President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi gave directions to keep up the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Education in line with the comprehensive plan set to develop the education system in Egypt. Such step aims to enhance the level of knowledge for students throughout all education levels, even after their graduation, besides finding means to unleash the Egyptian students potentials and talents, El Sisi said. The remarks came during a meeting held on Monday with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Education Tarek Shawki. The meeting took up the recent efforts made by the Ministry of Education to get a comprehensive and integrated system for the basic education stage in Egypt, Presidency Spokesman Bassam Rady said. This is part of the state s strategy to build the Egyptian personality in terms of academic knowledge and skills, Rady added. In the same context, Shawki reviewed efforts by Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB) to improve the content provided for all students at different ages as well as enabling its services for Arab and African students. Moreover, Egypt will benefit from international expertise in the field of education to accelerate educational development. The minister also reviewed the results of establishing Japanese schools in Egypt, highlighting that the Ministry has recently appointed 15 Japanese specialists to be supervisors and managers at Japanese schools distributed nationwide, to ensure sustained and stable education quality based on the Japanese standards.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi instructed the government on Sunday to launch the experimental stage of the second phase of the comprehensive health insurance system in Luxor and South Sinai governorates starting March 2020. During his meeting on Sunday with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait, Health Minister Hala Zayed and Chairman of Administrative Control Authority Sherief Saif Aldeen, Egypt s president stressed on the significance of applying digitalisation procedures in the new health insurance programme. The Egyptian Ministry of Health began in September the implementation of the first phase of the new comprehensive health insurance system in the coastal governorate of Port Said The new system is scheduled to cover all of Egypt s governorates by 2032 through six phases. El-Sisi was briefed during the meeting on the procedures of implementing the first stage of the new inclusive health insurance system, which has been launched experimentally in Port Said governorate, El-Sisi s spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement on Sunday. El-Sisi was also briefed on the availability of the necessary financial allocations for operations in the current stage, the collection of revenues and contract procedures, and the readiness of health facilities in terms of efficiency and registration with the Authority of Healthcare Accreditation, the statement added. The president directed the stakeholders to organise simplified awareness campaigns to publicise the details of the new health system. During the meeting, the president also followed up on the procedures of the full implementation of the March decision to raise the minimum wage at the level of government agencies and institutions. The finance minister explained in the meeting that most government bodies have already raised the minimum wage, while the rest are expected to enact the decision by the end of November.

Egypt aims to increase industrial growth rate to 10.7 percent by 2022, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced in a business forum, as the government continues to embark on a 2018 implemented action plan to boost the sector. Madbouly told Akhbar Al Youm Economic Conference on Saturday that his government is working on increasing the sector s growth rate from a current 6.3 percent in 2019. The government has paid great attention to promoting and developing the industrial sector, which currently contributes 16.7 percent of GDP, he added He said that the industry sector represents a key pillar of sustainable development, as attracting investments, increasing manufacturing capacity and competing in foreign markets remain issues of top priority on the government s agenda. Enhancing investment helps drive economic growth along with continuing efforts to improve the business environment, he stressed. Madbouly pointed out to economic challenges faced by the country in the previous periods, which necessitated the launch of a real economic reform program, which included working to modernize the infrastructure necessary for the development process through pumping more investments in infrastructure projects, the establishment of industrial zones and new cities, alongside other national projects of economic and social impact. The government program also includes several targets in the industry sector, including the expansion of the establishment of free zones, the establishment of 12 new investment zones, the expansion of integrated industrial parks and the establishment of 13 new industrial parks, the premier said

Egypt s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly witnessed on Wednesday the signing of an agreement to purchase energy to generate electricity from solar power under the BOO (build, own, operate) system at a cost of about $200 million in Aswan’s Kom Ombo town. The deal was signed by Sabah Mashaly, chairman of the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company, Rajit Nanda, Chief Investment Officer of ACWA Power, and Hassan Amin, the regional director of ACWA Power-Egypt. The inking ceremony was attended by Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker, and Saudi Arabia s Ambassador in Cairo Osama Al-Nugali, among others. Shaker said the purchase price of electricity in the new project is 2.48 cent per kilowatt/hour, noting that it is the lowest price reached so far. Meanwhile, Mashaly said the agreement is part of the Ministry of Electricity’s strategy to expand in using sources of renewable energy to achieve 20 percent contribution out of the total power-generating sources by 2022. The project will contribute to creating about 2,000 job opportunities during the construction phase and 1,000 openings in the operation phase, in addition to attracting further investments and providing 920,000 tons of dioxide carbon per year, she added.

