Capital city, hub of Egypt’s politics and culture
Israeli and Palestinian authorities confront a stalled Gaza peace plan as winter intensifies the humanitarian crisis. Trump’s push for a Palestinian technocratic government faces resistance in Israel, while aid restrictions and a harsh weather outlook threaten hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans.
Archaeologists uncover a mastaba at Saqqara dating to Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty, built for Yunmen, a high-ranking official, and his father Ity. The site includes two chapels, painted reliefs, and a false door, with colors well-preserved after more than 4,000 years. The find supports ongoing efforts to boost Egypt’s tourism through new discoveries.
Palestinian filmmakers have unveiled a Gaza Cinema Academy initiative advancing a nine‑month Gaza Filmmaking Diploma and planning to create an accredited degree, with aims to connect Gaza’s storytellers to global audiences and festivals.
Israel has demolished more than 2km of Hezbollah tunnel infrastructure beneath the Ali al‑Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, using over 1,000 tonnes of explosives and creating a blast that registered as a 4.1‑magnitude tremor. The Israeli military says it has established operational control above and below ground and will hold a security zone while continuing strikes when necessary.
The U.N. Security Council has extended the Darfur arms embargo for one month as negotiations continue on potential changes. The United States is pushing for a countrywide ban and tougher sanctions on arms flows and aid workers, while Russia and others push back. The conflict in Sudan has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.
The Pentagon inspector general has reported that Operation Epic Fury has cost $33.4 billion from 28 February to 30 June, including $22.3 billion on expended munitions. The report has found strategic inventory shortfalls, industrial bottlenecks for resupply, and millions in damage to aircraft, drones and diplomatic facilities.
Houthi forces have seized islands and ports on Yemen's Red Sea coast, taken control of access to the Bab al‑Mandeb strait and stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia. Saudi air defences have said they have intercepted incoming drones and missiles while shipping and global oil routes have been disrupted and prices have risen.
A six-storey building in Gaza City has collapsed, killing at least 12 people and injuring many more, with rescue teams racing to reach those trapped beneath the rubble as aid access remains constrained and winter risks loom.
The Bab al-Mandeb strait is now under Houthi control, threatening Red Sea shipping and Egypt’s Suez Canal revenues. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are pursuing security cooperation while reaffirming commitment to safe navigation amid US-led regional dynamics.
A series of mine collapses in West Kordofan, Sudan, have left dozens dead and many more missing. The Al-Zraa/Al-Zara mines near El-Nahud are under RSF control. Rescue efforts face equipment shortages and safety concerns amid informality in mining work.
Forty-seven antiquities seized at Beirut port in 2020 have been identified as Egyptian; Lebanon has handed the artefacts to Egypt after investigations with INTERPOL and Lebanese authorities. Five items were displayed at the handover ceremony, underscoring cooperation to combat illicit trafficking in cultural property.
Children in the UNRWA-run school in Nuseirat are returning to lessons as the academic year begins, but desks are scarce and some classrooms require students to sit on blankets on the floor, highlighting ongoing challenges to learning in Gaza.
The Yemen conflict has intensified as Houthi rebels clash with Saudi-backed government forces near the Kahboub Mountains, while Western powers weigh involvement. The UK agrees to defensive air-to-air refuelling for Saudi aircraft, and the US has not signaled any direct military engagement. Civilians are bearing the heaviest toll amid strategic moves around the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
Geophysical surveys behind KV62 in the Valley of the Kings point to possible hidden corridors and chambers. Researchers say findings could support theories that Queen Nefertiti’s tomb lies within or behind Tutankhamun’s burial complex, prompting calls for exploratory drilling and further testing.
UNCTAD says Gaza’s economy has collapsed under war and blockade, with 92% of economic establishments damaged, daily per capita GDP at $0.58, prices up 274% since 2022, and unemployment above 90% of working-age people; West Bank also faces severe constraints from settlement expansion and withheld revenues.
UNRWA remains Gaza’s key health and education provider while a Board of Peace faces pressure over its plan to govern Gaza. Talks with UNRWA continue behind the scenes; reconstruction remains stalled a year after the ceasefire, and funding shortages threaten essential services.
Egypt has rested Mohamed Salah for the AFCON qualifier against South Sudan due to concerns over the artificial surface in Juba. Salah started the Angola match but was substituted, with the EFA citing surface-related injury risks. South Sudan visit on 29 September at Juba Stadium.
