Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli reviewed on Wednesday developments in oil and gas production, strategic petroleum reserves and future supplies, stressing the importance of maintaining market stability and ensuring the continued availability of petroleum products for productive and service sectors.

During the weekly Cabinet meeting at the New Administrative Capital, Madbouly said President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi had directed the provision of necessary incentives to foreign partners to expand exploration and development activities, increase production and overcome obstacles facing work programmes.

Education Ministry expands programming, AI curriculum

The Ministry of Education and Technical Education has decided to expand the teaching of programming and artificial intelligence to students in technical education and applied technology schools, following the resounding success of the programming curriculum introduced for first-year secondary students during the previous academic year.

The programme’s success resulted in 85 Egyptian students receiving training grants at international companies, while another 10 students are scheduled to travel to Japan to participate in specialised training programmes.

The Ministry said in a statement that this experience demonstrated the value of programming education and encouraged its expansion to technical education students.

‘37,000 optional insurance policies issued to Egyptians abroad since upgrade’

Around 37,000 optional insurance policies have been issued to Egyptians working and residing abroad since the upgraded personal accident insurance policy came into effect at the beginning of August, with total premiums reaching approximately LE14.8 million, according to figures from the Egyptian Travel Insurance Pool.

The figures reflect growing demand among Egyptians abroad for enhanced insurance protection following the development of the policy under a co-operation protocol between the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For the first time, the upgraded policy offers optional coverage against arbitrary dismissal, alongside existing protections.

Iran, Oman still working on Strait of Hormuz accord

Iran and Oman are still working on the details ​of an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source said on Wednesday, after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the two countries had agreed how to share the ‌waterway and its revenues.

The elite force’s spokesperson, echoing Tehran’s official stance, also said the strait would not open unless the US met Tehran’s conditions under an interim ceasefire agreement that was struck in June before unravelling.

Those conditions include an end to the US blockade on Iranian ports, compensation and removal of sanctions.

Hundreds missing after flood hits Nepal-Tibet border

A huge wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border of Nepal and China’s Tibet on Wednesday, triggering catastrophic flooding on the Nepali side that killed at least 95 people and left hundreds of tourists missing.

In a still-unfolding ‌disaster, verified videos showed dozens of people swept away at the border, with authorities on both sides fearing far higher casualties and massive destruction.