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.

Ethiopia denied on Sunday that trilateral negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) have reached a dead end, asserting its readiness to resolve any differences that impede consultations with Egypt and Sudan. Abiy s comments came one day after the Egyptian side announced that the negotiations on the GERD had reached a dead end due to the “intransigence” of the Ethiopian side. “Ethiopia stands ready to resolve any differences and outstanding concerns by consultation among the three countries,” Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed tweeted in English. “The Government of Ethiopia will reinforce its effort to make the ongoing trilateral dialogue a success. It also expects a similar commitment from the two downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan.” Following two-day ministerial negotiations on the dam, the Egyptian spokesperson of the Ministry of Water Recourses and Irrigation said on Saturday that Ethiopia presented a new proposal during Khartoum s meetings that was "a step back from all the principles previously agreed upon for the filling and operation of the dam." “The proposal didn t include the minimum annual drainage of the dam, or ways to deal with the cases of drought and prolonged drought that might occur in the future,” the spokesman said. In his tweets on Sunday, Abiy said that “Ethiopia commends the Water Affairs Ministers of Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt for convening in Khartoum to continue with the trilateral dialogue on the filling and operation of Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam." "Ethiopia reiterates rights of all the 11 basin countries of the Nile to utilise Nile waters based on principles of equitable utilisation, causing of no significant harm, which underlines the right of Ethiopia to develop its water resources to meet the development needs of its people," he added.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said on Sunday that the victory of 6 October 1973 represents not only a remarkable military victory in Egyptian military history but also "a unique demonstration of the nation s will." "Egypt is celebrating today one of the greatest and most glorious days in its history,” he said. “On that day the Egyptians crossed the line between despair and hope and between the past and the future." El-Sisi was speaking during a televised speech aired on Sunday, an annual public holiday in celebration of the event. In his short speech, the president said that the younger generations need to know what happened during that period in 1973 and how the people stood behind their armed forces. He also referenced a new type of war that he said targets the trust between citizens and national institutions. "That kind of war aims to destroy the trust between the citizen and his national institutions and to portray the state as the enemy," he said. Winning this new kind of war depends on the confidence of the citizens, the Egyptian president said. El-Sisi also saluted late president Anwar Sadat for his leadership during the war. "On the anniversary of the October victory, we present a respectful salute to the hero and martyr President Anwar Sadat who held responsibility even mountains don’t hold. Egypt and its people trusted him as a patriotic and strategic genius who put his nation and his people s interest above any other consideration," El-Sisi said. The October War, also known as the Arab-Israeli War, was fought by a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria against Israel from 6 to 25 October in 1973. The first day of the war saw Egyptian forces launch a successful operation to cross the Suez Canal.

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Governor Tarek Amer said deposits in Egypt s banking system totalled around EGP 4 trillion, 44 percent of which was used in the domestic market. He stated at a CBE press conference on Thursday that Egypt had succeeded in restoring confidence in its economy through improvements in the CBE policy and its performance, adding that with investment flows, foreign reserves increased and the banking system became more stable with the elimination of the black market.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi has said that the country will continue fighting terrorism and all those who stand by it, during a meeting on Tuesday with top state officials. The meeting included Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Defence Mohamed Zaki, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Interior Mahmoud Tawfik, the chief of General Intelligence Abbas Kamel, and the head of the Administrative Control Authority Sherif Seif El Din. "The president directed to continue exerting maximum efforts to pursue terrorist elements, and intensify security and military efforts in this context, affirming Egypt will continue to confront terrorism and those who finance, support and stand behind it with full force and decisiveness," a presidential statement read. The president said that the Egyptian people are fully aware of the challenges facing the country and appreciate the sacrifices made by the martyrs of the armed forces and the police for the sake of the homeland s security and stability. The meeting also looked at efforts to target criminal activities and extremist outposts all over the state with determination for its full eradication. The president also urged relevant bodies to intensify supply controls within markets to combat price hikes and deal firmly with monopolistic practices, in order to ensure the stability and availability of all goods and supplies at reasonable prices to alleviate the financial burdens of citizens, especially those with low incomes and the needy.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi approved Monday law No. 153/2019 amending some provisions of medical profession law No. 415/1945 after it had been passed by the parliament. The new law included amendments to articles 2 and 3 of the previous law. Under the introduced amendments, those holding a bachelors degree in medicine and surgery from an Egyptian university after a six-year study period are required to spend a one-year mandatory training to be eligible for registration in the health ministrys relevant register. However, the mandatory training period is one year longer for those who got their degrees after a five-year study. Also eligible for registration are the graduates holding a foreign qualification equivalent to the degree granted any Egyptian faculty of medicine. According to Article (3), graduates must pass the national medical practice test initial registration, which is valid for five years to be renewed for similar periods. Based on the amendments to Article (2), graduates undergoing mandatory training will be entitled to a monthly training payment equal to 80 percent of the total pay received by resident doctors. Moreover, amendments to Article (3) will apply to graduates of 2018-2019 academic year onward. The law has been published in the official gazette.

Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb has called for the maximum penalty against those responsible for the death of five-year-old girl Janna, who was reportedly tortured to death by her grandmother in Daqahliya governorate. El-Tayyeb has also vowed to pay the medical bills for Janna s sister, Amani, who suffered similar abuse. The grand imam also promised to pay for her psychological rehabilitation and school fees. Janna died on Saturday at Sherbeen hospital in Daqahliya governorate after suffering physical abuse at the hands of her maternal grandmother, who is currently in police custody on charges of torture, according to the National Council For Childhood and Motherhood. The victim s exact cause of death has not yet been determined. The grandmother, who had been awarded custody of Janna and her six-year-old sister, Amani, following their parents’ divorce, is accused of inflicting burns on both girls. The victim was admitted to Sherbeen General Hospital, where hospital staff contacted police after discovering that the child had multiple scars and injuries on her body, including burns in the genital area. According to the National Council For Childhood and Motherhood, Janna also suffered from gangrene infections in different parts of the body. On Saturday, the victim s father made a formal accusation before the prosecution alleging that his children were tortured by their mother and grandmother and were molested by their three uncles. Meanwhile, member of parliament Reda El-Beltagy has called on the concerned authorities to take all the necessary measures to protect children from this kind of abuse. "This child did not enjoy her life except when she was in her mother s womb, she suffered since her birth," El-Baltagy said. MP Khaled Hanafy, a member of the constitutional and legislative affairs committee, said that there is a need to amend the 1996 child law to add tougher penalties against anyone "who wants to harm a child, even if it is their father." The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood has urged Facebook users not to circulate images of Janna and Amani out of respect for their privacy, and has called on citizens who witness abuse to report it to the council s child abuse hotline (16000).

Saudi Arabia supports the efforts exerted by Egypt in its war on terrorism in North Sinai, the country s foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. On Friday, Egypt’s Armed Forces said that it destroyed dozens of terrorist hideouts and killed 118 terrorists in north and central Sinai as part of its operations to eliminate terrorism nationwide. The Armed Forces said that 10 army personnel, including an officer and nine soldiers, were killed and injured during these operations. Egypt s MENA state news agency reported that an official source at the Saudi foreign ministry said that the kingdom offered condolences to the families of the victims, the government and the brotherly Egyptian people; and wished the wounded a speedy recovery. The Egyptian army and police have been battling an entrenched Islamist insurgency for several years in North Sinai, with hundreds of security forces killed in terrorist attacks. The Egyptian army has killed and arrested hundreds of extremists in the last four years using ground troops and airstrikes.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met on Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York. President El-Sisi congratulated Zelensky on taking the office, expressing appreciation for the stable bilateral relations between the two countries, and the recent growth of those relations, especially in the economic, trade and tourism sectors. Ukraine ranks second in terms of tourist arrivals to Egypt, and Egypt comes first as Ukraine s trading partner in Africa and the Middle East. According to presidential spokesperson Bassam Rady, the Ukrainian president hailed the close ties between the two countries, stressing his country s intention to move forward in efforts to develop bilateral relations with Egypt in various forms.

A statement’s by Egypt foreign ministry Tuesday condemned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statements about Egypt at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), describing them as a "desperate attempt to divert attention away from his regime’s deteriorating popularity and his latest domestic and international defeats." In his speech before the UNGA on Tuesday, Erdogan renewed his previous call to launch an investigation into the death of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, who died of a heart attack last June. Ministry spokesperson Ayman Hafez said that Erdogan’s baseless allegations pretend to defend justice while in reality they express hatred of the Egyptian people, who have nothing but respect for the Turkish nation. Hafez said that Erdogan’s statements "were ironic in the light of his sponsorship of terrorism in the region and his continued violations against the rights of the Turkish people on flimsy pretexts." The spokesperson condemned Erdogan’s remarks, enumerating points to show that Erdogan’s allegations were absurd. "As the violations committed by the Turkish president’s regime are not hidden anymore," the statement noted them as follows: 1. There are more than 75,000 political prisoners in Turkey who include civilian and military persons. This is why Turkey is witnessing a surge in building prisons. 2. Scores of its prisoners have died under dubious circumstances, torture, and illness as a result of maltreatment inside Turkish prisons. 3. More than 130,000 government employees were arbitrarily dismissed. 4. Thousands of academics were fired and more than 3,000 universities, schools, and educational institutions were closed. 5. Turkey has become one of the leading nations in the world oppressing and jailing journalists and media workers, according to international reports. 6. Scores of Turks has fled their country due to ongoing oppressive campaigns The foreign ministry charged that Erdogan sponsors terrorism in various countries in the region, such as Syria, saying the Turkish president turned Turkey into a haven for extremist and outlawed terrorist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood. Hafez said Erdogan’s regime has provided the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood with political support and media platforms that the group used to promote their destructive ideas in Egypt and the whole region. Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan both gave speeches before the 74th United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.