Cairo has said it has received an invitation, along with Ethiopia and Sudan, from the US for a meeting on 6 November to break the stalemate on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). At a press conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry gave the date for the US meeting, nearly a week after the country announced the Trump administration has delivered an invitation to the three countries on the deadlock. Shoukry described the idea of a mediator as a proof of good intentions, stressing that Egypt tries to cooperate and resolve all issues through its diplomatic and peaceful channels. It’s unclear if Ethiopia or Sudan will attend the US-sponsored meeting, as Addis Ababa has not been positive about the possibility of a mediation attempt. Shoukry has said that the idea of the mediator comes under the 2015 Declaration of Principles, signed by the three countries. Per the declaration, if the parties involved do not succeed in solving the dispute through talks or negotiations, they can ask for mediation. Cairo suggested in 2017 that the World Bank could be a mediator in the ongoing dispute; however, the proposal was rejected by Addis Ababa. Shoukry said he hopes that all parties, including private companies involved in the dam, function under one standard, and not “double standards.” "Unfortunately, we are monitoring some of the companies refrain from cooperation related to dam-building due to the lack of environmental, economic, and safety studies; while they overlook all of this when it comes to another dam, like the GERD, which hasn t provided such studies," Shoukry said. The minister referred to the matter as a “substantive” issue for Egypt, stressing that "it s not about development, it s a matter of life.” “The GERD issue is a scientific one that shouldn t be politicised. It should not be exploited to achieve political aims,” Shoukry said. His statements come a few days after Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed agreed during a meeting in Russia’s Sochi that the GERD’s independent technical committee should immediately resume its work in a more open and positive way. The $4.8 billion dam, which is being built on the Blue Nile near the border with Sudan, will be the largest hydropower project in Africa when completed in 2022, generating more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity. Tensions have been building up between Egypt and Ethiopia in recent weeks after talks on the technical details governing the operation of the dam failed to make progress. Egypt fears that the Ethiopian dam will diminish its water supply, which is dependent on the Nile, and is pushing for the dam s reservoir to be filled over seven years, while Addis Ababa insists on a three-year filling time. Ethiopia maintains that the dam, which is nearly 70 percent complete, will not harm the downstream countries of Egypt and Sudan.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi opened on Monday the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) in Sharm El-Sheikh, which is scheduled to last until 22 November. The conference, which is organised by the UN agency of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), is being held for the first time in 20 years outside the ITU headquarters in Geneva. President El-Sisi said that the conference reflects the evolution of Egyptian civilisation, and that Egypt is keeping up with and contributing to global developments. El-Sisi welcomed all the attendants and invited them to enjoy what Sharm El-Sheikh has to offer. More than 3,500 participants from 140 countries, including more than 50 ministers and deputy ministers from around the world, are participating in the conference. Houlin Zhao, secretary-general of the ITU, said that “the union was established in 1865, which is the same year when the Egypt s post service was established,” adding that Egypt is a long-time member of the ITU. The ITU secretary-general also said that the conference is being held in Sharm El-Sheikh given the security, peace and development Egypt has to offer. The WRCs are held every three to four years to review, and possibly revise, the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and the geostationary-satellite and non-geostationary-satellite orbits.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is scheduled to open on Monday the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said. The conference, which is organized by the UN agency of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), will wrap up on November 22. More than 3,500 participants from 140 countries, including more than 50 ministers and deputy ministers from around the world, will participate in the conference. The World radiocommunication conferences (WRC) is held every three to four years to review, and, if necessary, revise the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and the geostationary-satellite and non-geostationary-satellite orbits. Revisions are made on the basis of an agenda determined by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council, which takes into account recommendations made by previous world radiocommunication conferences.

