A literature-loving mummy? 📜

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• Settling gas debts 🛢️

• Egypt's next-gen sports stars 🏓

• Rare mummy finding ⚰️

• Egypt FM checks in on US-Iran talks 🇺🇸

ENERGY | DEBT SETTLEMENT
EGYPT FULLY SETTLES DANA GAS ARREARS, ENERGY SECTOR DEBT DROPS TO $714 MILLION

Egypt has cleared all overdue receivables owed to UAE-based Dana Gas with a USD 20 million payment, bringing the company's Egypt position fully current and marking the latest step in Cairo's push to restore foreign investor confidence in its energy sector.

The payment completes Dana Gas's receivables settlement following a USD 50 million transfer in January, supported by a 2024 Consolidated Concession Agreement that established clearer financial terms for international operators.

Sector-wide progress: Egypt’s Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi revealed that accumulated arrears to oil and gas partners have plunged from $6.1 billion in June 2024 to approximately $714 million by end-April 2026, with full settlement projected by the end of next month.

THE VALUE IN SUPPORTING EGYPT’S NEXT-GEN SPORT SUPERSTARS

When Egypt starts making headlines in a global sport, it’s never by chance or luck. From grassroots training to world-class competition, success is built on a system that identifies and supports talent early — and sustains it over time.

That’s exactly where athletes like Hana Gouda, Talia Islam, and Mahmoud Hosny come in. “As part of the Valu’s Athlete Campaign ‘For Those Who Don’t Stop’, the fintech leader is fully backing ping pong champion Hana Gouda, squash talent Talia Eslam, weightlifting champion Mahmoud Hosny.

Beyond individual athletes, Valu extends its support to the New Giza Juniors water polo teams, IFA Rush — the only Egyptian team participating in the Rush Open Spain tournament — and Egypt’s girls skate federation team heading to the World Cup stage.— each representing a new generation of sports stars defined by consistency, resilience, and ambition.     

Behind every rising athlete is a support system: Talent alone isn’t enough. The likes of Mohamed Salah, Feryal Abdelaziz, Ahmed Elgendy, and now these next-gen athletes, didn’t arrive on the biggest stages of world sport because luck was on their side. They all possessed a common denominator: a solid support system that includes coaching, infrastructure, and increasingly, financial backing. That’s where Valu is stepping in.

By believing in these athletes, Valu is extending its role beyond financial services and into empowering performance, discipline, and long-term ambition. It’s a move that reflects a broader shift: brands are no longer just sponsors — they are becoming active partners in building ecosystems around talent.

And in a sport like table tennis, where Egypt has made little impact, sustained investment in generational talents like Gouda isn’t just support — it’s a strategy to put Egypt on the map.

And it’s already paying off: Gouda made history as the first African and Arab female player to reach the quarterfinals on the world stage. Her journey is a clear embodiment of what ‘For Those Who Don’t Stop’ stands for; persistence, growth, and the drive to come back stronger.

This kind of backing helps athletes focus on what matters most: training, competing, and winning — without being held back by resource constraints that often limit potential. Because whether in business or in sport, growth follows access.

And by supporting emerging champions today, Valu is helping shape what Egypt’s victories look like tomorrow.

ARCHEOLOGY | ANCIENT EGYPT
ANCIENT MUMMY FOUND WITH A COPY OF THE ILIAD

A Spanish archaeological mission uncovered a 1,600 year-old Roman-era mummy at Al Bahnasa, Minya with a fragment of Homer's Iliad placed on the abdomen. Unlike previously discovered burial papyri containing protective spells or ritual formulas, this marks the first use of secular literature in Egyptian funerary practice — becoming the first known instance of a literary text used in mummification.

The Tourism and Antiquities Ministry announced the discovery by the University of Barcelona and the Institute of the Ancient Near East, identifying the papyrus as part of the "Catalogue of Ships" from Book II of the ancient epic.

Wait, there’s more: The excavation also revealed three limestone tombs containing multiple mummies, including three with gold foil on their tongues and another with copper. Large jars held cremated remains, one containing an adult, infant, and feline head wrapped together.

MIDDLE EAST | US-IRAN | WAR
EGYPT FM AND US MIDDLE EAST ENVOY WITKOFF DISCUSS LATEST US–IRAN NEGOTIATIONS

Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held talks with US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff to discuss the trajectory of US-Iran negotiations following Tehran's submission of a revised proposal through Pakistani mediation.

The call took place one day after Iran delivered a new negotiating text to Pakistan, the designated mediator in talks with Washington aimed at ending the conflict, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.

Cairo's push: Abdelatty stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to support the negotiation track and reach a political settlement, emphasizing adherence to diplomatic approaches that consolidate the one-month ceasefire, end the war, and ease regional tensions.

White House stance: The US declined to detail the proposal's contents, with deputy press secretary Anna Kelly stating only that "discussions continue" while reaffirming President Trump's position that Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons.

Witkoff praised Egypt's role in supporting de-escalation efforts and expressed commitment to ongoing coordination and consultation in the coming period.