Egypt unveiled on Thursday a major extension of the Suez Canal that President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has billed as an historic achievement needed to boost the country's ailing economy after years of unrest.

The Engineering Department of the Armed Forces completed on Wednesday the demolishing of the National Democratic Party (NDP) building that was located a few meters away from Tahrir Square, amid the cheering of passersby.

A 30-day-exhibition entitled "Antiquities on the banks of the Suez Canal" opened Tuesday at the Ismailia Museum, in accordance with the Ministry of Antiquities’ celebration of the official opening of the new Suez Canal waterway.

Dozens of Egyptian fisherman who had been detained in Sudan for allegedly trespassing in Sudanese waters were released late on Wednesday, an Egyptian foreign ministry statement said.

The Supreme Electoral Commission (SEC) has decided to form a permanent committee to record and update voters’ data, according to a Tuesday statement by the council.

Egypt's foreign reserves lost US$1.55 billion to reach $18.534 billion at the end of July from $20.080 billion the previous month, the central bank said on Wednesday.

On the occasion of the New Suez Canal inauguration, Egypt has designated Thursday August 6 as an official holiday for public sector employees, cabinet spokesperson Houssam al-Qawish said in a statement Wednesday.

Authorities at Cairo International Airport foiled on Tuesday an attempt to smuggle 761 historical books in Arabic and French, the Antiquities Ministry announced.

At the heart of the preparations for the upcoming inauguration of the new Suez Canal waterway on Thursday the 150-year-old presidential yacht, El-Mahrousa, stands out because of its long association with the Suez Canal.

Egypt and Ukraine agreed on Wednesday on a deal which will see Egypt give Ukraine cotton in return for Ukrainian wheat, the state news agency MENA reported.

Fireworks in the morning. Naval and air show. Live streaming on mega-screens in major cities around the world. Folklore performances and a revival of Verdi’s Opera Aida (written for but not performed at the inauguration of the original Suez Canal in 1869). This is a sample of what to expect on 6 August, along with the more rudimentary distribution of 50 fishing boats to locals and the opening of 460 fisheries.

Egypt's Transportation Minister Hany Dahy has said that Egyptians will be able to use railways services for free on Thursday, on the occasion of the inauguration of the "new Suez Canal" waterway.

The US delegation currently visiting Cairo said the United States supports Egypt's security and stability and calls for the punishment of those involved in crimes of violence, but at the same time demands an end to torture and the violation of detainee rights, fearing it could lead Islamists and Brotherhood supporters to join terrorist organizations.

Egypt has awarded five oil and gas concessions that are expected to bring in minimum total investments of about $100 million, the oil ministry said in a statement on Monday, as the country seeks to boost investment in the key energy sector.

The United States delivered five M1A1 Abrams Tank turrets to Cairo East Air Base on July 31 as part of ongoing American security support to Egypt. Built in the State of Ohio, the turrets were flown in directly from the United States and immediately delivered to the Egyptian Tank Plant for US-Egyptian M1A1 tank co-production.

Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy says high-profile lawyer Amal Clooney is defending him because she believes he is innocent, with the lawyer to lobby Egypt's president for a pardon if her client is again convicted of terrorism-related charges.

23-year-woman, who bled to death after being gang-raped by five men in Giza, has triggered an outcry by women’s rights groups, Youm7 reported Sunday.

Egypt’s first locally-manufactured air-conditioned train will operate August 6 to mark the inauguration of the New Suez Canal; Transportation Minister Hany Dahi was quoted by Youm7 Sunday.

Investment Minister Ashraf Salman said that the ministry has received a number of letters of intent for investment in the Suez Canal axis development projects from investors from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, China and Italy.

The opening ceremony of the New Suez Canal, which will take place in less than 72 hours, will be secured by more than 10,000 police personnel assigned by the interior ministry, reported state news agency MENA on Monday.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry affirmed Sunday that his country aims to support Egypt to “double its economic growth.”