Polls in 13 Egyptian governorates opened at 9 AM local time on Monday, marking the beginning of the second and final day of voting in the run-off for the first stage of the country s parliamentary elections at home. The National Election Authority (NEA), the state’s authority in charge of supervising elections, said the voting process on the first day went smoothly. Judges and members of the public prosecution supervised the polling stations to ensure all standards of transparency, integrity, and adherence to relevant laws are applied, the NEA added. The operations chamber of the Egyptian Judges’ Club said it did not receive any complaints from judges or the prosecution staff overseeing the vote on the first day. All polling stations opened on time, the NEA said, adding that it did not spot any obstacles facing citizens while casting their ballots. Voting for Egyptian expats in 124 countries also concluded on Monday at 9 PM according to the local time in each country. No official data was released on the first day’s turnout, however the turnout in the first round of this stage, conducted between 21 and 25 October, was 28.06 percent. The governorates taking part in this stage’s run-off elections are Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, El-Wadi El-Gedid, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, Alexandria, Beheira, and Matrouh. A total of 220 candidates are competing for 110 seats in these governorates. Seats for the Red Sea governorate were decided in the first round of voting.

The Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) predicts a three-day wave of unstable weather starting Wednesday, with heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in some areas of the country. Cold weather and moderate rainfall are expected in Greater Cairo over the three days, the EMA said on Sunday. On Wednesday, heavy rainfall and possible thunderstorms are expected in some areas along the north coast, including Alexandria, Matrouh, Al-Salloum, Rashid, Damietta, Port Said, El-Arish, and Rafah. Moderate to heavy rain is forecast in some areas of Lower Egypt, including Kafr El-Sheikh, Beheira, Daqahliya, Gharbiya, Sharqiya, and Menoufiya, while northern Upper Egypt is expected to see light to moderate rain. On Thursday, heavy rainfall is expected in some areas of the north coast, while Lower Egypt is expected to see moderate to heavy rainfall. On Friday, moderate to heavy rainfall is expected in some areas of the north coasts, while Lower Egypt is forecast to see moderate rainfall. The north coast will see highs ranging between 19 and 21 degrees and lows from 15 to 16 degrees. South Sinai will see highs of 25 to 27 and lows of 17 to 18. Northern Upper Egypt will see highs of 21 to 23 and lows ranging from 13 to 12 degrees, while Southern Upper Egypt will see highs of 24 to 26 degrees and lows of 15 to 16 degrees. The meteorologist called for all preventative measures be taken to mitigate the negative consequences of the expected rainfall. Last week, many governorates across the country, especially those along the coasts, were hit by inclement weather, which caused flooding and damaged at least two buildings in Alexandria, which resulted in six deaths and several injuries. Earlier today, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly called on governors to be prepared to deal with the anticipated heavy rainfall, especially in coastal governorates. Earlier this month, Madbouly granted the country s 27 governors the authority to suspend educational activates at schools in their governorates in anticipation of disruptive weather forecast by meteorologists.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is set to inaugurate Sunday the third edition of the Smart Transportation and Logistics Fair and Forum for the Middle East and Africa (TransMEA 2020), according to a presidential statement. TransMEA 2020 comes as the country pushes ahead with expanding new smart cities and building modern transport systems aimed to upgrade road networks, reduce travel time, transportation costs and fuel consumption, Egypt s presidential spokesman said. He added that the country also seeks to boost trade exchange, reduce accident rates, and protect the environment. The event will be hosted at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre in Cairo from 22-25 November, with the participation of a number of international companies working in the transport field. Around 8,500 road accidents took place in Egypt in 2018, down 23.6 percent from 11,098 in 2017, according to data by Egypt s official statistics agency CAPMAS. Egypt has been pursuing a multi-million pound plan to develop and expand the country s road networks in recent years.

Egypt s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh on Wednesday that Cairo fully supports all efforts aiming to enhance peace, security and stability in the Horn of Africa. An Eritrean delegation, led by the Eritrean foreign minister and the president s political advisor Yemane Gebreab, had arrived in the Egyptian capital on Wednesday to hold discussions with Shoukry as part of ongoing coordination between both countries. The meeting discussed the current situation in the Horn region, and the latest regional and international developments, according to a statement released by the Egyptian foreign ministry. Minister Shoukry stressed during the meeting that Egypt pays great attention to the region s stability, given what it represents as "a basic pillar of regional and continental security," the statement added. The meeting, which was held in the ministry s Tahrir palace, also discussed ways to promote cooperation and bilateral ties between the two Egypt and Eritrea.

