CUIABA, Brazil, June 28 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi passed Javier Mascherano as Argentina’s most capped international on Monday and scored twice as they beat Bolivia 4-1 to set up a Copa America quarter-final against Ecuador. Messi was in fine form on his 148th appearance for Argentina and it was his sublime pass that set up Alejandro Gomez to volley home the opening goal after five minutes. Bolivia, who had lost their previous 11 Copa America matches, made life more difficult for themselves by repeatedly giving up possession in their own half. The win extended Argentina’s unbeaten streak to 17 games, a run that goes back to the last Copa America when they lost to Brazil in the semi-finals. Host nation Brazil will take on Chile in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, while Paraguay play Peru the same day.

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) -An Edinson Cavani penalty sealed an easy 1-0 win for Uruguay against neighbours Paraguay at the Copa America on Monday, setting up a quarter-final tie against Colombia. Despite the narrow scoreline it was a dominant performance from Uruguay, who had the vast majority of chances but struggled to break down Paraguay's stubborn defence. Uruguay were also lacking a bit of quality in front of goal and had to rely on Cavani's 21st minute spot kick for the win. The best early chances fell to Giorgian de Arrascaeta, before Nahitan Nández was bundled over in the box for an 18th minute penalty, dispatched by Cavani. With a narrow lead, Uruguay conceded a late free kick near their goal that gave Paraguay hope of a late draw but the effort came to nothing.

(Reuters) - France striker Kylian Mbappe's failure to score, not least in Monday's penalty shootout loss to Switzerland in the last 16, saw the world champions slide out of Euro 2020 without ever really getting going at the tournament. It did not take long after Mbappe's penalty miss and France's exit for the criticism to begin. "It was a poor French national team. There wasn't any togetherness, there wasn't any spirit. We didn't play as a team so we didn't deserve to go to the next round," former France midfielder Patrick Viera, who won the World Cup in 1998 and the Euros in 2020, said on French TV.

COPENHAGEN, June 28 (Reuters) - Spain held off a remarkable Croatian fightback to win 5-3 in a pulsating Euro 2020 last 16 knockout match on Monday thanks to goals from Alvaro Morata and Mikel Oyarzabal in extra time. The three-times European champions will now face either France or Switzerland on July 2 in St. PetersburgSpain and Croatia were drawing 3-3 after normal time, with the goals starting when goalkeeper Unai Simon failed disastrously to control a simple back-pass to give Croatia a shock 1-0 lead. Spain looked like they had made amends with goals from Pablo Sarabia, Cesar Azpilicueta and Ferran Torres to go 3-1 up, until Mislav Orsic scored in the 85th minute and Mario Pasalic netted two minutes into stoppage time to level for Croatia. Spain's goals in extra time came after Simon had made a point blank save to stop Croatia taking the lead.

Al-Ahram online has published exchange rate for foreign currencies such as the sterling pound and others at the National Bank of Egypt as of Monday:The sterling pound recorded LE21.64 for purchase and LE22.88 for sale in Bank Misr and the National Bank of Egypt. The Canadian Dollar recorded LE 12.66 for purchase and 12.77 for sale. The Chinese yuan is LE2.41 for purchase and LE2.43 for sale

The activities of the Egyptian Civilization and Heritage Month, organized by the Canadian Egyptian Heritage Association in Canada, will be launched at the beginning of July under the patronage of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Friday. The event will see the CN Tower, the tallest in Canada, light up in the colors of the Egyptian flag at sunset – marking the second time the tower has lit up with the Egyptian flag’s colors in 30 years. Minister of Immigration Nabila Makram said that the Egyptian Civilization and Heritage Month in Canada which begins on Friday is a result of the Egyptian community in Canada’s influential work. She added that the community has worked ceaselessly to acquaint the world with Egypt’s long history. It added that about 30 Egyptian institutions in Canada have announced their readiness to participate.

The elements within the first batch either retired in time or were offered early retirement packages. The minister explained in a TV interview that such extremist elements used to work in sensitive positions such as train drivers or maintenance workers. Wazir pointed out that the court rulings will either fire them or give them paid leave or transfer them to less sensitive positions. According to the minister's statements on Sunday, the extremist affiliations of railway workers are determined by the National Security Agency. In Sunday's interview, the minister clarified that the idea of recruiting engineers to work as train drivers has been dismissed.

The Adviser to the President of the Republic for Health Affairs Mohammad Awad Taj al-Din warned against taking any anti-clotting drugs without medical supervision, saying, “It is extremely dangerous, and taking them after receiving the coronavirus vaccine is not mandatory.”During an interview with “Salet al-Tahrir” talk show, Taj al-Din explained that, the “Rates of all coronavirus vaccines in reducing the possibility of infection range from 60 percent to 80 percent, but the most important is the protection rate against complications, which sometimes reaches 85 percent.”The coronavirus vaccine protects against complications, but it does not prevent the transmission of infection, he added.

