The Egyptian delegation comprised 99 exporters of fresh fruits, vegetables and dates targeting European and global markets, underscoring Egypt’s strong competitive position in the European agricultural produce sector. The official Egyptian pavilion hosted 43 companies across a total area of approximately 582 square metres, alongside several major Egyptian companies that participated independently. The successful participation resulted from joint efforts by the EECA, the Agricultural Export Council, and the Egyptian Commercial Service in Berlin, which played a central role in promoting Egyptian companies at the exhibition. Abdel Aziz El-Sherif, First Undersecretary of the Ministry and Head of the Egyptian Commercial Service, said continued participation in Fruit Logistica opens new opportunities for Egyptian fruit and vegetable exporters in Europe. Most exported products recorded year-on-year growth, reflecting the rising competitiveness of Egyptian agricultural produce in the European market.

Mohamed El-Shimy, Minister of Public Enterprises Sector, met with a delegation from the Afro-Asian General Union Investors (AAGUI), in the presence of Mohamed El-Orabi, Chairperson of the Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Organization, Chairperson of the AAGUI’s Board of Trustees, and a member of the Egyptian Senate, as part of efforts to strengthen investment cooperation and expand partnerships with the private sector. During the meeting, both sides reviewed the comprehensive reform programme being implemented by the ministry to enhance the performance of its affiliated companies. El-Shimy said companies affiliated with the Ministry of Public Enterprises Sector offer a wide range of promising investment opportunities across several key sectors, including metals and mining, chemicals and fertilisers, spinning and weaving, pharmaceuticals, tourism and hotels, and real estate development. He noted that these opportunities provide a strong foundation for attracting serious investment, transferring technology and deepening local manufacturing. The minister affirmed the ministry’s openness to partnerships with the private sector through various mechanisms, stressing that the state provides an enabling investment environment based on transparency and equal opportunities, in support of sustainable development and shared interests.

Shell Lubricants Egypt has launched a revamped lubricants portfolio, including products engineered to meet the 2025 API SQ standard, the highest performance specification for passenger car engine oils to date. The launch, which took place at the Automorrow 2026 international automotive exhibition in Cairo, comes as the local industry shows signs of recovery, according to Haytham Yehia, Cluster General Manager for Shell Middle East, Egypt, and Central Asia. The new portfolio features Shell Helix Ultra, which utilises PurePlus Technology to convert natural gas into 99.5 percentpure base oil. Shell Lubricants Egypt is serving as the platinum sponsor for Automorrow 2026, held from 5 to 8 February at the Cairo International Convention Center. The introduction of the new formulations and refreshed packaging aligns with Shell’s global Helix platform and updated international industry standards.

Høiby sits outside the line of succession as he was born before his mother married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001. I also apologize for the situation that I have put the Royal Family in, especially the King and Queen,” Mette-Marit said in a statement. Though mirroring Mette-Marit’s own words, his comments speak to the significant public pressure facing the family, royal experts say. Princess Sofia met Epstein on several occasions around 20 years ago before she became a member of the royal family, Sweden’s royal court told CNN Friday. CNN has approached Denmark’s royal family for comment.

Phase I targets the production and export of 50,000 tonnes of sodium cyanide annually, a key input in gold extraction. The second phase will focus on either doubling production capacity or manufacturing additional sodium cyanide derivatives, while a third phase will target the production of sodium-ion battery components. El-Gawsaky also urged Egyptian companies, including DrasChem, to adopt integrated, export-oriented industrial strategies, with a particular focus on African markets. El-Gawsaky added that DrasChem’s sodium cyanide products enjoy an additional advantage given their critical role in Africa’s gold mining sector, as the continent accounts for nearly a quarter of global gold production. He also echoed El-Gawsaky’s emphasis on African export markets, noting that Egypt will become the first African country to export sodium cyanide to the continent.

Egypt has recovered a rare stone head from the era of King Thutmose III from the Netherlands, following the signing of an official handover protocol in The Hague. The Egyptian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Emad Hanna, and the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, attended the formal ceremony to sign the receipt of the artefact. The event was also attended by the Spanish Ambassador to the Netherlands, representing her government. According to the Egyptian government, Spanish authorities uncovered the manipulation of ownership documents, which allowed for the legal recovery of the piece. The repatriation is part of a broader state policy to prioritise the recovery of Egyptian artefacts taken through illicit means.

Banque Misr has signed a medium-term loan agreement with MARAKEZ, one of Egypt’s leading mixed-use real estate developers, providing a credit facility of up to EGP 3bn to support the company’s operations and enhance overall operational efficiency. The agreement was signed by Hisham Okasha, CEO of Banque Misr, and Ahmed Dasha Badrawi, Executive Vice Chairperson of MARAKEZ, in the presence of Amr Damerdash, Head of Corporate Credit and Syndicated Loans at Banque Misr, Osama Ezzo, Chief Financial Officer of MARAKEZ, and senior representatives from both organisations. Repayment of the facility will be supported by stable cash flows generated from commercial lease revenues at Mall of Arabia, one of Egypt’s largest and most prominent retail destinations. Commenting on the agreement, Hisham Okasha said Banque Misr places strong emphasis on supporting real estate development companies and remains committed to enabling developers in ways that stimulate Egypt’s property market and enhance its investment appeal. He added that this approach aligns with Egypt’s comprehensive urban development strategy under Vision 2030.

