Latest news with #AbdelFattahAlSisi
Free Malaysia Today
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Egypt's Sisi urges Trump to end Gaza war
The Rafah crossing has been effectively closed since Israeli forces seized its Palestinian side over a year ago. (AP pic) CAIRO : Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi today made an impassioned call for US President Donald Trump to intervene to put an end to Israel's war in Gaza after more than 21 months. In a televised address, Sisi said Trump 'is the one capable of stopping the war, bringing in aid and ending this suffering' after more than 21 months, with Gazans grappling with dire humanitarian conditions. 'Therefore, I am making a special appeal to his excellency president Trump: please make every effort to stop the war and bring in aid,' the Egyptian leader said. 'The time has come to end the war,' said Sisi, whose government has been involved in mediation efforts aimed at securing an elusive truce as well as in sending aid into Gaza, which border Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Trump said today that a ceasefire between America's close ally Israel and Hamas was still 'possible', after talks in Doha with US, Qatari and Egyptian mediation had ended with no breakthrough. Gaza's population of more than 2 million people face a deepening humanitarian crisis, with UN agencies and aid groups warning of worsening starvation and malnutrition. As international pressure grew, Israel has said in recent days it would allow more aid into the devastated territory, which was under a complete blockade for two months ending in late May. Sisi said Egypt has a large number of aid trucks waiting at the Rafah border crossing, but 'for aid to enter, coordination is necessary'. 'The other party that is inside the Rafah crossing on the Palestinian side must open for this aid to enter,' he added, referring to Israel's military. Formerly a vital conduit for life-saving aid, the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza has been effectively closed since Israeli forces seized its Palestinian side more than a year ago. As a result, Gaza-bound aid from Egypt must be rerouted through an Israeli crossing to the east, where Israel inspects the deliveries before they are cleared to enter. Faced with growing frustration at home and across the Arab world, Sisi said Egypt's 'ethics, values and national responsibility' would not allow it to obstruct the delivery of sorely needed aid to Palestinians across the border. Last week, protests broke out outside the Egyptian embassies in Lebanon and Libya, where demonstrators demanded an immediate end to what they called Egypt's complicity in blockading Gaza. Crowds in both Arab capitals chanted slogans against the closure of the Rafah border crossing and called on the Egyptian government to allow uninterrupted aid into the Palestinian territory.
Al Arabiya
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Egypt's al-Sisi tells Trump to exert all efforts to end Gaza war
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi tells US President Donald Trump to exert all his efforts 'to end war in Gaza and allow entry of aid,' adding that Trump can end this war. Developing
Zawya
6 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Egyptian President urges accelerated oil, gas discoveries, lower import bill
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met on Tuesday with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi to review recent developments in the petroleum and mining sectors, the presidency announced in a statement. Presidential spokesperson Mohamed El-Shennawy said the minister presented the ministry's current strategy, which focuses on boosting exploration and production, maximising value through refining and petrochemical industries, and launching a new phase in mining to deepen its economic contribution. The meeting reviewed government efforts to secure domestic energy needs, particularly for the electricity sector, alongside updates on exploration activities and newly added reserves. The minister reported significant achievements between July 2024 and June 2025, including a rise in domestic oil and gas output and successful measures to curb the natural decline in gas production. Discussions also addressed steps to reduce outstanding payments to foreign partners and the ministry's ongoing commitment to settle monthly dues, aimed at fostering greater investment and accelerating project timelines. Participants reviewed key infrastructure developments, notably the expansion of floating regasification unit capacity from 1,000 to 2,250 million cubic feet per day—strengthening supply security and emergency preparedness. The meeting also discussed cooperation with Cyprus to diversify gas imports and advance Egypt's vision to become a regional gas trading hub. On the mining front, officials outlined plans to transform the Mineral Resources Authority into a commercially active entity, sign agreements with leading international companies, and establish value-added industries driven by national investment. President Al-Sisi underscored the importance of sustaining an attractive investment environment, bolstering domestic oil and gas production to support national development, reduce the import bill, and ease pressures on citizens. He called for accelerating the connection of new discoveries to production, expanding exploration programmes, and offering additional incentives to spur growth in the petroleum and mineral resources sectors. © 2024 Daily News Egypt. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Times
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Egyptian belly dancer sentenced to hard labour for ‘violating morals'
