Politics

The Taliban’s Brussels bargain: Trading normalization for deportation

Politics_

The Brussels visit reveals how deportation and border control have become leverage, allowing de facto authorities like the Taliban to trade cooperation for recognition.

Hussein Baoumi_ 30-7-2026

The Taliban’s Brussels bargain: Trading normalization for deportation

Outside prison, inside the sketch: A day Ashraf Omar escaped the ‘vicious cycle’

Politics_

Marking two years since cartoonist Ashraf Omar was blindfolded and taken from his home, colleagues and family gathered to confront an endless cycle of legal absurdity.

Ahmed Dahaby_ 23-7-2026

Outside prison, inside the sketch: A day Ashraf Omar escaped the ‘vicious cycle’

Interview| Iran’s envoy in Cairo: ‘Millions in the streets are stronger than any nuclear bomb’

Politics_

Iran’s late Supreme Leader built his doctrine on backing “the resistance” everywhere — his envoy in Cairo explains what that means for Lebanon and the Gulf.

Dina Samak_ 14-7-2026

Interview| Iran’s envoy in Cairo: ‘Millions in the streets are stronger than any nuclear bomb’

Three guides, no direction: Inside the Muslim Brotherhood’s terminal split

Politics_

The Brotherhood will stay divided across three rival camps for years — unless Cairo drops its 'Brotherhood bogeyman,' or the region shifts enough to bring the group back into play.

Abdelmoneim Mahmoud_ 13-7-2026

Three guides, no direction: Inside the Muslim Brotherhood’s terminal split

Interview| Khaled Ali taking stock of June 30: ‘The regime’s obsession isn’t the Brotherhood, It’s Mubarak’

Politics_

Thirteen years after June 30, leftist lawyer Khaled Ali revisits the ‘third current’ that rejected both Brotherhood and military rule, and warns Egypt is nearing a new explosion.

Mostafa Bassiouny_ 7-7-2026

Interview| Khaled Ali taking stock of June 30: ‘The regime’s obsession isn’t the Brotherhood, It’s Mubarak’

Inside the quiet revolt at Egypt’s Judges’ Club

Politics_

Egypt’s Judges’ Club just elected a president who ran against the government’s favored candidate, and judges say the vote was a message years in the making.

Mohamed Napolion_ 5-7-2026

Inside the quiet revolt at Egypt’s Judges’ Club

Interview| Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour: June 30 won against political Islam, then lost politics

Politics_

Thirteen years on, Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, a senior National Salvation Front figure reflects on Morsi’s removal, Rabaa’s bloodshed, and all what happened after

Dina Samak_ 1-7-2026

Interview| Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour: June 30 won against political Islam, then lost politics

From Gandhi to Modi: How India abandoned Palestine

Politics_

India’s shift from staunch Palestinian ally to Israeli partner didn’t happen overnight. It took an ideology, a digital army, and the systematic reshaping of a nation’s conscience.

Tamer Alhelaly_ 23-6-2026

From Gandhi to Modi: How India abandoned Palestine

Remembering Nabil El-Hilali.. The reluctant hero of the Egyptian left

Politics_

Twenty years on, much has changed, but it’s clear El-Hilali lived and died on his own terms, true to the choices he made, simply as “Comrade Ahmed.”

Mostafa Bassiouny_ 21-6-2026

Remembering Nabil El-Hilali.. The reluctant hero of the Egyptian left

The Civil Democratic Movement: Egypt’s opposition coalition faces its reckoning

Politics_

The Kortam ‘statement’ crisis lays bare deep structural atrophy and years of political containment, leaving Egypt’s Civil Democratic Movement at a terminal crossroads.

Gasser El-Dabea_ 15-6-2026

The Civil Democratic Movement: Egypt’s opposition coalition faces its reckoning

Nick Oberheiden: Trump’s handler gets US embassy in Cairo

Politics_

No diplomatic experience, no foreign affairs background, and no public record before arriving in America. What he has, however, is Trump’s ear. Now he represents the US in Egypt.

Ahmed Dahaby_ 14-6-2026

Nick Oberheiden: Trump’s handler gets US embassy in Cairo

Point, kill, and cash in: Trump’s men bet on their own crimes

Politics_

Trump’s men had the bets placed before the bombs dropped. Coincidence? The pattern suggests otherwise.

Mostafa Hisham_ 9-6-2026

Point, kill, and cash in: Trump’s men bet on their own crimes

Interview| Ramy Shaath: In France, human rights end where Palestine begins

Politics_

France once campaigned for Ramy Shaath’s release from an Egyptian prison. Today, the Palestinian activist says it seeks to silence him through deportation threats.

Ahmed Dahaby_ 4-6-2026

Interview| Ramy Shaath: In France, human rights end where Palestine begins

The war on journalists in Palestine

Politics_

From direct financial sanctions against the ICC prosecutor to the quiet leverage of pro-Israel donors, the global apparatus of accountability has been actively dismantled.

Camilla Olivieri_ 2-6-2026

The war on journalists in Palestine

Timeline: The hefty price Ashraf Omar is paying for a cartoon

Politics_

Al Manassa chronicles the key events that followed the arrest, prolonged pretrial detention, and ongoing prosecution of its cartoonist Ashraf Omar

Al Manassa_ 28-5-2026

Timeline: The hefty price Ashraf Omar is paying for a cartoon

Mourning the living: Testimonies from the ‘graveyard’ of Palestinian female prisoners

Politics_

From wedding dresses turned into blindfolds to the unleashing of attack dogs, new testimonies reveal the systematic degradation of Palestinian women in Israeli detention.

Alaa Khattab_ 21-5-2026

Mourning the living: Testimonies from the ‘graveyard’ of Palestinian female prisoners

Code meters, mounting bills, missing files: Egypt’s electricity standoff

Politics_

Skyrocketing electricity bills are the new penalty for building violations in Egypt, trapping millions between soaring costs and a broken system that keeps losing their paperwork.

