Laila al-Shantnawy has been appointed as an arbitrator on the Special Court for Sport for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This historic appointment marks a significant milestone as she becomes the first Egyptian woman to hold this position since the court’s inception, according to the Women of Egypt website. Moreover, al-Shantnawy is the sole representative from both Africa and the Arab world on the court for this Olympic edition. A distinguished Egyptian lawyer, arbitrator, and mediator, she holds degrees from Cairo University and institutions in Germany and England. Expressing her profound pride and fulfillment, al-Shantnawy shared that serving as an arbitrator at the Paris Games has been a lifelong aspiration.

CAIRO – 9 August 2024: Hamas has asked to release the imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan El Barghouti and other Palestinian faction leaders in the first round of the prison swap deal that is being under indirect negotiations with Israel, sources told Sky News Arabia on Friday. Hamas’ demand has been supported by mediators and the US as Barghouti has great popularity in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, sources added. Barghouti is a prominent leader in the Fatah Movement and participated in the first Intifada in 1987 and the second Intifada in 2000. He was arrested several times by Israel for his anti-occupation activities and also survived several assassination attempts by Israeli occupation forces. Barghouti has been seen as a threat to the current Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas, in case he was released and run for the legislative election of the authority.

CAIRO – 9 August 2024: Egypt renewed on Friday its categorical rejection of all Israeli attempts to displace the residents of the Gaza Strip and push them towards Egyptian territory to ‘empty the Palestinian issue of its context’. According to a high-ranking source the Egyptian position towards the Palestinian issue is firm and clear and cannot be compromised. The source affirmed that Israel's promotion of allegations about the existence of tunnel openings inside Egyptian territory ‘is completely untrue’. In the statement, Egypt, Qatar, and the US have offered their assistance in bridging any remaining gaps to meet the requirements of both sides. The war was triggered by a Hamas attack on Israeli communities near Gaza on October 7, during which Palestinian fighters captured around 250 Israelis and foreign nationals.

CAIRO – 9 August 2024: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has discussed Egypt's efforts to end the war in Gaza and facilitate a prisoner exchange during a phone conversation with the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, on Thursday. He underscored Egypt's vision for restoring security and stability in the Middle East, which is currently grappling with escalating tensions. In response, Starmer commended Egypt's pivotal role in this regard and affirmed his commitment to closely coordinate with Egypt to uphold security and stability in the region. The British Prime Minister also expressed the UK's eagerness to collaborate with Egypt to navigate through the current critical phase in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed that Tel Aviv has agreed to resume talks on August 15 at the request of the three countries.

In Israel’s northern city of Nahariya, a sense of anxiety lingers among residents as they struggle to maintain daily life with the threat of war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah edging closer to their doorsteps. Almost 62,000 residents of border communities have been displaced since Hezbollah and Israel started exchanging fire in October after Israel launched its war in Gaza. Clashes at Lebanon-Israel border Fighting continues on Lebanon’s southern border with Israel where Hezbollah — a Lebanese armed group backed by Iran — has its main area of operations. Since the start of the Hamas-Israel war on October 7, Israel’s flare-up with Hezbollah has intensified in this border region. On Tuesday, an Israeli interceptor missile malfunctioned amid a Hezbollah drone attack, causing an impact on the Route 4 highway near Nahariya.

CAIRO – 9 August 2024: The leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have issued a joint invitation to Israel and Hamas to participate in critical discussions on Thursday, 15 August, in either Doha or Cairo to negotiate a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. In the statement, Egypt, Qatar, and the US have offered their assistance in bridging any remaining gaps to meet the requirements of both sides. In November, a prisoner exchange brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US resulted in the release of about 100 Israeli captives in return for about 240 Palestinian prisoners. However, unrelenting Israeli strikes have led to the deaths of some of the roughly 100 captives still held in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced overnight Friday that Tel Aviv has agreed to resume Gaza ceasefire discussions on August 15 at the request of Egypt, Qatar, and the US.

In a significant step towards financial inclusion, Maya Morsy, the Minister of Social Solidarity, has announced the launch of the Touch Card by the National Bank of Egypt. This specialized payment card has been crafted to empower visually impaired individuals, enabling them to conduct financial transactions with greater independence. The card is meticulously designed to seamlessly integrate with existing point-of-sale systems and ATMs. The innovative design of the Touch Card features distinctive notches on the sides, allowing users to easily differentiate between debit and prepaid cards. The Ministry of Social Solidarity provides support to 1.2 million people with disabilities through the ‘Karama’ program, with a total annual budget of 9.8 billion Egyptian pounds.

