Sadly, the long holiday is over which means getting back to our daily routines and the usual stress, and accordingly, we neglect our mental health and well-being to keep “hustling” as they say. However, what truly matters is balancing our busy lives and inner peace, and finding the best ways to handle stress.There are various hobbies that can help you unwind and relieve anxiety levels, so let’s check them out! GardeningThere’s something truly soothing and beautiful in watering your plants, and watching them bloom and grow every day. ReadingReading can be a great escape from everything happening around you and it will also help you expand your knowledge. Immerse yourself in an enchanting fiction or a history book even if it is only for a couple minutes, but it will surely help you relax and loosen up.

CAIRO – 24 June 2024: A high-level source said, Monday that Egypt reaffirms its rejection of any operation of the Rafah crossing in the presence of the Israeli occupation. The source added that Egypt coordinated with the United Nations to allow aid to enter Gaza Strip through the Karem Abu Salem crossing temporarily until the Rafah crossing is back in operation. The source also noted that Egyptian agencies coordinated with UN officials for the entry of 2,272 aid trucks into the Gaza Strip during the past three weeks. On Sunday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza confirmed that the Israeli occupation forces committed three massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, resulting in 101 deaths and 169 injuries brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours. This information was released in the daily statistical report on the number of Palestinian casualties resulting from the ongoing Israeli aggression, now in its 260th day in the Gaza Strip.

CAIRO – 24 June 2024: Chairman of the New Administrative Capital Company Khaled Abbas told Monday the Middle East News Agency (MENA) that 1,000 families are currently living in the city, and that there is a goal to up the number to 7,000 – 8,000 by the end of the year. Abbas added that there is a target for one million citizens to live in the New Capital within the coming three years. The prime minister stated that 24,000 residential units had been sold in the New Administrative Capital. On another level, LE0.5 trillion were spent on alternative-housing units distributed among former slum dwellers, and residential units targeted at low-income citizens, Madbouli added. The building will consist of offices, residential units, and a hotel, which occupies the highest 30 floors.

The National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development (NIGSD), the training arm of Egypt’s Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, has released its 2023 activity report, detailing significant strides in promoting sustainable development and good governance practices across various sectors. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs recognized the “Be an Ambassador” initiative as an accelerator for Sustainable Development Goals. In collaboration with UNICEF, the “Wa’tna” platform was launched to educate youth on sustainable development and climate change. NIGSD also conducted training programs for African officials on governance and sustainable development, contributing to the advancement of these fields on the continent. The institute also released publications on governance for sustainable development and analyzed Egypt’s performance in the 2023 Sustainable Development Report.

A high-level Egyptian trade mission, organized by the Egyptian Business Council for International Cooperation (EBCCI),recently concluded a visit to Uzbekistan with the aim of bolstering economic and trade relations between the two countries. “We aim to capitalize on available opportunities in both countries, open new markets for Egyptian products, and leverage Uzbekistan’s extensive industrial expertise,” Raslan stated. The trade mission comes on the heels of increased activity in Egyptian-Uzbek relations, with high-level visits between the two countries’ leaders in recent years. These meetings served to showcase investment opportunities in both countries and explore areas for further cooperation. Raslan expressed optimism about the outcomes of the trade mission, noting that it has paved the way for potential deals,joint investments, and enhanced trade relations between Egypt and Uzbekistan.

CAIRO – 23 June 2024: The Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation revealed in a statement Sunday updates on its contribution to the presidential initiative "100 Million Trees," as it has supplied 3.1 million trees until present. The Ministry of Local Development revealed in a statement in April 2023 that 7.2 million trees out of 7.7 million trees targeted for FY2022/2023 had been planted within the presidential initiative "100 Million Trees" and that is planned to be completed over seven years. The ministry noted that it is contributing to the initiative by cultivating 80 million trees, while the rest will be grown by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Housing. The 100 million trees will be cultivated across 9,900 locations on a total area of 6,600 feddans, dispersed nationwide, constituting forests and parks that are irrigated by treated wastewater. The statement revealed the species of trees cultivated, and those are camphor, casuarina, conocarps, orange, guava, olive, bologna, white poplar, mahogany, lemon, and pomegranate among others.

CAIRO – 23 June 2024: Ambassador to Sucre Hatem al-Nashar invited earlier this week Bolivian Vice-President David Choquehuanca to visit Egypt during a meeting they held to discuss bolstering ties on the political, economic and trade levels. The ambassador called for benefitting from the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCzone) which is a good opportunity for investors to have access to the Arab, European, Asian and African markets. The two sides also conferred over boosting touristic trips, cultural events, exchange of experience and human capacity-building in those sectors. On his side, the Bolivian vice-president expressed admiration to the Ancient Egyptian civilization and keenness on pushing forward cooperation with Egypt.

