CAIRO – 24 June 2023: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Cairo on Saturday in the first visit by an Indian premier in more than two decades. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli received Modi, who is making the visit to Egypt as per the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, at Cairo International Airport. Modi’s delegation includes the Indian foreign minister, national security advisor and senior officials from the Cabinet and the Indian foreign ministry, a statement by the Egyptian Cabinet read. According to Indian reports, Modi will meet with President Sisi and Egyptian Grand Mufti Shawki Allam during his two-day visit to Egypt. Sisi made a visit to India in January, becoming the first ever Egyptian president to be the chief guest of India’s Republic Day.

CAIRO - 24 June 2023: The cabinet's media center denied claims on the government's intention to abolish treatment at state expense in the coming period. In a statement on Saturday, the center said it communicated the Health Ministry which dismissed the news as baseless. The ministry stressed that no decisions were issued in this respect, stressing that the state is offering all medical services under decisions on treatment at state expense. It said about 1.184 million decisions on treatment at state expense were issued at about EGP 5.742 million from January 2023 to May. The center called on media outlets and social media users to verify the authenticity of the news circulated to avoid perplexing public opinion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that the country would defend itself from internal treachery following the recent mutiny by Wagner Group fighters. The Telegram channel of Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin earlier posted several audio recordings with accusations against the country’s military leaders. Putin stressed that Russia would defend both its people and its statehood from any threats, including internal treachery. The Wagner Group has been involved in several conflicts worldwide, including in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, and the Central African Republic. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have all imposed sanctions on the Wagner Group and its members.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia’s Wagner Group, has claimed that the military leadership has killed 2,000 of his fighters. He has vowed to seek revenge, stating that the “evil” brought by the military leadership must be stopped. The Wagner Group has been involved in several conflicts worldwide, including in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, and the Central African Republic. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have all imposed sanctions on the Wagner Group and its members. The group is estimated to have between 20,000-25,000 fighters.

Despite the global financial crisis driven by the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, besides the climate change impacts and the increasing population, Egypt is still working on providing citizens, especially youth, with housing units, as part of the state’s efforts to provide a decent life for all. As for the housing units for the middle-income bracket (aka Dar Misr), the number of units recorded 56,500 in the new cities, of which 4,440 units were implemented in only 2021/2022. The largest number of implemented units was in the city of New Cairo, as it reached 4,392 units or 98.9% of the total, CAPMAS added. The number of units in the Paradise of Egypt project (luxury housing) reached 27,500 units in the new cities, of which 12,072 units were implemented. The 35-year-old wife added that young people no longer have enough financial liquidity for the advance deposit of the unsubsidized apartments.

CAIRO - 23 June 2023: The Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) expects that Friday will witness a hot weather, and an increase in the humidity levels. EMA expected that hot weather will prevail in Greater Cairo, Lower Egypt, the northeastern coasts and northern Upper Egypt, while a very hot weather to be witnessed in southern Sinai and southern Upper Egypt. The Meteorological Authority also expects wind activity in most parts, and light mist on some roads leading to and from Greater Cairo, Lower Egypt, the northeastern coasts and northern Upper Egypt, with a rise in humidity levels during the day between 2:3 degrees. As for the temperatures on Friday:Cairo will see highs of 35 degrees and lows of 23 degreesAlexandria highs of 29 and lows of 21 degreesMatrouh highs of 28 degrees and lows of 21 degreesSohag highs of 35 degrees and lows of 24 degreesQena highs of 40 degrees and lows of 25 degreesAswan highs of 39 degrees and lows of 28 degrees.

Travelers can obtain a free transit visa to enter Egypt and stay for a duration starting from eight hours to 96 hours, EgyptAir announced. According to a statement on Thursday, the company said that the new visa aims to activate tourism flow to Egypt, as part of efforts to achieve sustainable development goals in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030. The company stated that this visa can be obtained upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, provided that the passenger goes to the EgyptAir transit office at the airport to fill out the data form upon which they can obtain the visa free of charge. The Athens 2.2 Airline Marketing Workshop, organized annually by Athens International Airport, has named EgyptAir as the ‘fastest recovered airline’ in Africa, ranking amongst the airlines that bounced back the fastest from the coronavirus pandemic. EgyptAir advanced 26 places in the latest global ranking of airlines “Skytrax World Airline”, as it ranked 95th globally after compared to 121st in 2021, while Qatar Airways maintained its first place in the world for the second year in a row.

