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October 24, 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

Can this Egyptian scientist shake up political scene?

An Egyptian space scientist says Egypt needs to invest in education and a new system of governance.

Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump holds a bi-lateral meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Manhattan, New York, U.S., September 19, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - RTSOIF0

Will Trump be open to dialogue with Islamists?

While President-elect Donald Trump took a strong stance against Islamists during his campaign, his openness to Turkey’s Justice and Development Party-led government shows that the coming administration’s approach to Islamists is still unknown.

Shopping portal rides Egypt’s e-commerce wave

An online shopping portal created by young Egyptian entrepreneurs has seen an uptick in users, as Egypt's startup scene maintains optimism.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 9, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2SVNW

Trump urged to stay the course on aid to the Middle East

The president-elect is under pressure to rethink some of his nationalist campaign rhetoric.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu attends a meeting with Foreign Ministers of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 13, 2016. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTSS3HN

Does a UAE-Turkish rapprochement worry Egypt?

The UAE has grown closer to Turkey in the past month on policies related to Iran and Syria.

Egyptians shop inside City Star, Egypt's largest mall, in Cairo March 11, 2008. Egypt's urban consumer inflation jumped to an 11-month high in February as prices for food and beverages surged, raising pressure on the country's central bank to hike interest rates for a second time this year. REUTERS/Nasser Nuri (EGYPT) - RTR1Y5XR

How Egyptian women are working to counter rising prices

Egypt’s consumers are fighting massive price increases by exchanging used goods on social media.

A masked member of security forces is pictured as they secure Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, November 11, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany - RTX2T83N

What's behind uptick of attacks in Cairo?

A spate of terror attacks in Egypt could have to do with boosting the morale of Muslim Brotherhood supporters in addition to the upcoming verdicts and sentencing involving former President Mohammed Morsi and other Brotherhood figures.

Egypt's 50-year-old female triathlon athlete blazes a trail for women

A middle-aged Egyptian woman finishes the Ironman Barcelona triathlon and has many other goals, including running in next year's Boston Marathon.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Manhattan, New York, U.S., September 19, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - RTSOIET

Why Egypt's Sisi welcomes Trump win

While Egypt's president and his supporters have welcomed the election of Donald Trump, the country's liberals and pro-democracy activists aren't as pleased.

A general view taken on January 10, 2016 shows members of Egypt's new parliament meeting during their inaugural session in the capital Cairo.

/ AFP / STR (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Why a cop controls human rights in Egypt’s parliament

Some parliament members are asking how the Human Rights Committee can carry out its mandate under the leadership of former law enforcement officials.

An Egyptian border post is seen from the Israeli side of the border fence with Egypt's Sinai peninsula, in Israel's Negev Desert February 10, 2016. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RTX26CIH

Does Cairo need to rethink its Sinai strategy?

Despite the government’s measures to eliminate terrorists from the Sinai Peninsula, the groups are thriving.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends during signing of agreements ceremony with Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir (unseen) at the El-Thadiya presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt October 5, 2016. Picture taken October 5, 2016. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - RTX2Q29F

How a joke about Sisi’s fridge has strained Cairo-Riyadh ties

The careless slip of a Saudi tongue was enough to anger Egyptians and end the term of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's secretary-general as Riyadh-Cairo relations deteriorate over regional alliances and halted oil shipments.