Politics

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

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

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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'

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“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’

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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”

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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?

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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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

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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

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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'

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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

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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