The 13th edition of Luxor African Film Festival kicked off on February 9. This edition witnessed a heartfelt tribute to a master storyteller who is Khairy Beshara. The veteran Egyptian director was honored in appreciation of his massive contributions to Egyptian and Arab cinema. The 13th edition of the festival also honored Egyptian star Hassan El Raddad.
Egypt’s Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir met with his Bulgarian counterpart Bogdan Bogdanov and his delegation to discuss ways to enhance trade and industry cooperation and attract Bulgarian investments to the Egyptian market. Samir said that there are great opportunities for Bulgarian companies in areas of strategic importance to both countries, such as automotive components, artificial intelligence, tourism, petrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals. The minister emphasized the need to form a joint Egyptian-Bulgarian Business Council to advance and develop investment cooperation and increase the volume of economic cooperation. Samir also said that the Egyptian government is keen to strengthen bilateral relations with Bulgaria, which is one of Egypt’s most important economic partners in the European Union. Bogdanov, the Bulgarian Minister of Economy and Industry, expressed his country’s interest in strengthening ties and cooperation with Egypt, which is one of the pivotal countries in the Middle East and Africa region.
CAIRO - 10 February 2024: US news website Axios reported that President Joe Biden is sending Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns to Egypt on Tuesday to discuss a new deal to secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza. Egypt received last week a response from Hamas to a proposal for a long-term ceasefire and prisoners swap's deal, which Egypt has seen as "positive," while Israel rejected it. Negotiations between Israel and Hamas are still underway, with Egypt and Qatar mediating. Last month, the death toll recorded more than 23 thousand Palestinians were killed since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip in October. Burns visited Europe in late January for talks with representatives of Israel, Qatar and Egypt.
The current actions of the United States in the Middle East can be characterized as a series of missteps. Over the past 70 years, American administrations, instead of adopting clear political approaches, often resorted to a form of bullying. Hatem SadiqIsrael, perceiving the unprecedented American support as an opportunity, swiftly sought to eliminate its arch-enemy, Hezbollah, or at least limit Hassan Nasrallah’s forces indefinitely. The situation, therefore, underscores the need for a nuanced understanding of the complex dynamics in the Middle East. The historical missteps of American administrations, including supporting political and military Islamist movements, have eroded confidence in their efficacy in the Middle East.
CAIRO - 10 February 2024: The deaths among Palestinians since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip rose to 27,708 martyrs, and leaving a total of 67,147 injuries, announced the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Later, Raed Al-Nims, the media officer for the Palestinian Red Crescent, said that 60 new medical centers were out of service as a result of the Israeli aggression, the targeting of medical buildings in the strip, as well as the direct bombing of ambulances and medical teams. Al-Nims added, during a telephone interview with Al-Qahera TV News channel, that the multiple waves of displacement in the Gaza Strip are further deteriorating the humanitarian conditions in Gaza, and that the spread of epidemics and infectious diseases has become a real danger threatening children and all displaced people in the Gaza Strip, especially with the lack of medical supplies and clean water. The Palestinian Red Crescent media official confirmed that epidemics had spread in the strip due to the overcrowding of displaced people in one area, and the decomposition of a number of bodies buried under the rubble.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry defended the fairness of the February 8th general elections, expressing surprise at the “negative tone” of some international statements regarding the polls. Independent Candidates Aligned with Khan Triumph:Independent candidates affiliated with former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), emerged as the biggest surprise, winning the most National Assembly seats with 98 (22 still unclaimed). This defied pre-election expectations favoring the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) party, which currently holds 69 seats. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) follows with 51 seats. This leaves the selection of the next prime minister open to negotiation and coalition-building among the various parties.
However, from the escalating conflict in neighbouring countries to economic pressures and strategic threats, Egypt finds itself navigating a complex geopolitical landscape. These groups pose a potential and continuous threat to Egyptian security, requiring constant vigilance and strategic preparedness from Egypt’s side. Ethiopia: Water, Water, WaterEgypt’s challenges extend beyond its immediate vicinity, with external factors also presenting significant threats. This situation is a critical issue for Egypt, as it has significant implications for its security and economic interests. In fact, one could argue that the challenges Egypt faces are unprecedented, even when considering occupation times.
(Reuters) - Bayern Munich still have room for improvement and must up their game on Saturday at unbeaten league leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who have been playing close to their performance limit, said Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel on Friday. Champions Bayern, chasing a 12th consecutive league title, are in second place in the Bundesliga, two points behind Leverkusen, who are undefeated in all competitions this season for a 30-game unbeaten run. Bayern, who are on 50 points, 10 ahead of third-placed VfB Stuttgart, have lost twice in the league this season. Next week Bayern travel to Italy's Lazio for their Champions League round of 16 first leg. We have almost as many points but they are very close to their performance limit.