CAIRO – 23 June 2024: Egypt experienced a 13.6% annual decline in foreign direct investment in 2023. The recorded figure was $9.841 billion, down from $11.4 billion in 2022, according to data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). This growth is anticipated to be fueled by the Ras El Hekma deal and Egypt's Initial Public Offering (IPO) program. The agreement involved the Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ) acquiring the development rights for the Ras El Hekma project. This deal, valued at $35 billion, stands as Egypt's largest foreign investment and aims to develop Ras El Hekma, located in the North Coast.

CNN — China on Friday threatened to impose the death penalty in extreme cases for “diehard” Taiwan independence separatists, a ratcheting up of pressure even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction on the democratically governed island. The guidelines are being issued in accordance with laws already on the books, including the 2005 anti-succession law, Xinhua said. That law gives China the legal basis for military action against Taiwan if it secedes or seems about to. Sun Ping, an official from China’s Ministry of Public Security, told reporters in Beijing the maximum penalty for the “crime of secession” was the death penalty. Such punishments have little practical effect as Chinese courts do not have jurisdiction in Taiwan, whose government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.

Its primary objective is to contain high inflation and reduce the prices of goods and services. That way, it was able to control the rate of inflation and reduce prices. This massively helps reduce the prices of goods for citizens as a result of the expansion of the volume and financing opportunities for this type of company. CBE continues to intervene in open market mechanisms to regulate the monetary supply and withdraw excess liquidity from the banking system units. At the same time, CBE continues to adopt policies to support economic growth, stimulate investment, and generate jobs.

This relationship has recently been elevated to a "comprehensive strategic partnership," recognizing Egypt's political and economic influence, strategic location, and developmental progress. Strengthening EU-Egypt RelationsOver the past decade, Egypt, under President Sisi, has reaped the benefits of its proactive and diverse diplomatic efforts. The relationship between Egypt and the EU has grown on political, economic, and strategic levels, reflecting a shared history and mutual goals. Economic Stability and DevelopmentThe EU is committed to supporting Egypt's 2030 development agenda, ensuring long-term macroeconomic stability and sustainable growth. The EU and Egypt have made substantial progress in their relationship over the past decade, marked by mutual respect and shared goals.

Major Initiatives and CampaignsSince its inception, the Ministry of Immigration has launched numerous initiatives and campaigns to serve Egyptians abroad. The ministry also focuses on raising awareness in high-emigration governorates and training youth to enhance their skills for the global job market. Successful Initiatives and LawsThe ministry has implemented previous conference recommendations, including the long-awaited law allowing Egyptians abroad to import cars duty-free. Investment Opportunities for Egyptians AbroadFocusing on investment, the ministry has supported establishing the "Egyptians Abroad Investment Company," managed by expatriate businessmen without state intervention. Election Participation and Rights Awareness CampaignsThe "Participate with Your Voice" campaign encouraged Egyptians abroad to vote in the 2023/2024 presidential elections.

Mohamed Maait, Egypt’s Minister of Finance, recently announced the resolution of more than 461,000 income tax and value-added tax (VAT) disputes over the past six years. The resolution process involved the Tax Appeals Committees and the Dispute Resolution Committees, both contributing to the development and digitalization of Egypt’s tax system. In the same period, the Tax Appeals Committees resolved over 403,000 disputes between the Tax Authority and taxpayers, resulting in a final payable tax amount exceeding EGP 309bn. Additionally, the Dispute Resolution Committees settled over 58,000 cases, with an agreed tax amount surpassing EGP 53.5bn. These achievements reflect the dedicated work of Ministry of Finance employees and officials, emphasizing the importance of swift dispute resolution.

Egypt’s foreign trade volume for the first half of the fiscal year 2023/2024 reached approximately $51.555bn. In a recent report, the Central Bank of Egypt highlighted the trade exchange volume between Egypt and its top 14 trade partners, who collectively represent 62.8% of the total trade volume. The United Arab Emirates emerged as Egypt’s leading trade partner, with a trade exchange volume of approximately $4.779bn. Germany occupied the fifth spot, with a trade volume of $2.647bn. Brazil secured the 11th position among Egypt’s major trade partners during the first half of 2023/2024, with a trade volume of $1.318bn.

Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly cancelled on Saturday the licences of 16 tourism companies and referred their officials to the public prosecution for alleged facilitation of unregistered pilgrims’ travel through unofficial means. The Cabinet stated: “Sixteen tourism companies facilitated travel of pilgrims through illegal means, and did not provide any services to them. Moreover, the committee recommended coordination with the Saudi side to provide facilities to the families of the victims and patients. The committee stressed reviewing entry visa lists for Saudi lands, ensuring that BARCODE is issued through tourism companies, and taking the necessary legal measures against violating companies. The recommendations also included studying the amendment of some articles of the Tourism Companies Law No.