Egypt condemned the “cowardly attack” that targeted the medical staff working in the mobile health clinics of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) in the Yemeni city of Taiz, stressing its rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism. Targeting humanitarian workers is a clear violation of international norms, treaties and covenants that provide protection for relief and rescue workers and medical personnel and hinders the sustainability of relief operations and humanitarian aid reaching the affected areas in Yemen, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Egypt values the ERC s humanitarian efforts in Yemen, which contribute to alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people, the statement continued. While the ERC condemned the terrorist act that targeted its humanitarian workers in Taiz, it said it will continue its humanitarian efforts in Yemen despite the risks, reported the United Arab Emirates state-run WAM news agency.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi urged consolidating the state’s efforts to produce advanced prosthetics in Egypt, based on latest technology, with the assistance of foreign expertise, the presidency said on Monday in a statement. In a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Social Solidarity Minister Nevin Al-Qabbaj, El-Sisi also urged securing prosthetic rehabilitation programmes to ensure people with mobility impairment can properly use these prosthetics. These programmes aim at integrating people with disabilities into society and the job market, especially youth, children and women breadwinners. During the meeting, Al-Qabbaj reviewed a programme for community development dubbed Waiy (Awareness). The programme includes development initiatives for many families, including programmes for the early detection of a disability as well as programmes for family planning, child health, drug control and others to combat addiction, illiteracy and poverty. The president urged increasing financial resources allocated from the donation-based Tahya Misr fund to support these programs as well as raise the number of staff working to spread awareness messages within the framework of the Waiy programme.

A human rights committee formed by Egypt’s prosecution inspected three Qalioubiya-based Qanater prisons to check the conditions of prisoners and ensure preventive measures against the coronavirus are adopted properly, a statement by the prosecution read on Sunday. The committee comprised members of the prosecution’s human rights administration, the technical official of the top prosecutor, and southern Benha prosecution, the statement added. The inspectors followed up on the conditions of the inmates in the three prisons located in northern Egypt and reviewed the legal procedures adopted with the prisoners to ensure their human rights are preserved in line with the constitution and the law. The committee followed up on the measures taken if a coronavirus case is detected in one of the prisons, including isolating patients, sterilising contaminated places, and providing the required treatment. The members of the committee inspected each of the prisons’ affiliated hospital and checked a random sample of medicine from their pharmacies for expiry date. The statement added the committee received complaints from the prisoners regarding conditional release and the subtraction of pre-trial detention from the sentence some inmates have received. Egyptian human rights delegations and parliament’s human rights committee have earlier made several visits to different prisons nationwide to make sure human rights are preserved. These visits come while many reports by foreign human rights groups, including the Human Rights Watch, have criticised “violations”, “torture” and “forcible disappearance” allegedly carried out by Egyptian authorities. Egypt’s State Information Service usually slams the allegations.