Members from the Russian Air Defense Forces arrived on Saturday in Egypt to participate in a several-day joint drill with their counterparts at the Egyptian Air Defense Forces (EADF), a statement by the Egyptian armed forces said. Dubbed "Friendship Arrow - 1", the joint exercise will include several activities and events that focus on sharing air defense training and airspace security expertise. The joint drill seeks to stimulate the use of modern skills and tactics for more efficient operation management and planning and standardization of military concepts The training is part of the Egyptian and Russian armed forces efforts to bolster mutual cooperation. It demonstrates the strategic cooperation ties between both countries in various domains.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met with Ethiopia s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on the sidelines of the of the Russia-Africa Summit held in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Thursday. The current talks between the two leaders discussed a number of issues of mutual concern as well as challenges facing the region. The meeting lasted around 45 minutes and took place "in a positive atmosphere," and Egyptian diplomatic source source told AFP, without providing details. Meanwhile the Kremlen announced Thursday that Russian President Valdimir Putin offered to mediate between Egypt and Ethiopia on the Grand Renaissance Ethiopian Dam issue. The Russian offer comes two days after Egypt s Foreign Ministry said that has accepted an invitation from the US administration to host a meeting of the foreign ministers of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia in Washington to discuss the GERD, without specifying dates. Last week Ethiopia affirmed its firm stands not to accept any mediation other than the tripartite consultations on the filling and operation of GERD. The Office of the Prime Minister has also announced that Ethiopia stands ready to resolve any differences and outstanding concerns by consultation among the three riparian countries. In the same statement, Egypt Foreign Ministry said it was “shocked by” the statements attributed to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed before the Ethiopian parliament, which included “negative signals and unacceptable hints” on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue. Ahmed said on Tuesday that his country is ready to mobilise "millions" if it comes to war over the construction of the mega-dam Addis Ababa is building on the Blue Nile, though he stressed that settling the dispute through negotiations is in everyone s best interest. Tensions have been building up between Egypt and Ethiopia in recent weeks after talks on the technical details governing the operation of the dam failed to make progress. Egypt fears that the Ethiopian dam will diminish its water supply, which is dependent on the Nile, and has been pushing for an agreement it will fill the reservoir slowly, to avoid this. But Ethiopia maintains that the hydroelectric dam, which is nearly 70 percent complete, will not restrict the river’s flow and while Egypt is requesting a period of seven years Addis Ababa insists on a three-year filling time,. Earlier this month, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s office said the two leaders had agreed in a phone call to overcome any obstacles facing negotiations on the operation of the dam. The call came after El-Sisi had congratulated Ahmed on Facebook on winning the Nobel.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has called on Russian and international firms to invest in Africa, stressing in his speech at the opening of the first-ever Russia-Africa summit on Wednesday that this is the "ideal time" for economic openness to the continent. The Egyptian President also urged regional and international funding bodies to back development efforts in the continent by offering special conditions and powerful incentives to projects and development programs there. The summit is co-chaired by President El-Sisi, who holds the rotating presidency of the 55-nation African Union (AU), and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking at the opening session of the summit in the seaside resort of Sochi, El-Sisi urged African leaders to work to improve business climate and promote private-public partnership in the region and unite to achieve "peace, stability, economic growth and development" for its people. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his speech at the opening session that his country is among the top 10 importers from Africa, but called for further boosting of trade with the continent. Moscow says trade with African countries climbed to $20 billion last year. Russia is setting up a major industrial zone comprising 23 firms in a planned international industrial and logistics hub near Egypt s Suez Canal, and Putin say there are plans for more firms to join in the future. "We are working very actively in these areas. We want to invest $190 mln in infrastructure development and attract up to $7 bln," Tass news agency quoted Putin as saying durign a meeting with El-Sisi right after the summit. Putin said Russian-Egyptian relations were developing very positively, with trade turnover growing by 14% last year to reach $7.7billion, according to Tass. He added that the United Arab Emirates is "very interested" in taking part in joint development plans between Cairo and Moscow in the production sector. El-Sisi said African countries are putting infrastructure development and promoting economic integration at the forefront of joint cooperation. They also agree, El-Sisi says, that human development is another "a key prerequisite" for sustainable development in a continent where people under 25 years of age make up 65 of the 1.2 billion population. A Russia–Africa Economic Forum is being held alongside the two-day summit that brings together more than 40 African leaders. The forum, which will be attended by African heads of state, representatives of Russian, African, and international business and government bodies, will open up a myriad of commercial and investment opportunities and help develop economic ties between African countries and Russia, according to El-Sisi A number of trade, economic, and investment agreements is expected to be signed after the forum concludes. Besides boosting political and economic cooperation, the summit is planned to lay out measures to fight terrorism, cross-border crime, and threats to regional and global security. A joint document will be adopted following its conclusion, according to the summit s official website.

British government removes a advisory against flying to Egypt s Sharm El Sheikh resort, a statement read on Tuesday. The British government has today informed airlines that it no longer advises against flying to Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh Airport, British embassy in Cairo said in a statement on Tuesday. “The UK has been clear that flights to Sharm El-Sheikh should resume when the security situation allows. I am pleased that today we can announce the lifting of the current restrictions. We will continue to work closely with our partners in Egypt and airlines that plan to resume flights in the future,” British minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Dr Andrew Murrison said. The UK had banned direct flights to Sharm El-Sheikh in the wake of the downing of a Russian passenger jet in October 2015, which killed all 224 people on board. Egypt has since boosted security procedures at its airports. On his part, British Ambassador to Egypt Sir Geoffrey Adams said “This announcement follows our aviation security experts’ close cooperation with their Egyptian counterparts. We will work closely with airlines who wish to resume flights. “We will also continue our work with Egyptian officials to ensure the safety and security of British nationals, which remains our top priority.” Adams added. According to the statement, the number of UK tourists have grown in recent years, despite the restriction on flights to Sharm El-Sheikh. There were approximately 415,000 British visitors to Egypt in 2018.

