At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said New Year s Eve celebrations will be banned in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus amid the rising daily infection tolls reported recently nationwide. Madbouy instructed all concerned authorities to "strictly" confront violations of the precautionary measures to avoid enforcing a lockdown that will bear negative economic repercussions. "The state will not tolerate any leniency," the PM stressed. He also called for providing an "adequate" number of isolation hospitals nationwide and liquefied oxygen needed for treating the virus patients. The country has been recently witnessing a rebound in coronavirus daily cases and deaths after months of reporting low and steady daily tolls. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health recorded 788 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily toll in almost five months, and 37 fatalities, pushing the total infection tally to 127,061 and death toll to 7,167. In mid-December, Egypt received a 50,000-dose batch of the vaccine developed by Chinese state-owned pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm and is set to receive other batches. During the cabinet meeting, health Minister Hala Zayed said tests for the coronavirus vaccine are being carried out by the National Authority for Drug Control and Research (NODCAR). The NODCAR is expected to conclude the tests by next week, according to Zayed. Zayed added that a website will be launched for people wishing to register to receive the vaccine. Medical staff treating coronavirus patients and people with chronic diseases will be given the priority of vaccination. The health ministry has determined specific medical units across the country to be responsible for inoculating people with the COVID-19 vaccine, Zayed noted. Concerning the new coronavirus variant discovered in the UK, Zayed asserted that there is no proven scientific evidence that links the new variant to the rate or severity of reported cases. She noted that the ministry s health committee following the pandemic development in Egypt has agreed to conduct research about potential genetic changes related to the virus. She added that the ministry has up to 364 hospitals equipped with 35,000 beds, 5,000 intensive care beds and 2,400 ventilators to receive coronavirus patients, with 200 new ventilators distributed recently among hospitals.

A broad Libyan delegation comprised of 75 representatives of all southern Libyan cities has arrived at Cairo International Airport on Tuesday to hold two-day talks with a number of Egyptian officials to discuss the Libyan crisis and means to resolve it politically, in light of Egypt’s role in in supporting the security and sovereignty of the Libyan state.. The delegation comprises tens of prominent figures and alderman from southern cities in the Fezzan province, representing all social stratas in the Libyan south. The Egyptian National Committee Concerned with the Libyan Crisis is set to listen to the demands of the delegation members. The committee will establish means to ensure steady communication with the Libyan south, support Libyan efforts against foreign intervention, in light of the attempts by some forces to bolster a federalist tendency.

Egypt expressed on Monday its condemnation of the missile attack that targeted the Green Zone in Baghdad on Sunday, saying it "fully stands" with Iraq in its fight against terrorism. "Egypt s condemns all terrorist acts that could destabilise Iraq and target the headquarters of diplomatic missions and civilian targets, calling on all parties to uphold the Iraqi national interest over any other considerations, in order to succeed the relentless efforts made by Iraq to protect its security and stability,” a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry said. Egypt fully stands with Iraq in any measures it takes to eliminate terrorism and its supporters and to safeguard its national security, the statement added. At least eight Katyusha rockets landed in Baghdad s Green Zone in an attack targeting the US Embassy, causing some minor damage to the compound on Sunday, the Iraqi military and the embassy said on Sunday.

Egypt s coastal city of Hurghada received Saturday evening a flight from Berlin, the first trip from Germany since Egypt reopened its airspace to regular flights in July. The tourist group was given a warm welcome by members of the tourist office of the Egyptian General Authority for Tourist Promotion in Hurghada, according to a statement released by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The flight was carrying a total of 125 tourists, the statement added. Iman Mamoud, head of the internal tourism sector at the Egyptian General Authority for Tourist Promotion, said Germany is one of the major sources of tourists for Egypt. Egypt resumed international flights to and from all its airports in July, after a four-month suspension, allowing foreign tourists in tour groups into three coastal Egyptian governorates: Red Sea, Marsa Matrouh and South Sinai. Egypt requires travellers arriving to the country to present a negative PCR lab test result. However, travellers entering Egypt at any of four airports in the Red Sea governorate and South Sinai can take a coronavirus test upon arrival.

Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed left for the UAE on Thursday morning to discuss with Emirati officials plans to supply Egypt with more batches of a coronavirus vaccine. Last week, Cairo received the first batch of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, which was flown from the UAE. The health ministry stated on Thursday that Zayed will discuss with the Emirati side the possibility of transferring vaccine manufacturing technologies to the well-established Egyptian Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines, known as Vacsera, which is the country s only producer of vaccines and the oldest manufacturer of vaccines In Africa and the Middle East. Zayed will also meet with her UAE counterpart to discuss exchanging expertise with regard to the results of the clinical trials conducted on Covid-19 vaccines, as well as means to bolster bilateral health cooperation, the statement added. Last Thursday Egypt received a 50,000-dose batch of the Sinopharm vaccine. Egypt and the UAE are among 100 countries that participated in phase three clinical trials of the Chinese vaccine. Zayed received two doses of Sinopharm’s vaccine in November during the trials carried out in Egypt. She said the vaccine has proven 86 percent effective against coronavirus, 99 percent effective in producing antibodies, and 100 percent effective in patients suffering from moderate to severe symptoms. The health minister said the government is in talks with Sinovac Biotech to manufacture the Chinese company’s vaccine for Egypt to meet the demand of the public and other African countries. Egypt said the Sinopharm vaccine will be optional and free of charge for all Egyptians, assuring that medical staff, people with chronic diseases, and the elderly will be prioritised.

The UK Middle East minister has praised what he described as “the pivotal” role Egypt plays regionally, saying it represents a pillar for security and stability in the Middle East. James Cleverly, the UK Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, made his remarks on Tuesday during a meeting with Egypt s Ambassador to London Tarek Adel. Both officials discussed the latest developments in a number of regional issues, including the crisis in Libya and the Palestinian issue, read a statement released by the Egyptian foreign ministry following the meeting. Cleverly told the Egyptian Ambassador that London is looking forward to continuing coordination and consultation with Cairo as an important partner. The meeting also tackled the Egyptian-British relations developments and efforts to strengthen them on various levels, according to the statement. The two sides welcomed the signing of trade partnership deal, which will regulate the commercial relations between both countries when the UK s departure from the European Union takes full effect in January 2021. On 5 December, Egypt and Britain signed a new association agreement that provides a platform to deepen trade and investment relations between the two countries after Brexit by securing free trade. The agreement, expected to enter into force on 1 January after the United Kingdom ends the transition period to leave the European Union, ensures the continuity of preferential access to both markets as it secures the same advantages that have been provided by the Egyptian-European free-trade agreement. Britons voted 52 percent to 48 percent in favour of leaving the 27-nation bloc in a referendum held on 23 June 2016. The British government has signed and agreed in principle trade agreements with dozens of countries over the last two years in preparation for the post-Brexit period starting on 1 January 2021. Cleverly and Adel expressed their keenness to continue pushing forward the bilateral cooperation programs in all fields, most notably healthcare, education and tourism, the statement added.

Egypt has maintained its position as a member at the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) for 2021/2022 after it received 170 votes in polls held by the UN General Assembly on Monday. The PBC, consisting of 31 member states, is concerned with backing peace efforts in conflict-affected areas worldwide. “Egypt’s re-election as a member of the intergovernmental advisory body with the largest number of votes affirms the country’s leading peacebuilding role,” said Mohamed Edris, Egypt’s permanent representative to the UN. It also reflects the international community’s trust in Egypt’s capability of providing further contributions in this field, he added. Edris said Egypt had an effective role in the formation of the peacebuilding structure, including the commission, in 2005, and has enjoyed since then an almost permanent membership in the PBC. He referred to Egypt’s peacebuilding efforts worldwide, especially in Africa, and its position in 2016/2017 as the coordinator of the advisory role of the PBC to the security council. The country also chaired the UN Group of 77 and China in 2018. Egypt also chaired the African Union in 2019. Representatives of both Egypt and Romania were also elected as the PBC’s vice-chairs for 2019.

Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has ordered the immediate start of implementing the executive steps of setting up central product inspection laboratories at all sea, air, and land ports nationwide, a statement by the presidential spokesman said on Sunday. During a meeting with cabinet members, El-Sisi said the labs aim to govern and reduce measures needed for custom clearance in a safe and proper manner, as well as limit the number of parties involved in the process. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait, Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir, Trade and Industry Minister Nevine Gamea, and Health Minister Hala Zayed. El-Sisi also instructed that labs be electronically linked, the presidential spokesman added. The president called for developing of the current legal and legislative framework regulating the activity of port centres, in line with the comprehensive modernisation plans.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly urged to swiftly accomplish joint projects between Egypt, Iraq and Jordan amid the current challenges that face the Arab region. The premier on Saturday chaired a tripartite talks meeting in the presence of ministerial delegations from the three countries, calling for cementing cooperation with Iraq and Jordan. Madbouly warned that the delay in the implementation of such projects would lead to doubling costs. He pointed out that the members of the three ministerial delegations, which took part in the tripartite meeting held in Jordan, agreed on putting deals signed among the three countries into effect and launching joint development projects in different fields. The premier said it is scheduled that the leaders of the three countries would hold a tripartite summit in the first quarter of the next year. The attending ministers agreed on increasing cooperation in the fields of health, medicine industries, infrastructure projects, electricity interconnection and interchange trade

Mohamed Sharif Abdullah, under-secretary of the Sudanese foreign ministry, has said Sudan would be the country most harmed in case a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is not reached through negotiations. Abdullah’s remarks came in an event organised by the Sudanese foreign ministry in cooperation with the ministries of water resources and information Wednesday to review with ambassadors from Europe and the Americas latest developments on GERD, which has been of concern to Khartoum and Cairo since 2011. Abdullah highlighted the need to continue negotiations on GERD as the “only way” to resolve the ongoing dispute between the concerned countries of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, read a statement released by the water resources ministry following the meeting. Sudan will continue its efforts to explain its stance and the dangers its people and strategic facilities on the Blue Nile face, foremost of which is the 55-year-old Roseires Dam with a height of 78 metres, the statement quoted Abdullah as saying. Sharif affirmed Sudan’s adherence to and respect for the mediation of the African Union (AU) on the GERD issue, hoping that the AU’s efforts can lead to a resolution that guarantees a binding agreement for all parties, in accordance with the latest negotiation mechanisms that the parties agree on. He affirmed the need to grant AU experts a bigger role in ending the dispute between parties to the negotiations, on the basis of the “African solutions to African problems” principle. Reaching a deal among the concerned parties through negotiations would not be a hard task in case they garner the required political will, explained Saleh Hamad, chairman of the technical body of the water resources ministry, and Hisham Abdu Kahen, legal advisor to the negotiation team. There are a limited number of disputed issues among the three countries, compared to points they have agreed on, the two officials said. They added that these remaining issues are technical and related to exchanging information on filling and operating the dam, noting that safe operation of the Roseires Dam cannot be guaranteed unless an agreement on these points is reached. The Sudanese statement comes in line with recent press remarks by Sudan s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who noted that the three countries have agreed on 90 percent of issues concerning the dam. The remaining issues need further discussion and political decisions, he added. Last month, Sudan decided not to take part in a tripartite ministerial meeting on GERD that was scheduled to discuss guidelines for further negotiations, saying that the way previous talks were held proved to be "unproductive." Sudan’s water resources and irrigation minister, Yasser Abbas, stressed last week that his country’s benefits from GERD cannot be achieved without signing a binding legal agreement. Egypt and Sudan have insisted that the three countries sign a binding legal agreement on disputed issues surrounding GERD to safeguard the interests of the three parties, a demand repeatedly dodged by Addis Ababa over the last several years.

