On the diplomatic front this morning- Madbouly attends Al Khalifa funeral in Bahrain: Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly was in Bahrain yesterday to attend the funeral of Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 84, cabinet said in a statement.

Egypt and Sudan yesterday kicked off joint military exercises that are set to last until 26 November, the Egyptian Armed Forces said in a statement. Units from Egypt’s Air Force and the Sa'ka special forces travelled to the Marwa Air Base in Sudan, where they will run combat and search and rescue drills, the statement said. The exercises come amid heightened tensions in the region as the negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam continue to tread water and a military offensive by the Ethiopian government in the restive Tigray region sends refugees fleeing into Sudan.