The speaker of the Egyptian parliament, Ali Abdel-Aal, said in a Sunday morning session that the Egyptian government should raise the alarm about the phenomenon of "foreign fighters" who are currently involved in terrorist wars against the governments and national armies of Iraq, Syria and Libya. "These kinds of foreign fighters, who are members of Daesh or other terrorist groups, could come back home or move to other fronts or work as sleeper cells, and the government should be ready to protect the country from this phenomenon," said Abdel-Aal. According to Abdel-Aal, Egypt s battle against terrorism and terrorists should not be confined to armed struggle. "The battle should also include cultural, social and media elements to raise the awareness of the people of this dangerous phenomenon," said Abdel-Aal. "I mean that all government authorities should prepare from now and join shoulders to safeguard the country from this big threat," said Abdel-Aal. He proposed that a joint governmental-parliamentary committee be formed to seek new strategies that can help fight extremism, hate speech, and send early warning signals on the return of foreign fighters and sleeper cells, adding that "I will reveal later when and how this proposed committee will be formed." In the meantime, Abdel-Aal decried the current Turkish military assault on northeastern Syria. "In fact, the policies of the leadership of Turkey and its invading forces are barbaric and deserve the condemnation of all world countries because they violate international law and the UN charter," said Abdel-Aal. Ahmed Raslan, head of the parliament’s Arab Affairs Committee, said the Turkish aggression against the sovereignty of Syria is "heinous and barbaric." "This aggression represents the agenda of Muslim Brotherhood and other terrorist organizations, which devastated many Arab countries and spread chaos," said Raslan, arguing that "Turkey and Qatar are primarily to blame for the proliferation of terrorism in the Arab world." The session was attended by Bassam Darwish, Syria s ambassador to Egypt, and a delegation of Syrian MPs and officials. Speaker Abdel-Aal urged MPs to applaud in appreciation of the presence of the Syrian ambassador and delegation.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi said the Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) has managed to overcome challenges to uphold the principles of justice and protection of rights and freedoms. El-Sisi tweeted on Saturday that he is proud of the efforts exerted by the court on that score. The president’s remarks were made on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the constitutional jurisdiction in Egypt as he received representatives of 48 Arab, African, and foreign supreme and constitutional courts. He underscored the important role played by supreme constitutional courts to provide judicial protection for citizens. He reiterated that such protection is guaranteed under the constitutional legitimacy to strike a balance between rights and freedoms of citizens and help public authorities carry out their duties. El-Sisi emphasized the need to raise popular awareness about the role of law and judicial institutions to enable countries to confront various challenges, including terrorism and extremism. Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said El-Sisi s meeting with the heads and representatives of the courts tackled some important issues, particularly the roles of these institutions to preserve sovereignty of states. The attendees, meanwhile, stressed that Egypt stands as a model for respecting the rule of law and judicial independence.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held Wednesday talks with Lithuania’s Chancellor of the Government Algirdas Stončaitis, where they discussed means of boosting bilateral ties in various fields. During the meeting, Shoukry expressed his satisfaction with the level of cooperation between Cairo and Vilnius, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said in a statement. Egypt is keen on reinforcing relations with Lithuania, especially in renewable energy, information technology, cybersecurity and agriculture sectors, as well as increasing the volume of trade exchange and investments between the two countries, Shoukry said. For his part, Stončaitis hailed Egypt’s economic reforms, and highlighted his country’s keenness on reinforcing cooperation with Egypt. He also praised Egypt’s efforts in the fight against terrorism and illegal immigration, in addition to maintaining security and stability in the Middle East and Africa.

