Egypt’s central bank has called on banks to increase financing of small and medium-sized enterprises nationwide, key contributors to the state’s investment and production sectors.

Egypt’s 596-member House of Representatives held its inaugural session on Sunday, marking the final step in the roadmap announced following the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood-led government in 2013. But the session was dominated by social media sarcasm following odd moments and blunders made by several MPs who became the focus of ridicule.

If former President Hosni Mubarak and his two sons do not pay a fine of 42 million EGP ($5.3 million) the authorities may seize the equivalent from their properties, an informed judicial source told Youm7 Monday.

Ali Abdul Aal was elected Sunday as the new parliamentary speaker for Egypt’s new House of Representatives, with a total of 401 votes. Elections occurred via secret ballot boxes. Both the voting and vote counting procedures were held inside the parliament for transparency. There were 580 valid votes and five were voided.

Egypt will borrow one billion dollars in a concessional loan from a Chinese bank, to finance the establishment of sanitation networks in the country's Nile Delta villages, the state's official news agency MENA reported on Monday, citing Housing and Utilities Minister Mostafa Madbouly.

After swearing the constitutional oath, Egypt's parliamentarians have started the process of electing the new speaker of parliament.

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi appointed 18 judges as aides to the Justice Minister Ahmed el-Zend, according to a presidential decree published Sunday in the official gazette.

President Abdel Fatah al Sisi congratulated the Egyptian people Sunday on the occasion of the House of Representatives’ first session, Youm7 reported.

Egypt’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry started Monday a visit to Berlin where he will meet with a number of officials to discuss the strengthening of bilateral relations, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.

Thirteen renowned local NGOs issued a joint statement Saturday addressed to the Egyptian parliament, delineating recommendations to ensure enforcement of the constitution and human rights standards, amid the prevailing national and regional security concerns.

Egypt is attempting to verify the authenticity of media reports on the kidnapping or arrest of Egyptians in Libya, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Friday.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with China's Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Ming on Tuesday, who arrived in Cairo to set up arrangements for the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping from January 20-22.

The Cairo Court of Cassation will consider Saturday the appeal presented by lawyer of former President Hosni Mubarak and his two sons against jail sentences handed to them earlier in a case publicly known as “presidential palaces,” Youm7 reported.

Egypt received Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdel Malek al-Mekhlafi Friday morning to meet with officials to discuss the current developments in Yemen.

Amxican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Claudia Ruiz Massieu said in a Wednesday press briefing that the killing of eight tourists in Egypt last September was caused by an infringement committed by the company that organised their journey, Mexico City newspaper El-Universal reported.

A Cairo court renewed for 45 days on Wednesday the detention of high school student Mahmoud Mohamed Hussien, the first detention for Hussien in 2016 without being referred to trial.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with China's Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Ming on Tuesday, who arrived in Cairo to set up arrangements for the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping from January 20-22.

The 2013 Protest Law will be be submitted to the new parliament without amendments, announced Minister of Legal Affairs and the House of Representatives Magdy Al-Agaty stated Tuesday.

Some 5,520 tourists of different nationalities arrived in Cairo International Airport during the past 24 hours, a security source at the airport told Youm7.

The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) warned against Egypt's reliance on coal as a source of energy, saying this will have harmful health effects despite the government's pledge to commit to the implementation of European standards.

The Cairo Appeals Court accepted on Monday the recusation request submitted by the defence team in the case known as "Awsim Cell", presided over by Judge Nagy Shehata.