The dispute has escalated in recent months after Sudan deployed troops to al-Fashaqa, driving out Ethiopian farmers and militias in the area. At least 84 Sudanese troops were killed in clashes with Ethiopia forces and militias since November, according to Burhan. Sudan has said it reclaimed most of its territory and called on Ethiopia to withdraw troops from at least two points it says are inside Sudan. At least 84 Sudanese troops were killed in clashes with Ethiopia forces and militias. Monday’s visit was the latest sign of Sudan’s defiance against Ethiopia’s repeated calls for Sudanese troops to return to their positions before the war in Ethiopia’s region of Tigray.

The US and the rest of the international community scrambled on Monday to react to the shocking fall of Kabul to the Taliban the day before. Biden stands ‘squarely behind’ troop withdrawalUS President Joe Biden held a press conference on Monday to address the sharp criticisms leveled against his administration over its handling of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. After 20 years, I learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw forces,” Biden said. “It is evident that this engagement of the international community was not successful. __IMAGE: US President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House in Washington, US August 3, 2021.

Egypt’s Ministry of Interior announced on Monday the killing of two criminals in an exchange of fire with police officers in Assiut, Upper Egypt. The statement added that the first was sentenced to life in prison in two cases, and to seven years in another case, while the other had been previously charged for brandishing a weapon. Officers found the body of the first man with a Grenov machine gun, an ammunition box, a gas grenade, two kilos of marijuana, and 14 heroin sachets, the statement said. The body of the second man was found with a machine gun, four safes of ammunition, a number of bullets, an F1 bomb and 750 grams of cannabis. After searching the premises, officers found a large some of cash, supposedly from the sale of narcotics.

BANGKOK (AP) — Iran continues to produce uranium metal, which can be used in the production of a nuclear bomb, the United Nation’s atomic watchdog confirmed Tuesday, in a move that further complicates the possibility of reviving a landmark 2015 deal with world powers on the Iranian nuclear program. Grossi had previously reported in February that his inspectors had confirmed that a small amount of uranium metal, 3.6 grams, had been produced at Iran’s Isfahan plant. The production of uranium metal is prohibited by the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, which promises Iran economic incentives in exchange for limits on its nuclear program, and is meant to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb. Iran insists it is not interested in developing a bomb, and that the uranium metal is for its civilian nuclear program. Following the latest IAEA report on the increase in uranium metal production, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the move was “unconstructive and inconsistent with a return to mutual compliance.”“Iran has no credible need to produce uranium metal, which has direct relevance to nuclear weapons development,” he said in a statement.

SYDNEY, Aug 17 (Reuters) – COVID-19 cases are set to “rise substantially” in Sydney in the coming weeks despite a prolonged lockdown, authorities said on Tuesday, warning soaring infections have already put hospitals under enormous strain. New South Wales (NSW) state, whose capital Sydney is the epicenter of the latest outbreak, reported 452 cases in the past 24 hours, the third-biggest one-day jump, and one new death. Australia’s capital, Canberra reported 17 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and authorities warned infections would likely rise in the coming days. A total of 57 people, most of them unvaccinated, have died in the latest outbreak in Sydney since July 11. read more($1 = 1.3678 Australian dollars)Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney and Colin Packham in Canberra; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall and Richard Pullin

CAIRO - 16 August 2021: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi directed that general health checks be conducted for students before the start of the new academic year to ensure their health and safety, said Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Radi in a statement. Health check-ups are carried out to detect infection by COVID-19 virus, hepatitis C virus (HCV), hypertension, diabetes, obesity, stunting, and vision impairment, among other diseases; accurate databases should be prepared, the President instructed. President Sisi stated during the inauguration ceremony of Menoufeya's Sadat City "Silo Foods" on August 3, 2021 that the government is working on offering standard meals “presented in a nice way” to schoolchildren. The cost of such meals annually is estimated at LE7.7 billion given that the cost of each meal is LE6-7, the president pointed out. Shedding light on the prevalence rates of anemia, obesity and stunting among children, President Sisi reiterated that people must give care to “the quality not the number” stressing the necessity of family planning.

(Reuters) - Belgium international Romelu Lukaku said he has evolved since he last played in the Premier League two years ago and has returned to Chelsea as a more complete player. Lukaku was Inter Milan's top scorer -- with 24 goals -- in Serie A last season, leading them to their first Scudetto in 11 years. After leaving Chelsea, Lukaku switched to Everton before signing for Manchester United in a big-money move in 2017 that ended in disappointment. Lukaku added that he likes manager Thomas Tuchel's system and is prepared to adapt. Lukaku was unavailable for Chelsea's 3-0 win against Crystal Palace over the weekend but is expected to feature against Arsenal on Sunday.

CAIRO - 16 August 2021: President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi directed the government to expand the scale of implementing the Women’s Health initiative through strengthening cooperation with international centers specialized in oncology, said the Presidency Spokesperson Bassam Radi in a statement. Early August, the Egyptian Ministry of Health reiterated its calls on women to seek early detection tests of breast cancer, saying that 60 percent of breast cancer cases that were detected early do not need chemotherapy. The ministry added that the treatment is free of charge, and follows the latest international protocols as part of the presidential initiative to support women’s health. The 100 Million Healthy Lives campaign screens Egyptians for breast cancer, Hepatitis C and chronic diseases. The Ministry of Health and Population vowed to completely eliminate the disease from Egypt in 2022.

