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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

Egyptian taxi drivers protest 'unfair competition' from Uber

Taxi drivers in Egypt say ride-sharing services Uber and Careem do not have to meet the same regulations taxis do and do not pay their fair share of taxes.

Israeli slip of the tongue embarrasses Egypt

The statement by Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz in regard to alleged security cooperation with Egypt angered Cairo and complicated the battle against Hamas.

Mystery surrounds killing of Italian scholar in Egypt

Egypt risks losing Italy as a valuable international ally if the investigation into the murder of Italian graduate student Giulio Regeni is not carried out with full transparency.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (C) inspects a guard of honour upon his arrival at Khartoum Airport, ahead of a signing ceremony of an Agreement on Declaration of Principles between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Project, in Khartoum March 23, 2015. The leaders of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan signed a cooperation deal on Monday over a giant Ethiopian hydroelectric dam on a tributary of the river Nile, in a bid to ease tensions over regional water supplies. The leaders

Will Sudan side with Egypt in Renaissance Dam dispute?

Ambassador Mohamed Orabi, chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee, speaks about the disputed Halayeb and Shalateen regions and the Renaissance Dam.

Redefining cinema in Egypt

Some heavy-hitters in Egypt's cinema world have helped create a home for independent movies.

How one Syrian music star is making a comeback

Tariq Dargham al-Swaydan was a well-known musician from Syria's Daraa region when conflict erupted in 2011; now he's trying to carry on with his work while living in Egypt.

France, Egypt push two-state solution conference

Egypt is contemplating its own initiative in order to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on a two-state solution in coordination with the French Foreign Ministry’s initiative.

Egyptian cartoonist arrested for 'unauthorized' Facebook page

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Egyptian cartoonist Islam Gawish speaks about his brief detention and vows to continue with his work.

Al Jazeera television journalists Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed are seen behind bars before hearing the verdict at a court in Cairo, Egypt, August 29, 2015. An Egyptian court sentenced three Al Jazeera TV journalists to three years in prison on Saturday for operating without a press licence and broadcasting material harmful to Egypt, a case that has triggered an international outcry. The verdict in a retrial was issued against Mohamed Fahmy, a naturalised Canadian who has given up his Egyptian citizenshi

Egypt fills its prisons, but don't worry, it'll make more

Egypt's human rights violations are flooding its prisons with more people than they can handle.

Will 'girl zones' help Egyptian women?

A controversial new project started by young people aims to establish women-only zones in rural areas of Egypt to provide recreational and educational opportunities.

Turkish products break Egyptian monopoly over Gazan markets

Strengthening diplomatic ties between Turkey and Hamas means Turkish products have been flooding Gazan markets, leading some to believe the blockade on the Gaza Strip could be lifted.

Do Gaza’s melting-pot markets reflect identity crisis?

The Gaza Strip tries to maintain its own culture, even as the blockade forces it to embrace imports.