right, let us express our anger. May God help President Sisi, a president who inherited a terrible legacy. History will show that currently Egypt is exposed – due to Ethiopian intransigence – to something it has not been exposed to in its ancient, middle, and modern history.

As Lebanese PM Saad Al-Hariri left Cairo after meeting with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, more speculation arose on the role of Egypt in the Lebanese crisis, especially in light of the Arab League s recent denouncement of Iranian interference in Arab affairs. Egypt supports Al-Hariri, given historical relations with Lebanon and mutual trust, wrote Head of the Supreme Media Council Makram Mohamed Ahmed in his daily column in sata-run daily Al-Ahram. He argued that Egypt is convinced of growing Iranian power in Lebanon, cited by Al-Hariri.

November 2017 has seen dramatic developments in the Middle East. For the last few months, indications have been that the region has finally gained the upper hand in its three year war against the self-styled “Islamic State” (referred to as Daesh or ISIS) after the liberation of both Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria, the capital of the so-called “Islamic State.” In Iraq, the central government has demonstrated enough political will to project its authority throughout Iraq in the context of the Iraqi constitution. It has successfully, and wisely, dealt with the Kurdistan referendum of September 25, 2017, and forced Massoud Barzani, president of the Iraqi Kurdistan, to beat a retreat from announcing an independent Kurdistan.

Thirty years after the Seoul Olympic Games, the organization and events of which impressed the entire world, the 23rd Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in PyeongChang, Korea, in February 2018. The PyeongChang Olympic Games will build on what was founded three decades ago: it will cultivate the true values of the Olympic movement and provide an opportunity, once again, to show the world the path Korea has travelled over the past three decades.

No one can touch Egypt s water: Al-Sisi” read the main headlines of most state and private newspapers. This comes in light of renewed concerns about the Renaissance Dam. Al-Ahram s Morsi Attallah s Sunday column stated that the fact is, water security is part of the comprehensive concept of national security, defending Egypt s right in rejecting Addis Ababa s breach of agreements.

A few days ago, the World Bank Group released its Doing Business 2018 report. The report sheds light on the country s performance and business climate through a number of indicators during the period from July 2016 to the end of June 2017. The Doing Business Index has been issued 15 times to date. It aims to investigate regulatory actions that improve business activity and those that restrict it during the year. The report presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights in 190 countries. It measures regulations affecting areas of the life of a business. This includes starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, and protecting minority investors, amongst others.

The Ethiopian Renaissance Dam continues to be a topic of concern in op-eds, especially after the unsuccessful latest tripartite meeting and opinions that Sudan was not supportive of Egypt. But Sudan is entitled to protect its interests, wrote journalist Seliman Gouda in the private Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper on Tuesday. He argued that Sudan sees several benefits resulting from the dam and that it would not be logical for a country to put another country s interests before its own, despite historical relations.

If you happen to believe that miracles do not happen anymore, you are well advised to do some serious rethinking. When the President of the United States of America starts to vehemently defend economic and trade policies of a rather closed minded and protective nature – to say the least, that is – and even openly admits it while the President of the People s Republic of China, supposedly of a socialist/communist background, can t stop hailing the tremendous advantages of free trade and globalisation to an extent of describing the latter as irreversible, then the aforementioned idea becomes very much doubtful. This is exactly what happened with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in their speeches delivered to the “Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation” Forum (APEC) hosted by Vietnam last week, posing a number of important, and indeed, somehow worrying questions pertaining to the future of world trade, the redistribution of roles therein, the ties and relations that will regulate it, and the balance of power expected to be prevalent in the mid – to long term.

Middle East affairs continue to be the focus of attention with writers shifting focus towards Hezbollah and Iran after commentaries in the past week on the resignation of Lebanese PM Saad Al-Hariri and his continued presence in Saudi Arabia. Makram Mohamed Ahmed s column in state-run daily Al-Ahram on Monday called for an end to Hezbollah s power, arguing that it has become seriously threatening by unlawfully expanding across the region to execute Iran s agenda. Ahmed cited Israeli opinions that the resignation of Al-Hariri proved Iranian threats.

The World Youth Forum (WYF) held in Sharm El-Sheikh last week took over much of local news coverage and led op-ed writers to tackle different aspects of the event, write about the president and raise, or respond to, criticism to state policies. Much of the focus is expected to turn towards the upcoming presidential elections, the political scene and state institutions performance. Pro-state journalist and TV host Ahmed Moussa wrote in Al-Ahram, the state-run daily newspaper, about the re-appearance of figures who betrayed the country and its people, saying they claim to speak in the name of “bread, freedom and democracy.”

As I read the new poll conducted by Thomson Reuters Foundation, released October 2017, I grappled with the logic and rationale behind the results. The poll asked “15 experts” specialising in women s issues in 19 megacities how women fare as far as sexual violence and harmful cultural practices are concerned, and if they have good access to healthcare, finance and education.

Egypt experienced the taste of both wins and losses last month. The big win came via the national football team when it won in a very difficult match that qualified it directly to participate, after 28 years absence, in the next World Cup to be held in Moscow. As for the loss, it happened when Egypt s candidate for director-general of UNESCO, Ambassador Moushira Khattab, didn t qualify for the final round of the selection process. Between the two events, it was announced that Egyptian Intelligence had succeeded in reaching a new agreement to reduce escalation in southern Damascus with the participation of armed factions, including Jaysh Al-Islam (The Army of Islam), Jaysh Al-Ababil (Bird Flocks Army) and Aknaf Bait Al-Maqdis (The Environs of Jerusalem), under Russian auspices.

I imagine many officials and staff at the General Authority for Investment (GAFI) and the Ministry of Investment —some of them old colleagues of mine from my tenure as GAFI chair from 2004 to 2007 — felt a pang of frustration when it was announced Tuesday that Egypt had fallen in the rankings, from 122nd to 128th, in the World Bank s Doing Business Report 2018. The annual report compares business regulations and operations in 190 countries using 10 indicators, each including a set of sub-indices. Egypt, unfortunately, saw no improvement last year save in one field — protection for corporate minority shareholders — while it declined or remained the same in all other areas. The biggest drop was in the indicator that measures the ease of starting a business.

Recent news stories about the Trump White House and the fears voiced by prominent legislators like Senator Bob Corker raise a serious question: Is it time to consider the unthinkable and look at the options offered by the 25th Amendment? While this kind of discussion seemed premature a few months ago, there is mounting concern that the President could spiral out of control and, if this is the case, with his finger on the nuclear arsenal, be a danger to the Republic.