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Egypt

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Egypt. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Cairo

Head of State

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

Head of Government

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly

Beijing has funded a new satellite data ground station near Windhoek, Namibia – the latest in a growing network of space facilities across Africa built with help from China. Photo: Handout via Xinhua

China-Africa relations

How China is building the hi-tech backbone of Africa’s space ambitions

Analysts say Beijing is gifting space infrastructure as a form of soft power on the continent.

1 hour agovideocam

Middle East

US ambassador says Israel has right to much of Middle East, sparking uproar

22 Feb 2026 - 10:19AM

Israel-Gaza war

Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ debuts with Gaza pledge as war threat looms elsewhere

20 Feb 2026 - 10:04AM

South Korea

South Korea to observe first, decide later on Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’

A former South Korean ambassador to Egypt will be attending Thursday’s inaugural meeting in Washington.

18 Feb 2026 - 4:45PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump holds a signed resolution at the “Board of Peace” charter announcement in Davos on January 22. Photo: Reuters

Australia

Australian police recover stolen Egyptian artefacts after museum heist

The man is accused of stealing a mummy mask, collar, necklace and wooden cat from a museum in Caboolture, Queensland.

16 Feb 2026 - 3:12PM

Middle East

UAE-Saudi rift over security threats push Arab mediators to act

Bahrain and Egypt are attempting to mend ties between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, after a public falling out in December.

14 Feb 2026 - 9:22PM

China-Africa relations

As China seeks to globalise the yuan, it finds a new vehicle in Africa

Africa Finance Corporation executive says entering Chinese capital markets is a ‘natural evolution’.

13 Feb 2026 - 1:36PMvideocam

Multilateral lender Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has confirmed that a debut panda bond issuance is “on the table for this year”. Photo: Getty Images

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Letters | Why cardiovascular health is an economic imperative for Asia

Readers discuss a quiet threat to regional economies, conflicts over port facilities in Panama and Australia, and Malaysia-Indonesia border demarcation.

12 Feb 2026 - 11:30AM

Energy

Russian oil tankers list Singapore as destination amid sanctions, shift to China

Move comes as India is set ‌to ⁠scale back or halt Russian oil imports after a recent US trade deal left China as Russia’s main customer.

10 Feb 2026 - 1:54AM

Israel

Israel kills 4 suspected militants in Gaza’s Rafah despite ceasefire

Air strikes killed 24 in Gaza last Wednesday, with the Israeli military saying it was in response to one of its officers being wounded by enemy gunfire.

9 Feb 2026 - 7:00PM

Etedal Rayyan, who recently returned back to Gaza from Egypt through the Rafah border crossing, walks with her husband past the rubble of destroyed buildings in the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Iran

US-Iran nuclear talks set for Oman amid rising Middle East tensions

Planned talks moving from Turkey after a US jet downs an Iranian drone, though the role of regional Arab allies remains in limbo.

4 Feb 2026 - 10:11PM

A satellite image taken on February 1 shows a new roof over a previously destroyed building at Iran’s Isfahan nuclear site. Photo: Planet Labs PBC via Reuters

Israel-Gaza war

Gaza’s Rafah crossing sees ‘limited’ reopening amid truce, but challenges remain

Restoring the Rafah-Egypt crossing is a vital milestone for the peace process, concluding the long closure enforced by the Israeli military.

2 Feb 2026 - 7:49PM

China trade

New expansion rules: Chinese firms seeking salvation abroad urged to ‘go local’

Industry stalwarts such as Gree stress cultural integration and warn against exporting insular enclaves – in other words, leave the personal chef behind.

1 Feb 2026 - 9:00PM

Israel-Gaza war

Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 30, including children at tent camp: hospitals

The latest fatalities came hours before the Rafah crossing, on Gaza’s border with Egypt, was due to open.

31 Jan 2026 - 11:54PMvideocam

A view of an explosion during an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Ghaith camp, which shelters displaced people, in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday. Photo: EPA

Accidents and personal safety

On This Day | 2006 Egypt bus tragedy leaves 14 Hong Kong tourists dead – SCMP archive

On this day 20 years ago, a holiday bus ran off a highway in Egypt and rolled over, killing 14 Hong Kong tourists and hurting 30 others.

