The Egyptian national football team, led by Coach Hossam Hassan, held a training session at the Taghazout Stadium in preparation for their match against South Africa in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament being held in Morocco. Egypt is scheduled to face South Africa at five pm on Friday, in the second round of the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations. The players who participated in Monday’s match against Zimbabwe in the first round of the tournament underwent recovery training, while the rest of the squad performed physical exercises, technical drills, and a practice match at the end of the session. Egypt’s national team secured a two to one victory over Zimbabwe in their opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Libya’s army chief was killed in a plane crash while returning home from an official visit to Turkey on Tuesday, the country’s prime minister said. Al-Dbeibah identified the four others killed as: Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces Maj. Gen. Al-Fitouri Ghreibel; Director of the Military Manufacturing Authority Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Al-Qatioui; adviser to the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army, Mohamed Al-Asawi Diab; and media office photographer Mohamed Omar Ahmed Mahjoub. Turkish Chief of Staff Selcuk Bayraktaroglu meets with his Libyan counterpart Mohammed Al-Haddad in Ankara, Turkey, on December 23, 2025. He held bilateral talks with Turkish Chief of the General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu following the ceremony.

The past year feels more transformational than transitional, with 2026 now shaping up to be a hinge year — with multiple inflection points on the global agenda. Venezuela: StandoffThe Trump administration has deployed the largest armada in the Caribbean and western Atlantic since the height of the Cold War. There are few examples of economic pressure and external threats alone forcing a leader like Maduro to cede power. If he stays in power, Trump risks being viewed as more bark than bite. In 2026, expect growing friction between rapid advances in AI, unsettled policy debates, and intensifying geopolitical rivalry.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday that an Italian tourist died after being hospitalized following a collision between two cruise ships on Sunday evening in the Nile River, south of Luxor, Egypt. “The Egyptian judiciary is currently conducting an investigation to determine who is responsible, and at this time, we can only mourn the loss of this woman,” the minister added. Cruise ship collisionThe General Authority for River Transport announced on Sunday that the accident occurred while the cruise ship “Opera” was traveling from Aswan to Luxor. After passing through the Esna Lock by two kilometers, it was blindsided by a sharp maneuver from the ship “Beau Rivage,” which was traveling in the opposite direction from Luxor to Aswan. The River Transport Authority statement indicated that the license of the “Beau Rivage” driver was withdrawn and suspended, with the incident being referred to the competent prosecution for investigation.

Quantum Investment BV has increased its stake in Edita Food Industries through a block trade valued at EGP 1.26bn, reinforcing investor confidence in the company and in Egypt’s capital markets. Edita Food Industries announced that Quantum Investment BV, one of its main shareholders, acquired 51.47 million shares at a price of EGP 24.50 per share. The transaction, executed through the block trade mechanism on the Egyptian Exchange, amounted to EGP 1,261,005,543 and enabled the efficient execution of a sizeable investment. The deal also signals renewed investor trust in the resilience of the Egyptian economy, amid ongoing regional and global challenges. Edita Food Industries is one of Egypt’s leading producers of packaged snack foods, with a diversified product portfolio and a growing presence in regional export markets.

Europe offers more than one model worthy of attention, and Finland stands out as a particularly revealing case. The Finnish education system, consistently among the world’s top performers, relies not on pressure or rote learning, but on trust, trust in teachers, in students, and in society itself. Finland invested in public libraries as the backbone of civic life, not merely as book repositories. Instead, the state supported it through serious music education and institutional frameworks, allowing it to mature into a global cultural export without moral panic or aesthetic policing. Good education, accessible culture, trust in citizens, and equity of opportunity have produced a Finnish presence that exceeds the country’s geographic and demographic size.

Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate telephone conversations with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to coordinate on regional conflicts and the strengthening of bilateral strategic ties. In his call with Fidan, Abdelatty emphasised that the upcoming presidential visit would build on the recent momentum in Egyptian-Turkish relations, aiming to boost economic cooperation, trade volumes, and mutual investments. Addressing the conflict in Gaza with both his Turkish and Saudi counterparts, Abdelatty called for the establishment of a temporary Palestinian technocratic committee to manage the daily affairs of citizens in the strip. He further advocated for the deployment of an international stability force and the initiation of early recovery and reconstruction efforts. The minister expressed total rejection of any measures that undermine Palestinian territorial integrity or Israeli violations in the West Bank.

It said the overall toll since the outbreak of the war on Oct. 7, 2023, has risen to 70,942 dead and 171,195 wounded. Widespread destruction and a severe shortage of adequate shelter have heightened risks to civilians, particularly during harsh weather conditions. Separately, the Palestinian government warned against attempts to alter land records in Gaza or illegally transfer ownership of public and private property. He said the comments contradicted U.S. efforts to advance peace in Gaza and reflected the rhetoric of Israel’s far right. Meanwhile, mediators continue efforts to advance talks toward a second phase of the ceasefire agreement.

