The World Bank and Egypt have reviewed the progress of the $200m Greater Cairo Air Pollution Management Project alongside a broader green growth strategy, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat said on Tuesday. The minister underscored Egypt’s “Narrative for Comprehensive Development,” an integrated framework developed with the support of over 100 World Bank experts. Strategic discussions also covered the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Strategy, the Business Ready (B-Ready) Report, and the Blue Economy Strategy. The meeting was attended by Maria Sarraf, Regional Director for Environment, Natural Resources, and the Blue Economy, and Stephan Gimbert, World Bank Regional Director for Egypt, Yemen, and Djibouti. Egypt remains the third-largest contributor to the World Bank within the Middle East and North Africa region.

Yet Iran, ultimately, is not Venezuela. Still, Trump—adept at brinkmanship and negotiating under fire—appears inclined, to some extent, towards launching a limited strike against Iran. Realistically, no one knows what Trump ultimately intends to do. Even if the United States were to strike Iran, the conflict would likely resemble the brief twelve-day war of 2025 rather than a drawn-out campaign. The conclusion is already clear: a war on Iran will not produce a military victory, as some in Washington or Tel Aviv may imagine.

Egypt’s stock exchange listing rules should be viewed as a pivotal tool for ensuring the quality of companies and building market efficiency rather than as mere regulatory hurdles, Mohamed Farid, Chairperson of the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA), said on Tuesday. Speaking at the 9th Capital Markets Summit, titled “Fintech: The Path to Investment Inclusion,” Farid stated that recent amendments to listing rules were designed to enable growth-stage companies to access the benefits of public listing. The chairperson also addressed the role of technology in driving investment inclusion, highlighting the implementation of electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) protocols. The opening session, moderated by Fatma Salah, Managing Editor of Al-Borsa newspaper, was attended by Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk, Egyptian Exchange Chairperson Islam Azzam, and various officials from investment entities. Farid concluded by stating that when regulatory rules are drafted with a developmental vision, they become a true driver for economic growth rather than just a formal framework.

At the Topography of Terror museum in central Berlin, I stood before a merciless archive of photographs, documents, and testimonies. In the Holocaust, the main parties agree: Germany has acknowledged, and Jews remember. What is certain to me is that Jews suffered a massive Holocaust, and questioning it is morally indefensible before any political consideration. Acknowledging other victims does not diminish the Jewish tragedy; it completes the moral picture and restores its universal human dimension. My visit to Holocaust sites was not a cultural experience; it was a moral earthquake.

Egypt’s Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar met Sweden’s Health Minister Elisabeth Laan and Sweden’s ambassador to Cairo Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt to discuss strengthening bilateral healthcare cooperation and exploring new areas of expertise exchange, Egypt’s health ministry said. Abdel Ghaffar welcomed the Swedish delegation, saying the visit reflects the depth of relations between the two countries and noting Egypt’s interest in benefiting from Sweden’s advanced healthcare experience to improve service quality. The minister reaffirmed Egypt’s humanitarian commitment through continued medical treatment for wounded and injured Palestinians from Gaza in Egyptian hospitals, alongside urgent medical aid deliveries and support for Gaza’s health sector, the statement said. The two sides also discussed governance reforms and digital transformation in healthcare, linking facilities into an integrated system, the “One Health” strategy, and the use of artificial intelligence to improve service efficiency. Senior Egyptian health officials and Swedish embassy and government representatives attended the meeting, according to the statement.

FC Barcelona has officially announced the signing of Egyptian striker Hamza Abdelkarim on loan from al-Ahly for six months, becoming the first Egyptian player to join FC Barcelona. The Egyptian striker will join Barcelona after passing the standard medical examination and familiarizing himself with the club’s facilities. The new Barcelona striker progressed through the youth ranks at Ahly and is a former Egyptian international with the U-17 national team, where he played a pivotal role in the last World Cup. Abdelkarim boats highly mobile skills, and is a passing striker whose primary objective is scoring goals. He made his CAF Champions League debut with Ahly and also played in some Egyptian Cup matches.

The humanoid robot “Optimus” from Tesla waves at the presentation in the Mall of Berlin, Germany, on December 20, 2025. It’s the quintessential, science-fiction dream of the future: Musk says Tesla’s Optimus robots will do everything from cleaning your house to performing surgery. In an aerial view, brand new Tesla cars sit in a parking lot at the Tesla factory on October 19, 2022 in Fremont, California. Tesla’s humanoid robot “Optimus” distributes popcorn at a Christmas market stall. A man shakes hands with a Tesla humanoid robot on display during the World Intelligence Expo in Tianjin.

President Donald Trump called on Republicans to “nationalize the voting” in an interview that aired Monday, as his administration pushes to overhaul election ground rules ahead of the pivotal midterm races later this year. “The Republicans should say, we want to take over, we should take over the voting, the voting in at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting,” Trump told Dan Bongino, the former deputy director of the FBI, in a podcast appearance. While it’s been partially blocked in federal court, non-citizens are already prohibited from voting in federal elections. The president also kicked off a rare mid-decade redistricting campaign intended to help Republicans win additional US House seats in November’s midterm elections.