In a meeting held Tuesday night at the French Senate headquarters, Egypt s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and the president of France s Senate, Gérard Larcher, exchanged points of view on latest developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Topping the discussion was Egypt s comprehensive vision on the challenges facing the region, particularly combating terrorism and extremist thought along with restoring security and stability in crisis-stricken countries. The meeting also discussed ways to activate cooperative ties, developing bilateral relations between the two countries, especially in fields of tourism, cultural production and development, read a statement released by Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady following the meeting. Larcher told El-Sisi that his country supports Egypt and its "pivotal and balanced" role in the Middle East, assuring that Paris wants to enhance its partnership with Cairo at all levels, especially on the parliamentary front. President El-Sisi expressed his hope that the visit will be a starting point to further friendly relations between Egypt and France, including at the parliamentary level and exchanging expertise between the two nations, according to the statement. El-Sisi started an official visit to Paris Sunday, during which he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and France s defence and foreign ministers, as well as the mayor of Paris and other officials and businessmen.

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said more cooperation with France is required to promote tolerance, moderation, and acceptance of others, as he spoke in a state banquet on Monday hosted by President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace. “There is no doubt that the huge challenges the world is currently witnessing, foremost of which are the phenomena of violence, extremism, hatred of others, intolerance, racism and contempt of religions, impose a huge responsibility for cooperation,” El-Sisi said. The Egyptian president added that cooperation is needed to “counter these negative phenomena and [activate] joint work to enhance the values of tolerance, moderation and acceptance of the other, which are values we desperately need to spread and deepen in the world now more than ever." President El-Sisi is on an official visit to France, where he held meetings with President Macron, the French defence and foreign ministers, and the mayor of Paris to discuss issues of mutual interest and joint cooperation.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Paris on a two-day visit on Sunday evening. He met with French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian at the French foreign ministry s headquarters. El-Sisi and Le Drian discussed on Sunday the latest regional developments, focusing on the Eastern Mediterranean, Libya and Syria, the Egyptian presidency said. According to Egyptian Presidency Spokesman Bassam Rady, Le Drian said El-Sisi s upcoming talks with French President Emmanuel Macron will boost bilateral relations. France, he added, is looking forward to promoting bilateral cooperation in multiple fields and coordinating with Egypt on Middle East affairs. El-Sisi and Le Drian tackled a number of regional files, zooming in on developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, Libya, and Syria, as well as on crises in some regional countries, Rady added. President El-Sisi stressed that the support of the international community is the way to resolve crises, face meddling attempts, uproot terrorism, and achieve balance among regional countries, the spokesman said. Egypt is keen on boosting its strategic partnership with France as a cornerstone for security and stability in the Mediterranean region and the Middle East, El-Sisi said at the meeting. He added that now is the time to support dialogue between the Islamic and European worlds, with each respecting the differences of the other. Rady added the two sides tackled recent updates of the Palestinian cause and means to revive the peace process in the Middle East.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi headed to France on Sunday to meet his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, presidential spokesman Bassam Rady announced. The visit comes in response to an invitation from the French president, in light of the two sides keenness to develop and enhance the strategic relations between Cairo and Paris, Rady added. The two leaders will hold discussions on the bilateral relations and joint political coordination concerning regional and international issues. The Egyptian president is also set to meet the French prime minister, a number of other ministers and senior officials, including the presidents of the country s National Assembly and Senate, according to the presidential spokesman. During the meetings, President El-Sisi will present Egypt’s vision concerning a number of regional crises, especially those related to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. He will also discuss means to reinforce cooperation between the two countries, especially in the investment and trade fields, in light of Egypt s efforts to encourage foreign investments in Egypt s major national development projects.

