An employee carries money at an exchange office in downtown Cairo – Reuters/Amr DalshCAIRO - 14 May 2021: Deputy Chairman of Banque Misr Akef El Maghraby said that ATMs across the country are fed with cash during the holiday of Eid Al-Fitr. In statements to the state's news agency MENA on Thursday, he added that the bank was keen to supply about 3,000 ATMs nationwide with different banknotes. “Gardens, parks and public beaches will completely closed during Eid al-Fitr holiday,” Madbouly said. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims after fasting in the month of Ramadan as a matter of thanks and gratitude to God. Usually, Eid al-Fitr is a three-day holiday.

The Egyptian Ministry of Planning and Economic Development announced that in its 2021/2022 fiscal year, LE1 billion has been allocated to projects aimed at improving health facilities such as hospitals and labs, and ensuring that they are well-equipped to combat the spread of coronavirus. The ministry allocated LE450 million to develop 23 chest hospitals, LE400 million to develop 42 fever hospitals, LE43 million to develop the quarantine hospitals, and LE120 million to develop central and provincial laboratories. The announcement comes as Egypt’s Health Ministry confirms 1,193 new coronavirus cases, 61 deaths, and 801 recovered cases. The country has now reported a total of 242,120 cases, 14,150 deaths, and 197,261 recovered cases. Cairo, Giza, Fayoum, Minya, and Sohag are the five governorates with the highest infection rates, according to Health Minister Hala Zayed.

The Egyptian Ministry of Interior on Thursday reported fining a total of 14,958 people for not wearing masks in places where they are required. In a massive sweep during the five-day Eid al-Fitr holiday break, officials inspected public spaces and fined businesses and people alike for violating COVID-19 precautionary measures. The ministry reported that 14,935 of the offenders paid the immediate fine, with the 35 remaining being referred to the Public Prosecution. The ministry also fined 339 establishments for serving shishas (hookahs), reporting that it seized 2,401 shishas. The Ministry of Interior expressed concern for the safety of Egyptians, indicating that the sweeps are done to ensure that precautionary measures against the coronavirus are followed.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called on the World Health Organization to approve the use of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, stressing its crucial role in fighting the virus. Guterres pointed out that the UN has called on all its employees to be vaccinated with the Russian vaccine in countries where it has been approved. Global infections have exceeded 160 million since the onset of the pandemic. The Russian Direct Investment Fund, the group responsible for marketing the vaccine worldwide, reported that it had received orders for more than 1.2 billion doses of the vaccine as of December 2020. The jab has a reported 91 percent efficacy rate and has been approved for emergency use in dozens of countries around the world.

AFP - Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo warned his side were "alive and kicking" as they take on Inter Milan for Champions League survival on Saturday. Just three points separate second-placed Atalanta and Juventus in fifth with two games left to play. Atalanta and AC Milan are equal on 75 points, followed by fourth-placed Napoli on 73 and Juventus on 72. If Atalanta and Milan win, both will have booked their spots as they have a better head-to-head record with Juve. Juve have won just four of their last nine league games and need a win against Inter to have any chance of elite football.

CAIRO – 14 May 2021: Chairman of Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) Amgad al-Wakil told Egypt Today that he expects the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority (ENRRA) to issue the permit to build Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant in July 2022. The NPPA applied on the permit on March 10, 2019, and currently, is remedying the shortcomings detected by the ENRRA. It is noted that Wakil had said in earlier statements that the permit would be issued by mid-2021. The Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant – to be executed in partnership with Rosatom - consists of four third-generation VVER reactors. Such reactors can stand a collision by a plane whose weight is 400 tons and speed is 150 meters per second.

Japan on Friday extended a state of emergency to three additional prefectures, Hokkaido, Okayama and Hiroshima, due to rising COVID cases. Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japan’s economy minister, said the prefectures will be under a state of emergency until at least May 31. Japan now has 19 out of 47 prefectures under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus. The institute also reported there had been 11,336 new COVID-19 infections and 190 deaths in the last 24 hours. India reported 343,144 new COVID cases while deaths rose by over 4,000 over the last 24 hours.

Egypt’s Health Ministry on Thursday confirmed 1,193 new coronavirus cases, 61 deaths, and 801 recovered cases. The country has now reported a total of 242,120 cases, 14,150 deaths, and 197,261 recovered cases. Cairo, Giza, Fayoum, Minya, and Sohag are the five governorates with the highest infection rates, according to Health Minister Hala Zayed. Egypt has banned Tahajjud prayers (night prayers) within mosques, their annexes, and their surroundings, only allowing Tarawih prayers. 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.

