Japanese PM to Visit Egypt

Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) (Egyptian Government)
Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) (Egyptian Government)
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Japanese PM to Visit Egypt

Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) (Egyptian Government)
Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) (Egyptian Government)

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is scheduled to visit Egypt on Saturday as part of an African tour to discuss regional developments.

The Prime Minister will discuss with senior Egyptian officials ways to promote cooperation between the two countries in various fields, namely renewable energy, food, agriculture, education, and tourism.

The meetings will also address regional and global challenges and the ways to confront them.

Japanese Ambassador to Cairo Oka Hiroshi, confirmed that the Japanese Prime Minister's visit comes within the framework of the continued efforts by both countries to achieve sustainable development and regional and international cooperation and to enhance regional security and stability.

The ambassador told the MENA news agency that Kishida will start his Middle East and Africa trip with his Egypt visit, reflecting the importance of the relations between the two countries.

The visit aims to promote cooperation between the two countries, said Hiroshi, adding that Japan considers Egypt an essential partner in the Middle East and Africa.

He said it also comes amid the growing strategic importance of the partnership between the two countries in facing regional, economic, and security challenges.

According to the ambassador, bilateral economic relations have witnessed remarkable development recently, as Japan is one of Egypt's most important trade partners.

Japan's foreign direct investments in Egypt doubled last year, and Japanese companies seek to explore business opportunities in Egypt.

Japan also provides financial and technical support for development projects in Egypt and works to achieve sustainable development.

The Japanese ambassador pointed out that Egypt is an essential partner for Japan in the Middle East, as it enjoys a strategic location and has significant natural resources, especially in renewable energy, and a high level of local manpower.

He said Egypt is also a gateway to trade and investment in the region.

In August last year, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly participated in the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) summit. He affirmed that the African continent is facing "severe economic challenges."

During his speech at the summit, Madbouly urged the international community to support African national agricultural policy goals to achieve self-sufficiency and sustainable development. He cautioned against the impact of a food crisis on peace and security.

Madbouly also reiterated that real economic development requires boosting peace and security and adopting a comprehensive approach that prevents the recurrence of conflicts.



Satellite Photos Show Gaza Strip Before and After War Devastation

Satellite Photos Show Gaza Strip Before and After War Devastation
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Satellite Photos Show Gaza Strip Before and After War Devastation

Satellite Photos Show Gaza Strip Before and After War Devastation

The Israel-Hamas war, now nearing a potential ceasefire, has devastated the Gaza Strip. Satellite photos offer some sense of the destruction in the territory, which has been largely sealed off to journalists and others.
Some of the images have illustrated a likely buffer zone, wanted by Israel despite international objections, which would take some 60 square kilometers (23 square miles) out of the enclave. In all, the strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea is about 360 square kilometers (139 square miles), and Palestinians hope it will be part of a future state, along with the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
Other images tell the story of how Palestinians’ lives have changed during the war. Gaza City, the dense major city in the strip, has been decimated, with buildings destroyed and roads filled with rubble.
As the war progressed, Israel ordered people to move farther south. Today, the result of that movement can be seen in images of Muwasi, just north of the strip’s southern border with Egypt. There, the sandy coast and surrounding farmland have been overtaken by thousands of tents, all visible from space, The Associated Press reported.
The images have also helped relief agencies and experts make estimates regarding the extent of the damage.
Corey Scher of City University of New York and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University have been studying Gaza since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023, after Hamas entered Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage. Their latest assessment, published Thursday, estimates 59.8% of all buildings in Gaza likely have been damaged in the war.
That's slightly lower than a December analysis from the United Nations Satellite Center. It estimated 69% of all structures in Gaza have been damaged in the fighting, which has killed over 46,000 people, according to local health authorities. They do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half of those killed.