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October 23, 2026

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Analysis

What's at stake as Libya's eastern parliament approves Turkey maritime deal

Libya's eastern-based parliament's approval of a long-disputed maritime deal with Turkey marks a strategic win for Ankara as Saddam Hifter seeks Turkish backing for his presidential ambitions, according to analysts.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends a joint statements and agreements during the EU and Egypt summit in Brussels, on Oct. 22, 2025.

Sisi says Egypt has no ‘territorial ambitions’ after Israel’s Smotrich threatens Sinai

The Egyptian president’s remarks follow a warning from Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that Israel would seize the Sinai Peninsula if Egypt attacks.

China's President Xi Jinping (center L) walks along with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi followed by their wives Peng Liyuan and Entissar Amer (R) upon their arrival at the Cairo International Airport on September 1, 2026. President Xi Jinping arrived in Egypt on September 1, making a rare trip to the Middle East as both countries face the threat of US sanctions over financial links to Iran. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Why renewed Egypt-Ethiopia tensions are a problem for China

For Beijing, the renewed Egypt-Ethiopia standoff is a zero-sum bind that threatens vital strategic interests on both sides of the Nile.

Joyce Karam

A quadrilateral summit was held on Oct. 4, 2026, attended by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al‑Sisi, Eritrea President Isaias Afwerki, President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan Gen. Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan, in New El Alamein City, Egypt.

Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan hold summit amid Ethiopia tensions

All four countries have increasingly tense relations with Ethiopia, driven by disputes over the Nile, Red Sea access and security.

Latest News

Explainer

Why are Egypt and Ethiopia clashing over Tigray, Somalia and the Nile?

This general view shows the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Guba, Ethiopia, on February 19, 2022. - Ethiopia's massive hydro-electric dam project on a tributary of the Nile has raised regional tensions notably with Egypt, which depends on the huge river for 97 percent of its water supply. Government officials said the dam would begin producing electricity on Sunday, more than a decade since work first started. (Photo by Amanuel SILESHI / AFP) (Photo by AMANUEL SILESHI/AFP via Getty Ima

Ex-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to sue Netanyahu over Oct. 7 accusations: What to know

Ronen Bar, former chief of Israel's domestic Shin Bet security agency

On secret UAE visit, Netanyahu asked MBZ to deny pre-Oct. 7 warnings

Israeli PM

20 Israelis stranded in Ethiopia seek evacuation as fighting resumes: What to know

A general view of the damaged building housing Tigray TV, the state broadcaster of the Tigray region, following a drone strike in Mekelle, Ethiopia, Sept. 27, 2026.

Beatrice Farhat

Associate Editor (Lebanon)

In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict

Jonathan Fenton-Harvey

In London, reporting on North Africa and Gulf politics

Mohammed Magdy

In Berlin, reporting on Egyptian politics

Ayah Aman

In Cairo, reporting on politics and culture

Salwa Samir

In Giza, reporting on politics

Nada Shaker

In Cairo, reporting on culture

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attends an opening of the Center via a teleconference with Bethlehem, before a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in Sochi, Russia, May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Kochetkov/Pool - RTS166ZY

Egypt, Dahlan foiling Abbas' plot against Hamas in Gaza Strip

Senior Fatah leaders have lashed out at Egypt over deals reached with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ archrival Mohammed Dahlan to improve conditions in Gaza, even as Abbas is trying to pressure Hamas there.

Egypt fails to make headway as it navigates Nile River talks

In the wake of a failed attempt by the Nile Basin states to reach an agreement, Al-Monitor speaks with a former Egyptian Foreign Ministry official on what comes next.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 04: Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), participates in a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, November 4, 2015 in Washington, DC. The committee heard testimony from State Department√äofficials on√äU.S. policy after Russia's escalation in Syria. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

House rejects Trump’s Middle East aid cuts

The House spending bill calls for far more assistance to North Africa.