CAIRO – 9 February 2024: Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, and Jordan, besides Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization Hussein Al Sheikh, met in Riyadh to discuss the developments of the genocidal Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. The meeting affirmed that putting an end to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip is a must, saying it is quite important to take irreversible steps to implement the two-state solution and recognize the State of Palestine on the lines of June 4, 1967, reported the Saudi News Agency (SPA). The Ministers stressed that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory, and expressed their categorical rejection of all forced displacement. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah called for an immediate and complete ceasefire, ensuring the protection of civilians under international humanitarian law, and lifting all restrictions that impede the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip, SPA added. The Ministers voiced their support for The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and urged all its supporters to play their role in supporting humanitarian missions for Palestinian refugees.
File- Humanitarian aid reached the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing in cooperation with the Red Crescent. CAIRO – 9 February 2024: Egypt rejects politicizing the file of humanitarian aid in the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and also rejects using of the humanitarian situation as a tool of war, said Egypt’s Presidential Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said in comments to Al Qahera News on Friday. He added that since the outbreak of the crisis in Gaza, Egypt has been conducting intensive contacts with all parties to exercise restraint, prevent escalation. The Presidential Spokesman continued that Egypt’s role was very clear in opening the Rafah border crossing around the clock. Fahmy’s comments came in response to US President Biden’s claims that Egypt refuses to open the Rafah border crossing.
Egypt Leading Gaza Humanitarian Efforts:The statement underlined Egypt’s unwavering commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Egypt’s Leadership in Humanitarian Response:The Presidency underscored Egypt’s leadership role in mobilizing and delivering aid, driven by a deep sense of humanitarian responsibility towards the Palestinian people. Ensuring 80% of aid reaching the Gaza Strip originates from Egypt, both through government and civil society initiatives. Call for Gaza Ceasefire, Two-State Solution:The statement reiterated Egypt’s unwavering commitment to achieving a swift ceasefire in Gaza to protect civilians facing immense hardships. It emphasized continued leadership in organizing and mobilizing humanitarian aid, urging all parties to collaborate and facilitate its delivery.
Biden specifically gave the green light for the first set of strikes in Iraq and Syria that was executed Friday in a Situation Room meeting with his top national security advisers on Monday. The US said the attack lasted 30 minutes, hitting 85 targets across seven locations in Iraq and Syria. More than 125 precision-guided munitions were fired, the White House said, adding that the strikes were “successful.”The US strikes killed at least 16 people in Iraq, including civilians, and injured 25 others, the Iraqi government said Friday. In 2016, the Iraqi parliament passed a bill recognizing the PMU as a government entity operating alongside the Iraqi military. The mayor of Al-Qaim, Turki Al-Mahalawi, said the strikes hit three houses used as weapon warehouses by the Iran-backed PMU.
Vote counting in Pakistan’s general election has been hit by unexpected delays after millions cast their ballot in an election in which old dynasties vied for power while the country’s widely popular former leader languishes behind bars. The chaos comes after Pakistani authorities suspended mobile internet services for more than 12 hours on the directives of the Interior Ministry. Voters cast their ballots at a polling station during the general election on February 8 in Bhasin. Military personnel and civil armed forces were deployed at “approximately 6,000 selected most sensitive polling stations,” according to the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan’s Interior Ministry said Thursday it had decided to temporarily suspend mobile internet services nationwide as the elections were ongoing.
CNN — Anti-war candidate Boris Nadezhdin has been barred from standing in Russia’s presidential election next month, in a move that further clears the country’s political landscape of opponents to Vladimir Putin. The decision was made during a ruling on Thursday by the Central Election Committee (CEC) of Russia, the body tasked with registering and verifying potential candidates. According to the CEC, Nadezhdin only collected 95,587 legitimate signatures, 5,000 short of 100,000 benchmark. Boris Nadezhdin/TelegramThe Kremlin leader is running for a fifth term as Russia’s president in next month’s election. In his 24 years as the dominant figure in Russian politics, Putin has marginalized his political opponents and muzzled the country’s press.
The American Investment Bank, Goldman Sachs, stated in a new research memo, that it is currently not appropriate to implement any further devaluation of the Egyptian Pound against the US Dollar, especially given the insufficient foreign liquidity held by Egyptian banks. The bank pointed out the resilience of the Egyptian Pound against the Dollar in the parallel market in recent days, reinforcing market participants' expectations of an imminent official devaluation of the Pound. First, the demand for foreign currencies should be proportionate to the expected incoming flows, regardless of the chosen foreign exchange rate in the medium term. However, the bank still believes that the demand for foreign currencies is high and inconsistent with the official exchange rate, which significantly lags behind the parallel market level. The Egyptian economy is grappling with a decline in foreign exchange reserves, leading to the adverse impact on the revenues of the Suez Canal.