Abdallah El-Bastaweesy_ 20-5-2026

Code meters, mounting bills, missing files: Egypt’s electricity standoff

Reading the runes: Cairo’s cautious eye on the New Damascus

Politics_

Egypt navigates the "gray zone" of the Sharaa regime, waiting for the light of clarity before fully reconciling with a state it once viewed as an existential threat.

Samar El-Gamal_ 17-5-2026

Reading the runes: Cairo’s cautious eye on the New Damascus

Biting but bounded: The media reform roadmap on the president’s desk

Politics_

Al Manassa obtains the full text of the state’s confidential media reform report. Can the state truly build a freer press while maintaining its role as the national shield?

Shaher Ayad_ 14-5-2026

Biting but bounded: The media reform roadmap on the president’s desk

One year on: Workers remain the weakest link in Egypt’s new Labor Law

Politics_

Egypt’s new labor law promised a “qualitative leap” in workers’ rights. A year on, the law’s protections are colliding with coercive employers and weak enforcement.

Ahmed Khalifa_ 12-5-2026

One year on: Workers remain the weakest link in Egypt’s new Labor Law

A sunny place for shady people: How Dubai became a safe haven for Sudan's RSF

Politics_

The Sentry reveals the Hemedti family’s $24M Dubai property portfolio, exposing the UAE as a “safe harbor” for the RSF’s leadership and wartime wealth.

Ahmed Dahaby_ 3-5-2026

A sunny place for shady people: How Dubai became a safe haven for Sudan's RSF

Deadliest by design: The Mediterranean graveyard in 2026

Politics_

Nearly 1,000 deaths in early 2026 mark the deadliest start for the Mediterranean in a decade. As EU rescue missions vanish, the route to Europe becomes a high-casualty corridor.

Youssef Ebrahem_ 3-5-2026

Deadliest by design: The Mediterranean graveyard in 2026

Explainer| Trump's ballroom obsession, who's paying for what?

Politics_

A shooting at the Hilton, a demolished East Wing, and a $400M "party venue." Is Trump building a ballroom or a fortress? The dark secrets beneath the new White House.

Saher Ahmed_ 28-4-2026

Explainer| Trump's ballroom obsession, who's paying for what?

Washington vs. Islamabad: Beirut's puppet masters or sovereign bluff?

Politics_

Amid Israeli strikes, Lebanon thaws 33-year chill with direct Israel talks in Washington, extending US truce despite Hezbollah backlash. Sovereignty bid or bitter concession?

Ahmed Dahaby_ 27-4-2026

Washington vs. Islamabad: Beirut's puppet masters or sovereign bluff?

Ramzy Ezzeldin: The rebirth of the Political Advisor

Politics_

A veteran diplomat who navigated Syria's war, clashed with ambassadors, and spent years arguing Egypt needs democracy to lead the region. Now he's the president's political advisor

Samar El-Gamal_ 26-4-2026

Ramzy Ezzeldin: The rebirth of the Political Advisor

Weaving a nuclear Kiswa: Saudi’s bid on Islamabad

Politics_

The era of the petrodollar-for-protection trade-off is over. Saudi Arabia turns to Pakistan’s "live" military weight to escape the shadow of the Abraham Accords.

Dina Samak_ 21-4-2026

Weaving a nuclear Kiswa: Saudi’s bid on Islamabad

Interview| Egypt’s ex-UN ambassador: 'You can’t buy your way to stability in the Middle East'

Politics_

“Stop the war, then we talk.” Amb. Ahmadein Khalil breaks down Egypt’s logic of silence and why Cairo resists Gulf pressure to enter a direct confrontation with Iran.

Dina Samak_ 19-4-2026

Interview| Egypt’s ex-UN ambassador: 'You can’t buy your way to stability in the Middle East'

The false seduction of Netanyahu’s hexagon in the ‘Abrahamic Kingdoms’

Politics_

Netanyahu's "regional alliance" isn't about shared security. It's a calculated bid to turn Arab kingdoms into vassals.

Mohamed Saad Abdel Hafeez_ 12-4-2026

The false seduction of Netanyahu’s hexagon in the ‘Abrahamic Kingdoms’

Interview| Egypt’s former envoy to Tehran: “Iran retains the right to strike US bases in the Gulf”

Politics_

Is Iran a threat or a bulwark? An Egyptian diplomat explains why many in Egypt see it as the last line on a volatile eastern front.

Mohamed El Kholy_ 24-3-2026

Interview| Egypt’s former envoy to Tehran: “Iran retains the right to strike US bases in the Gulf”

If El-Sisi read it, why can’t we find it?

Politics_

The president cited an article accusing the government of hiding the truth—yet finding it reveals more about Egypt’s tightly controlled media landscape.

Yousef Okail_ 19-3-2026

If El-Sisi read it, why can’t we find it?

The Gulf war in incognito mode

Politics_

As war spreads across the region, migrant workers in the Gulf face arrests, deportation threats and strict warnings: don’t film, don’t post and don’t question the official line.

Yousef Okail_ 17-3-2026

The Gulf war in incognito mode

US, Iran, Ukraine, and the Gulf: A drone war of unequal costs

Politics_

As Iran’s missile war drives up interceptor use, the conflict is becoming a test of industrial production as much as battlefield power.

Youssef Ebrahem_ 12-3-2026

US, Iran, Ukraine, and the Gulf: A drone war of unequal costs

The cement lifeline: How El-Arish Port sustained Israel’s settlement boom

Politics_

Analysis of official data reveals a 100% leap in Egyptian exports to Israel, fueled by a "shadow fleet" and cement shipments from companies owned by the state and global giants.

Yousef Okail_ 8-3-2026

The cement lifeline: How El-Arish Port sustained Israel’s settlement boom

Explainer| What is the Strait of Hormuz, and why its closure matters to Egypt?