Cairo University President Dr. Mohamed Sami Abdel Sadek met on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, with a delegation from Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss strengthening academic and research cooperation with African nations in education, innovation, training, and capacity building. During the meeting, the university highlighted key initiatives, including a French-language medical program for Francophone African students, plans to celebrate Africa Day in May with the launch of an African Alumni Association, and the allocation of 40 scholarships for African students across master’s and PhD programs. Foreign Ministry officials praised Cairo University’s role in supporting Egyptian-African relations and proposed further collaboration through online diplomas, joint academic programs, additional undergraduate scholarships, and training opportunities for African youth.

The Cairo International Book Fair achieved record-breaking attendance figures during its 57th edition, recording approximately 372,145 visitors on Monday, February 2nd, bringing the total number of visitors since its inception to 5,865,458. This edition, set to end on Tuesday, surpassed the previous record set by the fair, which stood at 5,547,970 visitors. Culture Minister Ahmed Fouad Henou confirmed that the closing day of the fair will include the honoring of the winners of the various fair awards, including the Naguib Mahfouz Award, as well as a closing artistic ceremony, a new tradition aimed at enhancing the cultural and artistic dimension of the event. Betting on citizen awareness of the importance of culture and knowledge proved successful, he said, as reflected in the unprecedented turnout and high sales figures for various publications and titles. He emphasized that this large attendance displays how firmly established the Cairo International Book Fair is in the hearts of people.

Concerns have been raised regarding the presence of the sunken cargo ship FENER near the shores of the Port Said Governorate, which sank in mid-January. Though official sources insist that the sunken ship pose no danger, the former director of the Port Said Beaches Department Ehab Shata warned of the ship’s continued presence in the sea near the governorate’s shores. The ship has remained in the sea for approximately 20 days, he noted, causing cavities in the seabed. Due to the sunken ship’s sized, he added that the longer it remains, the greater the erosion it causes, both inland and at the seabed. Shata continued, “With the grounding and presence of this ship, the erosion will increase, and the likelihood of sinking will rise.

Aswan has been named the “Tourist City of the Year” for 2026 by the Developing-8 (D-8) Organisation for Economic Cooperation after winning the majority of votes from member states. The Egyptian city secured the title, awarded for the second consecutive year, following a competition against three other nominated cities from Azerbaijan, Iran, and Pakistan. Established in 1997, the D-8 Organisation serves as a framework for cooperation among its members in various sectors, including tourism. According to the nomination file, the award reflects Aswan’s historical and cultural position as well as its status as a tourist destination. Officials expect the designation to increase tourism traffic to Egypt and Aswan from within the D-8 member states.

Egypt has raised the readiness of its healthcare system to receive wounded and ill patients from Gaza, placing 150 hospitals nationwide on high alert and mobilising up to 300 fully equipped ambulances, the Ministry of Health said on Monday. Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar chaired a high-level coordination meeting to oversee preparations for the reception of patients arriving through the Rafah crossing, as cross-border medical evacuations resume. Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said the discussions focused on activating Egypt’s national emergency health services plan and strengthening readiness across healthcare facilities to respond to urgent humanitarian and medical developments. A 24-hour central control room is operating to coordinate efforts, linked to 27 emergency units within health directorates and more than 90 medical points and emergency hospitals nationwide, ensuring swift decision-making and effective coordination. According to the spokesperson, the emergency plan aligns with World Health Organization standards and international humanitarian Sphere benchmarks, exceeding some minimum global indicators and reflecting Egypt’s capacity to respond to large-scale humanitarian crises.

A toxic cocktail of territorial disputes, disparaging rhetoric, and shifting American priorities has left the alliance’s “Article 5” collective defence guarantee looking increasingly fragile. The central crisis facing NATO today is no longer just about budgets or hardware, but about the erosion of trust. The Greenland Gambit and the Erosion of Article 5The most visible sign of this “transatlantic chill” is the recurring tension over Greenland. Though the Danish territory remains self-governing, the rhetoric surrounding its potential “acquisition” by the United States has struck at the heart of NATO’s sovereign equality principle. Financial Sovereignty and the 5% GDP Defence PivotIn a desperate bid to “Trump-proof” their security, European nations and Canada have radically altered their fiscal trajectories.

The National Bank of Egypt (NBE) has arranged a syndicated financing facility worth EGP 1.42bn for Al Qamzi Developments to finance part of the investment costs for the first and second phases of the SEAZEN project on Egypt’s North Coast. Under the arrangement, NBE is acting as facility agent, lead arranger, documentation bank, and bookrunner, with a participation of EGP 920m. Bank Al Baraka Egypt is participating as an arranger with a contribution of EGP 500m, underscoring the strength of cooperation between the two banks and their capacity to execute large-scale financing transactions. He added that the company is currently achieving high execution rates at the SEAZEN project, positioning it as one of the most prominent developments on the North Coast. The SEAZEN project spans 204 feddans at kilometre 170 in the Dabaa area on the North Coast, with total investments estimated at around EGP 23bn.