Egypt s economic reforms appear to be working, with growth and revenues picking up in some areas, a senior International Monetary Fund official said. "Positive results are being progressively seen," Jihad Azour, head of the IMF s Middle East department, said in an interview during a visit to Dubai.

Egypt signed three agreements and a memorandum of understanding with the European Union on Sunday, providing for Euro 600 million in funding for social, environmental and infrastructure projects, the investment ministry said in a statement. The documents were signed by Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr and EU commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn.

The UK is investing over $97 million in Upper Egypt s Benban Solar Park, set to be the largest solar installation in the world, the British Embassy announced on Monday. In an official statement, the embassy said the investment by CDC Group, the UK s development finance institution, is a part of an International Financial Cooperation (IFC)-led consortium providing a $653 million debt package to fund 13 new solar-power plants – the Nubian Suns – in the Southern Egyptian city of Aswan.

A parliamentary delegation headed by Parliament Speaker Ali Abdul Aal travelled on Friday to the United States to meet members of Congress during a six-day visit. The visit aims to strengthen relations with US congressional members, through meetings with its leadership, member of parliament (MP) Tarek El-Khouly told Daily News Egypt.

The head of parliament s media, culture and antiquities committee Osama Heikal told reporters Sunday that the committee will meet Monday to begin discussing a law on the regulation of the press and media in Egypt. "This long-awaited law represents a progressive step for media and press organisations in Egypt," said Heikal, adding, "This draft law aims to upgrade the performance of Egypt s three press regulatory bodies and help upgrade and discipline media businesses."

The US dollar to Egyptian pound exchange rate maintained its prices within the banking sector on Sunday. According to latest price updates, the US dollar rate settled at LE 17.60 for purchase and LE 17.70 for sale in the National Bank of Egypt, Bank Misr, Bank al-Qahera, al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait, Bank of Alexandria, Arab African International Bank and HSBC bank.

Egypts Minister of Interior ordered on Saturday limited changes in the top echelons of the leadership of the National Security Agency (NSA) and other sectors at the ministry as part of an inter-ministry reshuffle and reassignment, the state news agency reported. The ministry announced the names of 11 generals appointed to top positions in various sectors and departments.

A frigate ship presented by the government of South Korea to Egypt arrived at the Alexandria naval base on Thursday, the Egyptian military said. The Egypt Youth corvette was gifted to Egypt as part of wider efforts to bolster military relations between the two countries armed forces and to boost mutual cooperation in all fields, the military said in a statement.

Egypt s cabinet on Wednesday passed final regulations for a new investment law aimed at drawing foreign investment to the economy. The final draft of the legislation was approved by the cabinet in August and was sent to Egypt s State Council for a final legal review.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met with French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire in Paris on Wednesday to discuss economic ties and bilateral projects, El-Sisi s office said. During the talks, El-Sisi stressed that Egypt is "keen to develop its economic and trade relations with France by carrying out joint projects that meet the interests of both sides, contribute to creating jobs and support small- and medium-sized projects," presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef said in a statement.

Egypt s Investment and International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr said on Wednesday that the country has been working on infrastructure development to pave the way for more investments into renewable energy. Nasr, who spoke at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh amid the participation of economic leaders from over 60 countries, said that Egypt aims to increase reliance on renewable energy to 20 percent by 2022. Earlier this year, state news agency MENA quoted an official from the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy as saying that fossil fuel is used to generate 90 percent of the country s electricity.

France will discuss a possible deal to sell more Rafale fighter jets to Egypt during President s Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi current visit to Paris, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told French radio station Europe 1 on Tuesday. France has signed a number of military deals with Egypt, including the sale of 24 Rafale fighter jets, multi-tasking frigates and two Mistral warships in contracts worth of €6 billion.

Egypt has no political prisoners, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told France 24 in an exclusive interview on Monday during his three-day visit to France. In an interview that is set to be aired on Tuesday, El-Sisi answered allegations made by human rights organizations who claim that Egypt has thousands of political prisoners behind bars.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi left Cairo for Paris on Monday for a three-day state visit to France, including his first meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, state-run news agency MENA reported. El-Sisi and Macron are expected to hold a summit on Tuesday for discussions on bilateral cooperation in the fields of politics, economics and military matters.

Egypt s Investment and International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr met with Swiss Ambassador to Cairo Paul Garnier on Sunday to discuss a new strategy aimed at increasing Swiss investments in Egypt over the next three years, the ministry said in a statement. Potential areas for investment under the proposed strategy include the Suez Canal Economic Zone and the New Administrative Capital, Nasr said.

Egypt President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said the sacrifices of Egyptian security forces killed by militants on Friday "will not go in vain," in a meeting with the defence and interior ministers as well as other security officials. According to a statement released by the presidency, El-Sisi received during the meeting detailed reports on the incident.

Egypt s parliament approved during a plenary session Sunday a presidential decree declaring a three-month nationwide state of emergency, the state-run MENA news agency reported. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi issued the presidential decree 12 October, one day after a previous three-month state of emergency expired.

Egypt’s Prosecutor General, Nabil Sadek, ordered an investigation, on Saturday, into the deadly shootout that took place on Friday in the western desert between suspected islamic militants and security forces, state news website Al-Ahram reported. Sadek ordered the High State Security Prosecution to start an “extensive investigation” into the shootout, assigning the Ministry of Interior to arrest those involved.

A judge in Egypt s top appeals court stepped down on Thursday from the case of imprisoned political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, who is appealing a five-year sentence for violating Egypt s protest law, a judicial source told Al-Ahram Online. The judge gave no reason for the decision, only citing "embarassment," according to the source. His decision referred the case to another circuit, while setting a new trial date for November 8.

The Badr City Antiquities Unit of Egypt s Customs Authority foiled an attempt Wednesday night to smuggle a collection of six 19th century porcelain pots and two metal jardinière to Lebanon. Ahmed Al-Rawi, head of the Seized Antiquities Unit at the Ministry of Antiquities, explained that the items were seized at Badr City s dry land port, confiscated, and sent to the ministry because they fall under the legal category of Egyptian antiquities, which are protected by the Antiquities Law 117 of 1983 and its later amendment in law 3, 2010.

The first Gowind 2500 corvette of four ordered by the Egyptian naval forces from France, and a second Type-209/1400 submarine from Germany, arrived at a naval base in Alexandria on Wednesday, Egypt s military said in a statement. A military drill was conducted between the Egyptian and French naval forces, including the two new additions to the Egyptian fleet, in the Atlantic Ocean during their voyage to Egypt, the statement said.