Politics_

Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has raised fears of a wider regional crisis. But why is the narrow waterway so critical to global trade and energy supplies?

Youssef Ebrahem_ 5-3-2026

Explainer| What is the Strait of Hormuz, and why its closure matters to Egypt?

Iran and the Gulf’s balancing act under Washington’s shadow

Politics_

With Iran targeting US bases and Gulf skies on edge, regional capitals recalibrate. Wary of war, wary of Tehran, and still tethered to Washington.

Gasser El-Dabea_ 4-3-2026

Iran and the Gulf’s balancing act under Washington’s shadow

External war, internal fractures: A separatist moment for Iran?

Politics_

As US-Israeli strikes intensify, Iran faces rising separatist mobilization at home, reviving ethnic fault lines and testing the state’s cohesion in a volatile post-Khamenei moment

Mohamed Khairy_ 3-3-2026

External war, internal fractures: A separatist moment for Iran?

The shadowed debut of Egypt’s Minister of Culture

Politics_

Jihan Zaki vowed to "erase ugliness," but her debut as Culture Minister is being eclipsed by a messy portrait of "ghost" tenures, asset dramas, and a stinging court ruling

Abdel Halim Hefaina_ 24-2-2026

The shadowed debut of Egypt’s Minister of Culture

Parliament Diaries| A rare consensus on import reform

Politics_

The House moves to replace prison sentences with financial fines, sending a message of "reassurance" to a private sector under currency pressure.

Enas Hussein_ 18-2-2026

Parliament Diaries| A rare consensus on import reform

Jasper Jeffers: The quiet manager of loud wars

Politics_

Fronting an ISF that monitors violations, shields Israel, and institutionalizes asymmetry, Jeffers’ rise in Gaza exports Lebanon’s “managed tension” model to a besieged strip.

Ahmed Hosny_ 18-2-2026

Jasper Jeffers: The quiet manager of loud wars

Al Manassa, rights groups set accountability deadline for AppLogic

Politics_

Al Manassa and rights groups set a Feb. 26 deadline for AppLogic to explain its role in Egypt’s digital crackdown, demanding 1% of profits go to the journalists and outlets harmed.

Al Manassa_ 15-2-2026

Al Manassa, rights groups set accountability deadline for AppLogic

Hussein Eissa: An economist to secure the prime minister’s survival

Politics_

Egypt’s cabinet reshuffle elevates Hussein Eissa to deputy PM for economic affairs, signaling a push to revive privatization, rein in debt, and steady IMF talks.

Mohamed Ibrahim_ 12-2-2026

Hussein Eissa: An economist to secure the prime minister’s survival

Explainer| Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi assassinated. Who wanted him gone, and what happens next?

Politics_

Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, son of Libya’s former ruler, was assassinated in Zintan, reigniting rivalries and raising urgent questions about the nation’s fractured future.

Eli Siegel-Bernstein_ 7-2-2026

Explainer| Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi assassinated. Who wanted him gone, and what happens next?

Interview| Iran’s envoy in Cairo on protests, sanctions, and why “we are not Venezuela or Iraq”

Politics_

Iran’s envoy in Cairo tells Al Manassa protests began over inflation, then “chaos” followed. He blames foreign infiltrators, and defends the internet blackout.

Enjy Abdel Wahab_ 28-1-2026

Interview| Iran’s envoy in Cairo on protests, sanctions, and why “we are not Venezuela or Iraq”

Explainer| Can the Kurds really be a part of the new Syria, and on whose terms?

Politics_

Syria's army battles Kurdish-led forces as the new government pushes for centralized control against demands for autonomy. Fragile ceasefires keep collapsing over this core divide.

Eli Siegel-Bernstein_ 22-1-2026

Explainer| Can the Kurds really be a part of the new Syria, and on whose terms?

Mapping the Muslim Brotherhood’s options: Reform or rupture

Politics_

Criminalization, regional pressure and internal fracture leave the Muslim Brotherhood confronting a question of survival—or reinvention.

Abdelmoneim Mahmoud_ 19-1-2026

Mapping the Muslim Brotherhood’s options: Reform or rupture

Red Sea fault lines: Can Cairo-Riyadh counterbalance the Zionist-Emirati alliance?

Politics_

The Cairo-Riyadh alignment on Yemen and Sudan is no fleeting overlap; but a strategic strike against Israel’s blueprint to re-engineer the existing Middle Eastern order.

Mohamed Saad Abdel Hafeez_ 15-1-2026

Red Sea fault lines: Can Cairo-Riyadh counterbalance the Zionist-Emirati alliance?

Hisham Badawi: From secret keeper to House speaker

Politics_

Once the state’s silent enforcer, Hisham Badawi now leads the legislature. Can a keeper of secrets hold power to account?

Mohamed Napolion_ 14-1-2026

Hisham Badawi: From secret keeper to House speaker

Netanyahu’s Somaliland gamble: Israel’s new frontier in the Horn of Africa

Politics_

To effectively defend the interests of Egypt and other affected regional states, political leaders cannot rely on the UN Security Council

Mohamed Bassal_ 4-1-2026

Netanyahu’s Somaliland gamble: Israel’s new frontier in the Horn of Africa

Saudi-UAE rift over Yemen exposes deeper gulf power struggle

Politics_

UAE says it will withdraw remaining forces from Yemen after Saudi Arabia struck Mukalla. Egypt is likely to mediate for preserving what remains of Arab cohesion in a fragile region

Mohamed El Kholy_ 31-12-2025

Saudi-UAE rift over Yemen exposes deeper gulf power struggle

The UAE's secret $2.3B bet on Israeli missile tech

Politics_

UAE's $2.3B secret deal with Israel's Elbit for J-MUSIC anti-missile tech exposes deepening ties despite Gaza backlash. From civilian jets to Sudan proxies, it fuels Emirati power

Eli Siegel-Bernstein_ 30-12-2025

The UAE's secret $2.3B bet on Israeli missile tech

The Inside Story of The Power Struggle within Hamas: Meshaal’s pragmatism VS Al-Hayya’s rifle

Politics_

Exclusive sources tell Al Manassa that Hamas’ Shura Council is heading into a January 2026 showdown over leadership, Iran ties and the future of the armed struggle.

