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Egypt’s NEA to Announce Results of 2nd Round of Parliamentary Elections on Sunday

Head of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Lasheen Ibrahim speaks during a news conference in Cairo, Egypt January 8, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Head of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Lasheen Ibrahim speaks during a news conference in Cairo, Egypt January 8, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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Egypt’s NEA to Announce Results of 2nd Round of Parliamentary Elections on Sunday

Head of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Lasheen Ibrahim speaks during a news conference in Cairo, Egypt January 8, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
Head of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Lasheen Ibrahim speaks during a news conference in Cairo, Egypt January 8, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Egypt’s National Electoral Commission (NEC) will announce the results of the second round of parliamentary elections on Sunday.

Head of the NEC Lasheen Ibrahim said all results were received from the public committees on the level of the 13 governorates where elections took place as well as the votes by expatriates, noting that the results provided by committees were accurately revised.

The NEC has stressed that it is the only official body entrusted with announcing the final results of the elections.

It will hold a press conference on Sunday at Cairo’s Maspero building, headquarters of Egypt’s Radio and Television Union (ERTU), in the presence of local and foreign media, to announce the results of the second round of elections.

Ibrahim has earlier announced that the commission has not received any complaint that would affect the electoral process, asserting that any issue was dealt with in a professional and accurate manner.

During this round, which concluded last week, 2,085 candidates competed in a single-member district system in 70 constituencies, while the lists competed for 142 seats in the legislature.

The second round of elections took place in Cairo, Qalyubia, Menoufia, Daqahlia, Gharbiya, Kafr el-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai and South Sinai.

Around 31 million Egyptians were eligible to vote in 9,261 sub-committees, over 70 electoral districts, supervised by 12,000 judges, according to official figures.

The run-off elections will take place, depending on the results, on December 7 and 8 inside Egypt, and December 5, 6 and 7 for expatriates.

A total of 568 seats in the lower chamber are up for grabs in the election, with half the seats reserved for candidates running as individuals.

The other 50 percent of seats in the House of Representatives are for over 1,100 candidates running on four party lists. The president will name 28 seats, or five percent, bringing the total number of seats in the lower chamber to 596.

A quota of 25 percent of the seats is reserved for women, according to constitutional amendments approved in a national referendum last year.

The turnout in the first round of parliamentary elections was at 28.6 percent, the NEC had previously revealed.

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Arab World

Chad Govt Shuts Sudan Border Until Further Notice 

Children poke their heads and arms through holes in makeshift fabric fences in the strategic opposition-controlled town of Akobo, Jonglei State, on February 12, 2026. (AFP)
Children poke their heads and arms through holes in makeshift fabric fences in the strategic opposition-controlled town of Akobo, Jonglei State, on February 12, 2026. (AFP)
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Chad Govt Shuts Sudan Border Until Further Notice 

Children poke their heads and arms through holes in makeshift fabric fences in the strategic opposition-controlled town of Akobo, Jonglei State, on February 12, 2026. (AFP)
Children poke their heads and arms through holes in makeshift fabric fences in the strategic opposition-controlled town of Akobo, Jonglei State, on February 12, 2026. (AFP)

Chad's government said on Monday it was closing the border with Sudan until further notice, following several clashes between Chadian soldiers and armed groups involved in the civil war across the frontier.

"This decision follows repeated incursions and violations committed by the forces involved in the conflict in Sudan on Chadian territory," Communications Minister Mahamat Gassim Cherif said in a statement, adding that he wanted to halt "any risk of the conflict spreading" to his country.

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting government troops for almost three years in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and forced 11 million to flee their homes, triggering what the UN says is one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

The paramilitaries have conducted several operations near the Chad border and at least nine Chadian soldiers have been killed in separate incidents since December.

Monday's statement said Chad "reserves the right to retaliate against any aggression or violation of the inviolability of its territory and its borders".

"Cross-border movements of goods and people are suspended," the text said, adding that "exceptional exemptions" for humanitarian reasons would still be possible.

Arab World

Report: US Forces to Complete Withdrawal from Syria within a Month 

Men watch as a US military mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) armored fighting vehicle moves in a convoy along a highway outside Qamishli in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on February 23, 2026. (AFP)
Men watch as a US military mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) armored fighting vehicle moves in a convoy along a highway outside Qamishli in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on February 23, 2026. (AFP)
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Report: US Forces to Complete Withdrawal from Syria within a Month 

Men watch as a US military mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) armored fighting vehicle moves in a convoy along a highway outside Qamishli in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on February 23, 2026. (AFP)
Men watch as a US military mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) armored fighting vehicle moves in a convoy along a highway outside Qamishli in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on February 23, 2026. (AFP)

US forces that led the anti-ISIS coalition in Syria will complete their withdrawal from the country within a month, three sources told AFP on Monday.

