Egypt Financial News

Blinken said on Thursday it was incumbent on both Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas to say yes on remaining issues to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal, which has faced obstacles in negotiations across months. «Based on what I have seen, 90% is agreed but there are a few critical issues that remain,» including the so-called Philadelphi corridor on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt, Blinken said at a press briefing in Haiti. He said there were also some gaps in the agreement in how Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners are exchanged.

A top Kremlin official says Turkey has formally applied for a membership in the BRICS bloc of developing economies as Russia and China seek to counter the West's global influence

Coca-Cola and rival PepsiCo spent hundreds of millions of dollars over decades building demand for their soft drinks in Muslim-majority countries including Egypt to Pakistan. Now, both face a challenge from local sodas in those countries due to consumer boycotts that target the globe-straddling brands as symbols of America, and by extension Israel, at a time of war in Gaza. In Egypt, sales of Coke have cratered this year, while local brand V7 exported three times as many bottles of its own cola in the Middle East and the wider region than last year. In Bangladesh, an outcry forced Coca-Cola to cancel an ad campaign against the boycott. And across the Middle East, Pepsi's rapid growth evaporated after the Gaza war started in October. Pakistani corporate executive Sunbal Hassan kept Coke and Pepsi off her wedding menu in Karachi in April. She said she didn't want to feel her money had reached the tax coffers of the United States, Israel's staunchest ally.

A senior official has confirmed a report that Turkey wants to join the BRICS bloc of developing economies but fell short of confirming that the NATO country had formally applied for membership

A Toronto terror suspect at the centre of a controversy over Canada’s security screening system arrived in the country three years after he allegedly appeared in a 2015 ISIS video, according to details released on Wednesday.

Israel launched a series of airstrikes across southern Lebanon in the early hours of August 25, targeting Hezbollah in what it described as a pre-emptive strike. In response, militant group Hezbollah claimed to have launched hundreds of rockets and drones to avenge the killing of one of its top commanders the previous month. This heavy exchange of fire deepened tension that a big conflict could soon begin that could involve the US, Iran and a number of militant groups in the region. By mid-morning, the exchange of attacks appeared to have ended, with both sides stating that they had focused their strikes on military targets. However, the situation remained tense, and the full extent of the casualties and damage was not immediately known. At least three people were reported killed in the strikes on Lebanon.

hummus in Grand Cheese Bazaar, the pioneering food shop started by Karen Anand in Mumbai in 1990. The cheese was nice, but what was great was this creamy, tangy, deeply tasty mash of chickpeas, garlic, olive oil and thick tahina sesame paste. It worked like a sauce, but was substantial like a spread and less rich-tasting than cheese or paté, so you could eat more. With some good bread or rotis, it made for a full meal. All I knew was that it was Middle Eastern, so when I went to spend a few weeks in Egypt, I looked forward to eating a lot more of it. But for Egyptians, the pulses that mattered most was ful, slow-cooked fava beans. Chickpeas (which is literally what hummus means) weren’t as popular, either whole or mashed. I searched in supermarkets, but found only some sad tasting, canned hummus. I was told that most people made it at home, or ordered it in restaurants as part of the starters called mezze.

CAIRO/JERUSALEM: Gaza ceasefire and hostage negotiators discussed new compromise proposals in Cairo on Saturday, seeking to bridge gaps between Israel and Hamas as the UN reported worsening humanitarian conditions, with malnutrition soaring and polio discovered. Israeli military strikes in Gaza killed 50 people on Saturday, Palestinian health authorities said. Victims of hostilities over the past 48 hours remain lying on roads where fighting continues or trapped under rubble, the authorities said.

Azerbaijan has formally applied to join the BRICS group of developing economies, a day after Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s visit to the oil-rich South Caucasus country to shore up regional ties and secure Moscow’s under-pressure trade routes

Hamas said it was «keen» on reaching a cease-fire agreement with Israel, denying what it said were US claims it is stalling negotiations to end the devastating conflict in Gaza. The Palestinian militant group Tuesday said remarks by US President Joe Biden and his top diplomat, Antony Blinken, were «misleading and don't reflect the reality of the movement's position.» The comments came a day after Blinken met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said the next step toward a truce is for «Hamas to say yes.» Blinken said Netanyahu had accepted a proposal the US is calling a «bridging agreement» to tide the sides over until they iron out the final details. Hamas said the proposal was different from a Biden-led plan unveiled in May, suggesting they are unhappy with Israel's latest demands. The two sides are meant to start a new round of negotiations in Cairo this week, but no date's been set for that yet. Egypt is mediating, along with the US and Qatar.

