Egyptian army chief of staff, top US general discuss military cooperation, joint exercise
Egypt's Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohamed Farid (R) receives head of the US military’s Central Command Kenneth McKenzie (L) in Cairo – Military spoxCAIRO – 22 February 2021: Egypt's Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohamed Farid and head of the US military’s Central Command Kenneth McKenzie discussed in Cairo military cooperation issues and joint exercise between the two countries. McKenzie, during the meeting with Farid, expressed keenness to back the strategic partnership and coordination between the Egyptian and American armed forces. Farid and McKenzie discussed a number of issues of mutual concern in the fields of military cooperation and the exchange of expertise between the armed forces of both countries, a statement by the Egyptian military spokesman read. Farid and McKenzie also discussed the joint military exercise issue between Egypt and the US, the statement noted. A number of Egyptian military commanders attended the meeting.
Source:Egypt Today
February 22, 2021 19:18 UTC
Xi Jinping tells Sisi China ready to secure Egypt's coronavirus vaccine needs
Xi Jinping, during the phone call on Monday, affirmed keenness to enhance cooperation between relevant authorities in China and Egypt to contain the coronavirus spread, Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Radi said in a statement. The phone call comes a day after Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed affirmed that China would grant Egypt 300,000 Sinopharm vaccine doses within hours as a gift. Egypt already received 50,000 Sinopharm vaccine doses in December, the first vaccine batch to enter the country for the mass vaccination purpose. Sisi expressed appreciation for China’s decision to send a large number of vaccine doses to vaccinate Egyptian citizens, the statement read. Sisi also highlighted Egypt’s willingness to continue cooperation with China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, in order to achieve the two countries’ common interests in development and progress.
Source:Egypt Today
February 22, 2021 16:40 UTC
Bayern 'almost unplayable' but Lazio capable of causing upset - Inzaghi
ROME, Italy, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi conceded that Bayern Munich are almost unplayable ahead of the two sides' Champions League last 16 first leg in Rome on Tuesday, but believes his team are still capable of springing a surprise. The holders travel to Italy having won six titles in the past nine months, while progressing to the knockout phase of this season's competition after amassing 16 points from a possible 18 in the group stage. However, Inzaghi believed his side can cause an upset. "We know that they are almost unplayable, but even in the past we started underdogs and then surprised everyone," Inzaghi told a news conference.
Source:Egypt Today
February 22, 2021 16:07 UTC
Tuchel says battling Atletico can bring out the best in Chelsea
LONDON: Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel expects Tuesday's (Feb 23) Champions League last-16 first leg meeting with La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid to be a massive test of his team's mental strength, the German said on Monday. Chelsea are unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions since Tuchel was named as manager to replace club great Frank Lampard, but he said the Londoners will have to be at their best against Diego Simeone's battling side. "We'll do things our way, they'll do things their way. "Yeah, it's a disadvantage for Atletico to lose their home ground," Tuchel added. We did it in front of a group because it's not a big thing," Tuchel said of his decision in the Southampton game.
Source:Egypt Today
February 22, 2021 15:11 UTC
Photos: Egypt issues medals celebrating patriarchs of Coptic Orthodox Church
Egypt’s Treasury and Mint Authority has unveiled a set of medals celebrating modern patriarchs of the Coptic Church in Egypt. A statement by the Finance Ministry said that the medal is a personal portrait of Pope Cyril VI, with his name written in the Coptic language on the front. Khedr explained that the second medallion comes to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sitting of the late Pope Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Mark Episcopate. The third medal is of Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria, depicting a portrait of him and on the back a picture of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ. The authority cooperated with the Papal Headquarters in the Cathedral and the Institute of Coptic Studies to select the most appropriate imagery and phrases to represent the Coptic leaders, he added.