"Within a month, they will have withdrawn from Syria and there will no longer be any military presence in the bases," a Syrian government official said, with a Kurdish source confirming the development.

A third source, a diplomat, said the withdrawal should be completed within 20 days.

The United States began withdrawing on Monday from a major base in a northeastern region still under the control of Kurdish forces.

Arab World

Israeli Team in Peace Council Reveals Vision for Gaza Reconstruction

A female member of the al-Ghafir family, sits of the debris of the al-Hasayna Mosque as she recites from a copy of the Quran, during the holy month of Ramadan in western Gaza City on February 21, 2026. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
A female member of the al-Ghafir family, sits of the debris of the al-Hasayna Mosque as she recites from a copy of the Quran, during the holy month of Ramadan in western Gaza City on February 21, 2026. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
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Israeli Team in Peace Council Reveals Vision for Gaza Reconstruction

A female member of the al-Ghafir family, sits of the debris of the al-Hasayna Mosque as she recites from a copy of the Quran, during the holy month of Ramadan in western Gaza City on February 21, 2026. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
A female member of the al-Ghafir family, sits of the debris of the al-Hasayna Mosque as she recites from a copy of the Quran, during the holy month of Ramadan in western Gaza City on February 21, 2026. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

While many observers remain skeptical about the chances of success for President Donald Trump’s comprehensive Middle East peace plan, figures close to the US administration are projecting confidence. Among them are three Israelis selected for key roles in the project, though they do not formally represent the Israeli government.

According to a report in Yedioth Ahronoth, the officials insist the initiative is already underway, with Egypt, Türkiye and Qatar playing influential roles in persuading Hamas to cooperate. Despite skepticism within parts of Israel’s political and military leadership regarding the feasibility of the plan — and the ability of Trump advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to implement it — the Peace Council members argue that progress so far is “encouraging.”

The Israeli members of the council are Israeli-Cypriot businessman Yakir Gabay, high-tech entrepreneur Liran Tancman, and Michael Eisenberg, who serves as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s representative at the US coordination headquarters in Kiryat Gat.

They contend that Hamas’ agreement to disarm, coupled with reforms to Palestinian school curricula to promote “a culture of peace and tolerance,” would transform Trump’s initiative into “a historic opportunity to turn Gaza into a true Riviera.”

Gabay outlined the first phase: removing 70 million tons of rubble and unexploded ordnance, recycling usable materials, demolishing and sealing hundreds of kilometers of tunnels, and establishing rapid temporary housing in reinforced tents. Parallel efforts would focus on building infrastructure and permanent residential towers.

Plans also include modern hospitals, schools, factories, agricultural zones, road and rail networks, energy and water facilities, data centers, a seaport and an airport. Contractors experienced in constructing millions of housing units across the Middle East would be recruited, with funding reportedly secured. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are expected to be created. In addition to housing and workplaces, 200 hotels are planned.

Tancman, who advises Israel’s national cyber directorate, pledged to introduce advanced technological solutions in cooperation with American, Arab and Palestinian partners. This includes upgrading Gaza’s internet network from 2G to 5G and making access free of charge. Mechanisms for exporting Gaza-made goods are also under development.

A “New Era”?

Officials told Yedioth Ahronoth that reconstruction has effectively begun in Rafah and is expected to take three years. Israel is currently clearing debris, with 100,000 homes slated for construction in the first phase to house 500,000 residents. Infrastructure alone is projected to cost $5 billion. Ultimately, 400,000 homes are planned, with total infrastructure costs estimated at $30 billion, alongside a similar sum for construction.

A senior Peace Council member suggested that if Hamas responds positively, Israel could consider measures such as amnesty for its leaders or even purchasing weapons for cash. “Gaza and its people could enter a new era—connected and open to the world,” he said.

Separately, The Times of Israel cited a US official confirming that funds would not flow before Hamas agrees to disarm, adding that Israel must also act constructively.

An Arab diplomat cautioned that sustained pressure on both sides would be essential to ensure the plan’s success and the establishment of a technocratic administration in Gaza.