Egypt s unemployment rate dropped to 9.9 percent in the second quarter of 2018 compared to 10.6 percent in the first quarter and 12 percent for the same period in the previous year, state statistics agency CAPMAS announced on Wednesday. CAPMAS estimated the labour force in the second quarter at 29.03 million, which is 150,000 workers (0.5 percent) less than in the first quarter as a result of changes in seasonal work, and 147,000 less workers than the same period in the previous year.

On Tuesday, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met on Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in the new city of Neom, in northern Saudi Arabia, upon the king’s invitation. The meeting was attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and Abbas Kamel, head of Egypt’s General Intelligence.

Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi arrived in the new Saudi megacity Neom on Tuesday and held talks with King Salman bin Abdulaziz according to the Saudi Press Agency. The two leaders discussed Egyptian-Saudi bilateral relations during the unannounced visit.

Egypt s minister of petroleum and mineral resources Tarek El-Molla signed three agreements on Tuesday for the exploration of oil and natural gas in the Mediterranean, Western Sahara and Nile Delta regions with investments worth $139.2 million (EGP 2.5 billion) The first agreement, worth $105 million, was signed between the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), Egypt s Tharwa Petroleum, and Italy s multinational gas and oil giant Eni to drill two new wells at Noor Al-Bahareya in Egypt s Mediterranean Sea.

Egypt and China signed a $45 million grant to implement the new satellite "Egypt Sat 2 on Monday, according to an official statement by the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation. The agreement was signed by Sahar Nasr, Egypt s minister of investment and international cooperation, and the Chinese ambassador to Egypt, Song Aiguo.

Egypt rejects non-Arab forces having a foothold in Yemen, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said in a joint presser with Yemeni counterpart Abd Rabo Hadi after the two leaders held a meeting in Cairo on Monday. "Yemen s security and stability is a top priority not only for Egypt s national security, but the security and stability of the entire region, and we therefore reject Yemen becoming a stronghold for non-Arab forces, a threat to the security and stability of brotherly Arab states, or [endanger] freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Strait of Bab Al-Mandab," said El-Sisi.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has inaugurated in Upper Egypt s Assiut a new barrage and hydroelectric plant as part of a number of mega development projects set to open during the upcoming days. El-Sisi has also inaugurated the first and long-awaited 6,500-square-metre national museum in Upper Egypt s Sohag governorate.

Giza Prosecution office on Sunday has ended investigations of the murder of two Copts at liquor shop in al-Omraniya during the start of the year. The prosecution issued the notice of discontinuance after investigations failed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Egypt is set to renovate the first and oldest line of Cairo s metro system with a fund of 205 million euros, the cabinet said on Wednesday after a deal was signed between the government and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The cabinet said that the signing in Cairo was attended by PM Mostafa Madbouly, Transportation Minister Hisham Arafat and Investment and International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr.

The Supreme State Security Prosecution arrested a tax officer on Tuesday evening, accusing him of receiving bribes alongside Customs Authority head Gamal Abdel Azim, who was arrested on Monday. Alaa al-Mansoury, arrested last month, recently admitted to mediating between the two officials during interrogations. He reportedly confessed that he would send bribes to the suspected tax officer, and collaborate with him to bribe Azim to facilitate the import of prohibited goods – illegally admitting them into the country.

Egypt s total government debt service hit EGP 406.2 billion for the year 2017/18, up from EGP 370.7 billion in 2016/17, a report by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) showed on Wednesday. According to the report, the government debt service went up by EGP 35.5 billion for 2017/18, hitting the EGP 400 billion benchmark.

Transport Ministry Spokesperson Mohamed Ezz denied media conjecture that an unknown person deliberately caused Sunday’s train accident that injured six near Aswan, by removing the railway bars’ nails. While early reports attributed this claim to Transport Minister Hisham Arafat, Ezz stressed on Tuesday that Arafat made no such statement. He maintained that the Ministry is still awaiting final reports from specialized committees on the incident, as well as the results of investigations carried out by the public prosecution.

Members of Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and United States Army Special Forces continue to carry out the joint Egyptian-American military exercises "Eagle Response 2018" in Egypt s territorial waters on the Red Sea, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Armed Forces on Monday. Egyptian armed forces spokesman Tamer El-Refaei said that the initial stages of training took place over the past few days, including theoretical lectures, and training on data and field skills and combat tactics by the US special forces.

Egypt s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Monday that the government s IPO programme to float shares in a number of state-owned companies will contribute to energising the stock market, raising the market value of the companies shares, and diversifying sources of financing, in order to expand investments. Madbouly headed an economic ministerial committee meeting on Monday to discuss the latest developments in the government s IPO programme, as well as other issues, such as the reduction in public debt.

The Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation has signed an agreement with British Petroleum to drill in the Gulf of Suez region, Al-Ahram s Arabic website reported. The agreement was signed by Abed Ezz El-Regal, CEO of the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, and Hesham Mekkawy, regional president of BP, North Africa.

Egypt s interior ministry has approved 21 Egyptian nationals requests to acquire alternative nationalities and relinquish their Egyptian citizenship. The decision was published in Egypt s official gazette on Monday, and came upon request of the citizens in accordance with Law 26 of 1975, which concerns Egyptian nationality.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi answered Sunday, on the second day of the Sixth National Youth, questions sent by Egyptian youth on the situation in Palestine, Libya and Syria as part of the Presidential initiative, "You ask and the president will answer." In the session, El-Sisi answered several questions about the Middle East peace process and the so-called "Deal of the Century."

Egypt s Defence Minister Mohamed Zaki inspected armed forces security units in North Sinai governorate on Monday, to follow up on developments in Operation Sinai 2018, a comprehensive counter-terrorism operation underway since February. He passed on greetings to the troops from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, praising their success and victories over terrorism in northern and central Sinai.

Egypt s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed the latest developments in Libya with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian on Thursday, according to a statement by Egypt s Foreign Ministry. The two foreign ministers spoke in a phone call, discussing the results of Le Drian s latest visit to Libya in the light of Egypt s support for stability, a political settlement and the unification of the Libyan army in the neighbouring country.

The Trump administration has decided to unfreeze $195 million in military aid to Egypt which it had previously withheld because of concerns over Egypt’s human rights record, a US State Department official said on Wednesday. The decision to allow Cairo to use the previously blocked funds is intended to recognize “steps Egypt has taken over the last year in response to specific US concerns” and in the spirit of strengthening the partnership with Egypt, the official said.

The United States will shortly release some military aid to Cairo it had suspended last year following talks with an Egyptian military delegation currently visiting Washington, sources close to the delegation told Ahram Online on Wednesday. Washington decided in August 2017 to withhold $195 million in military aid on the basis that it couldn t certify that Egypt had made sufficient progress on human rights and democracy, and said another $95 million in aid would be spent elsewhere in the region. Cairo at the time said the decision reflected "poor judgement" and could have "negative repercussions" on common interests.