North Africa

Cairo's film festival turns 50 with 145 films and a tribute to Abderrahmane Sissako

The 47th Cairo International Film Festival runs from 11 to 20 November. Morocco's Nabil Ayouch chairs the main jury, and 850 young filmmakers will take part in its industry days.

Cairo15 October 20262 min read

One date in five is grown in Egypt. Now it wants to sell them finished

Egypt produces 20% of the world's dates and has planted the world's largest date farm. At the festival in Siwa, the government set out how to earn more from every harvest.

Siwa15 October 20262 min read

Egypt opens a EGP 700m dry port in Alexandria to take pressure off the seaport

The Amreya dry port, Egypt's second, lets cargo be handled away from the quays. Thirty-three more are planned.

Alexandria15 October 20261 min read

Egypt offers 400 ready-built factory units to small investors

The units, in 11 industrial complexes across 10 governorates, come with utilities and can be bought or rented online from 15 to 29 October.

Cairo15 October 20261 min read

Egypt and Djibouti sign a trade protocol to open the Horn of Africa to Egyptian goods

Djibouti offers access to the Horn's markets from the mouth of the Red Sea; Egypt offers medicines, fertilisers, food and engineering goods.

Cairo15 October 20261 min read

Investors see less risk in Egypt than at any time since 2014, minister says

Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk told investors in Bangkok that the private sector now accounts for 65% of investment and the economy is growing at 5.1%.

Bangkok15 October 20261 min read

Morocco's first woman prime minister forms a four-party government

Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri's coalition holds 207 seats in the lower house, nine more than it needs for a majority.

Rabat14 October 20261 min read

Diaspora

Egyptians abroad send home $33.9bn in eight months, up 27%

Money sent by Egyptians working overseas reached $4.2 billion in August alone, the central bank says.

Cairo14 October 20261 min read

Big ships are coming back to the Suez Canal

The canal says 166 large container ships crossed between July and September, against 16 in the same months last year.

Ismailia14 October 20261 min read

Egypt swings to a $2.8bn payments surplus

Remittances of $47.3bn and a jump in foreign investment outweighed a trade deficit that widened by more than a quarter.

Cairo13 October 20261 min read

Diaspora

Spain clears Ceuta's last big migrant camp before royal visit

More than 350 police, backed by soldiers, moved hundreds of people from makeshift shelters two days before the king and queen arrive.

Ceuta13 October 20261 min read

Health

Drought and war push Darfur and Kordofan towards famine

A UN-backed hunger monitor says child malnutrition in two Darfur camps is above the famine threshold, and only a quarter of the sickest children are being treated.

Port Sudan13 October 20262 min read

Air strikes kill dozens of gold miners on Sudan-Egypt border

A Sudanese rights group says at least 72 people died at a remote mining site and blames Egypt's air force. Cairo has not commented.

Port Sudan12 October 20262 min read

Egypt and Indonesia aim for $5bn in trade by 2030

Presidents Sisi and Prabowo signed four agreements in Jakarta. Indonesia also backed Egypt's position on the Nile.

Cairo12 October 20261 min read

Technology

The Egyptian apps taking the shame out of periods

Only one Egyptian woman in five has medical insurance. A Cairo app and a maker of reusable underwear are building products around what women will not ask aloud.

Cairo12 October 20262 min read

Egypt's inflation eases to 13.9% as vegetable prices jump

The annual rate in cities fell for September, but prices rose 1.3% in the month, led by a 15% rise in vegetables.

Cairo11 October 20261 min read

Health

Egypt and African Union agency plan push on local medicines

The two agreed in Berlin to draw up a long-term plan to make more drugs and vaccines in Africa. No projects or funding have been announced.

Berlin11 October 20261 min read

Carthage music festival returns with Tunisia's own stars

After nearly two years away, the festival drew a young crowd with 26 acts from 15 countries, at least 60% of them Tunisian.

Tunis11 October 20261 min read

UN extends Sudan sanctions for just two more months

The Security Council agreed only a short "technical rollover". In Darfur, 700,000 displaced people in one town are short of food, water and medicine.

New York11 October 20261 min read

A hundred fishing boats for Luxor's poorest fishers

Egypt's biggest state bank has given motorboats and gear, free, to breadwinners who could not afford a vessel of their own.

Luxor11 October 20261 min read

Morocco's king puts youth at the top of the agenda

Opening parliament months after youth-led protests, Mohammed VI called for equal opportunities in education, skills and work. The opposition says it will judge by results.

Rabat10 October 20261 min read

Technology

Cairo mall gets a vending machine that sells gold

Shoppers can buy gold bars from a quarter of a gram, and silver from five grams, with a bank card.

Cairo10 October 20261 min read

Old skulls reopen the question of sacrifice in ancient Egypt

A new study of 46 skulls from the tombs of Egypt's first kings finds injuries around the time of death in 18 of them.

Abydos10 October 20261 min read

Egypt and South Korea sign 12 agreements and open free trade talks

President Sisi pitched a Korean industrial zone on the Suez Canal to 23 companies in Seoul before flying on to Malaysia.

Seoul10 October 20261 min read

Tunisian blogger jailed for 26 months over a Facebook Live video

Hajer Awadi was convicted of glorifying terrorism, inciting hatred and making threats after speaking about a security operation. A press freedom group calls it punishment for criticism.

Tunis9 October 20261 min read

Health

Medicines are running out in Darfur, WHO warns, with its appeal 23% funded

More than 700,000 displaced people in Tawila face severe shortages, the agency's Sudan chief says. The UN Security Council has meanwhile extended its Sudan sanctions for two months.

Tawila9 October 20261 min read

Egypt charges six fact-checking journalists with terrorism offences

Prosecutors say the staff of the platform Matsadaash worked for the banned Muslim Brotherhood. The outlet denies it, and lawyers say the journalists were tortured, which the Interior Ministry rejects.

Cairo9 October 20261 min read

Sudan's war may have killed 80,000 people last year, researchers estimate

A new statistical model puts the likely 2025 toll far above the confirmed counts. It comes as a record number of countries vote to keep the UN's Sudan investigation running.

PANM8 October 20262 min read

Morocco's Salé film festival puts women in cinema centre stage

The festival's 19th edition celebrates women filmmakers, examines the roles and funding they are offered, and subtitles its films in Arabic for the first time.

Salé8 October 20261 min read