Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow’s huge aerial assault on Kyiv and the surrounding region proved Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “man of war,” ahead of the Ukrainian leader’s scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump in Florida. Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Zelensky stopped in Canada for talks with Carney, who announced a further 2.5 billion Canadian dollars ($1.83 billion) in economic assistance for Ukraine. While officials did not cite a specific goal for the meeting, Zelensky told Axios Friday that he wanted to conclude a framework to end the war. In preparation for Sunday’s meeting, Zelensky said Friday that he had spoken with the leaders of NATO, Canada, Germany, Finland, Denmark and Estonia to coordinate their positions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered to make concessions in US-mediated peace talks with Russia.

Egypt’s Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel el-Wazir, inaugurated a solar power plant in the village of Omar Kaji in the Arta region of Djibouti on Saturday. The inauguration was attended by Djibouti’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Younes Ali Guedi, and Minister of Infrastructure and Equipment, Hassan Hamad Ibrahim. Guedi stated that the station is the largest solar power plant completed in rural areas and serves as a living testament to the strength of relations between both countries. He added that this achievement marks a true starting point for broader cooperation in the fields of new and renewable energy, which we are working to localize in Egypt. This is a key component of the urgent plan to revitalize Egyptian industry by deepening local manufacturing of clean energy-related industries, thereby supporting the development of sustainable production capacities and promoting reliance on modern, environmentally friendly technologies.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” topped the foreign film box office in Egypt on Friday, earning approximately LE1,256 million and selling 8,633 tickets. The latest installment in the Avatar saga’s total revenue has now reached nearly LE11 million, with approximately 13,000 tickets sold. The film is directed by James Cameron and stars Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Kate Winslet, and Sigourney Weaver. The 195-minute movie follows Jake and Neytiri as they grieve the death of Neteyam and encounter a new and hostile Na’vi tribe, the Ash People, led by the fiery Varang. The conflict over Pandora intensifies, and a new moral dilemma emerges.

In a statement Saturday 27/12/2025, the authority explained that the launch of this document represents a significant regulatory shift in the Egyptian real estate market. It reflects the authority’s commitment to enhancing transparency, protecting the rights of participants, and boosting confidence in real estate transactions. Additionally, it supports efforts to export Egyptian real estate by offering ownership stability to foreign investors. FRA Chairman Mohamed Farid confirmed that activating the Real Estate Ownership Bond Insurance is a historic milestone. It is also required to provide a negative certificate from the Real Estate Registry or Land Registry to ensure there are no previous transactions on the property.

Several Arab and Islamic countries issued a joint statement on Saturday affirming their rejection of Israel’s recognition of the Somaliland region as an independent state, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. This recognition reflects Israel’s clear and complete disregard for international law, the statement added. It reiterated full support for the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia and rejected any actions that would undermine Somalia’s sovereignty. The statement said that recognizing the independence of parts of a country’s territory will serve a dangerous precedent and threaten international peace and security. Earlier, Netanyahu’s office issued statement on its official X platform: “Prime Minister Netanyahu, Foreign Minister (Gideon) Sa’ar, and the President of the Republic of Somaliland signed a joint declaration of mutual recognition.”

The Cairo Economic Court sentenced media personality Maha al-Saghir to one month in prison and fined her LE10,000, on Saturday, after convicting her of infringing on the intellectual property rights of several paintings belonging to international artists. The case began when the Supreme Council for Media Regulation received complaints from European art institutions alleging that Saghir used their artwork without prior authorization. Following this, the Council issued an urgent decision in July banning her from appearing in the media for six months, in addition to referring the complaints to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for investigation. Following investigations, the Public Prosecution decided to refer Saghir to trial, confirming that the program -which aired in July – included the display of European paintings protected by intellectual property rights, without consulting their owners or copyright holders. The referral decision explained that the paintings were presented within an artistic segment as if they were the presenter’s own creation, which the prosecution viewed as a clear violation of intellectual property rights.

Taliban bans most forms of art and entertainmentCinema goers watch a Bollywood film at Ariana Cinema in Kabul. Danish Siddiqui/ReutersA film can with a picture of a Bollywood movie is seen inside the storage room at Ariana Cinema in Kabul. The Ariana Cinema opens in the liberalizing 1960sAfghan men queue up to buy tickets at the Ariana Cinema in Kabul. A new — but temporary — lease of lifeExterior view of the Ariana Cinema on August 29, 2022. “My memories are buried in the rubble of the Ariana Cinema,” he said.

In a joint statement by a cross-regional group of countries on Israel’s recognition of the “Somaliland” region, the ministers highlighted the grave repercussions of such an unprecedented move on peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, as well as its serious impact on international peace and security, which exposes Israel’s blatant disregard for international law. The statement has strongly condemned Israel’s recognition, describing it as a flagrant violation of the rules of international law and the UN Charter, which calls for preserving state sovereignty and territorial integrity. The ministers affirmed their full support for the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Somalia, rejecting any measures that undermine its unity or territorial integrity. They deplored that recognizing the independence of parts of a sovereign state’s territory sets a dangerous precedent and threatens international peace and security. The ministers emphasized their categorical rejection of linking this measure to any schemes aimed at displacing the Palestinian people from their land, reiterating that such plans are rejected in both form and substance.

Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Alaa Farouk confirmed that 2025 has witnessed tangible successes in food security, digital transformation in the agricultural sector, resource optimization, and scientific research, in line with Egypt’s vision for sustainable development. In press statements Saturday 27/12/2025, the minister of agriculture said that the file of Egyptian agricultural exports has seen an unprecedented leap, with this year’s exports reaching a record figure of nearly 9 million tons, compared to previous years. This achievement was driven by the opening of 25 new international markets, which affirms Egypt’s ability to enhance the competitiveness of its agricultural exports abroad and the trust that Egyptian agricultural products enjoy in global markets. He added that the agricultural sector achieved record figures this year in self-sufficiency across several sectors, including table eggs and fresh milk, where 100 percent self-sufficiency was achieved. Additionally, there was 97 percent self-sufficiency in white meat (producing about 2.4 million tons) and 93.5 percent self-sufficiency in fish to meet local needs.

It also supports efforts to export Egyptian real estate by offering greater ownership stability for foreign investors. Farid said the launch and activation of the Real Estate Title Insurance policy represents a historic step, introducing innovative and unprecedented insurance coverage that protects participants in the property market from risks arising from defects in title proof discovered after the completion of purchase, as specified in the policy. Title insurance, Farid added, is primarily used in property transactions—such as home purchases—to protect both the buyer and the financing bank from financial losses resulting from problems or defects in ownership, in accordance with the terms set out in the Real Estate Title Insurance policy. “Our aim is for buyers in Egypt to feel protected against any future surprises or claims that may threaten their property ownership,” he said. He highlighted the distinction between title insurance and conventional home insurance, noting that while home insurance covers future events such as fire or theft, title insurance protects against problems that occurred in the past but were unknown at the time of purchase.

He explained that lower financing costs enable companies to upgrade production lines, expand capacity and increase exports, while strengthening the competitiveness of Egyptian products. He said reduced borrowing and operating costs would support market stability and stimulate trade, production and exports. Impact on the Real Estate SectorUrban planning expert Mohamed Mostafa El-Qady said cumulative interest-rate cuts exceeding 7% during 2025 have had mixed but largely positive effects on the market, particularly by providing indirect stimulus to the real estate sector. He noted that lower financing costs would ease pressure on industrial and agricultural companies, stimulate economic activity and indirectly contribute to higher and more sustainable tax revenues, while reinforcing investor confidence. He noted that the automotive, real estate and food industries are among the sectors likely to benefit most, alongside increased investment inflows into the local market.

Speaking at a salon hosted by the Institute of National Planning, Kouchouk stated that the external debt of budget agencies has decreased by approximately $4bn during the same two-year period. He added that the state is prioritising debt reduction and is currently paying more than it borrows to improve economic indicators. According to Kouchouk, taxpayers submitted 612,000 new and amended tax returns and voluntarily disclosed additional economic activity worth EGP 1trn, resulting in EGP 78bn in additional tax payments. Kouchouk said the strategic goal is to expand the economic, productive, and tax base to benefit citizens and investors. He emphasised the need to accelerate progress toward the Egypt Vision 2030 targets and reduce economic gaps in the coming years.

In its latest report, the CBE said net interest income at banks reached EGP 766.842bn, while net operating income rose to around EGP 1.022trn. The Central Bank noted that the ten largest banks accounted for around 78.7% of total banking sector profits, recording approximately EGP 341.421bn. In September 2025, net interest income at the ten largest banks reached around EGP 590.878bn, while net operating income stood at EGP 814.564bn. For the five largest banks, net interest income reached approximately EGP 497.275bn, with net operating income of around EGP 705.852bn and total expenses of about EGP 417.666bn. Among the ten largest banks, the return on average equity recorded 39.1%, with return on average assets at 2.5% and a net interest margin of 5.7%.

The Egyptian market is awaiting banks’ return to business, Sunday, following the weekend break, to assess the impact of the Central Bank of Egypt’s (CBE) decision last Thursday to cut interest rates by 1% on returns from savings products and the cost of borrowing. In the first direct response to the decision, interest rates on variable-rate savings certificates and certain loan products linked to the CBE’s interest-rate corridor automatically declined by the same percentage as the cut approved by the central bank. Meanwhile, market participants are closely monitoring the implications of the rate cut for returns on local debt instruments scheduled to be offered by the government this week, as well as the potential impact on foreign investors’ appetite for Egyptian treasury securities. On Sunday, the Ministry of Finance is set to offer two Treasury bill auctions worth a combined EGP 60bn: EGP 20bn in 91-day bills and EGP 40bn in 273-day bills. On Monday, the ministry will offer two Treasury bond auctions worth EGP 37bn—EGP 14bn in two-year bonds and EGP 23bn in three-year bonds—alongside an auction of fixed-return sovereign sukuk worth EGP 5bn with a three-year maturity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travels to Florida on Sunday for a summit with US President Donald Trump to discuss the second phase of a Gaza ceasefire, amid American frustration that the Israeli leader is slowing the peace process. Phase two of the ceasefire, which remains unsigned by Israel and Hamas, proposes a technocratic Palestinian government overseen by a Trump-led Peace Council. The plan includes an international security presence and the surrender of weapons by Hamas as Israeli troops withdraw. However, Netanyahu has expressed scepticism regarding the disarmament of Palestinian factions and disagreed with US envoys over the plan, according to Axios. While Israeli officials say Trump seeks to be remembered for rescuing hostages, they warned against him accepting a continued Hamas presence.