Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ratified on Thursday a $500 million loan agreement with the World Bank to fund the national natural gas project in order to benefit 1.5 million households who currently rely on older means of gas consumption.

Egypt's central bank kept its benchmark interest rates unchanged at a monetary policy committee meeting on Thursday.

The government has so far paid 572 million EGP ($74 million) in compensation to Rafah residents displaced under the established buffer zone, said North Sinai Governor Abdel Fatah Harhour during a Thursday news conference.

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has saluted the sacrifices and efforts of the armed forces in the Sinai Peninsula ahead of the commemoration of the 33rd annual Sinai Liberation Day.

Dozens of illegally smuggled ancient Egyptian artifacts that were seized by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the past five years have been repatriated to Egypt, the agency announced.

Archaeological sites in the west bank of Luxor, including the Valley of the Kings, are to be opened to the public at night in order to avoid high daytime temperatures.

The phosphate shipment that sank in the Nile river has not affected drinking water, since the chemical did not dissolve, the head of the state company for water said on Wednesday.

One Egyptian and two Israelis were given life sentences Wednesday on charges of espionage, in the criminal court of North Sinai, Youm 7 reported.

Workers from the Egypt Gas company have continued their strike for a third week after negotiations with the Petroleum Ministry reached a deadlock.

Egypt’s long-awaited parliamentary election will not be held until after Ramadan due to technical and security issues, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ibrahim El-Heneidy has said.

Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh will host an international conference on illegal migration in the Mediterranean from April 23-24; Cairo will focus on sustainable development in the Horn of Africa during the meeting.

The Chiefs of Staff of the Tunisian, Jordanian and Omani armies arrived in Cairo Tuesday to discuss ways to establish the joint Arab military force to fight the region’s growing extremist threat, Youm7 reported.

Egypt's Irrigation Minister Hossam Moghazi declared a state of extreme emergency at his ministry due to the capsizing of a barge carrying 500 tons of phosphate in Upper Egypt's Qena.

Egypt's Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab traveled on Monday night to Indonesia's capital Jakarta, leading the Egyptian delegation at the 6th Asian-African summit which takes place every ten years, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

The Canadian government said on Monday it is now able to issue a passport to Mohamed Fahmy, the Al Jazeera journalist and naturalised Canadian who had been jailed in Egypt and is awaiting retrial there.

Panos Kammenos, the Minister of Defense of Greece, arrived Monday to Egypt in an official visit, along with General Michail Kostarakos, the Hellenic Army officer, and Varemenos Georgios, the Standing Committee on National Defense and Foreign Affairs Chief, and met with Egyptian Defense Minister Sedhki Sobhi, Youm7 reported.

The Giza Criminal Court ratified on Monday death sentences served to 22 defendants for breaking into the Kerdasa Police Station in July 2013.

The Minister of Finance, Hany Kadry Dimian said Egypt intends to issue Eurobonds by the end of May 2015.

Firebrand Armenian belly dancer Safinaz was sentenced to 6 months in prison and a 10,000 EGP ($1,310) fine on charges of insulting the Egyptian flag Monday, Youm7 reported.

Egypt's cabinet postponed on Monday the application of a law governing the implementation of daylight saving time, after a poll conducted revealed a desire to cancel it.

Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman says he never heard of European self-proclaimed state Liberland, warning Egyptians of possible embezzlements while seeking to immigrate.