Source:Egypt Independent
February 22, 2021 14:48 UTC
Egypt voices condolences over the killing of Italian ambassador in DR Congo
CAIRO - 22 February 2021: Egypt has expressed its condolences over the killing of the Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Luca Attanasio in an attack on a United Nations convoy in the east of the African country on Monday, said Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid. “We express our sincere condolences for the brutal murder of the Italian ambassador to the #DRC, #Lucca_Atanasio, in an attack on a #United_Nations convoy.. may God bless him with mercy and inspire his family and loved ones with patience and solace,” Abu Zeid tweeted. We express our sincere condolences for the brutal murder of the Italian ambassador to the #DRC, #Lucca_Atanasio, in an attack on a #United_Nations convoy.. may God bless him with mercy and inspire his family and loved ones with patience and solace 🇪🇬🇮🇹@ItalyMFA — Egypt MFA Spokesperson (@MfaEgypt) February 22, 2021The ambassador and another Italian soldier were killed in an attack that targeted their car in a UN convoy, eastern DR Congo. “The circumstances of this brutal attack are still unclear and no effort will be spared to shed light on what happened. Today the State mourns the loss of two of its exemplary children and squeezes around their families and friends and colleagues in Farnesina and the Carabinieri Arma,” said the Italian Foreign Ministry in a statement on Monday.
Source:Egypt Today
February 22, 2021 14:48 UTC
Dutch photographer reveals modern image of Egyptian King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti
Using artificial intelligence, Dutch photographer Bas Uterwijk released on Friday modern images of the Egyptian King Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) and Queen Nefertiti. The pictures, which Uterwijk posted on his Twitter page, are based on old carvings and engravings that portrayed the two. The historical portraits I make are based on artworks mostly made during the period of their subjects. He had previously converted one of Fayoum’s historic paintings into a modern photograph. GANs are a class of machine learning frameworks that are capable of generating realistic-looking photographs of humans, constructing 3D models of objects from images, and much more.
Source:Egypt Independent
February 22, 2021 14:26 UTC
US dollar to Egyptian pound exchange rate witnesses stable prices
The US dollar to Egyptian pound exchange rate on Monday witnessed stable prices, recording LE15.59 for purchase and LE15.69 for sale as the lowest prices at Egyptian banks, and LE15.61 for purchase and LE15.71 for selling as the highest prices at Egyptian banks. The dollar recorded LE15.61 for purchase and LE15.71 for sale in Alexandria Bank and the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK). The dollar recorded LE15.60 for purchase and LE15.70 for sale in the Commercial International Bank (CIB), and the Arab African International Bank (AAIB). And it recorded 15.59 for purchase and 15.69 for sale in the the National Bank of Egypt, and Bank Misr.
Source:Egypt Independent
February 22, 2021 13:30 UTC
Egyptian film ‘One Night Stand’ to be screened at the Louvre Museum
As part of the Rencontres Internationales Paris edition, which starts on Tuesday, the Egyptian short film “One Night Stand” will be screened at 9 pm (10 pm in Cairo) on Wednesday inside France’s Louvre Museum’s main hall. “One Night Stand” is directed by Palestine’s Nour Abed and Egyptian director and producer Mark Lotfy. The film has been shown at the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival, the Gabes Festival in Tunisia, and the Chicago Festival in the United States. Mark Lotfy is an Egyptian producer and film director. After getting his BSc in engineering at Alexandria University, he studied at a film-making workshop for 2 years and shorty after directed his first short film (Minerva).
Source:Egypt Independent
February 22, 2021 13:18 UTC
Libya: Over 150 migrants freed in raid on traffickers
CAIRO (AP) — Libyan authorities say they have raided a secret prison in a southeastern city used by human traffickers and freed at last 156 African migrants – including 15 women and five children. Security forces arrested at least six traffickers and referred them to prosecutors for further investigation, the bureau said. The migrants, who are from Somalia, Eritrea, and Sudan, were freed and taken to the shelter center where they were given food, clothes, and blankets. The raid shows the perils that refugees and migrants face in conflict-stricken Libya, which has emerged as a major transit point for African and Arab migrants fleeing war and poverty to Europe. By AP NewsIn this November 29, 2013 file photo, migrants cover themselves with blankets in a detention center in the Abu Salim district on the outskirts of Tripoli, Libya.