An Italian court has handed 10-year sentences to three Egyptian officers and acquitted one, in a landmark but contentious ruling over Giulio Regeni's 2016 death. The case has strained Italy–Egypt relations, with prosecutors arguing state involvement and Egypt denying it.
A Rome court has convicted three Egyptian officials in absentia for the abduction of Giulio Regeni, a Cambridge PhD student tortured before his death in 2016. A fourth defendant is acquitted; murder charges were dropped for the others. The ruling preserves diplomatic ties but could strain bilateral relations with Cairo.
A Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv has diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after an altercation on the flight deck. The airline has said all passengers are safe and accounted for. Israeli officials have said a pilot stabbed the co-pilot and tried to sabotage the aircraft; Israeli warplanes monitored the diversion and passengers restrained the assailant.
Independent Moray councillor Neil McLennan continues representing Buckie ward while living in Cairo, raising questions about constituency access. He remains entitled to a Moray Council salary as he works remotely, while official guidance suggests attendees should spend time with constituents.
UNRWA remains Gaza’s largest aid provider as the Board of Peace pushes ahead with reconstruction plans. UNRWA faces pressure over its future amid Israeli disarmament demands and US-backed governance shifts, while UNRWA staff continue delivering health, education and essential services in Gaza.
The Houthis’ renewed ground campaign against Yemen’s government forces has left hundreds dead and displaced at least 145,000 people this month. Health facilities are functioning at low capacity, with several damaged or closed, as the WHO warns of looming outbreaks amid shortages of medicines and supplies.
Egyptian court has fined independent outlet Mada Masr under the 2018 media law, ordered confiscation of its equipment and briefly detained editor‑in‑chief Lina Attalah; she was released after the outlet paid the fine. Attalah has an outstanding 2024 sentence being challenged and a retrial hearing is scheduled for November 11.
Libya’s eastern House of Representatives has replaced speaker Agila Saleh with Abdulnabi Al-Obeidi after approving a new rule limiting the speaker and deputies to a single 12-month term. The move follows parliamentary discontent and aligns with Haftar’s eastern bloc, raising questions about national reconciliation as UN-backed talks stall.
The Iran-backed Houthis have claimed new strikes against Saudi Arabia, targeting airports and military sites as fighting in Yemen widens. Saudi forces say they are intercepting missiles north of Riyadh, while ground and air operations on Yemen’s western coast intensify. The conflict risks disrupting regional shipping routes amid a broader regional confrontation.
The Rapid Support Forces have attacked in Sudan's Blue Nile region, killing civilians including children and wounding dozens. The UN has condemned the strikes and is calling for accountability amid what aid groups call the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and children at risk.
Houthi forces have claimed missile and drone strikes on King Khalid and Abha airports in Saudi Arabia, killing foreign residents and wounding dozens. Saudi air defences and the Saudi-led coalition have said they intercepted some projectiles and have launched strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. The attacks have forced flight cancellations, reopened security concerns for oil and transport infrastructure, and displaced civilians in Yemen.
El Ni no is strengthening and is forecast to peak in December 2026. Observations show record sea-surface temperatures with far-reaching impacts on heat, rainfall, and droughts across regions. Forecasts warn of continued extreme conditions into 2027 as nations prepare.
Palestinian factions have reached understandings to postpone parliamentary elections in Gaza and the West Bank due to logistical hurdles in East Jerusalem and Gaza, with discussions centering on national dialogue and consensus. Abbas has set November 28 as the election date, but timing remains unsettled as factions weigh the path forward.
The King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has been evacuated after a blast, with air traffic halted as the Houthis claim responsibility for attacks connected to the Yemen crisis. Saudi authorities have not commented, while officials say the situation is ongoing and evolving.
A Saudi-led coalition blames the Houthis for Saturday’s deadly attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. The assault, hitting terminals 3 and 4, has led to airport closures and a spike in oil prices. US President Trump is weighing whether to join Saudi strikes as international officials report casualties.
Polish authorities have detained a 66-year-old man on suspicion of plotting attacks on Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. Officials have said an email to the State Protection Service triggered emergency security meetings. Investigators say the suspect admitted nothing; prosecutors have charged him with nine offences, including plotting to overthrow state authorities using explosives.
Human-rights group Emergency Lawyers has said jets struck an artisanal gold-mining site on Saturday in the disputed Sudan–Egypt border region, killing at least 72 people and wounding dozens. Survivors have described multiple strikes and bodies on the ground; Egypt has not commented and independent verification remains difficult in the remote area.