The Commercial International Bank Egypt (CIB) has signed a financing and partnership agreement to support Elsewedy Electric Power Systems Projects (PSP) in the execution of a combined-cycle power plant in Hungary, providing financing worth €58m (around $62.9m). The project is the largest combined-cycle power generation development in Hungary in decades and underscores CIB’s growing role in financing strategic infrastructure projects while advancing sustainable finance solutions. For Elsewedy Electric, the project marks its first major investment in Europe and represents a significant milestone in the group’s global expansion strategy. Within this framework, CIB is acting as the sole financier for Elsewedy Electric’s share of the project, extending credit facilities valued at nearly €58m. This demonstrates the strength of Egyptian financial institutions and their capacity to support the international growth of national champions.

A suicide bomber killed dozens of people and injured more than 160 during Friday prayers at a Shiite Muslim mosque in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, authorities said. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack via two posts on its Telegram channel, and included the name and picture of the alleged bomber. An injured man is taken to a hospital following an explosion at a mosque in Islamabad on Friday. A bombing in Islamabad in November, which killed 12, was the deadliest suicide attack to rock the city in nearly two decades. “It was a horrible scene of my life which I could never have imagined,” 24-year-old Shoaib told CNN from PIMS Hospital Islamabad, where he was visiting his wounded cousin.

Yet amid a new Iran crisis, it’s getting harder to see how he emerges with the kind of crisp, easy win that he craves. In his second, he sent US stealth bombers on a daring round-the-world trip to pulverize Iran’s nuclear sites. Why Iran is especially vulnerableIn this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, on January 9, 2026. “I think if you look at his own precedent on three major occasions, he rolled the dice with Iran in 2018 — he left the nuclear deal. But it’s hard to see any deal that the president will offer Iran that it will be prepared to accept — and vice versa.

This regional consensus appears cautiously optimistic, provided that the Peace Council’s framework remains tethered to a sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. Both leaders emphasised that while the Peace Council offers a new mechanism, the ultimate goal must remain a comprehensive political settlement that addresses the root causes of the conflict. The Israeli Factor and the 18 February PreludeThe timing of the Washington summit is surgically precise, with a critical precursor scheduled just twenty-four hours earlier. These points remain contentious within Netanyahu’s own cabinet, and the outcome of the 18 February meeting will likely dictate the tone of the broader Peace Council assembly the following day. The Peace Council’s success hinges on its ability to turn billion-dollar membership fees into the roads, schools, and hospitals of a reconstructed Gaza.

Banks and mortgage finance companies participating in Egypt’s low- and middle-income mortgage initiatives have injected total financing of EGP 99.547bn, benefiting around 683,296 people as of January 2026, according to the Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Fund. Middle-income mortgage initiativeUnder the middle-income mortgage initiative, 11 banks injected EGP 4.617bn in financing for around 12,790 beneficiaries by the end of January 2026. Bank NXT provided EGP 105.919m for 256 beneficiaries, followed by the United Bank with EGP 46.112m for 125 beneficiaries. Tamweel provided EGP 50.391m for 453 beneficiaries, while Egyptian Mortgage Finance injected EGP 43.042m for 429 beneficiaries. Al Ahly United provided EGP 19.973m for 200 beneficiaries, followed by Arab African International Mortgage with EGP 12.211m for 109 beneficiaries.

President Donald Trump said the United States had “very good talks” with Iran after delegations from both countries participated in indirect discussions in Oman Friday. Friday’s meetings in the Gulf Arab state of were the first round of negotiations between the two sides since the US and Israel struck the Islamic Republic last summer. Those talks effectively came to an end after Israel struck Iranian nuclear and military sites in mid-June, after which the US struck three Iranian nuclear facilities. Albusaidi then conveyed the plan to the US delegation led by Witkoff, and the American response will be delivered to the Iranian side during the talks, Iranian media added. When US bombers struck Iranian nuclear facilities in the summer, Iran launched an unprecedented missile strike in Qatar, targeting al-Udeid Air Base, the largest US military installation in the Middle East.

On the plush, cabin-lit interior of Air Force One on Friday night, President Donald Trump struck a rare chord of cautious optimism. For Tehran, domestic enrichment is a matter of national sovereignty; for Washington, it is a “red line” that signifies a latent nuclear weapons capability. Araghchi was explicit in his post-meeting briefing, stating that Tehran would only discuss the nuclear file. President Trump authorised the imposition of tariffs—potentially as high as 25%—on any nation that continues to purchase goods or services from Iran. President Trump’s dual-track strategy—offering a seat at the table while moving a carrier strike group into the Arabian Sea—has forced Tehran into a corner.

Egypt launched its first national “Startup Charter” on Saturday, seeking to mobilise $1bn in financing over five years and create approximately 500,000 direct and indirect job opportunities. “Egypt’s Startup Charter is not merely a theoretical document, but rather a flexible, executable tool that evolves continuously,” Al-Mashat said, noting it serves as a foundation for updating legislation to match technological shifts. A central pillar of the charter is the issuance of the first officially approved unified definition of startups. The charter also introduces a “Startup Scale-Up Empowerment Programme” aimed at mature startups. Speaking at the 13th annual RiseUp Summit at the Grand Egyptian Museum, Madbouly described the charter as an executive tool to transition Egypt toward a knowledge-based economy.