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received in Cairo on Saturday former Namibian president Sam Nujoma, a statement by the presidency read. The president affirmed Egypt s appreciation of its relationship with the African country. El-Sisi congratulated Nujoma for being recently awarded the Kemet Boutros Ghali (KBG) Foundation for Peace and Knowledge prize in recognition of his efforts to end conflicts in Africa and his long struggle to achieve the independence of Namibia. According to the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Nujoma visited Egypt upon the invitation of the KBG to receive the annual award for Outstanding Achievements in the field of Diplomacy for Peaceful Conflict Resolution. KBG, which was named after Boutros Boutros-Ghali who served as Egypt s foreign minister and UN secretary-general, was established in 2018 by a group of prominent figures of culture and diplomacy. Nujoma hailed Egypt s relentless efforts to maintain peace and security in Africa and for its commitment to Silencing the Guns in Africa by 2020 initiative, the Egyptian presidential statement said. In 2013, African Union (AU) leaders adopted Silencing the Guns in Africa by 2020 as one of the flagship projects meant to achieve peace for the sake of development across Africa. The initiative was intended to achieve a conflict-free Africa, prevent genocide, make peace a reality for all and rid the continent of wars, violent conflicts, human rights violations, and humanitarian disasters. Nujoma stressed the importance of Egypt as a major actor in laying the foundations for joint African action and for reaching African solutions to the continent’s problems and its various peace and security issues, the statement noted. The KBG prize spoke about the appreciation Egypt enjoys in Namibia and the African continent for its historical support of the struggle for independence over the past century and various African issues. Egypt’s role, the statement quoted Nujoma as saying, was clearly demonstrated during the fruitful Egyptian presidency of the AU in 2019. Egypt s unwavering position on GERD El-Sisi and Nujoma exchanged views on a number of African issues, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Nujoma affirmed his country s support of Egypt s efforts to resolve the conflict through negotiations in a manner that achieves the interests of Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. El-Sisi emphasised Egypt s insistence to reach a legally binding agreement that preserves Egypt s water rights and meets the aspirations of other countries for development. On 4 November, Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia agreed to end the ongoing round of negotiations on GERD and return the file to the AU after it had become clear during tripartite discussions on the controversial dam that there is no compatibility between the three countries on the methodology for completing the negotiations within the next stage, according to a statement by Egypt’s irrigation and water resources ministry. On the same day, the Sudanese irrigation ministry stated that the round of negotiations, which started on 27 October, failed to make tangible progress in the role set by the joint meeting of the foreign and water ministers, which is to agree on the role that experts can play in the negotiations, its methodology, paths and timetable. The previous round of AU-mediated talks broke down in late August after Ethiopia proposed a package of non-binding guidelines for the filling and operation of the mega-dam, which Egypt and Sudan rejected. The AU-sponsored round of negotiations was launched in July after negotiations between the three countries reached deadlock last year, as did negotiations sponsored by the US and the World Bank in February. The GERD, built 15 kilometres from the Ethiopian border with Sudan, has been a source of contention between the three countries. Cairo that has more than 85 per cent of its Nile water flow from Ethiopian highlands fears the massive hydropower project will significantly diminish its crucial water supplies, which is already below scarcity level, from the River Nile, while Sudan fears it could endanger the safety of its own dams. Ethiopia, however, says the 6,000-megawatt dam is key to its development and hopes to become Africa’s biggest electricity exporter with the GERD, which is set to be the continent’s largest dam.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is set to continue talks with a number of Greek officials Thursday as part of his multi-day visit to Athens, which kicked off Tuesday evening. The president is scheduled to meet Greece s parliament speaker and environment and energy minister to discuss how to develop bilateral relations in the fields of energy and economic exchange, as well as to discuss potential investment opportunities in Egypt in light of major national projects carried out across the country. A day earlier, El-Sisi started his visit with meetings with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as well as Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou. Wednesday’s talks covered various regional and international issues of common interest, including the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and efforts to counter terrorism and extremism. During a joint press conference with the Greek prime minister, El-Sisi said "there is consensus" between Egypt and Greece to stand against regional threats. El-Sisi added it was agreed to deal decisively with the transfer of fighters and weapons to militias in Libya, and that violations in the Eastern Mediterranean region should be confronted. Earlier on Wednesday, the president had a session of talks with his Greek counterpart Sakellaropoulou, underlining that the Egyptian-Greek agreement on maritime border demarcation was proof of good relations between the two countries. In August, Egypt and Greece signed a maritime demarcation deal establishing an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between the two, which according to Egypt s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry "permits Egypt and Greece to go ahead with maximising benefits from riches available in the exclusive economic zones of both countries, particularly promising gas and oil reserves."