Egyptians take part in a parade marking 1445th anniversary of the birthday of Islam's Prophet Mohammed known in Arabic as "al-Mawlid al-Nabawi", in the Menufiya province north of Cairo, on December 23, 2015. AFP PHOTO/ MOHAMED EL-SHAHED / AFP / MOHAMED EL-SHAHED (Photo credit should read MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP/Getty Images)

Egyptian band hopes Islamic hits will resonate in translation

The Egyptian band Art Compilers has been translating well-known Islamic songs into English, but the jury is still out on its success.

An Egyptian woman celebrates with a national flag defaced with the words "Tiran" and "Sanafir" after the High Administrative Court upheld on January 16, 2017 a ruling voiding a government agreement to hand over the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia in a deal that had sparked protests in Egypt. / AFP / MOHAMED EL-SHAHED (Photo credit should read MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP/Getty Images)

Egypt opposition MP: Resigning over island transfer 'no longer useful'

Nadia Henry, a member of Egypt’s opposition 25-30 bloc in parliament, tells Al-Monitor that the opposition will continue to fight the transfer of Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabia, and that a larger opposition coalition could be created.

A man holds his smart card and some coins at a bakery in the Suez Canal city of Port Said, 170 km (106 miles) northeast of Cairo, February 24, 2014. A device resembling a credit card swiper is revolutionizing some of Egypt's politically explosive bread lines and may help achieve the impossible -- cutting crippling food import bills. Authorities who hope to avoid protests over subsidised loaves sold for the equivalent of one U.S. cent have turned to smart cards to try to manage the corrupt and wasteful bread

Egypt's doubled rations no cause for celebration as prices set to soar

The Egyptian government has doubled rations for millions of citizens even as the new budget outlines a plan to reduce and eventually eliminate subsidies altogether.

Unemployed Egyptian men play backgammon at a cafe in the capital Cairo on October 8, 2015. North Africa and Middle East regions still have the highest unemployment rate in the world, according to a World Trade Organization (WTO) report published on October 8, 2015. AFP PHOTO / MOHAMED EL-SHAHED (Photo credit should read MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP/Getty Images)

Economists praise Egyptian court ruling on jobless benefits

The Egyptian government is mulling over a high court’s decision that the constitution guarantees financial help to the country’s unemployed.

Visitors watch black bears at Egypt's Giza Zoo in Cairo August 6, 2008. Powerful fans blow chilled mist at the bears, a luxury normally reserved for wealthy human patrons at Egypt's upscale patio cafes. Soon, cold water will flow in pipes beneath the cages, chilling the floors as part of a series of reforms at the historical zoo. To match feature EGYPT-ZOO/ REUTERS/Nasser Nuri (EGYPT) - RTR20TQN

Cairo's zoo falls into neglect

Giza Zoo, once considered one of the best zoos in the world, is struggling to improve conditions for animals as well as visitors after losing international accreditation.

Authorities nix notion of bitcoin banking in Egypt

Egyptian banking experts agree on the risks of trading in bitcoin, and central bank authorities say they have no plans to authorize the virtual currency's use.

Palestinian supporters of dismissed senior Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan shout slogans during a protest to support him on December 18, 2014 in Gaza City. Thousands of supporters of exiled Palestinian strongman Mohammed Dahlan demonstrated in Gaza to protest the reported sacking of dozens of members of the security forces who back him. AFP PHOTO/ MOHAMMED ABED (Photo credit should read MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images)

Israel-Hamas prisoner exchange deal 'closer than ever'

Israel and Hamas finally appear to be making progress on a prisoner exchange deal mediated by Egypt and Mohammed Dahlan.

Egypt's traditional water jugs get makeover

Two young Egyptian artists established the Shababik project to modernize the look of traditional household items in Egypt's homes.

Egyptian troupe revives art of musical sketches

Egyptian troupe Masr al-Qadimah aims to revive the sociopolitical wisdom of musical sketches of the past.