Source:Egypt Independent
February 22, 2021 13:18 UTC
Nassef Sawiris accepts $ 4.7B takeover bid for private jet company
CAIRO – 22 February 2021: Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris has agreed to accept a $ 4.7 billion domestic takeover bid for the private jet company, Signature Aviation. According to Bloomberg News, NNS is set to sell Sawiris' investment vehicle of its 7.42 percent stake to a consortium led by Blackstone Group Inc and Global Infrastructure Partners. This move helps end a months-long acquisition battle for the world's largest aircraft base operator. Earlier this month, rival GIP and Blackstone Group teamed up, bringing the takeover bid to $ 5.62 per share. With Sawiris' approval, the latest GIP bid and Blackstone, which has the support of billionaire Bill Gates, the largest shareholder, is likely to succeed, according to the agency.
Source:Egypt Today
February 22, 2021 13:18 UTC
Dubai’s Emirates seeks key role in global vaccine delivery
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The belly of the Emirates plane that touched down in Dubai early Sunday from Brussels was stuffed with precious cargo: tens of thousands of doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The arrival was part of an effort by the Middle East’s biggest airline to pivot from shuttling people to shipping cargo — and grabbing a central role in the global vaccine delivery race. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to clobber the aviation industry, the disaster has hit long-haul carriers like Emirates hardest. The key transit hub, previously used for the global shipment of pharmaceuticals, is now at the center of a growing vaccine supply network based in the United Arab Emirates. On the one hand, the federation of seven emirates is accelerating efforts to import vaccines despite supply lags.
Source:Egypt Independent
February 22, 2021 13:07 UTC
Italy’s envoy to Congo killed in attack on U.N. convoy
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) – Italy’s ambassador to Democratic Republic of Congo and his bodyguard and driver were killed on Monday in an attack on a United Nations convoy in the east of the country, Italy’s foreign ministry and local authorities said. Park rangers have been repeatedly attacked and six were killed in an ambush last month. The governor of North Kivu province, Carly Nzanzu Kasivita, told Reuters the assailants stopped the convoy by firing warning shots. They killed the driver and were leading the others into the forest when park rangers opened fire. According to the ministry website, Attanasio had been Italy’s head of mission in Kinshasa since 2017 and was made ambassador in 2019.
Source:Egypt Independent
February 22, 2021 12:56 UTC
Hamas-ruled Gaza launches coronavirus vaccination drive
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip began its coronavirus vaccination drive on Monday following the arrival of the first vaccines to the blockaded coastal area. Former health ministers and several medical workers were inoculated with Russia’s Sputnik V jabs in front of dozens of cameras. More medical workers and patients with chronic diseases are to start receiving injections on Tuesday. Gaza has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized control of the area in 2007 from Abbas’ forces. Al-Qedra, the Health Ministry spokesman, said he expected more vaccines to arrive in Gaza in the coming days.
Source:Egypt Independent
February 22, 2021 12:00 UTC
Egyptian actor, rapper Ahmed Mekky tests positive for coronavirus
Egyptian actor and rapper Ahmed Mekky announced on Twitter that he has tested positive for the coronavirus, and will undergo home isolation according to the Ministry of health’s protocol. Mekky had been filming his part in the second season of “The Choice”, set to air on this year’s Ramadan season. The first was raised in Upper Egypt and the second was raised in the US. Comic situations occur between two brothers when they meet and compete for the mayor seat succeeding their father. Mekky plays all three roles of the father and twins, while actress Donia Samir Ghanem played the role of al-Kabeer’s wife throughout the first four series.
Source:Egypt Independent
February 22, 2021 12:00 UTC