President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi was among the first Arab leaders to congratulate Joe Biden on his election as US president. In a statement issued on 7 November Al-Sisi said he looked forward to working with the president-elect to boost strategic bilateral relations in the best interest of both countries and peoples. Al-Sisi’s statement came amid speculation in political circles over what Biden’s presidency will mean for Egypt. Gamal Zahran, a professor of political science at Suez University, said “there is a risk that Biden will exert pressure on Egypt over human rights and restoring the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in political life.” Noting that Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Qatar, Turkey, and London were vocal in welcoming Biden’s election, Zahran expects “they will use their influence among leftist and Islamist organisations in the US to push Biden to exert pressure on Egypt.” Zahran claimed the majority of Egyptians had hoped that Donald Trump would win a second term. “From his earliest days in power Trump sought to forge a close personal relationship with President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi and this helped serve Egypt’s interests.” According to Zahran, Trump was about to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation despite Democratic Party Congress members and the leftist media, particularly The New York Times, campaigning to prevent him from doing so. “Unlike Obama, Trump invited President Al-Sisi twice to the White House, and refused to exert pressure on Egypt in the areas of democracy and human rights. Trump even withheld $130 million in economic assistance to Ethiopia because of its rejection of the US-brokered deal on Addis Ababa’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.” Mahdi Afifi, an American-Egyptian political analyst and a member of the Democratic Party, agrees that the Muslim Brotherhood wanted Biden to win — “they even used their influence among Islamist movements in the US, particularly the Council on American-Islamic Relations, to rally support for Biden” — but dismisses suggestions that Biden will support the agenda of Islamist movements in the Arab world. “There is a general consensus inside the Democratic Party that the US must learn from what happened in Egypt in 2013 when the Muslim Brotherhood was removed from power in a popular uprising, and a belief that trying to support such movements only fuels extremism at the expense of American interests and security. “Both Democrats and Republicans in Washington recognise that the Muslim Brotherhood’s one-year rule in Egypt was a failure, and many Democrats in Congress have signalled their backing for moves to designate the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation,” said Afifi. Political analyst Moetaz Abdel-Fattah agrees that Islamist organisations in the US will try to push the Biden administration to exert pressure on Egypt and, should they succeed, Biden will be an extension of Obama. “But,” he adds as a coda, “it is unlikely that they will succeed.” “The situation is very different to what prevailed in 2013 and 2014. Egypt is now a strong country and has regained its influence in the Arab world and the Middle East. It has a lot of cards to withstand any foreign pressure and most American politicians now see Egypt as economically and politically stable.” Biden, in any case, will have enough on his plate sorting out America’s internal problems. “He has a lot of challenges ahead, containing the rapid spread of the coronavirus, fighting racial discrimination and police brutality, and tackling severe economic problems such as rampant unemployment and sluggish growth,” says Abdel-Fattah. On the foreign policy front Biden will have to address relations with China, Russia, Turkey and Iran. The president-elect has been clear in rejecting Turkey’s military cooperation with Russia and has vowed to revive the nuclear deal with Iran. “I think Turkey will face a lot of pressure from Biden who has been openly critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s policies in Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean,” says Abdel-Faytah. Political analyst Abdel-Moneim Said argues Biden will focus on containing the coronavirus crisis in the US, healing internal divisions and building new bridges with Washington’s NATO and EU allies. In his first speech following his election win Biden focused on healing internal divisions, controlling the coronavirus and restoring America’s position in the world. Biden, however, has announced during his election campaign a plan to host a “Summit for Democracy” soon after taking office. He said the summit would bring together numerous “like-minded nations” in a bid to bolster what many experts see as the flagging fortunes of liberal democracy in parts of the world. Some US media outlets, such as The Washington Post, said on Tuesday that Biden’s advisers have made it clear that, under his watch, the United States will re-evaluate the overall relationship with Saudi Arabia and, possibly, Egypt. Omar Mehanna, head of the Egyptian-American Business Council, believes Biden will be too busy reunifying American society to return to Obama-era policies in the Middle East. “Biden is a moderate politician. The fact he was Obama’s vice president does not mean he agreed with the administration’s policies in the Middle East. They were driven by Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. Clinton, as her private e-mails reveal, supported Islamist movements, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood. Kerry worked closely with the Brotherhood, but when they lost power he accepted the status quo and between 2014 and 2016 struck up a relationship with Al-Sisi, meeting him several times.” Amr Moussa, Egypt’s former foreign minister, said in a TV interview on Sunday that Egypt needed to prepare for a Biden administration and capitalise on its clout within America’s media and business circles. Ahmed Abul-Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League, said in a TV interview on the same day that he knows Biden well. “I am sure he supports Egypt and is well aware that Cairo wilds a great deal of influence across the region.” Abul-Gheit added that, as Egypt’s minister of foreign affairs accompanying former president Hosni Mubarak during his last visit to Washington in 2010, he held a personal meeting with Joe Biden, and “during Mubarak’s meeting with Barack Obama, Biden asked to take the floor and expressed his appreciation of America’s friendship with Egypt”. Abul-Gheit sent a message of congratulations to Biden on Monday, wishing him success. “The Arab League is looking forward to dealing with your administration in achieving our mutual interests and pushing the agenda of peace, stability and prosperity in the Middle East region forward,” he said.

