Egypt’s Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed 1169 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases up to 248,078. The total number of COVID-19-related deaths has now reached 14,441 nationwide, after the ministry announced 53 deaths. And 669 patients were discharged from quarantine at isolation hospitals, raising Egypt’s total number of fully-recovered cases to 182,693. The Indian strain is severe, has a high mortality rate, and is resistant to vaccines, he warned. Egypt is currently using China’s Sinopharm vaccine and the UK’s AstraOxford vaccine, but will soon locally manufacture China’s Sinovac vaccine and Russia’s Sputnik-V.

Egypt’s Health Ministry on Monday confirmed 1,188 new coronavirus cases, 61 deaths, and 546 recovered cases. The country has now reported a total of 246,909 cases, 14,388 deaths, and 182,024 recovered cases. The Indian strain is severe, has a high mortality rate, and is resistant to vaccines, he warned. The ministry reported in mid-May that it has vaccinated 1.3 million people so far. Egypt is currently using China’s Sinopharm vaccine and the UK’s AstraOxford vaccine, but will soon locally manufacture China’s Sinovac vaccine and Russia’s Sputnik-V.

RAMALLAH - 18 May 2021: The Palestinians are observing a nationwide general strike to protest Israel’s relentless bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip. The strike is also being observed in protest settler mob violence against Palestinians and the forcible expulsions of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and days of assaults against Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The call for the strike has been backed by the various Palestinian political parties, unions, syndicates, and popular movements, which published statements in support of it and urging the Palestinian people and their members to take part in it. The Palestinian national and Islamic parties coalition also released a statement in support of the strike, which will see Palestinians everywhere embodying their national unity under the Palestinian flag. The participants are expected to take part in mass mobilizations at various places.

REUTERS: Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said qualifying for the Champions League would be one of the club's biggest achievements given how badly their Premier League title defence went this season. Two wins would see Liverpool into the top four to qualify for Europe's elite club competition - a prospect that looked unlikely two weeks ago. "It will be one of the biggest achievements, ever," Klopp Sky Sports. "Whatever happened this year, it gave us the chance to hold our destiny in our hands with two games (to go)." Liverpool travel to 15th-placed Burnley on Wednesday and host 13th-placed Crystal Palace in Sunday's final game of the season.

REUTERS: Pep Guardiola said he is hopeful striker Sergio Aguero will be fit for his final game at the Etihad as a Manchester City player when they host Everton in the Premier League on Sunday. "Sergio has niggles, it's a little disturbance in his leg muscle and adductor but it's not a big issue," City manager Guardiola said. City, who secured the Premier League title last week, are due to face Chelsea in the Champions League final on May 29 in Porto and Guardiola said there would be no room for sentiment when he picks his squad, even with the long-serving Aguero. "Right now he's injured," Guardiola said, adding that he "would be cold" when making the final decision. But it's the final of the Champions League, I have to make the best decision to win that game."

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has informed the Premier League club of his desire to leave this summer, with the England international looking to resolve his future before next month's European Championship, Sky Sports reported on Monday. Sky reported Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea have been in touch with Kane's representatives. With 22 strikes and 13 assists, no player has been involved in more Premier League goals than Kane this season. Kane said last month he was frustrated at not winning trophies with Spurs even as the prolific striker continues to win individual accolades. Spurs blew an opportunity to win their first trophy since 2008 when they lost last month's League Cup final to City.

LONDON: Julian Draxler has signed a three-year contract extension with Paris St Germain, the French club announced on Monday. The 27-year-old joined PSG from Wolfsburg in January 2017 and was approaching the final month of his deal before reaching a new agreement until June 30 2024. Draxler, a 2014 World Cup winner with Germany, has won three Ligue 1 titles, three French Cups and three French League Cups during his time at the Parc des Princes. He missed almost two months through injury earlier this season but has featured regularly in the title run-in for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. The German has scored four goals in 34 appearances in all competitions for PSG this season, and a total of 24 goals in 172 games during his time at the club.

LONDON: Title-chasing Real Madrid will be without midfielder Toni Kroos for their must-win match against Villarreal on the final day of the Liga season after the German tested positive for COVID-19. The club announced that Kroos returned a positive test on Monday, having missed Sunday's win at Athletic Club after coming into direct contact with someone who contracted the virus. "Real Madrid C. F. announces that our player, Toni Kroos, tested positive in the COVID-19 test he underwent today," read a club statement. "Kroos has been in isolation since Friday May 14 after having come into direct contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19." Real Madrid are second in the standings, two points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, ahead of their decisive final game at home to seventh-placed Villarreal on Saturday.

