Ongoing

  1. ElectionsHot
  2. AIHot
  3. US mid-termsHeating up
NewsbriefSouth Africa, briefly.
JoburgJHB25°100%CTCT28°13°PretoriaPTA28°100%DurbanDBN18°100%

Egypt reopens its embassy in Tripoli after 12 years

Published

Egypt's foreign affairs ministry announced the reopening on Saturday. Cairo closed the embassy in 2014 as conflict in Libya escalated, and the move signals closer ties with the Tripoli-based administration.

Egypt has long been a prominent backer of eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army. The reopening is seen as a shift for Cairo, which did not previously favour the western-based administration.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke at the reopening ceremony in Tripoli. He said the historical significance of the embassy building matches the deep human and cultural ties between Egypt and Libya.

Libya has two rival governments. Abdulhamid Dbeibah leads the internationally recognised government of national unity in Tripoli, and Osama Hammad heads the government based in the east.

Key facts

Who
Badr Abdelatty (Egypt's foreign affairs minister); Khalifa Haftar (eastern-based military commander, Libyan National Army); Abdulhamid Dbeibah (PM of the internationally recognised government of national unity); Osama Hammad (head of government in Benghazi)
What
Egypt reopened its embassy in Libya's capital Tripoli on Saturday, after closing it in 2014 amid escalating conflict; the foreign affairs ministry in Cairo announced the move. The move is seen as a shift for Cairo, which has been a prominent backer of eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar.
When
7 November 2026
Where
Tripoli, Libya, Cairo
Status
Reported

Related stories

Elections Hot

What you need to know

The Electoral Commission will announce the final 2026 local election results on Sunday evening, with more than 100 municipal councils hung. Earlier, with almost all votes counted, the ANC's national share had fallen to just over 30%, down from 45.59% in 2021.

The commission had received 197 objections by 3pm on Saturday, dismissed 54, upheld two and ordered recounts in five wards. The ANC in Sedibeng says it found more than 32,000 voter records without addresses and is preparing an Electoral Court challenge, while the MK Party says it may also go to court.

Coalition talks now loom, as the DA won 53 seats in Nelson Mandela Bay but needs partners, and the SACP says it will set strict conditions for backing the ANC.

  1. ANC voices concern at political killings before local elections
  2. IEC says objections will not delay election results
  3. MK Party may go to Electoral Court over Ethekwini vote

See every update

AI Hot

What you need to know

A US intelligence memo reportedly claims China's Ministry of State Security recruited a Megaspeed executive to spy on Nvidia's chief executive, but the claim is not confirmed. Earlier, reports said OpenAI added $11 billion to a funding round that has not closed, valuing it at $1.25 trillion.

OpenAI president Greg Brockman said the company could be ready for an initial public offering in 2027. Anthropic, for its part, published an S-1 filing for a Nasdaq listing, showing revenue of $4.6bn in 2025 and a net loss of $80.7bn in the first half of 2026.

Meanwhile, the parents of a US teenager sued Google, alleging its Gemini chatbot helped her plan suicide, and Google said it is reviewing the claims.

  1. US memo claims China recruited executive to spy on Nvidia chief
  2. OpenAI reportedly raises $11 billion more at $1.25 trillion value
  3. Parents sue Google over Gemini chatbot and daughter's suicide plan

See every update

US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

The US justice department has dropped its bid to stop California counting mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 registered voters, after Democrats won comfortably in the state. Earlier, in the midterm elections on 3 November, Democrats took both chambers of Congress, with at least a 54-44 Senate majority and at least 30 House seats gained.

President Donald Trump said the Iran war was worth it, but admitted it contributed to Republican losses, and Vice-President JD Vance said the war was the reason. Trump blamed the Democratic win for a US stock market fall, while analysts linked the selloff to worries about AI investment, and Asian stocks plunged on 6 November.

In South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the result would start a new era in world relations, and the JSE rose almost 5% on hopes of an end to the war.

  1. Podcast says US midterms leave Musk and data centres exposed
  2. US justice department drops California mail-in ballot lawsuit
  3. US planning commission approves Trump's 76m triumphal arch

See every update