In a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker on Monday, Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called for intensifying work in linkage power ventures with neighbouring countries. El-Sisi said that electricity production should be maximised to meet local demands and export surpluses to countries that are linked with electricity grids. Egypt has signed agreements with a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Iraq, to establish electricity grids as part of the country s plan to become an international energy hub. A trilateral interconnection grid between Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan is due to be set up, as agreed upon during a tripartite summit held in Amman in August to enhance cooperation in all fields, especially in energy, power linkages, and infrastructure. The president was briefed on the latest developments concerning linkage power projects with Sudan as well as with Jordan and Iraq, the presidential spokesman Bassam Rady added. He also was briefed on the latest developments concerning a number of national electricity projects that are being implemented in Sinai, the South Valley and the New Administrative Capital, according to Rady. El-Sisi also ordered the expansion of renewable energy projects in partnership with the private sector, as well as continuing efforts to upgrade the electricity system in Egypt, as part of the state s developmental plan.

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian expressed his country’s aspiration to deepen cooperation with Egypt to counter growing extremism and intolerance, as he met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday, the presidency said. The French FM’s visit to Egypt comes amid an uproar and condemnation of comments made by French President Emmanuel Macron on Islam, as well as calls to boycott French products after Macron defended people’s right to make images of the Prophet Muhammad, something which is highly forbidden in Islam. Le Drian, during the meeting with El-Sisi, affirmed France’s respect and appreciation of all religions and religious values and principles, hailing Egypt as a model of moderation, according to the statement. He also referred to Egypt’s approach in establishing values of co-existence, freedom of worship and respect of the other. He also praised Egypt’s efforts under President El-Sisi to allow dialogue among people of different religions. El-Sisi stressed the urgent need to consolidate all efforts to establish tolerance among religions, extend bridges of understanding and brotherhood and avoid attacking religious symbols. The president voiced categorical rejection of all forms of terrorism and the act of tying any religion with violent and extremist acts. He pointed out Egypt’s experience in establishing tolerance, renouncing violence, extremist thought and terrorism. El-Sisi voiced Egypt’s willingness to cooperate with and endorse all international efforts to enhance these concepts. The meeting was attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and French Ambassador to Cairo Stéphane Romatet. El-Sisi and Le Drian also discussed recent developments in Libya. El-Sisi reviewed with the French FM Egypt’s unchangeable strategic stance on Libya, especially concerning supporting current negotiations, maintaining a ceasefire, conducting elections, and forming a new government. Le Drian also met on Sunday with Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Egypt’s top religious authority, Ahmed El-Tayyeb.

Voting continues to run smoothly in the final day of voting for the second phase of Egypt’s House of Representatives elections, head of the national election authority (NEA) Lashin Ibrahim said on Sunday. Ibrahim said that the NEA has an open line of communication with judicial authorities in the 13 governorates overseeing the elections to ensure an orderly process. Earlier on Sunday, polls reopened in several regions in Egypt for the second phase of the House of Representatives elections. All polling stations, set at 9,468, opened their doors at 9 am to receive voters who adhered to the coronavirus preventive measures, including wearing face masks. Voting will run until 9 pm on Sunday, concluding the second stage of the parliamentary elections. The second stage of parliamentary elections covers 13 governorates: Cairo, Qalioubiya, Daqahliya, Menoufiya, Gharbiya, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai and South Sinai. Temperature checks have been used in several polling stations in New Cairo, with the elections seeing a high turnout by women in most polling stations. Several officials, including Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled Al-Anany, Health Minister Hala Zayed, and Minister of Manpower Mohamed Saafan have cast their ballots in their polling stations.The first day of voting saw a good voter turnout, with the voting process running smoothly, the NEA said on Saturday. Around 31 million Egyptians are eligible to cast their ballots in the second phase. Wearing face masks and adhering to social distancing are among the mandatory restrictions adopted during the election. Some 2,083 candidates are competing for 70 individual seats, while 284 candidates are competing under the list system in two districts. The domestic vote comes days after around 140 polling stations in embassies and consulates in 124 countries concluded on Friday mail-in voting by Egyptians abroad after opening to receive ballots on Wednesday. The results of the second stage are set to be announced on 15 November.Earlier this month, the NEA announced the results of the first phase of the elections, with the electoral list led by the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan Party sweeping the majority of votes. The turnout in the first stage was 28.06 percent, with the number of people casting their vote amounting to slightly more than nine million out of 31.7 million eligible voters in the 14 governorates included in that phase. The number of seats allocated for the first stage was 284, with 142 seats for each of the individual and electoral list systems. Run-offs will be held for both the first and second stage this month and December, respectively.