India has announced that it has produced a new drug to treat the coronavirus titled “2-DG” which will reportedly work against various strains of the virus and halt its growth according to reports from the the Indian ANI agency and various other Indian news outlets. Al-Watan newspaper published the most important information about the new drug, its availability, dosage and price:

LONDON: Italy manager Roberto Mancini has signed a contract extension that will keep him in charge until June 2026, the country's football federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina said on Monday (May 17). Mancini's original contract was set to expire after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the new deal will see him stay on until the 2026 edition. Mancini was appointed Italy manager in May 2018 after they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Mancini, who set a record in 2019 with 11 consecutive victories, also led Italy to the UEFA Nations League semi-finals where they play Spain in October. Italy are in Group A along with Turkey, Wales and Switzerland at the Jun 11-Jul 11 Euros and host the opening game in Rome where they play Turkey.

An official at Egypt’s Health and Population Ministry said on Monday that the number of people in the country vaccinated against COVID-19 so far is currently 1.3 million. The privately-owned al-Watan newspaper also reported an unnamed official source as saying that none of the vaccinated had so far suffered from any serious side effects. The source added that Egypt received part of its share of the AstraZeneca vaccine from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and has received more than 1.76 million doses of the vaccine as of a week ago. The source added that the Health and Population Ministry expanded the number of centers to deliver the vaccine, which exceed over 400 across the country. And the source added that there has been a reassuring turnout of younger people registering for the vaccine.

The Paris Saint-Germain football club has expressed interest in signing Mohamed Salah on, marking a real possibility that the Egyptian and Liverpool striker might leave his club during the the upcoming summer transfer window to France. The French newspaper L’Equipe reported that Paris Saint-Germain will contact Salah’s agent to discuss the possibility of his transfer to the French club during the upcoming season. Paris Saint-Germain is concerned about the future of its star, Kylian Mbappe, who remains in his contract for one year and still has not reached an agreement with the club to renew it, potentially moving instead to Real Madrid or Liverpool. The uncertainty of Mbappe’s future has prompted Paris Saint-Germain officials to draw up alternative plans, among them being a possible contract with Salah. Salah’s contract with Liverpool expires in 2023, while he recently confirmed that no one from the Reds’ management has spoken to him regarding the renewal of his contract.

The United States on Monday imposed fresh sanctions on Myanmar’s junta, targeting the governing State Administrative Council (SAC) and 13 officials in the latest in a series of punitive actions following a military coup. The U.S. Treasury Department in statement accused the SAC, formed a day after the coup, of being created by Myanmar’s military to support it’s “unlawful overthrow of the democratically elected civilian government”. The move appeared to be the first time Washington has targeted civilian officials who are working with the junta, although some of them are retired military officers. The Treasury also imposed sanctions on three adult children of U.S.-blacklisted Myanmar military officials, according to the statement. Western nations have led condemnation of the junta and applied limited sanctions since it took power alleging fraud in an election won by Suu Kyi’s party in November.

Dubai on Monday eased COVID-19 restrictions, allowing hotels in the regional tourism hub to operate at full capacity and permitting concerts and sports events where all attendees and participants have been vaccinated. The United Arab Emirates ranks highly globally for COVID-19 testing and vaccination rates. Dubai has pushed to keep its economy, which relies on international trade and business, open through the pandemic after an initial lockdown. The emirate is due to host the Expo 2020 world fair from October, hoping to attract millions of overseas visitors. ___IMAGE: An aerial view of Dubai from Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, in Dubai November 19, 2014.

The organization charged Israel with being an "apartheid state" that establishes settlements on the rubbles of Palestinian properties forcing Arab residents out of their homes. And, since May 10, Israel has been shelling and carrying out airstrikes against Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, 441 were shot with live rounds, and 172 were shot with rubber-coated bullets among other injuries caused by tear gas, and beating up. As for Palestinians who got detained in Jerusalem and the West Bank, the figure is 850. On Saturday, the Israeli forces struck a number of towers in Gaza Strip.