The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has so far licensed four NGOs — the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR); MAAT Foundation for Peace, Development and Human Rights; Partners for Transparency (PFT); and the Egypt Peace Foundation for Development and Human Rights — to monitor the presidential election scheduled between 26 and 28 March. Thirty NGOs had licences refused, and no foreign organisations were approved. NEC has to review the papers of the remaining applicants. NEC spokesperson Mahmoud Al-Sherif had said in a press conference that a total of 67 NGOs had applied.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) this week released its staff report on the second review of Egypt s economic reform programme. Egypt is receiving three-year funding of $12 billion from the IMF s Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Half that sum has already been disbursed, and the EFF ends in fiscal year 2018-19. The outlook for the Egyptian economy according to the report is largely positive, and it commended the government for its taking ownership of the reform programme and for “their strong track record in policy implementation since the start of the programme and political support at the highest level”.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi honoured the families of Egypt s martyrs, including some officers, in a ceremony held at the Police Academy on Wednesday on the occasion of the 66th National Police Day, which also coincides the 7th anniversary of 25 January revolution. Alongside Interior Ministery Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar and senior state officials, the Egyptian president saluted the sacrifices of policemen who lost their lives to terrorism, laying a wreath of flowers at the police martyrs memorial.

Egypt s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will head to Addis Ababa on Wednesday evening to participate in a number of meetings preceding the 30th summit of the Africa Union, the Egyptian foreign ministry announced. According to the statement, Minister Shoukry will participate in a number of sideline events, including the African Committee for Commerce meeting and the African Committee for Libya meeting.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi took on Tuesday the medical examination that is required for candidates in the nation s presidential elections scheduled for March, state-owned agency MENA reported.

Presidential hopeful Sami Anan s official campaign coordinator, Mahmoud Refaat, wrote on his Twitter on Tuesday that Anan has been arrested after a statement was released by Armed Forces, in which it said that Anan will be investigated over “forgery” charges.

Reports have claimed potential presidential candidate Kahled Ali will not run for the 2018 Presidential election due in March.

The presidential election is set to begin in 120 days before the end of the current presidential term in March, according to the constitution, raising many questions among Egyptians on candidates that might run for the next presidential election.

Egypt s Minister of Immigration and Expatriate Affairs Nabila Makram Ebeid said on Monday that Egyptians living abroad will be able to cast their votes in the presidential elections on 16, 17 and 18 March, announcing that all Egyptian expats, including violators of legal status in host countries, will be allowed to vote.

The Cairo Appeal Court set February 15 to start the trial of two policemen over charges of beating to death Mohamed Abdel Hakim Mahmoud, aka Afroto, while being held at Cairo s Mokattam Police Station on suspicion in a drug-related case.

The Egyptian House of Representatives has intensified its activities lately, following a negative opinion poll conducted by the Baseera Center which showed dissatisfaction of roughly 37 percent of Egyptians with the performance of Egypt s Parliament in the period from March 2016 to April 2017.

Former presidential candidate and leftist figure Hamdeen Sabahi has signed an election endorsement in favour of lawyer and labour activist Khaled Ali, supporting his bid to run in Egypt s upcoming presidential elections, Ali s campaign said in a brief statement on Sunday.

The National Elections Authority (NEA) received requests from 48 organizations- four of them are international- seek to monitor the upcoming Egyptian Presidential elections, said NEA Spokesperson Mahmoud Helmy.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi will hold on Thursday key talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

Sudan and Ethiopia have agreed recently to deploy joint military forces to provide protection to their borders and the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD).

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi appointed his chief of staff, Major-General Abbas Kamel as acting director of General Intelligence Service (GIS) on Thursday, until appointing a new director to succeed Major-General Khaled Fawzy.

The Dekheila Prosecution in Alexandria arrested 9 men on Monday, who were believed to be engaging in “debauchery” and homosexual activity, after the Head of the Alexandria Security Directorate, Mustafa al-Nimr, deemed their behavior a threat to public security.

Egypt s Minister of Manpower and Immigration Mohamed Safaan said that January 25 is a fully paid vacation day for private sector workers on occasion of January 25 Revolution anniversary.

Egypt is expected to record the highest growth in the Levant and North Africa region, accelerating from 4.2% in 2017 to around 5.0% by 2019 and 5.5% by 2021, according to a report published by Moody s Investors Service on Tuesday.

Egypt’s pro-government media is vilifying neighboring Sudan over its expanding ties with Turkey and Qatar, Cairo’s regional nemesis, saying the three are conspiring against Egypt. While the government has publicly remained silent, the media seized on a visit this week to Sudan by Turkey’ president, a meeting between the chiefs of staff of Sudan, Turkey and Qatar and renewed efforts by Khartoum to revive a border dispute with Egypt.