For the second day, Egyptian embassies abroad continued Thursday receiving ballot papers from expats voting in the second stage of Egypt s parliamentary elections, in a race heavily fielded by a coalition led by the Mostaqbal Watan Party. Around 140 polling stations in embassies and consulates in 124 countries opened for mail-in voting by Egyptians abroad. The second stage of the elections covers 13 governorates, including Cairo, Qalyubiya, Dakahliya, Menoufiya, Gharbiya, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai and South Sinai. Expat voters select candidates from the individual list system depending on their electoral district, and others from the closed list system. Registered voters abroad were asked to print their ballot papers on Monday and Tuesday by entering their registration code on the National Election Authority (NEA) website. Both ballot papers must be placed in envelopes with a voter declaration, photocopies of the voter’s national ID card or passport, and residency documents. The papers must be sent via express mail to the electoral committee of their country’s diplomatic mission. Embassies will close their doors Friday, 9pm local time, to begin the vote count. Around 2,085 candidates are competing for 70 individual seats, while 284 candidates are competing under the list system in two districts. Second stage voting at home is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, with the results to be announced 15 November. The results of the first stage of the parliamentary elections were announced Sunday. Only 32 MPs were named after receiving the absolute majority of votes during that round, while the other 220 seats are still up for grabs in a run-off to be held later this month.

Egyptian embassies abroad began Wednesday receiving ballot papers from expats voting in the second phase of Egypt s parliamentary elections, in a race heavily fielded by a coalition led by the Mostaqbal Watan Party. Embassies in New Zealand, the UK, Spain, Italy, Japan, Sudan, South Sudan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, among others, began receiving mail-in ballots at 9am local time. Around 140 polling stations in embassies and consulates in 124 countries opened for mail-in voting by Egyptians abroad. The second stage of the elections covers 13 governorates, including Cairo, Qalyubiya, Dakahliya, Menoufiya, Gharbiya, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai and South Sinai. Voting is scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Expat voters select candidates from the individual list system depending on their electoral district, and others from the closed list system. Registered voters abroad were asked to print their ballot papers on Monday and Tuesday by entering their registration code on the National Election Authority (NEA) website. Both ballot papers must be placed in envelopes with a voter declaration, photocopies of the voter’s national ID card or passport, and residency documents. The papers must be sent via express mail to the electoral committee of their country’s diplomatic mission. Around 2,085 candidates are competing for 70 individual seats, while 284 candidates are competing under the list system in two districts. A domestic vote is set to follow on 7-8 November, with the results of the second stage to be announced 15 November. The start of the second stage comes days after the NEA announced the results of the first phase of the elections, with the electoral list led by the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan Party sweeping the majority of votes. The number of seats that were allocated for the first stage was 284, with 142 seats for each of the individual and electoral list systems. Some 32 candidates in four governorates secured seats under the individual system, with 220 candidates set to compete in run-offs later this month. The run-offs for the first phase will be held abroad on 21-23 November, while run-offs for the second phase abroad will be held on 5-7 December. The run-offs will be held domestically for the first phase on 23-24 November, with run-offs for the second phase at home to be held 7-8 December. The final results of run-offs for the first phase will be announced 30 November, while final results for the second phase are set be announced 14 December.