Abdelmoneim Mahmoud_ 29-12-2025

The Inside Story of The Power Struggle within Hamas: Meshaal’s pragmatism VS Al-Hayya’s rifle

Maritime fault lines: Libya’s gas diplomacy tests Egypt-Turkey thaw

Politics_

Libya’s maritime dispute with Turkey resurfaces as Egypt and Greece push back. Cairo eyes energy dominance, while Tripoli navigates fragile alliances and legal dilemmas.

Ahmed Albordeny_ 22-12-2025

Maritime fault lines: Libya’s gas diplomacy tests Egypt-Turkey thaw

Ghassan Al-Dahini and the recycling of chaos in Gaza

Politics_

From jihadist to Israeli-backed militia leader, Al-Dahini’s rise exposes a risky “day after” gamble—recycling extremism into local proxies that could drag Gaza into civil war.

Yousef Okail_ 18-12-2025

Ghassan Al-Dahini and the recycling of chaos in Gaza

A Year Without Assad| A new Middle East begins in Damascus

Politics_

One year on from Assad’s fall, Syria’s upheaval is reshaping the region. From Ankara to Tel Aviv and Washington to Tehran, Damascus has become the hinge of a new political order.

Mohamed El Kholy_ 14-12-2025

A Year Without Assad| A new Middle East begins in Damascus

Basma Moussa: A Baha'i woman against all forms of oppression

Politics_

A Baha'i who faced lifelong discrimination, Basma Moussa quietly challenged Egypt’s institutions and exposed the limits of belonging.

Mohamed El Kholy_ 11-12-2025

Basma Moussa: A Baha'i woman against all forms of oppression

A Year Without Assad| The metamorphosis of a jihadist

Politics_

A year after Assad’s fall, Ahmad Al-Sharaa—formerly the jihadist Al-Joulani—represents the defeat and cooption of political Islam to serve the agendas of regional players

Amr Adly_ 10-12-2025

A Year Without Assad| The metamorphosis of a jihadist

How voters’ ballots evaporated after the president’s veto

Politics_

After the president’s veto, rerun elections in Imbaba and other constituencies slashed vote totals, lifted independents, and exposed how engineered results can suddenly unravel.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 10-12-2025

How voters’ ballots evaporated after the president’s veto

A Year Without Assad| Damascus and Cairo in the shadow of Al-Sharaa’s uneasy rise

Politics_

As Syria reshapes itself under Al-Sharaa, Cairo watches with wary restraint. A year after Assad’s fall, old fears, new alliances, and shifting power define a fragile region

Ahmed Albordeny_ 9-12-2025

A Year Without Assad| Damascus and Cairo in the shadow of Al-Sharaa’s uneasy rise

Engineered Collapse: The final effort to polish Egypt’s parliamentary vote fails

Politics_

Annulled districts, clashing narratives, and rare court rulings expose fractures in the political engineering behind Egypt’s 2025 parliament and raise doubts over its legitimacy.

Mohamed Napolion_ 4-12-2025

Engineered Collapse: The final effort to polish Egypt’s parliamentary vote fails

Water workers raise their voices, but is the state listening?

Politics_

Cairo drinking water workers lead rare, organized protests over wages, delayed bonuses, and job insecurity, exposing how austerity and soaring prices are eroding daily life.

Ahmed Khalifa_ 1-12-2025

Water workers raise their voices, but is the state listening?

The Empire's Vizier: Epstein and the new Middle East

Politics_

Long after his death, Epstein’s shadow lingers—across war zones, intelligence corridors, and tech firms carving and re-molding today’s Middle East.

Nihal Salama_ 27-11-2025

The Empire's Vizier: Epstein and the new Middle East

Election rigged by bribery, no matter the president’s shout

Politics_

Widespread vote buying, staged crowds and voter steering marked Egypt’s second election phase, defying the president’s call for cleaner voting and repeating phase one’s violations.

Mohamed Napolion_ 25-11-2025

Election rigged by bribery, no matter the president’s shout

Parliamentary elections with a local-council flavor

Politics_

Campaigns focus on services over legislation, reflecting weak competition, muted opposition, and voter frustration amid rising living costs.

Ahmed Albordeny_ 24-11-2025

Parliamentary elections with a local-council flavor

Who’s to Blame? Election fallout sparks rare public rift inside Egypt’s judiciary

Politics_

On the eve of the second round, Egypt’s judicial “family” is locked in a public feud over who supervised and who is to blame for the troubled first phase of the elections.

Mohamed Napolion_ 24-11-2025

Who’s to Blame? Election fallout sparks rare public rift inside Egypt’s judiciary

Britain's 'Core Protection': A temporary visa in asylum limbo

Politics_

UK unveils sweeping asylum overhaul—temporary protection and tougher removals for all refugees, with Arab and Egyptian claimants among those most affected.

Raphael Isaac_ 23-11-2025

Britain's 'Core Protection': A temporary visa in asylum limbo

2025 elections: What next after the president’s seismic intervention?

Politics_

Presidential intervention upends engineered elections, voiding 19 districts and reshaping expectations for the second phase.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 23-11-2025

2025 elections: What next after the president’s seismic intervention?

The Gulf’s moment is Saudi

Politics_

Saudi Arabia, not Qatar or the UAE, is best placed to turn today’s “Gulf moment” into lasting regional power, from Gaza diplomacy to economic weight.