New Delhi CNN — Nearly half a million people in northeast Nearly half a million people in northeast India have been affected by severe flooding after heavy rains battered the region, turning roads into rivers and submerging entire villages. Men trying to cross the flooded street in Nalbari district of Assam India on Tuesday June 21, 2023. Assam, a state of more than 31 million people, experiences heavy rain and flooding during India’s unrelenting monsoon season which can last from April to September. This year’s flooding comes one week after tropical cyclone Biparjoy hit India’s west coast, ripping trees and toppling electricity poles. A man carries belongings from his partially submerged house in the flood affected Dhamdhama village of Nalbari district, in India’s Assam state on June 22, 2023.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Eissa inaugurated the commercial area in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization on Thursday. The area thus far includes 12 shops of various sizes, all of which sell luxury Egyptian products – including accessories and ornaments, arabesque artifacts, sweets, textiles, and children’s toys, alongside a shop selling products by the Konouz Egypt Replica Treasures company. A museum for children, Kimet Kids, has been also inaugurated in the area. Founded by the Kimet company, it features activities for children including weaving and designing their own pharaonic ornaments. The company also presents a play on the museum’s theater telling the story of Queen Hatshepsut, as well as a cinema showing a historical short film in Arabic and English about the history of Egyptian civilization.

CAIRO – 22 June 2023: A large number of actors and public figures participated in the National Dialogue on Thursday to discuss the future of culture in Egypt. The session was held as part of the Culture and National Identity Committee of the National Dialogue’s social access to discuss further effectiveness for the cultural institutions and policies. A number of veteran actors, including Mohamed Sobhi, Sherif Mounir, Sameh Hussein and Ahmed Abdel Aziz participated in the talks to introduce their vision on the future of culture in Egypt. Head of the Egyptian Actor's Union, Ashraf Zaki, also participated in the session. In conjunction, political parties and social experts also held a session today to discuss means of facing domestic violence as part of the dialogue’s social track.

In November 2022, President Sisi welcomed the French president on the sidelines of the Climate Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh. He praised the recent, unprecedented momentum in relations between the two countries, especially in the economic and trade relations. President Sisi also visited Paris in October 2017, leading a high-level delegation and was received by President Macron. In August 2019, Egypt's president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi visited France to attend the G7 Partnership meetings with African nations. President Sisi's diplomatic outreach continued with another visit to France in December 2020, where he held a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron.

June 21, marks the death anniversary of Egyptian cinema sweetheart Soad Hosny. Hosny used her outstanding talent to call for gender equality in the TV series "Hekayat Hwa we Heyain" (1985) that achieved booming success. In 2001, Hosny fell to death from her friend's apartment in London, which brought her glamorous life to an end. "Before her death, she was preparing for a play which she discussed with producer and screenwriter Samir Khafaga. May God bless the incomparable soul of Soad Hosny that still lives in the hearts of her fans.

CAIRO - 21 June 2023: The Interior Ministry on Wednesday granted an exceptional visit to all prisoners on the occasion of Eidul Adha. The visit will not be deducted from the number of legalized visits granted for prisoners throughout their jail term. The exceptional visit comes as part of the Interior Ministry's keenness on giving inmates the opportunity to share celebrations with their relatives on certain occasions. It also falls within the framework of upholding the values of human rights alongside the application of the penal policy in its modern approach.

CAIRO – 21 June 2023: Egypt was also elected as deputy head of the executive bureau of the Council of the Arab Media Ministers, said the Supreme Council for Media Regulations (SCMR) in a statement. Saudi Arabia was also elected on Wednesday to preside over the bureau, the SCMR added. This came during the 53rd edition of the council’s meetings that was held in Morocco. Head of the SCMR Karam Gabr led Egypt’s delegation in which he reiterated Egypt’s support to Arab national issues. He also conveyed President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s greeting to Arab media ministers.

The latest season of the drama series “Leh Laa” (Why Not) is scheduled to be shown on June 22 on the Shahid platform. Actress Nelly Karim said that her character, Sherry, represents women who faces great difficulties especially from raising children. The idea was developed by Dina Negm, who wrote the script and dialogue in cooperation with Magdy Amin, Rania Hassan and Salma Abdel Wahab, through a narration workshop and under the supervision of Maryam Naoum. The series stars Menna Shalaby, Ahmed Hatem, Murad Makram, Maha Abu Auf, Sarah Abdel Rahman, Selim Mostafa, Mona Ahmed Zaher, Donia Maher, Firas Saeed, Yara Gibran, Tamer Nabil, and Reem Hegab. “Why Not” marks one of many successful collaborations between Naoum and Karim, who worked together on prior shows such as “Women’s Prison” (Segn al-Nisa), “Under Control” (Taht al-Sitara) and “Free Fall” (Sokot horr).