Specialists from Rome and the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir have restored the Fayoum mummy portrait, the Tondo of the Two Brothers. The work, created on wooden panels, blends Egyptian and Greco-Roman traditions. Egypt will lend a major portion of the collection to a Rome exhibition, the first time it travels abroad, from November 2027 to May 2027.
Ethiopia's federal government has moved to intensify operations in Tigray as Eritrean forces are reported to be active alongside allied groups. The conflict has returned to the fore, sparking fears of a regional war and severe humanitarian consequences for millions previously dependent on aid.
Formula One has signed a 10-year agreement with Rwanda to host the African Grand Prix on a new, purpose-built FIA Grade 1 circuit in Bugesera, about 40km south of Kigali. The deal, announced in Kigali, has set the first race for the early 2030s and forms part of a wider development to drive tourism, jobs and motorsport training while prompting sportswashing concerns.
The Saudi-led coalition has warned civilians in Sanaa to evacuate the al-Sabah oil facility area ahead of possible strikes. The Houthis have warned of a tough response, while multiple air and missile attacks have targeted Riyadh and other sites, prompting travel advisories.
Merchants have resumed coordination to allow goods into Gaza after private-sector disruptions, with COGAT saying the resumption follows Hamas dropping cash-payment demands. The arrangement prioritizes essentials ahead of winter and tightens transfer rules to bank payments, while the ceasefire framework remains in place and aid fears persist.
Missiles near a Yemen civilian airport have been described as a grave threat to air travel. No casualties are reported yet, and officials say passengers and crew are safe, though the strike follows a separate attack on a presidential palace complex in Aden.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has stated that his current term will end in 2030 and that the constitution will not be amended. He also outlined plans to groom a new generation of leaders through a Military Academy training program for potential candidates, ministers, and officials.
Egypt has offered "all necessary and possible" support to Saudi Arabia after repeated Houthi drone and missile strikes on airports, oil facilities and cities. President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi has asked parliament for emergency authorisation to deploy forces if Riyadh requests help and Cairo says any intervention will be defensive and paired with diplomatic de‑escalation.
The World Food Programme has cut monthly food assistance in Gaza from 1.6 million to 1.1 million people and halved some rations after a sharp funding shortfall; hot meals and cash support have been reduced while border closures and stalled commercial shipments are driving prices up and deepening hunger ahead of winter (28 Oct 2026).
Arab and Gulf states strengthen security coordination amid regional tensions. Egypt pledges defensive support to Saudi Arabia, stressing that Saudi security is tied to Egyptian and wider Arab stability. Qatar moves toward defence autonomy, while Gulf states push to blunt Houthi attacks and secure maritime routes.
Eastern Libyan Parliament has ratified the 2019 maritime memorandum with Turkey, reversing years of opposition. Greece, Egypt, and Cyprus reject the move; the EU calls it null and void. The vote underscores a broader shift as Haftar-aligned forces seek strategic gains and Ankara strengthens influence in both Libya and the eastern Mediterranean.
Israeli forces have launched a large operation in Hebron after two soldiers were killed at a checkpoint, displacing roughly 3,000 people, demolishing homes and infrastructure, and imposing a citywide lockdown. Israeli leaders have defended the raids as counterterror measures; UN officials and rights groups have warned the steps amount to collective punishment and risk ethnic cleansing.
Egypt is weighing authorization for air-defence and logistical support to Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks escalate. Lawmakers have postponed a vote, with Cairo cautioning that any deployment would be tightly bounded and aimed at Gulf security and key infrastructure. Diplomatic efforts are under way to defuse the risk of wider regional confrontation.
Egypt has ordered the closure of independent outlet Mada Masr, fined its editor‑in‑chief Lina Attalah 3 million Egyptian pounds and confiscated the newsroom's equipment. Attalah has been detained and released after the fine was paid; she faces a separate retrial on an absentia 2024 conviction. Six journalists from fact‑checking platform Matsadaash remain in pretrial detention amid allegations of torture and forced confessions.
Multiple oil tankers have been struck by mines or projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz as Iran enforces restrictions on routes through the waterway. Evacuations have occurred; crews are safe and there is no immediate environmental damage reported. The US, UK and allied forces are escorting ships amid ongoing tensions.
Since Tuesday, at least seven passenger flights across Europe have reported bomb threats. Authorities have searched aircraft in Poland, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and elsewhere; fighter jets have escorted at least one flight and a Warsaw airport briefly closed. All planes have landed safely and searches have found no explosives.