31 Jan 2026 - 1:00PM

Emergency responders look for survivors inside a toppled bus carrying Hong Kong tourists on January 31, 2006. File photo: Handout

Israel-Gaza war

Israel offers ‘limited’ Rafah reopening after nearly 2-year Gaza border shutdown

The reopening is part of phase two of the US ceasefire. Previously, it was Gaza’s main crossing for people and trade with Egypt.

30 Jan 2026 - 9:39PM

TV shows and streaming video

YouTube star IShowSpeed shows ‘another Africa’ on his 20-country tour

African-American influencer has busted cliches by showing a continent ‘on the move’ during his trip, which has resonated with fans at home.

29 Jan 2026 - 7:15PMvideocam

China-Africa relations

Chinese loans to Africa down by nearly 50 per cent as priorities shift

Report says the decline highlights a ‘more selective phase of engagement’ by Beijing.

26 Jan 2026 - 5:24PMvideocam

China financed only six projects across Africa in 2024, Boston University Global Development Policy Centre report says. Photo: Xinhua

Israel-Gaza war

Israel launches ‘large-scale operation’ to locate last hostage in Gaza

Israel’s Netanyahu conditions the opening of Gaza’s vital southern border on the recovery of Ran Gvili’s remains.

26 Jan 2026 - 1:47PM

Saudi Arabia

‘Anything can happen’: Saudi-UAE rift risks tearing Middle East apart

The Gulf neighbours have turned from friends to foes, fighting proxy wars across the region and forcing global powers to pick a side.

25 Jan 2026 - 4:00PM

Israel-Gaza war

Israel to empty Gaza of Palestinians with ‘more out than in’ policy: sources

As the Rafah crossing reopens next week, sources say Israel aims for a net outflow of Palestinians by blocking returns, raising fears of forced exile.

23 Jan 2026 - 10:07PM

People wait outside the border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt in Rafah in November 2023. Photo: dpa

World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos

Watch Trump showcase his ‘Board of Peace’ in Davos

Donald Trump has extended invitations to dozens of nations and hinted at the board’s future role as conflict mediator - with him as chairman.

22 Jan 2026 - 6:38PMvideocam

US President Donald Trump speaking in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday. Photo: AP

Trending in China

China aunties teach qigong exercises to fliers at Cairo airport during flight delay

Foreigners join in as middle-aged Chinese women set about taking stress of travelling with pain-relieving dance moves.

21 Jan 2026 - 2:00PM

Donald Trump

Allies tepid on joining Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ as countries study invites

Some leaders sign on to the Trump-chaired body, but initial reaction from two key allies, France and Canada, was lukewarm.

20 Jan 2026 - 12:29PM

Israel-Gaza war

Israel objects to composition of Trump-led Gaza ‘board of peace’

PM Netanyahu says the unveiling of the board was not coordinated with Israel and contradicted his government’s policy.

18 Jan 2026 - 2:05AM

Palestinian girls walk past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the war in Gaza City on Friday. Photo: Reuters

Brics

Testing the waters: is Brics evolving into a security alliance?

The first naval exercises under the ‘Brics plus’ banner saw Brazil, Egypt, China, Russia and South Africa take part. India did not.

17 Jan 2026 - 12:00PM

A Russian corvette ship is seen near Cape Town, South Africa, on January 9. The Will For Peace exercise brings together navies from Brics-plus countries. Photo: AFP

Pakistan

Pakistan’s arms deals cleared for take-off as orders soar for JF-17 jets

The jets, co-produced with China, proved their worth during the India-Pakistan tensions, when they destroyed an S-400 air defence system.

16 Jan 2026 - 11:12AMvideocam

United States

US halts visas for 75 countries indefinitely; China not on the list

Trump administration pauses immigrant visa processing from January 21, affecting applicants worldwide while exempting key visa categories.

15 Jan 2026 - 3:43AM

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Egypt

How China is building the hi-tech backbone of Africa’s space ambitions

Analysts say Beijing is gifting space infrastructure as a form of soft power on the continent.

US ambassador says Israel has right to much of Middle East, sparking uproar

Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ debuts with Gaza pledge as war threat looms elsewhere

South Korea to observe first, decide later on Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’

A former South Korean ambassador to Egypt will be attending Thursday’s inaugural meeting in Washington.

Australian police recover stolen Egyptian artefacts after museum heist

The man is accused of stealing a mummy mask, collar, necklace and wooden cat from a museum in Caboolture, Queensland.