Amr Adly_ 20-11-2025

The Gulf’s moment is Saudi

Déjà vu in Egypt’s parliamentary elections

Politics_

Election day for first phase of House vote echoed the Senate: empty polls, staged crowds, widespread violations, and rampant vote buying shaping a tightly controlled process.

Mohamed Napolion_ 11-11-2025

Déjà vu in Egypt’s parliamentary elections

The Talgo train deal: Not quite out of love for the President

Politics_

A Spanish train deal hailed as a presidential favor hides conflicting figures and missing costs—raising questions about transparency in Egypt’s 158 million euro Talgo contract.

رحاب عليوة_ 10-11-2025

The Talgo train deal: Not quite out of love for the President

El-Sisi's last parliament?

Politics_

Analysts see Egypt’s new parliament—elected without real competition—as a potential step toward scrapping presidential term limits and extending El-Sisi’s rule.

Mohamed El Kholy_ 9-11-2025

El-Sisi's last parliament?

Mamdani wins New York: A mayor who won’t apologize for being radical

Politics_

Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Muslim democratic socialist, reshapes New York politics with a radical agenda challenging party and corporate power.

Mohamed Gad_ 6-11-2025

Mamdani wins New York: A mayor who won’t apologize for being radical

Law on Trial: UNRWA, ICJ, and Israel's politics of defiance

Politics_

As Israel blocks aid and defies the ICJ, the Court’s ruling is clear: UNRWA is indispensable, and Israel’s legal obligations are no longer open to negotiation.

Nourhan Fahmy_ 6-11-2025

Law on Trial: UNRWA, ICJ, and Israel's politics of defiance

Nazism, exile, and touchscreens: In Cairo with freed Palestinian prisoners

Politics_

Freed Palestinian prisoners speak of torture, exile, and guilt amid Israel’s war on Gaza, torn between haunting memories and unbroken defiance.

Mohamed El Kholy_ 3-11-2025

Nazism, exile, and touchscreens: In Cairo with freed Palestinian prisoners

Britain’s Gaza paradox: Diplomacy in the shadow of death

Politics_

After a Gaza ceasefire, Britain’s ‘recognition’ of Palestine exposes deep hypocrisy: mass protests, arms sales, and intelligence support show UK complicity it still denies.

Cara Burdon_ 23-10-2025

Britain’s Gaza paradox: Diplomacy in the shadow of death

Gaza on life support under Israeli control

Politics_

Gaza struggles for survival under Israeli control as a fragile cease-fire continues, revealing destruction, displacement, and the fight to rebuild amid occupation.

Salem Elrayyes_ 20-10-2025

Gaza on life support under Israeli control

‘We Don’t Want the World Cup’​​​​​​​: Morocco’s Gen Z protests

Politics_

After eight childbirth deaths, Morocco’s #GenZ212 rallies nationwide, denouncing corruption and World Cup spending, demanding healthcare, dignity and accountability.

Yousef Okail_ 19-10-2025

‘We Don’t Want the World Cup’​​​​​​​: Morocco’s Gen Z protests

Question of the century: Does Trump's plan jeopardize the Palestinian cause?

Politics_

Trump’s Gaza plan sparks debate over vague promises, shifting power, and uncertain “real-power guarantees” meant to protect inalienable Palestinian rights and prevent renewed war.

Mohamed Bassal_ 16-10-2025

Question of the century: Does Trump's plan jeopardize the Palestinian cause?

Parliament Diaries| 2025 House elections, reconfiguring power

Politics_

Egypt's 2025 House elections signal a shake-up: veteran MPs sidelined, opposition gains space, and ex-ministers return in a tightly managed political recalibration.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 15-10-2025

Parliament Diaries| 2025 House elections, reconfiguring power

Gaza’s gamble: The price of making the world watch

Politics_

Two years after Oct. 7, Gaza endures vast losses as Israel faces growing isolation. Legal pressure builds, but repeated US vetoes blunt accountability and delay a ceasefire.

Ahmed Albordeny_ 7-10-2025

Gaza’s gamble: The price of making the world watch

Raphael Cohen: The translator who chose to stand on the line of fire

Politics_

Cohen's whole life has been a refusal of easy binaries—Jew or Arab, East or West, translator or activist. He carries all those identities within him, refusing to be boxed in one.

Dina Samak_ 6-10-2025

Raphael Cohen: The translator who chose to stand on the line of fire

Interview| Basel Ramsis on Gaza, the flotilla, and a journey cut short

Politics_

Forced off the Freedom Flotilla through accidental injury, filmmaker Basel Ramsis recounts the “senseless coincidence,” the trauma of leaving, and why Gaza must remain the hero.

Hoda Fayek_ 3-10-2025

Interview| Basel Ramsis on Gaza, the flotilla, and a journey cut short

Barrack forecasts a new Middle East: No more 'lines in the sand'

Politics_

Barrack invokes Sykes-Picot not to condemn colonialism, but to suggest maps can be redrawn again to by American power. This time explicitly with 'no guarantees.'

Mohamed Bassal_ 2-10-2025

Barrack forecasts a new Middle East: No more 'lines in the sand'

Because Trump’s plan for Gaza is the only available option

Politics_

Trump’s Gaza plan gains quick international backing, but experts warn it imposes victor’s terms, deepens Gaza-West Bank divide, and avoids statehood.

Mohamed El Kholy_ 2-10-2025

Because Trump’s plan for Gaza is the only available option

Tony Blair and the quest for redemption in the Middle East

Politics_

Tony Blair after Cool Britannia, the Iraq war, and Quartet envoy is tipped to lead Gaza’s new “Board of Peace.” Can he offer and find redemption—or repeat old failures?

Raphael Isaac_ 1-10-2025

Tony Blair and the quest for redemption in the Middle East

The House of Representatives 2025 with a 2015 flavor

Politics_

Egypt’s 2025 House race revives echoes of 2015: party feuds, money-driven nominations, and a fragile balance between pro-government blocs and the opposition.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 25-9-2025

The House of Representatives 2025 with a 2015 flavor

Israel eyes 'alternative homeland' for Palestinians; Egypt says no

Politics_

As Israel seeks to displace Gaza’s population abroad, Egypt wages a quiet but determined diplomatic battle—blocking deals, swaying capitals, and drawing a line in the sand.

