CAIRO – 21 January 2024: Senior US President Joe Biden’s adviser for the Middle East Brett McGurk is expected to visit both Egypt and Qatar this week for a possible prisoner swap deal between the Palestinians and Israelis, Axios reported on Sunday. McGurk was appointed Biden’s adviser after the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli war on October 7 and travelled to the Middle East previously to discuss the war. Egypt and Qatar have negotiated several proposals of prisoner swap deals between Palestinian prisoners and Israelis captives by Hamas. However, no final agreements have been reached except for only one-week truce, during which a prisoner exchange deal was executed. The Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and aggression on the other Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Jerusalem claimed lives of 24,927 Palestinians since October 7, and injured 62,388 others, the majority of whom are women and children.

CNN — Attacks by Iranian-backed groups in the Middle East won’t stop until Attacks by Iranian-backed groups in the Middle East won’t stop until Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza ends, Tehran’s top diplomat warned on Wednesday, as tensions across the region threaten to spiral into wider conflict. Since Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel and the Israeli offensive in Gaza that followed, the militant group Hezbollah has engaged in daily confrontations with Israeli forces on the Lebanon-Israel border. Houthi rebels have launched a series of attacks on commercial ships and Western military vessels in the Red Sea, a major artery for international trade. Iran also launched missile strikes in Syria and Pakistan against what it described as terrorist groups who it blamed for deadly attacks inside Iran in recent weeks. Meanwhile, there are fears that the ripple effects of the tensions have begun to extend beyond the Middle East.

Egypt’s Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad met with the Argentine Ambassador to Cairo, Gonzalo Oriolabeta, on Saturday, to discuss ways of enhancing environmental and climate investment opportunities, engaging the private sector, confronting climate change, and preserving biodiversity. Fouad shared Egypt’s success story in changing the dialogue about the environment, which led to maximizing environmental and climate investment opportunities in Egypt, by linking the environmental sector with the economic and social dimensions in cooperation with the government and various partners. Fouad suggested cooperation in implementing some of the investment opportunities in the field of environment and climate, which were prepared by the Environmental and Climate Investment Unit at the Ministry of Environment and was displayed through the first online platform for environmental and climate investment in Egypt that shows feasibility studies for promising investment opportunities in areas such as ecotourism and green investment. The Argentine ambassador expressed the similarity in the two countries’ interest in protecting the environment, preserving biodiversity, and involving the private sector, noting that many Argentine companies offer products and services related to the environment, which creates great opportunities for cooperation to invest in the areas of municipal, agricultural and industrial waste management. The ambassador also expressed his hope to open more channels of communication to discuss cooperation and investment opportunities, at the government, private sector, and civil society levels, as well as the possibility of repeating the “Go Green” campaign in his country.

The Commodity Exchange is planning to launch new products on its trading platform this year, including petrochemicals, iron, cotton, and some agricultural produce. The exchange is also discussing with the General Petroleum Authority to include grease and oil products for trading. El Gharaihy, speaking at the first Commodity Exchange conference, said that the membership rules have been finalized and will be approved in the first board meeting to be held soon. He said that the current focus is on preparing the trading operation rules to transition the Commodity Exchange from auctions to actual trading. It also provides regular reports and statistics on commodity trading, serving as one of the mechanisms for hedging.

CAIRO - 20 January 2024: Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud arrived in Cairo on Saturday on a two-day official visit, at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The visit comes at a time of heightened tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia, which has signed a controversial memorandum of understanding with the breakaway region of Somaliland. In a statement, the Somali ambassador to Egypt, Elias Sheikh Omar Abubakar, said the visit was an opportunity for the two countries to coordinate their positions on the crisis in Somalia. The Somali president is scheduled to meet with el-Sisi, as well as Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Grand Imam of al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, to discuss the latest developments in the region. Abubakar said the visit would "boost" relations between the two countries and help to strengthen cooperation and coordination between them.

Under the MoU, Ethiopia would consider recognising the independence of Somaliland, while the unrecognized state will grant Ethiopia access to the Red Sea through a port lease. Abul Gheit reaffirmed the Arab League’s rejection of the MoU’s outcomes, whether legal, political, commercial or military. Abul Gheit and Mohamud discussed the diplomatic steps and means taken by Somalia at various Arab, African and international levels in this regard. Mohamud expressed his deep appreciation for the efforts of the Arab League to support Somalia in this crisis. Moreover, the meeting discussed the hoped-for Arab role to support Somalia at all levels to preserve its unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets on Saturday over Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, showing pictures of Israelis held by Hamas and asking Palestinians to report any sightings of them. Please report if you spot one of them.” The Israeli army also provided a phone number and a website to send information. This is the first time that Israel has used leaflets to seek information on its captives in Gaza. The Israeli army announced that a soldier was killed and three others were wounded during an operation in Khan Yunis. It said that the 55th Brigade carried out operations against the East Khan Yunis Battalion and eliminated an armed cell in close-range clashes.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials visited Egypt this week to discuss the country’s $3bn loan program and reform efforts, amid concerns about the Gaza war’s impact on the economy and potential for expanding the loan. The visit followed a regional IMF retreat held in Egypt. Earlier reports suggested the IMF was considering additional funding to help Egypt cope with the economic pressures of the ongoing Gaza conflict. Both the IMF and Egyptian officials acknowledged the challenging global and regional environment, with geopolitical tensions and the Gaza conflict casting a shadow on emerging markets. The IMF’s visit and ongoing discussions underscore the importance of the loan program for Egypt’s economic stability and the potential for further financial support in light of the Gaza war’s impact.