UAE-Saudi rift over security threats push Arab mediators to act

Bahrain and Egypt are attempting to mend ties between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, after a public falling out in December.

As China seeks to globalise the yuan, it finds a new vehicle in Africa

Africa Finance Corporation executive says entering Chinese capital markets is a ‘natural evolution’.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Why cardiovascular health is an economic imperative for Asia

Readers discuss a quiet threat to regional economies, conflicts over port facilities in Panama and Australia, and Malaysia-Indonesia border demarcation.

Russian oil tankers list Singapore as destination amid sanctions, shift to China

Move comes as India is set ‌to ⁠scale back or halt Russian oil imports after a recent US trade deal left China as Russia’s main customer.

Israel kills 4 suspected militants in Gaza’s Rafah despite ceasefire

Air strikes killed 24 in Gaza last Wednesday, with the Israeli military saying it was in response to one of its officers being wounded by enemy gunfire.

US-Iran nuclear talks set for Oman amid rising Middle East tensions

Planned talks moving from Turkey after a US jet downs an Iranian drone, though the role of regional Arab allies remains in limbo.

Gaza’s Rafah crossing sees ‘limited’ reopening amid truce, but challenges remain

Restoring the Rafah-Egypt crossing is a vital milestone for the peace process, concluding the long closure enforced by the Israeli military.

New expansion rules: Chinese firms seeking salvation abroad urged to ‘go local’

Industry stalwarts such as Gree stress cultural integration and warn against exporting insular enclaves – in other words, leave the personal chef behind.

Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 30, including children at tent camp: hospitals

The latest fatalities came hours before the Rafah crossing, on Gaza’s border with Egypt, was due to open.

On This Day | 2006 Egypt bus tragedy leaves 14 Hong Kong tourists dead – SCMP archive

On this day 20 years ago, a holiday bus ran off a highway in Egypt and rolled over, killing 14 Hong Kong tourists and hurting 30 others.

Israel offers ‘limited’ Rafah reopening after nearly 2-year Gaza border shutdown

The reopening is part of phase two of the US ceasefire. Previously, it was Gaza’s main crossing for people and trade with Egypt.

YouTube star IShowSpeed shows ‘another Africa’ on his 20-country tour

African-American influencer has busted cliches by showing a continent ‘on the move’ during his trip, which has resonated with fans at home.

Chinese loans to Africa down by nearly 50 per cent as priorities shift

Report says the decline highlights a ‘more selective phase of engagement’ by Beijing.

Israel launches ‘large-scale operation’ to locate last hostage in Gaza

Israel’s Netanyahu conditions the opening of Gaza’s vital southern border on the recovery of Ran Gvili’s remains.

‘Anything can happen’: Saudi-UAE rift risks tearing Middle East apart

The Gulf neighbours have turned from friends to foes, fighting proxy wars across the region and forcing global powers to pick a side.

Israel to empty Gaza of Palestinians with ‘more out than in’ policy: sources

As the Rafah crossing reopens next week, sources say Israel aims for a net outflow of Palestinians by blocking returns, raising fears of forced exile.

Watch Trump showcase his ‘Board of Peace’ in Davos

Donald Trump has extended invitations to dozens of nations and hinted at the board’s future role as conflict mediator - with him as chairman.

China aunties teach qigong exercises to fliers at Cairo airport during flight delay

Foreigners join in as middle-aged Chinese women set about taking stress of travelling with pain-relieving dance moves.

Allies tepid on joining Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ as countries study invites

Some leaders sign on to the Trump-chaired body, but initial reaction from two key allies, France and Canada, was lukewarm.

Israel objects to composition of Trump-led Gaza ‘board of peace’

PM Netanyahu says the unveiling of the board was not coordinated with Israel and contradicted his government’s policy.

Testing the waters: is Brics evolving into a security alliance?

The first naval exercises under the ‘Brics plus’ banner saw Brazil, Egypt, China, Russia and South Africa take part. India did not.

Pakistan’s arms deals cleared for take-off as orders soar for JF-17 jets

The jets, co-produced with China, proved their worth during the India-Pakistan tensions, when they destroyed an S-400 air defence system.

US halts visas for 75 countries indefinitely; China not on the list

Trump administration pauses immigrant visa processing from January 21, affecting applicants worldwide while exempting key visa categories.

Letters | Why cardiovascular health is an economic imperative for Asia