Ahmed Albordeny_ 21-9-2025

Israel eyes 'alternative homeland' for Palestinians; Egypt says no

Interview| Jeremy Corbyn: The European left failed Palestine historically

Politics_

Jeremy Corbyn called upon the left in the Global North to show some humility and be willing to learn from the experiences of the South.

Osama Diab_ 21-9-2025

Interview| Jeremy Corbyn: The European left failed Palestine historically

Interview| Alex de Waal exposes Israel’s weaponized starvation in Gaza

Politics_

Starvation in Gaza is no accident, says Alex de Waal. It is an Israeli policy weaponizing hunger, unlike any famine he has studied before.

Mohamed El Kholy_ 18-9-2025

Interview| Alex de Waal exposes Israel’s weaponized starvation in Gaza

Interview| Jibril Rajoub: Arab support for the PA is insufficient

Politics_

Rajoub warns Arab support is insufficient, admits PA needs reform, slams Israel’s "crueler Holocaust", and admits Fatah struggle with Hamas is a fight over power.

Mohamed Khayyal_ 17-9-2025

Interview| Jibril Rajoub: Arab support for the PA is insufficient

Ethiopia’s GERD inauguration tests the fragile future of the Nile

Politics_

Ethiopia inaugurates the Nile’s giant dam after 13 years of failed talks. Addis hails progress, Cairo warns of threat. Will the project spark cooperation or conflict?

Mohamed Soliman_ 11-9-2025

Ethiopia’s GERD inauguration tests the fragile future of the Nile

FM Abdelatty, a police sergeant or a diplomat?

Politics_

Egypt’s foreign minister blurs the line between diplomat and enforcer, sparking scandal over protests outside Egypt’s embassies and tarnishing the country’s global image.

Khaled Dawoud_ 6-9-2025

FM Abdelatty, a police sergeant or a diplomat?

World media shrouds in black for Gaza journalists

Politics_

Now, as the blackout fades from screens and front pages, what remains is a resounding call for accountability.

Nihal Salama_ 2-9-2025

World media shrouds in black for Gaza journalists

‘Madame Afaf’ in a PR campaign at Rafah

Politics_

Egypt’s PR campaign may have succeeded in shifting blame, but it has failed to bring food or peace to Palestinians in Gaza—or to grant Egyptian media the right to investigate.

Mohamed Ali El-Sohagy_ 2-9-2025

‘Madame Afaf’ in a PR campaign at Rafah

Interview| Al-Nunu on disarming Hamas: ‘Every Palestinian home has a Kalashnikov or a pistol’

Politics_

As Gaza’s future hangs in the balance, Hamas official opens up about the state of ceasefire talks, the fate of the resistance's weapons, and the desperate search for an end to war.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 28-8-2025

Interview| Al-Nunu on disarming Hamas: ‘Every Palestinian home has a Kalashnikov or a pistol’

Senate election results, a right-loyal stitch up

Politics_

With opposition wiped out and turnout low, Egypt’s Senate elections tighten the grip of government-aligned parties through coordination, cash, and closed lists.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 14-8-2025

Senate election results, a right-loyal stitch up

Which Civil Society monitors elections in Egypt

Politics_

An investigation into 2025 Senate vote reveals a roster of “watchdogs” with fake titles, phantom organizations, and no record of monitoring, yet all were approved by the state.

Yousef Okail_ 13-8-2025

Which Civil Society monitors elections in Egypt

Negotiate and wait: Egypt’s limited options over Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam

Politics_

Ethiopia completes Renaissance Dam, invites Egypt & Sudan to Sept. opening. Egypt calls it 'nonsense' as water fears grow. Can diplomacy resolve the crisis?

Ahmed Albordeny_ 4-8-2025

Negotiate and wait: Egypt’s limited options over Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam

Iran and the E3: Negotiations on a cliffedge

Politics_

Israel might be compelled to reconsider its position in a newly reshaped regional landscape it may struggle to navigate.

Mohamed Saad Abdel Hafeez_ 3-8-2025

Iran and the E3: Negotiations on a cliffedge

The ‘day after’ is today: What future for Hamas in Gaza’s vacuum?

Politics_

Hamas faces military losses and governance collapse in Gaza as Israel struggles with postwar plans, leaving the Strip in a deepening political and security vacuum.

Loay Hesham_ 2-8-2025

The ‘day after’ is today: What future for Hamas in Gaza’s vacuum?

Ismail Haniyeh: The making and assassination of a statesman in a stateless nation

Politics_

Ismail Haniyeh, a rare unifying leader within Hamas, was assassinated in Tehran one year ago. His life is reviewed here.

Mohamed Khayyal_ 31-7-2025

Ismail Haniyeh: The making and assassination of a statesman in a stateless nation

Conflict of Interest: Senior Health Official leases public asset to his NGO

Politics_

Assistant health minister awards state hospital to his own NGO, raising legal, financial, and ethical concerns over conflict of interest and public healthcare privatization.

Yousef Okail_ 30-7-2025

Conflict of Interest: Senior Health Official leases public asset to his NGO

When the president decides to speak

Politics_

El-Sisi spoke less but said more in 2024—defending his record, warning of collapse, and insisting that the people's patience and massive investment was Egypt’s only path forward.

Yousef Okail_ 29-7-2025

When the president decides to speak

Lawlessness in Gaza: Thieves, gangs, and killers flourish under Israeli occupation

Politics_

With Hamas’ grip unraveling, Gaza faces a surge in crime, vigilante justice, and armed chaos as Israeli strikes dismantle the Strip’s fragile security order.