2029, the asteroid Apophis will make a close approach to Earth, coming within 20,000 miles of our planet. This encounter will be one of the closest ever recorded for an asteroid of this size, surpassing the distance of geostationary satellites. On April 13, 2029—a Friday the 13th—Apophis will be visible from the Eastern Hemisphere, including parts of Europe, Africa, and Western Asia. It will appear as a bright streak across the sky, resembling a fast-moving star.

Israeli strikes killed at least 21 people in Gaza on Sunday, including six children, Palestinian health authorities said, ahead of a visit to the region by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to try to push forward ceasefire talks. The children and their mother were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the central town of Deir Al-Balah, health officials said. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. The Israeli military said it destroyed rocket launchers used to hit Israel from the southern city of Khan Younis, the scene of intense fighting in recent weeks, and killed 20 Palestinian fighters.

Antony Blinken left Saturday on a mission to the Middle East to push ahead a Gaza ceasefire deal, as cautious optimism rises. The top US diplomat, who is putting off vacation plans for his ninth trip to the Middle East since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, will fly to Tel Aviv ahead of expected meetings with the Israeli leadership. He has routinely visited Arab states on previous trips but no further stops were immediately announced.

Narendra Modi on Friday urged his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu «to de-escalate the situation» in West Asia when the latter dialled him to wish him on India's 78th Independence Day. «Appreciate PM @netanyahu's phone call and warm wishes on India's 78th Independence Day. We discussed the current situation in West Asia. Emphasized on the need to de-escalate the situation. Reiterated our call for immediate release of all hostages, ceasefire and need for continued humanitarian assistance,» Modi said on X. A statement from the Israeli PMO reads: «On behalf of the State of Israel, I extend heartfelt congratulations to Narendra Modi and the people of India on your 78th Independence Day! May our close relations flourish and bring prosperity to both our nations». The phone call comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel following killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity in West Asia this week. France, Germany and the United Kingdom urged Iran and its allies to «refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions and jeopardise the opportunity to agree (to) a ceasefire and the release of hostages.»

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has expressed deep concerns about his personal safety in pursuing normalization with Israel as reported by Politico. During discussions with U.S. lawmakers, MBS reportedly conveyed that he fears for his life if he advances with the agreement without securing significant concessions for Palestinians.

Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday and discussed the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, Axios reported, citing two U.S. sources. One source told Axios Trump's call was intended to encourage Netanyahu to take the deal, but stressed he did not know if this is indeed what the former president told Netanyahu. The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Late last month, Netanyahu visited the U.S. and met President Joe Biden, Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Republican former President Trump.

assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on its soil, three senior Iranian officials said. Iran has vowed a severe response to Haniyeh's killing, which took place as he visited Tehran late last month and which it blamed on Israel. Israel has neither confirmed or denied its involvement. The U.S. Navy has deployed warships and a submarine to the Middle East to bolster Israeli defenses. One of the sources, a senior Iranian security official, said Iran, along with allies such as Hezbollah, would launch a direct attack if the Gaza talks fail or it perceives Israel is dragging out negotiations. The sources did not say how long Iran would allow for talks to progress before responding.

Hamas on Sunday called on US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators to implement a ceasefire plan for Gaza put forward by US President Joe Biden, instead of holding «more negotiations». Hamas «demands that the mediators present a plan to implement what they proposed to the movement… based on Biden's vision and the UN Security Council resolution, and compel the occupation (Israel) to comply, rather than going through more negotiation rounds or new proposals,» the Palestinian group said in a statement. Mediators have invited both Israel and Hamas for a round of negotiations on Thursday.

US Presidential Election 2024 wear eyeliner? After much of speculation, Usha Vance, wife of JD Vance, has finally revealed the truth. The Indian American wife of Donald Trump's running mate has said that these are all natural and that she has been always jealous of those lashes, reports 'The Beast'. Vance came into discussion for his eyes after his photographs showed smoldering cerulean eyes, appearing to pop off his face in a way that few people can achieve naturally. Earlier, it was said that he might have been born with these eyes. An expert told 'Slate' that the shape of his eyelids made the effect especially pronounced.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo did not mince words as she launched into an expletive-filled tirade against those who criticized the Olympic opening ceremony, defending the director and artists who put on the show.

Egypt’s Civil Aviation Ministry says it's ordered Egyptian airlines to avoid Iranian airspace for three hours on Thursday after a notice from Tehran to do so because of military exercises