Infinix today announced its first concept smartphone that pushes the boundaries of innovative technologies and creative aesthetics to drive the future of smartphone designs forward. The Infinix Concept Phone 2021 combines the first dual color-changing back cover and 160W fast charging technology, enhanced with 50W wireless charging, security protection mechanisms and new temperature control capabilities. Using 20 temperature sensors and intelligent control algorithms, The Infinix Concept Phone 2021 cleverly monitors the temperature while charging and adjusts the charging power to keep the smartphone under 40 °C/104°F. The Screen of ScreensThe Infinix Concept Phone 2021 improves the 6.67” AM-OLED display with the addition of an 88° limit radian that forms a perfect surface using 3D glass. Other key features of the Infinix Concept Phone 2021 include:

CAIRO – 28 June 2021: In a TV interview Sunday, Minister of Transport Kamel al-Wazir stated that when he first assumed office in 2019, the ton of railways scrap metal was sold at prices that are as low as 25 piasters but now they hit LE7,000 ($447.3). In April, the minister stated before the House of Representatives that thousands of tons of scrap metal had been scattered in yards and along the railroads, and would be sometimes offered in fake auctions to be sold in prices that are less than the market price. That has changed as Wazir made sure scrap metal selling prices match global ones. He added that it is currently purchased by local companies. It is noted that iron scrap and aluminum scrap can be used in the construction of bridges and roads, manufacturing of automobiles, airplanes and containers, and the detoxification of industrial wastewater.

The Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee of the Egyptian House of Representatives on Sunday approved draft law amending some provisions of the Penal Code promulgated by Law #58 of 1937 regarding molesting others and sexual harassment. The amendments introduced by the committee included two articles, namely “306 bis A” and “306 bis B” in the current Penal Code. Article 306 bis A, after its amendment, stipulates that:“A penalty of detention for a period not less than two years and not exceeding four years and a fine of not less than LE 100,000 and not exceeding LE 200,000 or either penalties shall be inflicted on whoever molests others in a manner offending modesty by words or deed or any other means including telecommunication, wireless, electronic, or other technical means, on a public road, public, private or frequented place. “If the felony recurs once again to committing a crime of the type prescribed in the previous clause, during stalking and tracking by the offender to the victim, the penalty shall be detention for not less than three years, and not exceeding five years, and a fine of not less than LE 200,000 and not exceeding LE 300,000 or either penalty. In case the felony committed again the minimum and maximum penalties of imprisonment and fine are doubled.”Article 306 bis B, after its amendment, stipulates that:“It is considered sexual harassment if the crime stipulated in Article 306 bis (A) of this law is committed with the intent of the offender to obtain a benefit of a sexual nature from the victim, and the offender shall be punished with imprisonment for a period of no less than five years and a fine of no less than LE 200,000 and not more than LE 300,000 or one of these two penalties.

CAIRO - 28 June 2020: Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli said on Monday the state is supporting all efforts to expand the establishment of new universities.This trend has led to increasing the number of governmental, private and non-profit universities, the premier said. Madbouli's remarks came while chairing a meeting on following up the executive steps for establishing a new HQ for Senghor University in New Borg el Arab City in Alexandria governorate. Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel Ghaffar attended the meeting alongside Finance Minister Mohamed Maait and Board Chairman of Senghor University Hani Hilal. Madbouli said the state is deeply interested in backing Senghor University in Alexandria, highlighting the pivotal role played by the university in promoting cooperation with African countries. A cooperation protocol will be signed to start the implementation of the project within the coming period, noted the spokesman.

A nurse takes care of children with disabilities at the Centre for the Protection of Infants, Children and Youth in Belgrade, Serbia June 8, 2016. Below Egypt Today reviews the social solidarity sector's most important efforts in this field, according to a report issued by the State Information Service. Rehabilitation and protection of persons with disabilities, through services, such as physiotherapy, and speech training, in addition to providing many grants for blind students. 10 for 2018 on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on February 20, after being approved by the Parliament. People with disabilities in Egypt are estimated at about 11 to 14 million, according to the State Information Service [SIS], as disabilities in Egypt include visual, hearing, and mobility impairment, as well as mental disability.

CAIRO – 28 June 2021: All of Egypt’s foreign action has the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on top of its priorities because it is a matter of national security, presidential spokesperson Bassam Rady told CBC on Sunday. Egypt has an unwavering position to achieve a fair binding agreement to preserve the “historical rights” of the two downstream nations, Sudan, and Egypt, Rady said, adding that both Iraq and Jordan expressed full support for Egypt in this regard. Egypt’s water security is part of the Arab national security, and the summit highlights that clearly, Safady added. Egypt’s presidential spokesperson said Egypt’s territory is a desert with no rain and the only source of water is the Nile. The water situation of Egypt cannot exacerbated, and so a legally binding agreement is a must, Rady continued.

The discussion circulated around strategies for the development of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, and its role in supporting Egypt’s development vision. These platforms seek to translate the ongoing discussions into tangible partnerships to develop various sectors and enhance cooperation between development partners, government entities, and the private sector. The Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat expressed that ICT is an essential component of development across various sectors. It is worth noting that the Ministry of International Cooperation held a number of multi-stakeholder platforms during the past year, covering transportation, agriculture, and the public business sectors. The Ministry also secured development financing agreements worth $9.8 billion for various state and private sectors.