LONDON (AP) — British, European and American diplomats and donors have voiced serious concerns about how the World Health Organization handled sex abuse allegations involving its own staff during an outbreak of Ebola in Congo, as reported this week by The Associated Press. On Tuesday, the AP published an investigation documenting that senior WHO management was informed of multiple sex abuse allegations involving at least two of its doctors during the epidemic in 2018. The AP spoke with three women who said Diallo offered them WHO jobs in exchange for sex; Diallo denied the claims. The World Bank said it is “deeply concerned” about the new sex abuse allegations at WHO. The bank paused its negotiations with Congolese authorities for new financing to agencies, including WHO, last year when reports of general sex abuse during the Ebola outbreak surfaced.

SINGAPORE (AP) — Singapore further tightened its COVID-19 measures as it seeks to control an increase in untraceable coronavirus infections in the city-state. “A pattern of local unlinked community cases has emerged and is persisting,” Singapore’s Ministry of Health said in a statement Friday. The tightening of restrictions comes before Singapore and Hong Kong are slated to launch their long-delayed air travel bubble on May 26, allowing quarantine-free travel between the cities. Singapore’s Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung was quoted as saying in The Straits Times that Singapore “very likely” would not meet the criteria for the air travel bubble to go ahead. Singapore has reported a total of 61,453 cases since the pandemic started, with 31 deaths.

AFP - Spanish football legend Andres Iniesta said Friday he wants to "achieve big goals" with Japan's Vissel Kobe after signing a two-year contract extension. "What drives me is that I am motivated to work with Vissel Kobe to achieve big goals," he told an online press conference. Iniesta, named Kobe's captain in April 2019, was sidelined for several months after he ruptured a tendon in his right thigh last December. After his arrival in Japan, Iniesta led Kobe to its first trophy -- the Japanese Super Cup title in 2020. Kobe's tech-billionaire owner, Hiroshi Mikitani, has said Iniesta's presence in Japan has helped improve the quality of the entire J-League.

Egyptian prisoners walk out of jail after being pardoned- press photoCAIRO – 13 May 2021: A total of 919 inmates were released as per a presidential decree and parole on the occasion of the celebration of Eid el Fitr feast, according to a statement from the Egyptian Prison Sector on Thursday. On 27 January 2021, a total of 3,022 convicts were pardoned on the occasion of the Police Day after the Prison Authority decided the pardon conditions apply to them. On many occasions throughout the year, hundreds of prisoners are pardoned. It also highlighted preserving human rights inside prisons, referring to healthy food for prisoners and engaging them in industrial and agricultural projects so prisons reach food sufficiency. Healthcare has also been developed in prisons with more medical beds and cells prepared for those with special needs.

The drills saw the participation of Egypt's frigate Taba and US’s destroyer USS MAHAN, USCGC ROBERT GOLDMAN and USCGC CHARLES MOULTHROPE cutters. The drills seek to hone the skills of commanders, officers and crewmen, exchange relevant expertise with the armed forces of brotherly and friendly countries and speed up the implementation of planned missions. The joint drills also aim to boost military cooperation between both countries and maintain maritime security and stability in the region.

CAIRO – 13 May 2021: Egypt has condemned the escalation in Jerusalem and called for calm since the outbreak of the tensions, embarking on diplomatic efforts to de-escalate. 1 – April 24: Egypt condemned the hostile acts carried out by Israeli extremist Jews against Palestinians in the Old City in East Jerusalem, leaving scores of Palestinians wounded. 4 -May 10: “There is no way to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque except to put it under the popular protection of all Muslims by continuous influx of Muslims from all over the world to Al-Aqsa Mosque to visit and protect,” Presidential Religious Advisor Sheikh Osama al-Azhary said. The Mufti called for the necessity to stop all practices that violate the sanctity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and attack worshipers. 9 – May 13: In a way to deescalate the clashes between the Palestinians and the Israeli, Shoukry spoke to his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi.

The United Arab Emirates has approved the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in children aged 12-15, the government said on Thursday, having already permitted its use for 16 years and above. The UAE’s health ministry approved its use, the government’s Twitter account said. The US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the use of the vaccine in children as young as 12. ___A teenager is inoculated with Pfizer’s vaccine against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after Georgia authorized the vaccine for ages over 12 years, at Dekalb Pediatric Center in Decatur, Georgia, U.S. May 11, 2021. REUTERS/Chris Aluka Berry