FlyEgypt (FT) has suspended all flight operations after a failed attempt to file for bankruptcy due to substantial debt accumulation, AirwaysMag.com reported. Egypt's Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) denied FT's request to close and liquidate the company, stating that the airline must first resolve all outstanding domestic and international obligations under national and international regulations. As a result, the ECAA denied the company's request to surrender its operating license and remove its aircraft from the national register.

Israel’s central bank left interest rates unchanged even as it lowered economic-growth forecasts, with the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon causing inflationary pressures and preventing the country from joining a global easing cycle, Bloomberg News reported. The bank kept its benchmark rate at 4.5% on Wednesday, in line with the estimates of all economists surveyed by Bloomberg. It was the monetary committee’s sixth straight hold.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is set to become a minority partner in UK department-store chain Selfridges after buying out the position of the now-insolvent Signa Group, Bloomberg News reported. The PIF will take a 40% stake in both the property and operating businesses of Selfridges, according to an emailed statement from current co-owner Central Group. The Thai retail conglomerate will own a 60% stake, with the deal including new investment from both shareholders to shore up Selfridges’ financial position.

At the end of 2022, the Selina hospitality chain went public on Wall Street through a merger with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) at a value of $1.2 billion. Founded and managed by Israelis Daniel Rudasevski and Rafi Museri, Selina was one of the hottest brands in the market, presenting investors with plans for a novel hospitality experience. However, its performance did not meet expectations, and within less than two years, the chain fell into insolvency, Calcalistech.com reported. By the end of August, all its assets were sold.

Egypt kept interest rates at a record high as it weighs the effects of a new round of subsidy cuts on inflation that’s been slowing for five straight months, Bloomberg News reported. The central bank maintained its deposit rate at 27.25% and the lending rate at 28.25%, its Monetary Policy Committee said Thursday in a statement. The decision was correctly predicted by six of nine economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The others, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc., expected a cut of 100 basis points.

Lebanon charged its embattled former central bank governor Wednesday with the embezzlement of $42 million, three judicial officials told The Associated Press. Riad Salameh was charged by the Financial Public Prosecution a day after he was detained following an interrogation by Lebanon's top public prosecutor over several alleged financial crimes. His case has been transferred to an investigating judge, the officials added, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Israel’s central bank left interest rates unchanged, seeking to balance the impact of rising inflation against weak growth as uncertainty surrounds fiscal policy, Bloomberg News reported. The monetary committee kept its benchmark rate at 4.5% on Wednesday for a fifth straight meeting. In a statement accompanying the decision, policymakers largely repeated previous guidance, saying the focus should be on stabilizing markets, controlling price rises and supporting economic activity. Inflation has been on the rise, mostly linked to the war against Hamas.

Lusix, the synthetic diamond company founded by Benny Landa, is on the brink of filing for insolvency. The company has informed its creditors of its intention to do so, though the timing remains uncertain, YNetNews.com reported. Sources have told Calcalist that Lusix informed its shareholders last week that it urgently needs to raise $15 million to continue operations. Without this capital infusion, the company will likely become insolvent. Although some investors have considered providing additional funds, it is not believed that this has materialized.