Egypt condemned “in the strongest terms” a terrorist attack in Vienna on Monday that killed at least five people, including an attacker, and injured at least 15 others as gunmen opened fire in six different locations in the city. In an official statement, Egypt’s foreign ministry express its condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. It stressed its support to the government and people of Austria over the “brutal attack”, expressing its confidence in the Austrian people in overcoming the tragic situation. The ministry also reiterated its firm rejection of all types of violence, terrorism and extremism; urging the necessity of joining and intensifying international efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms. On Monday, an unknown number of gunmen carrying long firearms opened fire into crowds in bars during the last evening before a nationwide curfew is imposed due to the Coronavirus pandemic in the country. Police said the attack was carried out by at least one suspect who was shot and killed by officers. Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said in a press conference that the known attacker was an Islamic State sympathiser. It remains unclear if the suspect acted alone, as authorities continue to inspect over 20,000 videos to determine how many assailants were involved in the attack.

Egyptian expats started on Monday printing their ballot papers ahead of the start of voting in the second phase of the parliamentary elections on Wednesday, in a race heavily fielded by a coalition led by Mostaqbal Watan Party. Around 140 polling stations in the country’s embassies and consulates in 124 countries will open for mail-in voting by Egyptians abroad in the second phase of the parliamentary elections, which starts Wednesday, according to the National Election Authority (NEA). The second stage of the elections covers 13 governorates and includes Cairo, Qalyubiya, Dakahliya, Meoufiya, Gharbiya, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai and South Sinai. Electoral silence for the second phase of the elections began Sunday . Voting is scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Expat voters will select candidates from the individual list system depending on their electoral district, and others from the closed list system. Registered voters abroad were asked to print their ballot papers on Monday and Tuesday by entering their registration code on the NEA website. Both ballot papers must be placed in envelopes with a voter declaration, photocopies of the voter’s national ID card or passport, and residency documents. The papers must be sent via express mail to the electoral committee of their country’s diplomatic mission. Around 2,085 candidates are competing for 70 individual seats, while 284 candidates are competing under the list system in two districts. A domestic vote is set to follow on 7-8 November, with the results of the second stage to be announced on 15 November. The start of the second stage comes one day after the NEA announced the results of the first phase of the elections, with the electoral list led by Mostaqbal Watan Party sweeping up the majority of votes. The number of seats that were allocated for the first stage was 284, with 142 seats for each of the individual and electoral list systems. 32 candidates in four governorates secured seats under the individual system, with 220 candidates set to compete in run-offs later this month. The run-offs for the first phase will be held abroad on 21-23 November, while run-offs for the second phase abroad will be held on 5-7 December. They will be held domestically for the first phase of 23-24 November, with run-offs for the second phase at home held on 7-8 December. The final results of run-offs for the first phase will be announced on 30 November, while final results for the second phase are set be announced on 14 December.

Egypt s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry met on Friday with the Russian deputy foreign minister and special envoy to the Middle East, Mikhail Bogdanov, to discuss means to boost bilateral relations, the Egyptian foreign ministry stated. The two sides touched upon a number of significant bilateral files related to ongoing projects that are part of the Egyptian-Russian strategic partnership. Topping the discussions were the Russian executive measures to set up an industrial zone in Egypt s Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCEZ) and the construction of the Dabaa plant, Egypt’s first nuclear power plant. The plant is to be built in the Marsa Matrouh governorate on the Mediterranean coast, 250km west of Alexandria. The Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM) will develop the plant, which will be owned and operated by the Nuclear Power Plant Authority of Egypt. Shoukry also reviewed the latest developments concerning the revived talks over the massive dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile, which is of concern to Egypt and Sudan. Bogdanov expressed his country s hope the three African countries will reach a consensual deal that preserves their people s interests. The three countries started this week a new round of talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), reviving negotiations stalled since August. The meeting also tackled joint coordination to combat terrorism and extremism, in addition to a number of regional issues related to Libya, Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, and Sudan, the statement added.