Egypt is expected to receive doses of one of the coronavirus vaccines in May 2021 via the Global Vaccine Alliance and Immunisations (GAVI), the Egyptian cabinet spokesman Nader Saad said in a telephone interview with Extra News satellite channel on Wednesday night. Alongside other international organisations, GAVI aims to guarantee rapid and fair access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, mainly for middle-income and least developed countries. Saad said Egypt will be one of the first countries to receive the vaccine, albeit not before the first half of 2021 as GAVI has already a long list of requests from different countries to get the much-awaited vaccine. "Egypt will be one of the first countries to receive the vaccine but that will not happen in January […] may be in the first half of 2021 in May," Saad said. He added that the global alliance is waiting for the trial vaccines to obtain the necessary emergency approval from the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to fulfil the countries’ demands. The vaccine that receives the emergency approval will be provided to the country, Saad explained. The Cabinet spokesman also noted that the global alliance will help Egypt obtain the vaccine at an affordable price, much lower than the market price. Egypt s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has earlier delegated the Ministers of Health and Finance to take the necessary measures and procedures to contract GAVI in order to provide the country with a 20 million-dose batch of the coronavirus vaccine. The amount would cover up to 20 percent of the country s needs, mainly medical staffers and most vulnerable categories to the disease, according to previous remarks by Health Minister Hala Zayed. According to WHO, there is still no approved vaccine for the disease which has so far caused the death of 6,694 people and infected a total of 116,724 others across the country. Over the past months, Egypt has participated in the clinical trials of two China-made vaccines in cooperation with the Chinese government and other companies.

The Egyptian government announced that the deadline to receive reconciliation requests for building violations will be extended until the end of December, according to a cabinet statement released on Wednesday. The announcement, which was made during a cabinet meeting held earlier today, came two days after the previous deadline expired on 30 November. This is the third time the government has delayed the reconciliation deadline since the reconciliation process started earlier this year. Egyptian Cabinet Spokesperson Nader Saad said the decision comes in response to the large volume of requests for reconciliation filed by citizens. A number of non-government organisations, which are currently paying the expenses of reconciliation for residents in the most impoverished villages, also appealed to the cabinet to extend the deadline, Saad added. Egypt has seen a significant rise in illegal construction since the security vacuum that followed the 2011 uprising, with many people constructing multi-storey buildings without acquiring the necessary permits or complying with engineering safety standards. In January, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ratified a law allowing owners of illegally constructed buildings to settle with the state, with violations pertaining to safety standards, authorised height or purpose, and historic buildings excluded from the initiative. The reconciliation fees are set to be allocated for development in governorates and to upgrade the level of services provided to citizens.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Bahraini counterpart, Abdullatif Al-Zayani, crtiticised Qatar s interception of two Bahraini vessels last week in Bahraini waters. Shoukry and Al-Zayani agreed on Monday at a meeting in Cairo that "such acts contradict the conventions and treaties of the international law of the sea," a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry read. The Bahraini interior ministry said last week that Qatari patrols had intercepted, seized and threatened with weapons two Bahraini coastguard vessels while returning from maritime exercise "Al-Manaa Al-Bahary," before they then let them go. Al-Zayani has also voiced his support to all requirements of Egyptian national security and hailed the Egyptian role in backing stability in the region. The ministers discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, the statement read, noting that the discussion reflected their similar opinions on these issues. Shoukry reiterated Egypt s support to Bahrain as well as the security and stability of the Arab gulf. He praised the level of bilateral relations with Bahrain and affirmed Egypt s keenness on enhancing them in various fields.