(Reuters) -Two-times Women's World Cup winner Carli Lloyd, one of the greatest women's soccer players to ever grace the game, has announced her retirement, U.S. Soccer said on Monday. The 39-year-old Lloyd, who was twice named the FIFA Women's Player of the Year, became the second-most capped player in world soccer history (312) during a career that also includes two Olympic gold medals. Lloyd will also play the remainder of the National Women's Soccer League 2021 season with NJ/NY Gotham FC before calling time on her professional club career, which has spanned 12 years and six teams. Known for her consistent production throughout her career, Lloyd, who served as U.S. women's national team (USWNT) captain in the latter part of her career, scored 128 international goals and is tied for fifth on the all-time list. "Her career was unique, and her success on the field is something all current and future National Team players should aspire to achieve," said U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Vlatko Andonovski.

(Reuters) - The European Club Association (ECA) on Monday confirmed that nine of the 12 clubs who proposed a new breakaway Super League have retained their ECA membership after the collapse of the ESL project, but Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus remain out. The nine clubs now admitted back into the ECA can therefore still have an influence on the direction of European football in the future. "The ECA Executive Board has agreed that the following clubs will retain their ECA ordinary membership for the current 2019-23 ECA membership cycle: AC Milan, Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, Club Atletico de Madrid, FC Internazionale Milano, Liverpool FC, Manchester City FC, Manchester United FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC," a statement read. "The ECA Executive Board took into consideration the clubs' acknowledgement that the so-called European Super League project was not in the interests of the wider football community and their publicly communicated decisions to abandon said ESL Project completely. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus released a statement on July 30, confirming their intention to still go ahead with the Super League after a court ruled that UEFA terminate disciplinary proceedings against founding members of the project.

CAIRO – 16 August 2021: Orascom Development Egypt (ODE) recorded a surge in its consolidated profits during the first half of 2021 by 342.28 percent, recording LE 744.58 million, compared to LE 168.35 million in the same period of 2020. It added that profits of non-controlling shareholders reached LE 58.36 million in the 2021 period, compared to LE 12.59 million in 2020 period. As per standalone results, Orascom recorded profits of LE 550.53 million in the first six months of 2021, compared to LE 206.33 million during the same months of 2020. Orascom Development Egypt achieved, during the first quarter of 2021, a net profit of LE 438.46 million, compared to LE 91.85 million in profits during the same quarter last year, taking into account minority rights. Orascom Development Egypt operates within the consumer services sector focusing on hotels, resorts and cruise lines with 52 subsidiaries operating across Northern Africa, Middle East and southern Europe.

MADRID (Reuters) -FC Barcelona can reverse their poor financial situation within a year and a half, president Joan Laporta told a news conference on Monday, after saying the club ended last year 451 million euros ($531 million) in the red. "I reckon that in a couple of years the club will be healthy," he told reporters, adding that the team have many potential sponsorship deals open to them. "We have a lot of proposals and this is obviously encouraging, our morale is very high," he said. The club's debts total 1.35 billion euros, 673 million of which are owed to banks, Laporta said. Along with rivals Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao, Barca voted against the proposal at a general assembly last Thursday.

CAIRO - 16 August 2021: The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), delivered 20 new, locally-manufactured buses to the North Sinai Governorate. These buses, worth $1.8 million, equivalent to EGP 28.4 million, will ensure that communities in Central Sinai have access to workplaces, commerce, education, and government services. USAID Acting Mission Director, Margaret Sancho, and North Sinai Governor, Major General Mohamed Abdel-Fadel Shousha, attended a handover event at the Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles factory in Sharqia Governorate. Ambassador Cohen noted, “The United States, working together with our Egyptian partners, is committed to supporting stabilization and inclusive economic development to lay the foundation for a more prosperous and peaceful future. These buses follow a $50 million U.S. investment in clean water infrastructure in North Sinai.”

During the meeting, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Enani stressed the ministry's keenness to deploy all its staff capabilities and expertise for the success of the Egyptian participation. This international event represents an opportunity to showcase the Egyptian tourism, archaeological and heritage components to the world and supports the ministry's efforts to attract more tourists to Egypt during the coming period. The coffin is set to arrive at the pavilion's headquarters in September 2021, to be displayed in the Egyptian pavilion throughout the Expo period. This is in addition to displaying a number of archaeological reproductions in the Egyptian pavilion at the Expo. For her part, Gamea announced during the meeting that all internal and external works in the Egyptian Pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai will be completed by next Thursday.

CAIRO - 16 August 2020: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri held on Monday a session of talks with his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi. The two top diplomats discussed the ways of boosting the special Egyptian-Japanese ties in the various fields as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern. Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat met on Sunday with Japanese Ambassador to Egypt Masaki Noke to discuss Egyptian-Japanese economic relations and future development cooperation projects. Japan supports Egypt’s development vision and its quest to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) through concessional development financing agreements across many sectors, including transport, tourism and antiquities, according to the minister. The cooperation portfolio between the Arab Republic of Egypt and Japan started since 1954 and varies in many sectors to support the government's priorities for improving the level of children's health care, JICA is currently providing a grant to construct a seven-storey building behind the main hospital building to improve the hospital's efficiency to receive more patients and provide better health care for children.