Houses destroyed by Israeli shelling in the Gaza Strip- photo from Palestinian journalists in the StripCAIRO - 20 January 2024: The Arab League will hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the ongoing war in Gaza, Palestinian Ambassador to the Arab League, Manduh Al-Aqaluq, announced on Friday. The meeting will be held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo under the chairmanship of Morocco, the current president of the Arab League. The meeting was requested by the Palestinian Authority and supported by a number of Arab countries. Al-Aqaluq expressed hope that the meeting will produce political, legal, diplomatic, and economic steps that can be taken or supported within the framework of the Arab League. The meeting comes after the Israeli military launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.

(Reuters) - Mohamed Salah will miss two Africa Cup of Nations games for Egypt after suffering a hamstring muscle strain during Thursday's 2-2 draw with Ghana, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said on Friday. "The X-rays that Salah underwent confirmed his hamstring injury and he will miss the team's next two matches in the Africa Cup of Nations against Cape Verde and the round of 16 if (Egypt) qualify," the EFA said in a brief statement. Salah pulled up with a hamstring strain before halftime in Thursday’s Group B game against Ghana in Abidjan. The 31-year-old Salah has missed just 10 league games in six-plus seasons for Liverpool. Salah netted a last-gasp penalty on Sunday, after a VAR decision, for Egypt to draw 2-2 with Mozambique in their opening game and escape an embarrassing defeat.

CAIRO - 20 January 2024: Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has ordered the release of a new economic plan for the country's next six years. The plan, which is titled "The Most Important Strategic Directions for the Egyptian Economy for the New Presidential Term (2024-2030)," will be discussed at the second phase of Egypt's national dialogue, which was launched by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. It identifies eight strategic directions for the Egyptian economy, including:Sustainable economic growth, Investment, Exports, Employment, Social protection, Infrastructure and Digital transformationThe plan also includes 873 recommendations to support the Egyptian economy. Hegazy said that Egypt's economy is strong and has the potential to achieve the goals of the Sustainable Development Strategy 2030. He said that the plan will help to make the Egyptian economy more resilient to future crises.

(Reuters) - Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo Riquelme scored in extra time to give Atletico Madrid a 4-2 derby victory over last year's champions Real Madrid that earned Diego Simeone's side a Copa del Rey quarter-final place on Thursday. A week after the rivals clashed in a 5-3 Real win in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals in Saudi Arabia, they met again in a peppery affair at a packed Metropolitano that was also decided with two extra-time goals, but now in Atletico's favour. In the 82nd minute, Morata missed a sitter from close range which led to a Real counter-attack. I'm happy for our fans and for Antoine Griezmann who scored a great goal," captain Koke told Movistar Plus. Atletico will join Barcelona, Girona, Real Socieda, Celta Vigo, Mallorca, Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla in the quarter-final draw.

CAIRO – 19 January 2024: Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and his Belarusian counterpart, Sergei Aleinik, have agreed on the study of launching direct flights between Egypt and Belarus during the coming period. Shoukry and Aleinik held a meeting on Thursday on the sidelines of the 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) hosted by Kampala, Uganda. Moreover, this agreement could link the Belarusian capital with Egyptian tourist resorts with the aim of receiving more tourists from Belarus who are willing to visit various Egyptian tourist cities during the coming period, the ministry added. The Egyptian foreign minister also underlined Cairo’s ongoing efforts to achieve ceasefire in Gaza, while persistently warning of the risks posed by this situation on the region’s security and stability. Egypt has also warned against the danger of the possible expansion of the conflict to the regional surrounding, Shoukry added.

The 33-year-old, who played in their 3-1 win over Bahrain, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during a training session ahead of their second game against Jordan on Saturday. We keep him in our thoughts and we fight for him," Klinsmann told reporters. South Korea midfielder Lee Jae-sung said the injury to one of their most senior players had motivated them to go deeper in the tournament. South Korea are in disciplinary trouble after five players were booked in their group opener, including skipper Son Heung-min and centre back Kim Min-jae. Klinsmann also confirmed Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Hwang Hee-chan is pain free and back in training after missing the first game due to injury.

As one of the founding members of BRICS, India has consistently advocated for reforms in multilateral institutions and has been a champion of the Global South. The Indian Ambassador stated that India has always been a leading voice for impending reforms in multilateral bodies and a voice for the Global South. “The prevailing global geopolitical and economic conditions call for greater cooperation between countries of the Global South. This summit brought together countries from the Global South to share their perspectives and priorities on a common platform, with more than 120 countries participating. In conclusion, India's G20 agenda is aimed at being inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive.