Politics

Testing the R-4 in Istanbul: Egypt’s room to maneuver after the Mecca Pact

Politics_

Ahead of the Istanbul quadrilateral talks, Cairo’s absence from a major trilateral defense pact reveals deeper splits over how regional military power should be projected.

Samar El-Gamal_ 31-8-2026

Testing the R-4 in Istanbul: Egypt’s room to maneuver after the Mecca Pact

The day after Damietta: Will Egypt be dragged into war?

Politics_

The question isn’t whether Egypt keeps an equal distance from every side in the region’s war. It’s which side it stands with, and in which trench it intends to fight.

Dina Samak_ 4-8-2026

The day after Damietta: Will Egypt be dragged into war?

What a $20,000 drone revealed about Egypt’s air defenses

Politics_

A drone strike on Damietta port tests Egypt’s air defenses. Experts say it’s no failure, but a warning about how cheap, low-flying drones are changing the threat.

Ahmed Albordeny_ 2-8-2026

What a $20,000 drone revealed about Egypt’s air defenses

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

Right to arms: What tipped the scales for Khalil Al-Hayya?

Politics_

Al‑Hayya takes Hamas’s helm by a razor‑thin vote, inheriting a fractured movement, stalled ceasefire, and pressure over weapons, governance, and Gaza’s reconstruction.

Abdelmoneim Mahmoud_ 28-7-2026

Right to arms: What tipped the scales for Khalil Al-Hayya?

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

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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 Ahmad_ 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?