CAIRO – 8 August 2024: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expats Badr Abdelatty made a phone call Wednesday to his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed to exchange views on developments in Gaza Strip and current escalation in the Middle East. The two ministers discussed endeavors to attain a ceasefire, and entry of humanitarian aid to the enclave. There was congruence on the importance of a truce given that the war in Gaza is the main reason behind the increasing tensions and escalation in the region. In that context, Minister Abdelatty presented the outcome of his communication with counterparts in the past few days to contain the crisis, and avoid the expansion of the scope of conflict.

CAIRO – 8 August 2024: Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that Egypt is targeting a reduction in the inflation rate to less than 10% by the beginning of 2026 at the latest. Here are the key points from the Prime Minister's statements:The total amount of hot money exiting Egypt recently accounted for no more than 7 -8% of the total market funds. The hot money that left Egypt is unrelated to the primary sources of Egypt's reserves. Foreign currency reserves within Egypt remain stable, ensuring the security of the state's primary needs. Madbouly reassured the Egyptian populace that the country's economic conditions are stable, with reserves sufficient to cover the next eight months.

Netanyahu’s intentions to escalate the conflict in the Middle East are evident, as he stands to benefit significantly from such actions. However, Netanyahu’s primary objective is to involve the United States in a large-scale conflict in the Middle East. Today, Netanyahu finds it increasingly imperative to involve the United States in the Middle East for a variety of reasons. Certainly, the outbreak of a major war in the Middle East would harm American interests. More importantly, the U.S. blindly following Netanyahu’s criminal escapades would undermine its prestige and influence in the Middle East, while bolstering the influence of other regional and international actors.

In less than six hours, the dynamics of the Middle East conflict underwent a significant transformation. Shortly after that, Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the political bureau of Hamas, was targeted in Tehran. The justifications for expanding the war have outnumbered the reasons for halting it, putting the entire region at risk of sliding into a regional conflict. While Israel is responsible for the stream of Palestinian bloodshed, Hamas’ political and moral responsibility towards the Palestinian cause requires finding political solutions to end the war. This is a central point in all conflicts in the Middle East, as its solution is primarily based on a political decision rather than a military one.

The program serves as an open call for Egyptian startups seeking investment and support to grow their businesses. The firm seeks to support startups with innovative technological solutions that address real-world societal challenges. We believe technology offers solutions to many Egyptian societal challenges, and that Egyptian minds hold innovative ideas to tackle them. “This program represents a pivotal shift in supporting Egyptian startups,” explained Hazem El-Samra, Head of Growth and Marketing at T-Vencubator. Egyptian startups with innovative technological ideas are encouraged to submit applications through T-Vencubator’s official website.

As a result, the concept of “loss and damage” has emerged as a critical third line of defence, culminating in the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund. Loss and damage refer to the irreversible impacts of climate change that go beyond what can be managed through mitigation and adaptation. The fund recognizes the principle of climate justice, acknowledging that those who have contributed least to climate change often suffer the most. As the world grapples with the escalating impacts of climate change, the Loss and Damage Fund stands as a beacon of hope. In conclusion, while mitigation and adaptation remain vital components of the climate response, the Loss and Damage Fund represents an essential third line of defence.

CAIRO – 8 August 2024: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expats Badr Abdelatty made Wednesday a phone call to his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira to confer over bilateral ties, international affairs of joint interest, and main developments in the Middle East. The minister stressed the necessity of bolstering economic cooperation and trade exchange, welcoming Brazil's chairmanship of the G20 this year and expressing appreciation to the country for its support to Egypt to join BRICS. In that context, there was congruence among the two ministers on the best ways to deal with the economic challenges engulfing the world. On his side, Minister Abdelatty stressed the necessity of accomplishing a tangible progress on restructuring the global financial system, and handling the global debt crisis. The call tackled the escalation on multiple fronts in the Middle East, so as the Egyptian minister presented the efforts deployed by the country to broker a ceasefire in Gaza Strip and contain tensions.

CAIRO – 7 August 2024: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expats Badr Abdelatty received Wednesday a phone call from his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos as they held consultations on regional developments of mutual concern. Minister Abdelatty underscored the precarious impact of the current events, and the salience of intensifying efforts to avoid more violence and instability. On the other hand, the minister stressed Egypt's rejection to the Israeli policy of assassinations and violation of states' sovereignty. On his side, Minister Kombos lauded the efforts deployed by Egypt on the political and humanitarian levels to resolve the consecutive crises in the Middle East, describing the country as a cornerstone for security and stability in the region. He equally valued the country's continuous communication with different parties to contain tensions.