Egypt’s Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar held a video call with Spain’s Health Minister Mónica García to discuss expanding bilateral health cooperation and strengthening coordination on issues of mutual interest, Egypt’s health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said the talks focused on enhancing coordination on global health priorities, including support for World Health Organization (WHO) decisions, strengthening health systems, addressing humanitarian challenges, and migration health. The meeting also reviewed the World Health Assembly resolution on rare diseases and explored ways to accelerate the implementation of its outcomes to better support patients and advance global health equity, according to the statement. Both sides discussed cooperation with international organisations, particularly the WHO, as well as Egypt’s efforts to promote partnerships under the country cooperation strategy. Spain invited Egypt to co-sponsor WHO-related resolutions on precision medicine, liver diseases, teleradiology and stroke, the statement added.

Under the new formation, the Board includes Rami Abou El-Naga and Tarek El-Khouly as Deputy Governors of the Central Bank. The Board also comprises a group of specialised experts representing key fields relevant to the banking and financial sector. These include Ali Faramawy as a technology expert; Sherif Kamel as a financial expert; Khaled Sherif as a banking expert; Essam Amer as an accounting and financial expert; Khaled Ali and Ahmed Radwan as economic experts; and Amina Hassan as an economic expert. The reconstitution of the Board saw the departure of banker Mohamed El-Deeb, economic expert Naglaa El-Ahwany, and economic expert Samiha Fawzy. Meanwhile, three new members have joined the Board: Khaled Ahmed Fouad, Ahmed Gad, and Amina Helmy.

Basel Rahmy, Chief Executive Officer of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA), affirmed that the Agency is intensifying coordination with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that innovators and start-ups receive comprehensive support. Rahmy made these remarks during an extended meeting held at MSMEDA’s headquarters with 15 entrepreneurs, start-up founders, and innovators leading a range of emerging ventures. The meeting was attended by Raafat Abbas, General Supervisor of Development Programmes at MSMEDA, Mohamed Medhat, Deputy CEO, along with several sector heads. This, in turn, allows them to benefit from laws, incentives, and advantages introduced by the State to support entrepreneurship. During the meeting, start-up founders presented their projects, outlined their expansion plans, and identified the support required from MSMEDA and other state institutions to ensure the sustainability and growth of their ventures.

These efforts have translated into a new set of incentives and measures aimed at improving tax services and simplifying procedures. Taxpayers will also be allowed to benefit from the simplified tax system for the 2023 and 2024 tax periods. The package further includes measures to support the capital market, such as shifting from capital gains tax to stamp duty on stock exchange transactions. In addition, tax incentives will be granted to encourage companies to list on the stock exchange for a three-year period, a move expected to boost trading volumes and investment activity. Abdel Aal also highlighted the existence of an advisory platform through which all ETA issuances are presented to the business community prior to implementation.

Major shipping lines have begun returning to the Suez Canal, Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Chairperson Osama Rabie said on Tuesday, as the waterway recorded the transit of one of the world’s largest container ships for the first time in two years. The transit of the LNG-powered CMA CGM Jacques Saade from the north, travelling from Morocco to Malaysia, signals the “full return” of the French shipping group’s vessels to the canal, Rabie said. “The start of the return of major shipping lines is the culmination of the Suez Canal Authority’s intensive marketing efforts over the past period,” Rabie said in a statement. He added that while CMA CGM has announced a full return, Maersk has begun a gradual resumption of transits. He expects a gradual improvement in navigation rates throughout next year, with traffic reaching normal levels during the second half of 2026.

Egypt’s Acting Minister of Environment, Manal Awad, met officials from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to discuss expanding cooperation and launching new projects focused on climate adaptation, sustainable agriculture and ecosystem protection, the environment ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The talks addressed efforts to strengthen climate resilience in coastal and delta governorates through ecosystem restoration programmes financed by the Green Climate Fund. They also covered regional initiatives, including sustainable fisheries management in the Red Sea and the SCALA programme, which aims to boost climate ambition in land use and agriculture. Cooperation on sustainable solutions to address stray dog populations without harming ecosystems was also discussed. Awad said Egypt is seeking FAO support to implement its national climate change strategy and nationally determined contributions in the agriculture and irrigation sectors, promote climate-smart agriculture and the use of renewable energy, and access new international financing, including loss and damage funds.

The projects, part of the “Decent Life” (Haya Karima) presidential initiative, aim to provide a significant shift in water, sewage, and basic service coverage for Egypt’s rural population. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, accompanied by senior officials, inspected several sites in the Al-Saff district to monitor current executive progress. According to Abdel Ghaffar, Giza contains 190 hospitals—31 government and 159 private—alongside 239 primary care facilities, which include 22 health departments, 196 health offices, and 212 health units. Additionally, 654 ventilators are available in the government sector and 678 in the private sector. He added that the government is seeking a “qualitative leap” in these sectors to ensure a decent life for all citizens, noting progress in the sewage and health projects inspected in the Al-Saff district.