Egypt’s Minister of Education Tarek Shawky revealed on Wednesday that the were 49 recorded coronavirus cases out of 25 million students in the school system since the start of academic year on 17 October. In TV statements to DMC TV network, Shawky explained that the numbers were based on a report presented by Minister of Health Hala Zayed about coronavirus cases in schools and educational institutions. “There are 19 cases in Cairo governorate, one case in six governorates, two or three cases in other governorates, and no cases in 14," he said. He added "there was nothing to worry about as the numbers were reassuring and not alarming and the cases in the schools were without symptoms." Minister Shawky said the World Health Organization (WHO) stressed the necessity of re-opening schools because there are lower rates of coronavirus infection among students and teachers worldwide. He cited a recent report issued in the United States called for the necessity of opening schools so students could have a direct education experience with teachers. The Ministry of Education has adopted preventative measures against the coronavirus to coincide with the start of the academic year including the implementation of a system using both in-school learning and e-learning to reduce the high density of students in classrooms. The ministry also mandated social distancing and face masks in all schools. According to coronavirus guidelines adopted by the education ministry, classrooms would be closed for 28 days in the case of more than one student testing positive for coronavirus in a period of two weeks. Also, a school would be closed for 28 days in case two or more classrooms in the school are closed due to coronavirus cases. A multi-school complex would also be shut down for 28 days in the case of closure of more than one school in the complex. Schools in a village or city can be closed on orders of the governorate in the event of quarantining in this village or city, and until the period of quarantine is over. Egypt has officially reported 107,030 cases of coronavirus including 6,234 fatalities and 99,174 full recoveries since the start of the pandemic. The number of coronavirus cases in the country has witnessed an uptick in the last several weeks. Over the past two weeks, Egyptian officials have urged caution in anticipation of any spike that could result in a second wave, especially with the resurgence in coronavirus cases in many European countries, particularly with the advent of autumn.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi praised on Wednesday the Prophet Muhammad “who established with wisdom and sound instructions great and immortal pillars and foundations for the whole of humanity." In a speech at the event, the president stressed that Islam champions freedoms. "The message of Islam that we have received from our noble prophet came as a victory for freedom; the freedom of faith, choice and belief and the freedom of opinion". "But these freedoms have not been absolute so that they are not turned by whim of the human soul to chaos that permits sabotage and destruction. Also, these freedoms should stop at the limits of other people s freedoms". The president s comments came during the celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad at Al-Manara International Conference Center in Cairo. The event was attended by the Minister of Religious Endowments, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the Prime Minister, and a number of religious and state officials. The president rejected attempts to use Islam to justify extremism. "Justifying extremism under the cover of religion is beyond Islam ... it is forbidden and prohibited ... it is no more than a tool to achieve limited interests." "The purpose of religions is achieving the interests of nations and the benefit of the people, through tolerance and ease, not through extremism and hardship." The president argued that Islamic jurisprudence is based on the concepts of mercy and tolerance. “Our celebration today of the birthday of the master of people and the prophet of mercy - peace be upon him- invokes all the meanings of mercy in our true religion, and reminds us that the tolerant Sharia of Islam is based on building, not demolishing, and this is anindication of what God Almighty said: ‘We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the world." The president reiterated his call for renewing religious discourse to protect society from the ploys of what he described as "the people of evil." This “requires the continuation of the heavy task and responsibility that religious scholars undertake to correct misconceptions, in order to protect society and the state from the plans of sabotage, and in order for the whole world to realize the tolerance of the great Islamic religion that is based on mercy, tolerance and peaceful coexistence among people … among all people.” “Hence, the issue of wise awareness and a correct understanding of religion will remain one of the priorities in the current stage in confronting the people of evil,” the President said. He added that these [evil] people “distort the meanings of the [religious] texts, quote them out of context and interpret them according to their purposes or rely on wrong interpretations of them." Minister of Religious Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa gifted the president two newly published religious books at the event. In a short speech, Gomaa commended the president on his stances against terrorism. "We did not forget and will not forget the day when you took a great patriotic stance at a very difficult time and said ‘you will take bullets directed at the chests of Egyptians, " Gomaa said. He also warned against what he described as "fourth generation warfare." "Armed gangs are one of the most important means of fourth-generation warfare to destroy countries," Gomaa stated. The president honoured a number of Islamic clerics during the event. The Prophet’s birthday is a holiday widely celebrated across Egypt and the Islamic world. The observance of the birthday of the Prophet is commemorated on the 12th of Rabi al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar, which falls this year on Thursday, 29 October. The anniversary will be a paid holiday for public and private sector workers. More to follow

The Chairman of Sudan s Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for a one-day visit to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, an official statement by the council read. Al-Burhan is accompanied by Sudanese foreign minister Omar Gamaleldin and head of the Sudanese general intelligence Jamal Abdul-Hamid. The visit comes days after Israel and Sudan agreed on Friday to normalize relations in a deal brokered with the help of the United States, making Sudan the third Arab country to set aside hostilities with Israel in the past two months.