The Egyptian National Post Authority has released a new postage stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Egyptian constitutional judiciary. The first constitutional court was established in 1969 and named "The Supreme Court”. However, in 1979 it was replaced by the Supreme Constitutional Court established by law No. 48/1979, after it was stipulated in articles 174 to 178 of the Egyptian Constitution of 1971. The Supreme Constitutional Court is the highest judicial power in Egypt, and is responsible for interpreting legislative texts and judging the constitutionality of laws and regulations. The current president of the court is Counselor Said Maree Mohamed Gad, and it is currently located in Maadi, Cairo. Essam Al-Saghir, chairman of the National Post Authority, stated that the Supreme Constitutional Court "occupies a high position in the conscience of Egyptians," and that the authority issued a commemorative stamp on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the constitutional judiciary, to mark this major event. He added that the National Post Authority is always keen to issue postal stamps that commemorate important occasions in Egyptian history. Counselor Said Maree handed Essam Al-Saghir the shield of the Supreme Constitutional Court on the occasion of issuing the stamp, in recognition of the current boom in Egyptian post.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly flew to Washington, DC late on Monday for the annual meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund which runs through Sunday. The World Bank Group/International Monetary Fund 2019 Annual Meetings bring together around 3,000 delegates from around the world including central bankers, finance ministers, private sector executives and parliamentarians to discuss issues of global concern including the world economic outlook and poverty eradication. The IMF said this year s meetings will feature seminars and regional briefings focused on the global economy, international development, and the world s financial system. The gatherings take place from 14 to 10 October.

Egypt s ambassador to Sudan Hossam Eissa said Sunday that Cairo spares no effort to boost cooperation with Khartoum for achieving development in various fields, especially the bilateral projects. Eissa s remarks came during his meeting with Sudanese Energy and Mining Minister Adel Ali Ibrahim, where they discussed enhancing the bilateral ties, especially in the domain of electricity linkage project. The ambassador highlighted the importance of the electricity linkage project between the two neighboring countries, which is expected to meet the needs of energy for Sudan.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Saturday that Egypt attaches great importance to Syria s territorial integrity and the unity of its people. Receiving a delegation of the Syrian Democratic Council, the foreign minister asserted that Egypt stands at the same distance from all components of the Syrian people. The meeting was held ahead of the extraordinary Arab ministerial meeting that was called for by Egypt to discuss the Turkish aggression on Syria. Members of the delegation posted Shoukry on the latest developments related to the situation on the ground amid the Turkish aggression against Syria, according to Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez. They also reviewed the overall serious events and challenges in this regard and their repercussions on the humanitarian situation and the large-scale waves of displacement. Shoukry voiced Egypt s condemnation of the Turkish aggression against Syria which he said is an occupation of an Arab State. Shoukry added that fighting the Turkish aggression on Syria is a legitimate right in accordance with article 51 of the UN Charter.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Iraqi president Barham Saleh discussed in a phone call the situation in Syria after Turkey’s offensive against the country, the Egyptian presidency said on Wednesday. In the call, the two leaders agreed to continue discussions to "counter the Turkish move and to preserve the integrity and unity of Syria," presidency spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement. Turkey launched a military offensive against Kurdish militia in northeast Syria on Wednesday, few days after US troops withdrew from the area. The move represents a "dangerous development that threatens international peace and security and exacerbates the crisis situation in the region," the statement read. The Arab League said it would hold an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss the "Turkish aggression” on Syrian territory following a call by Egypt for the 22-state body to meet over the matter. The Turkish offensive has drawn a flurry of international denunciation including from the European Union, the UK, Germany and Italy.

Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) project will help transfer advanced technologies to Egypt, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker said. Shaker made his remarks at the opening session of the second edition of the Nuclear Industry Suppliers Forum, which kicked off on Tuesday in Cairo. As per the NPP project s execution contacts, the minimum for local component for the first nuclear unit has been set at 20 percent, the minister said, noting that the figure will reach 35 percent for the fourth unit. Shaker asserted that the political leadership in Egypt and Russia attach constant attention to this mega national project due to its strategic importance to both countries. The forum is held as part of the two countries s efforts to bolster cooperation ties, which date back to the mid-20th century, Shaker said. Minister of Military Production Mohamed El-Assar, First Deputy Director General for Corporate Development and International Business of ROSATOM Kirill Komarov and Head of the Egyptian Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) Amgad El-Wakeel attended the session along with a host of senior officials from several global companies involved in the nuclear industry.

Egypt will host the seventh tripartite summit with Cyprus and Greece on Tuesday to discuss common key challenges. The summit will be headed by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in the presence of Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The summit will be the seventh to gather the leaders of the three countries since 2014. In May 2018, an Egyptian-Greek-Cypriot summit was held in Athens. The timing of the summit is crucial in the light of the latest developments in the Eastern Mediterranean region. During the summit the three leaders are scheduled to sign bilateral and trilateral investment agreements. They will stress the importance of cooperation between neighbouring countries as a cornerstone of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Turkey announced on Thursday that it had sent a drilling ship to waters off southern Cyprus where Greek Cypriot authorities had awarded hydrocarbon exploration rights to Italian and French companies. Turkey has drilled two wells in the waters to the east and west of the island, triggering strong protests from Nicosia and the European Union in recent months, including EU sanctions.