Salem Elrayyes_ 27-7-2025

Lawlessness in Gaza: Thieves, gangs, and killers flourish under Israeli occupation

Trump, the Nile, and the Zionist dream

Politics_

As Trump returns to the Nile dam file, echoes of a Zionist water dream and regional pressure resurface, leaving Egypt to choose between reaction and initiative.

Mohamed Bassal_ 23-7-2025

Trump, the Nile, and the Zionist dream

Parliament Diaries| Political musical chairs in the upper chamber elections

Politics_

Senate elections echo old rhythms: party quotas, business elites, and political recycling. A quiet contest revealing Egypt’s enduring fusion of money and power.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 22-7-2025

Parliament Diaries| Political musical chairs in the upper chamber elections

Parliament Diaries| The Baccalaureate bill: Recycled reforms in shiny wrapping

Politics_

Behind closed doors, Parliament revived a failed education system—rebranded, repackaged, and passed in a rush. Students will pay the price, even for failing.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 13-7-2025

Parliament Diaries| The Baccalaureate bill: Recycled reforms in shiny wrapping

Parliament Diaries| Accountability offline as Ramses blaze paralyzes Egypt

Politics_

A fire torched Egypt’s digital backbone. Ministers blamed pipes. MPs asked questions no one answered. The system failed—again—and no one, as usual, will be held accountable.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 10-7-2025

Parliament Diaries| Accountability offline as Ramses blaze paralyzes Egypt

Parliament Diaries| Old Rent Law: How the No vote turned into a Yes

Politics_

Three sessions, one law, and a dramatic arc: Parliament wavers, tenants hope, opposition walks out, and a bill passes, clouded by silence, surrender, and unanswered questions.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 6-7-2025

Parliament Diaries| Old Rent Law: How the No vote turned into a Yes

Trump–Netanyahu’s Gaza plan breaks Palestinian taboos

Politics_

Trump and Netanyahu seek to end the war with a deal built on exile, erasure, and power games—but Gaza’s reality, and resistance, refuse to fit the script.

Mohamed Saad Abdel Hafeez_ 2-7-2025

Trump–Netanyahu’s Gaza plan breaks Palestinian taboos

Parliament Diaries| A nation lost to lack of accountability

Politics_

18 girls died on Egypt’s regional highway. Parliament held a moment of silence, then moved on. This is a record of what should not be forgotten.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 2-7-2025

Parliament Diaries| A nation lost to lack of accountability

Kamel Al-Wazir: El-Sisi’s golden child

Politics_

From rail hikes to megaprojects, Kamel Al-Wazir embodies the president’s “nothing comes for free” ethos—turning public transport into a revenue machine

Mohamed El Kholy_ 1-7-2025

Kamel Al-Wazir: El-Sisi’s golden child

From Iraq 1981 to Iran 2025: How the Begin Doctrine disciplines the world

Politics_

How Israel’s 1981 strike on Iraq shaped a doctrine of preemptive war—one echoed today in its attacks on Iran, with US backing and regional consequences.

Mohamed Bassal_ 26-6-2025

From Iraq 1981 to Iran 2025: How the Begin Doctrine disciplines the world

Parliament Diaries| Between war and debt, a national budget of uncertainty

Politics_

Amid war and economic strain, Egypt's Parliament approved a new "uncertainty budget." Critics flagged debt & weak revenue, while the majority urged unity.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 23-6-2025

Parliament Diaries| Between war and debt, a national budget of uncertainty

A price tag on Justice: Egypt's lawyers battle new court fees

Politics_

Lawyers warn that rising court fees threaten Egyptians’ right to justice—and their own livelihoods—as access to litigation looks to become increasingly unaffordable.

Mohamed El Kholy_ 23-6-2025

A price tag on Justice: Egypt's lawyers battle new court fees

Nasser after the Naksa: ‘It was the system’s fault’

Politics_

After the 1967 defeat, Nasser condemned his own regime as rotten and called for an open system—but his bold vision gave way to retreat, not reform.

Yousef Okail_ 21-6-2025

Nasser after the Naksa: ‘It was the system’s fault’

Parliament Diaries| Everyone loses as rent law passes unchanged

Politics_

Caught between landlords demanding swift contract termination and tenants fearing eviction, Parliament passes a rent law that satisfies neither and deepens the divide.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 19-6-2025

Parliament Diaries| Everyone loses as rent law passes unchanged

Redrawing the lines: How the Iran-Israel war is reshaping regional power

Politics_

The Iran-Israel war signals a seismic shift in Middle East power dynamics, testing old alliances and opening new diplomatic paths amid escalating military and nuclear tensions.

Mohamed Khayyal_ 18-6-2025

Redrawing the lines: How the Iran-Israel war is reshaping regional power

Sovereignty or submission: Can the Middle East resist Israel’s new order?

Politics_

Israel no longer seeks coexistence; it seeks control. A new doctrine of domination unfolds, and the Middle East must now decide: surrender to tutelage, or resist extinction.

Mohamed Saad Abdel Hafeez_ 16-6-2025

Sovereignty or submission: Can the Middle East resist Israel’s new order?

By land, sea, and air: Foreign elements or supporters of Gaza

Politics_

Global March to Gaza activists face arrest, blocked convoys, and deportation in Egypt amid a widening crackdown on routes to Gaza.

Nora Younis_ 15-6-2025

By land, sea, and air: Foreign elements or supporters of Gaza

Missing in Sinai: Egypt’s forgotten soldiers of 1967

Politics_

As Egypt uncovers its missing soldiers, evidence mounts of Israeli war crimes in 1967. Massacres, mass graves, and decades of silence with no justice in sight.

Mohamed El Kholy_ 5-6-2025

Missing in Sinai: Egypt’s forgotten soldiers of 1967

Parliament Diaries| A missed storm warning, and a Parliament fast asleep

Politics_

After a violent storm hit Alexandria, Egypt’s Parliament stayed silent while the Senate responded by chance, raising urgent questions about climate readiness and political will.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 4-6-2025

Parliament Diaries| A missed storm warning, and a Parliament fast asleep

Interview| Ahmed Tantawy navigating the future amid years of political deprivation

Politics_

Fresh from prison, Ahmed Tantawy reflects on his year-long detention, political rights ban, and hopes for reform—from prison conditions to Egypt’s democratic future.

Mohamed Napolion_ 29-5-2025

Interview| Ahmed Tantawy navigating the future amid years of political deprivation

Parliament Diaries| In loud times, water reform trickles in silence

Politics_

Parliament passed a pivotal water utility law with minimal debate, as electoral and rent law battles took center stage, exposing deeper crises in political priorities.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 29-5-2025

Parliament Diaries| In loud times, water reform trickles in silence

Sudan’s future: peace or partition?

Politics_

Keeping Sudan weak and dysfunctional benefits certain foreign powers by making it easier to exploit its vast water resources and livestock wealth.

Abdelhady Al-Hag_ 26-5-2025

Sudan’s future: peace or partition?

Interview| “If I die, keep fighting!”: Laila Soueif, the mother who won’t back down

Politics_

“Carry on if something happens to me before Alaa is released. Let your small fight continue until Alaa walks free, and your greater fight until they all walk free.”

Mohamed El Kholy_ 22-5-2025

Interview| “If I die, keep fighting!”: Laila Soueif, the mother who won’t back down

Parliament Diaries| A quiet showdown over fatwa authority

Politics_

Al-Azhar secured control over fatwas through quiet negotiations while the press lost ground again, fragmented and unsupported as freedoms continue to shrink.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 19-5-2025

Parliament Diaries| A quiet showdown over fatwa authority

Trump’s Gulf gamble: Oil, leverage and shifting alliances

Politics_

Trump’s Gulf tour blends economics and geopolitics, reviving petrodollar ties and reshaping US strategy amid Israel's war on Gaza and growing Gulf-China links.

Amr Adly_ 15-5-2025

Trump’s Gulf gamble: Oil, leverage and shifting alliances

Parliament Diaries| In a rare scene, Parliament listens

Politics_

Parliament holds rare public hearings on the old rent law, exposing deep divides between landlords and tenants, and raising urgent questions about justice and reform.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 14-5-2025

Parliament Diaries| In a rare scene, Parliament listens

Between margins and hope: Could an Arab ever become pope?

Politics_

Despite Latin America's large Catholic population, its representation in the College of Cardinals remains limited. Europe still holds the lion’s share of voting power.

Sara Allam Shaltout_ 9-5-2025

Between margins and hope: Could an Arab ever become pope?

Parliament Diaries| Rent reform without receipts

Politics_

Egypt’s Parliament debates a sweeping rent law reform without up-to-date data, risking eviction for millions and exposing deep gaps in housing policy and planning.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 8-5-2025

Parliament Diaries| Rent reform without receipts

Escaping the minefield of Egypt's old rent law

Politics_

Some see the ruling as long-awaited relief, others as a looming crisis. The state sees a dilemma, observers warn of fallout—but it may be a chance Egypt can’t afford to miss.

Mohamed Bassal_ 7-5-2025

Escaping the minefield of Egypt's old rent law

Parliament Diaries| A ticking bomb in the red hall

Politics_

A proposed overhaul of Egypt’s Rent Control Law sparks rare unity, and deep anxiety, in Parliament, as MPs warn of mass evictions and social fallout.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 6-5-2025

Parliament Diaries| A ticking bomb in the red hall

As others flew to Rome, Pope Tawadros chose a different path

Politics_

Under Pope Shenouda, the Coptic Church moved with clarity towards Christian unity and a global ecclesial identity. Now, it is caught between global vision and internal hesitation

Sara Allam Shaltout_ 5-5-2025

As others flew to Rome, Pope Tawadros chose a different path

On press freedom day, journalists vote for freedom

Politics_

On Press Freedom Day, Egypt’s journalists re-elect Khaled Elbalshy to lead a syndicate council favoring independence, facing state pressure, smears, and high stakes.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 5-5-2025

On press freedom day, journalists vote for freedom

Jordan, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood: A fractured alliance

Politics_

Since Jordan closed Hamas’ offices in Amman in 1999, its relationship with the Brotherhood and Hamas has been a tangled web of tension, mistrust, and shifting power.

Abdelmoneim Mahmoud_ 30-4-2025

Jordan, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood: A fractured alliance

Al-Golani, from Al-Qaeda’s cloak to Zelenskyy’s shirt

Politics_

With a neatly trimmed beard and a Zelenskyy-style button-up, Al-Golani sheds his jihadist past—emerging as a central player in Syria’s shifting power game.

Mohamed Khayyal_ 29-4-2025

Al-Golani, from Al-Qaeda’s cloak to Zelenskyy’s shirt

Press freedom in Egypt: A decade of censorship

Politics_

A decade of growing state control has reshaped Egypt’s media into an echo chamber. How was the press subdued—and what happened inside the newsrooms we no longer see?

Mohamed El Kholy_ 26-4-2025

Press freedom in Egypt: A decade of censorship

Parliament Diaries| The dented victory of the medical liability law

Politics_

It’s not ideal. But in the world of policy and politics, especially in a chamber dominated by a pro-government bloc, the ideal is often sacrificed on the altar of the doable.

Safaa Essam Eddin_ 22-4-2025

Parliament Diaries| The dented victory of the medical liability law

Student, professor, lover, and mother: The many faces of Laila Soueif

Politics_

Courageously, Laila faces the challenges and walks every path as she always has, hoping for her own survival and for Alaa to regain his freedom while she is still alive.

Mohamed El Kholy_ 13-4-2025

Student, professor, lover, and mother: The many faces of Laila Soueif