An Italian-Egyptian belly dancer with more than two million Instagram followers has been arrested in Egypt on charges of offending public morality as local authorities clamp down on performers of the dance. Linda Martino faces a year of hard labour after she was arrested at Cairo airport and accused of 'using seduction techniques and provocative dancing to incite vice'. Her arrest follows the arrest of other famous belly dancers in Egypt in recent years as the hardline government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi takes a dim view of belly dancing, even though it remains popular in Egypt. The indictment accuses Martino of appearing 'in indecent clothing, deliberately exposing sensitive areas of her body, in clear violation of public morals and social values.' Belly dancing can be found in nightclubs and at weddings in Egypt and is considered part of the country's heritage by noted performers such as Amie Sultan, who has campaigned to secure its recognition by Unesco. However, despite its cultural status, Egyptian women taking up belly dancing face stigma. Safy Akef, an instructor and the great-niece of the 1950s performer Naima Akef, said this month: 'No woman can be a belly dancer today and feel she's truly respected.' The result is foreign women — mainly from Russia and South America — are increasingly recruited. Recent arrests have targeted non-Egyptian dancers including Ekaterina Andreeva, a Russian dancer based in Cairo with a million followers on Instagram who was handed a year in jail with hard labour. Martino was born in Egypt but became an Italian citizen after marrying an Italian businessman, the Italian daily La Repubblica reported. During an initial hearing, she defended her profession, claiming 'belly dancing is an art, it cannot be a crime. I am a dancer and the videos on which the accusations are based are normal — they show a dance performance that do not go against or violate public morality.' She added: 'I don't know why Egypt is doing this, but I am also an Italian citizen and at this point I am asking for the Italian consulate to get involved.' • MPs attack Egypt over illegal detention of activist Italian media reported the Italian consul in Egypt has asked to visit the dancer. The arrest prompted complaints from opposition politicians in Italy who recalled the arrest in Cairo in 2016 of the Italian Giulio Regeni, a Cambridge doctoral student studying in Egypt. His battered corpse was found days later by a roadside. Egyptian security officials are on trial in absentia in Italy accused of torturing him to death. 'Linda's arrest is the latest action against the rights of women and human rights by Sisi's government,' said Elisabetta Piccolotti, an Italian MP with the AVS party. 'Giulio Regeni already died in those jails and we cannot downplay the potential consequences of the jailing of this Italian woman who has been accused of violating public morality by a fundamentalist government,' she added.
Zawya
08-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Egypt calls for stronger central bank cooperation, local currency use at BRICS summit
Egypt called on BRICS nations to strengthen cooperation between their central banks and push forward with enabling financial settlements in local currencies, its prime minister said at a summit session in Rio de Janeiro. Speaking on behalf of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the world was suffering from complex crises and a decline in multilateralism, and that BRICS countries should bolster their financial and economic ties to face these challenges. 'We must enhance cooperation between the central banks of the BRICS countries and advance our efforts in enabling financial settlements in local currencies, in line with the BRICS cross-border payments initiative,' Madbouly told a session titled 'Enhancing Multilateralism, Economic and Financial Affairs, and Artificial Intelligence.' Madbouly stated that the world is experiencing a decline in the effectiveness of the international system, while developing countries are suffering from rising debt service burdens, inflation, and difficulty in accessing concessional financing for infrastructure projects. 'This situation has been further complicated by geopolitical tensions and conflicts, especially in the Middle East, which has resulted in other challenges such as illegal immigration and the displacement of populations,' he said. Madbouly said that Egypt believes in the need to strengthen the multilateral system, with the United Nations at its core, and highlighted several priorities for the BRICS group. He noted that the development finance gap for developing countries has exceeded $4 trillion annually and stressed the role of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) in providing concessional financing, particularly in local currencies. The prime minister also emphasised the important role of the private sector and the need to enhance links between businesses in BRICS countries and partner nations to implement joint projects in energy, manufacturing, and agriculture. On technology, Madbouly said Egypt welcomed the Brazilian presidency's efforts in drafting the 'BRICS Leaders' Declaration on Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence,' calling it a solid foundation for cooperation. He said BRICS nations need to formulate an effective roadmap for knowledge and technology transfer, as well as capacity building in advanced and emerging technologies, especially AI. In his closing remarks, the prime minister reiterated Egypt's full commitment to enhancing joint cooperation with BRICS member states to achieve their common goals.