Egypt denounced on Sunday the two attacks that took place in Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah and northeast Nigeria in which dozens of civilians were killed and injured, urging concerted international efforts to counter all forms of terrorism and extremism. At least 110 people were killed in the Nigeria attack, the country’s UN humanitarian coordinator, Edward Kallon, said. Militants reportedly tied up agricultural workers in rice fields and slit their throats. A local anti-jihadist militia blamed the attack in Koshobe village near the main city of Maiduguri on Boko Haram, one of the largest Islamist military groups in Africa. Egypt’s foreign ministry affirmed Egypt’s support for Nigeria, reiterating Egypt’s “call for the need to counter terrorism, through firm and collaborative action on the regional and international levels.” Boko Haram is responsible for countless attacks in the past decade which rendered thousands of people dead and tens of thousands displaced. In Hodeidah’s Durihimi district, a mortar attack killed four women and four children and critically injured seven others. The district’s director Fuad Maki blamed the attack on Iran-backed Houthis. The Egyptian foreign ministry also blamed the “heinous crime” on the Houthis, extending condolences to the families of the victims and wishing a speedy recovery for the wounded civilians. “Egypt reiterates the need to reach a comprehensive settlement to the Yemeni crisis to protect the unity, sovereignty and stability of Yemen and alleviate the impact of the protracted humanitarian crisis that afflicts it,” the ministry said. The ministry stressed a settlement to the crisis in Yemen must be based on agreed international resolutions.

Egypt reiterated its rejection to link terrorist acts with Islam during a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held on Friday and Saturday. The two-day event was held in the Nigerien capital Niamey under the slogan "United against terrorism for peace and development." The OIC foreign ministers discussed a number of issues including combating terrorism, Islamophobia, the Palestinian cause and the Libyan crisis, in addition to conflicts in a number of Islamic countries. According to a statement released by Egypt s foreign ministry on Saturday night, the Egyptian delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs Hamdy Loza, affirmed Cairo s support to the Sahel countries in face of terrorism, as well as efforts exerted to achieve peace and security in Libya, Yemen, and Syria. The delegation also congratulated Sudan for signing the peace agreement with the armed groups in Juba.Last month, Sudan s government and rebel leaders signed a landmark peace deal in the capital Juba aimed at ending the decades-long war in which hundreds of thousands died. The signing ceremony was attended by Egypt s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.

Egypt decried the attack on Shaqiq Port in south Saudi Arabia which took place on Wednesday, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Thursday. The joint forces of the Saudi Arabian-led Arab Coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen destroyed a booby-trapped boat to thwart a terrorist attack, resulting in damages to a Greek oil tanker. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said a commercial vessel suffered minor damage from shrapnel in a foiled terrorist attack, the state media reported late Wednesday. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said the vessel was operating at an oil-fired power plant at Shaqiq when the explosion took place. It said investigations are ongoing, Reuters reported. The foreign ministry statement affirmed Egypt s condemnation of aggressive incidents that target the territorial waters of and vital installations in Saudi Arabia, and which represent a direct threat to the freedom of international trade and the security and freedom of international navigation. Egypt reiterated its support for Saudi Arabia in its efforts to defend its territories, maintain its security and stability, and combat terrorism, the statement added. Egypt has repeatedly expressed its full support for the Saudi Arabian-led coalition against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, saying the Iran-backed movement’s practices further inflame the situation in Yemen.

EgyptAir will begin operating a weekly flight between Egypt s Red Sea resort of Hurghada and Hungary’s capital of Budapest on Saturdays starting next week as part of efforts to promote tourism to the country. According to an official statement by the national carrier on Tuesday, the flight will be operated by the airline’s Airbus A220-300, which is able to accommodate 140 passengers. EgyptAir already operates two weekly flights between Cairo and Budapest on Fridays and Tuesdays. Egypt, in a bid to offset losses by the aviation sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reopened its airports for international flights in July after a four-months suspension to contain the impact of the virus. Foreign tourists in groups have been allowed entry into the three coastal Egyptian governorates with the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the country. Egypt has required travellers arriving in the country to present a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) lab test result certificate for the coronavirus starting 1 September. However, travelers entering Egypt at any of four airports in the Red Sea governorate and South Sinai take a coronavirus test upon arrival. Egypt hopes that the resumption of regular flights will boost its coronavirus-hit tourism sector, an essential source of foreign currency.