(Reuters) - As the Premier League also-rans empty their pockets in a bid to close the gap on Manchester City, manager Pep Guardiola looks to be backing the bulk of his treble-winning squad to be strong enough for an unprecedented fourth successive title. Last season's runners-up Arsenal have spent close to 200 million pounds and third-placed Manchester United around 100 million with Chelsea also splashing the cash. City have been in no rush to bolster their squad with only midfielder Mateo Kovacic signed for 25 million pounds ($31.89 million) from Chelsea as a replacement for Ilkay Gundogan. Although there have been few changes on the playing front for City, Guardiola has had to shuffle his coaching pack after losing trusted assistants Enzo Maresca and Rodolfo Borrell, who had been with him at The Etihad for seven years. He will want to avoid a repeat of last season when a stuttering first few months allowed Arsenal to forge clear.

The new diving sites include 15 old military pieces and equipment to create a suitable environment for growing Red Sea coral reefs- press photoCAIRO – 4 August 2023: Egypt launched, on Thursday, the first three new diving sites off the coast of Hurghada to protect the natural coral reefs, and to develop diving tourism, said the Ministry of Environment in a statement. The launch ceremony was attended by Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad, Governor of the Red Sea Major General Amr Hanafi, and 5 Environment Ministers from the Arab countries of Jordan, Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan, and Yemen. The new diving sites include 15 old military pieces and equipment that have a unique story and special importance and were put down in the sea to create an environment for coral reefs. The project took place within 7 years to avoid any possible damage to the marine ecosystem and to create a suitable environment for growing coral reefs. Fouad said that the Red Sea coral reefs are the most resilient to climate change and high temperature of the sea worldwide in accordance with the latest studies, adding that the UN Climate Conference (COP 27) announced that Red Sea reefs are to be protected against pollution and illegal practices.

Detained Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum on Thursday asked the international community for help, while the country’s newly installed junta has refused to hand back power and threatened to meet force with force. Abdourahamane Tchiani, head of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) in Niger, declared Wednesday night the rejection of sanctions imposed by ECOWAS and UEMOA. Tchiani, former leader of Niger’s presidential guard, was named president of the CNSP. He signed an order to suspend the constitution and dissolve the government, empowering the council to exercise all legislative and executive authorities. The junta has threatened an immediate and unannounced response to “any aggression or attempted aggression against the State of Niger,” according to a statement read on national television late Thursday.

But for importers and loyal consumers of Indian-grown non-basmati varieties, the ban has been disruptive, including in the United States. Internationally, the ban is causing an upheaval in the market and could especially impact places that rely on Indian rice exports. Global impact of India’s banOn July 20, India’s government announced that it would stop exporting non-basmati white rice, effective immediately. “We are completely dependent on non-basmati rice,” said Kiran Kumar Pola, director of Deccan Foods, an importer and distributor of non-basmati Indian rice that operates out of Arizona. “We at India Bazaar understand the concerns raised in light of the recent ban on Indian Non-Basmati Raw Rice,” the post reads.

The Egyptian government on Thursday authorized the General Authority for Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) to set up a joint-stock company called “SCZone Istithmar” to manage investments. According to a decision published by the official gazette, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has approved the move to establish the company, which is tasked with formulating strategic plans to manage the SCZone’s current and future investments and set up joint development enterprises with the private sector. The company will also seek cooperation and establish partnerships with both local and international companies to operate the infrastructure of the SCZone. Established in August 2015, the Suez Canal Economic Zone, covering an area of 461 square km along the banks of the Suez Canal, is home to six ports and four development areas.

The Cabinet media center has debunked misinformation shared online claiming that the Giza pyramids area will be shut down for two months as part of the development plan. The media center contacted the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, which denied these reports and assured that the Giza pyramids area remains to all visitors, local and foreign. The Giza pyramids development project includes the development of the archaeological area, its entrances and surroundings, and the visitor center, with the aim of raising the efficiency of the services provided to tourists, the ministry said. Egypt is close to completing its development project at the Giza pyramids area, the Chairman of the Executive Board of the Orascom Pyramids Projects Amr Gazzarin told RT in July. The company has completed 90 percent of all construction work to develop the pyramids area, Gazzarin added, stressing that the region will be ready to operate at full capacity within less than a month.

CAIRO - 3 August 2023: Bar and coin investment in the Middle East reached a 10-year high of 32 tons, according to the Gold Demand Trends Q2 2023 report published by the World Gold Council (WGC) on Tuesday. The demand for gold bars and coins in Egypt increased by more than 300 percent on a yearly basis to over 10 tons in Q2 2023. The report showed that growth was universal across the MENA region, but Egypt was of the largest contributors by far along with Iran. The WGC showed that the first half of 2023 total investment demand of 19 tons is close to 2022’s annual total. “A relaxation of restrictions on hand-carried gold has eased supply conditions in the local market, and this is reflected in lower premiums on gold investment products.

“Quantum physics is actually all about algebra.”Physicists have already managed to unite quantum theory with Einstein’s other big theory: special relativity (explaining how speed affects mass, time and space). If it could, it would indicate that quantum theory might ultimately be more fundamental than general relativity, accounting for four out of five forces – suggesting general relativity ultimately may need to be modified. So it’s not really a theory of everything if it’s not accounting for most of the matter energy content in the universe,” she argues. Another is loop quantum gravity, which suggests Einstein’s space-time arises from quantum effects. “One of the strengths that people will point to with string theory is that string theory built on quantum field theory,” explains Prescod-Weinstein.

The Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri announced that the Antiquities Ministry is planning to develop the narrow entrance to the pyramids area at Fayoum Governorate, in order to increase tourism flow to the area. In a Tuesday phone-call with with TV presenter Sayed Ali, Waziri explained that a large bus stop based on the latest international standards will be established in the area. Tourists groups will enter at the visitor center, he said, which includes a theater and other services, before environmentally friendly buses take tourists on a trip around the pyramids. The project is scheduled to be completed within two months, Waziri said. Once development work finishes, the entrance to the pyramids area will be closed from the side of the Mena House Hotel, and entry will be limited to the side of Fayoum Governorate, he added, pointing out that a tourist walkway is being established linking pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum.

FC Barcelona’s French international winger Ousmane Dembele has flown to Paris to complete his move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Dembele was filmed at Barcelona Airport ahead of a private flight to Paris on Thursday morning, following Barcelona’s return from their North American tour, which ended with a 1-0 win against AC Milan in Las Vegas. Following that game, coach Xavi Hernandez admitted the 26-year-old had activated a €50 million release clause to allow him to hold talks with the PSG, who views him as a key player to cover for the possible departure of Kylian Mbappe. “I’ll be clear: Dembele has asked to leave, he has said that he has an offer from PSG and that they have spoken to him. The coach said it was a “personal decision” from the player and “we can’t do anything about it.

CAIRO – 3 August 2023: Fifteen new air-conditioned 3rd class rail carriages have arrived at Alexandria Port from Hungary, said Egyptian - Minister of Transport Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel Al-Wazir on Thursday. So far, Egypt has received 800 carriages (499 third class with dynamic ventilation and 301 third class with air conditioning) out of 1,350 ones as per a deal between the Ministry of Transport represented by the Railways Authority and the Hungarian Jans Mavage company. The deal comes as part of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s instructions to provide low-income citizens with air-conditioned rail carriages to reduce their suffering in summer’s hot weather. On July 28, 2023, Al Wazir visited Hungary, where he met with the head of Jans Mavage Company “to discuss the localization of the railway vehicle industry in Egypt and its transformation into a center for the railway vehicle industry in the Middle East and Africa,” according to the official website of the Egyptian National Railways (ERA).

In a meeting in New Alamein city on Thursday, Sisi and Mitsotakis also stressed the importance of continuing energy cooperation with regard to natural gas, power linkage and green transformation. In this regard, Mitsotakis praised the Egyptian efforts to face illegal immigration especially in light of the burden that Egypt shoulders by hosting millions of refugees. The president also praised the fruitful cooperation between Egypt and Greece within the tripartite cooperation mechanism with Cyprus. Ukraine, LibyaDuring Thursday’s meeting, Sisi and Mitsotakis discussed the developments of the Russia-Ukraine crisis as well as the crisis in Libya. In this regard, Sisi affirmed Egypt’s stance in supporting the political track in Libya, highlighting the importance of holding the presidential and parliamentary elections as constitutional entitlements.

The Central Bank revealed that the annual core inflation rate, prepared for its part, had risen to 41% by the end of June 2023, compared to 40.3% in May 2023. The annual general inflation rate recorded 35.7% in June 2023, compared to 32.7% in May 2023. The Central Bank of Egypt targets an inflation rate of 7% ± 2% on average during the fourth quarter of 2024 and 5% (±2%) on average during the fourth quarter of 2026. HC Securities and Investment expected that the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Egypt would keep interest rates unchanged in its meeting tomorrow, Thursday. Accordingly, and based on Egypt’s current economic situation, we believe the MPC committee will likely maintain interest rates unchanged at its 3 August meeting.

Egypt’s Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir and Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır met in Ankara on Thursday to discuss ways to enhance joint industrial cooperation. The two ministers discussed the possibility of signing a joint memorandum of understanding that would cover industrial cooperation, technical expertise transfer, technical training, university education, pre-university education, industrial investment, and agricultural manufacturing. Samir also proposed establishing a mechanism for joint cooperation in manufacturing in Egypt and exporting to various countries. He also highlighted the importance of enhancing industrial and technological cooperation between the two countries, especially as Turkey has 354 industrial zones and the industrial sector’s contribution to the Turkish GDP is 27% and is worth $240bn. He also pointed out the importance of benefiting from all opportunities for joint industrial investment and cooperation in the field of new and renewable energy, including solar and wind energy.

CAIRO – 2 August 2023: A number of participants at the Egyptian National Dialogue have suggested drafting a legislation to put a ceiling on public debt amid the global economic crisis and increased debt burden. According to an official statement by the National Dialogue on the public debt session on Tuesday, a number of speakers have also called for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. They called for integrating informal economy into formal economy and reducing budget deficit by curbing expenditures and setting priorities. Assistant Rapporteur of the National Dialogue’s Public Debt Committee Abdel Fattah El-Gebaly noted that Egypt's public debt has risen to 113 percent of GDP. Despite demands for a legislation to put a ceiling on debt, National Dialogue Technical Secretariat Head Mahmoud Fawzy questioned the effectiveness of such law, noting that all countries borrow only when required.