Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Co-operation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty has stressed the urgent need to ensure safe, full and sustained humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, while calling for accelerated international efforts to improve humanitarian and healthcare conditions and support early recovery.
Abdelatty made the remarks during his participation on Thursda in a Ministerial Roundtable on Humanitarian Access and Healthcare in the Gaza Strip, hosted by UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband and co-chaired by Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and the State of Qatar.
Cairo, Nicosia expand renewable energy co-operation
Egypt’s Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat has stressed the importance of supporting the electricity interconnection project between Egypt and Cyprus, monitoring its implementation, and expanding investment in renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power, as part of efforts to strengthen regional energy security and deepen co-operation with Cyprus and Greece.
The minister made the remarks during his meeting with the Ambassador of Cyprus to Cairo, Polly Ioannou, and her accompanying delegation at the Ministry’s headquarters in the New Administrative Capital.
MPC keeps key policy rates unchanged
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has decided to keep its key policy interest rates unchanged, following an assessment of recent inflation developments, the outlook for price pressures, and the evolving balance of risks surrounding the inflation trajectory.
Under the decision, the overnight deposit rate remains at 19.00 per cent, while the overnight lending rate is maintained at 20.00 per cent. The rate of the main operation remains at 19.50 per cent, with the discount rate also unchanged at 19.50 per cent.
Abbas: Israel policies threaten Palestinians’ survival
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said at the UN on Thursday that Israeli policies no longer just jeopardised a two-state solution but were now threatening the “very life and existence” of his people.
“The danger is no longer limited to undermining the two-state solution and preventing the realisation of the Palestinian state. It has now come to threaten the very life and existence of the Palestinian people on their homeland,” Abbas said.
White House reinstates outlets following judge’s ruling
The White House said on Thursday it has reinstated journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico after a federal judge deemed US President Donald Trump’s ban of the three news outlets likely unconstitutional and ordered their access immediately restored.
The midday reinstatement came after a chaotic few hours earlier on Thursday when the journalists continued to be blocked from entering the White House grounds. That prompted the three news organisations to request an immediate hearing before US District Judge Tim Kelly, who issued his decision overnight.
Trump hails ‘truly great friendship’ with Xi
President Donald Trump on Thursday hailed the “truly great friendship” he has forged with Xi Jinping as the Chinese leader began his highly anticipated state visit.
While Trump has many thorny issues to discuss with the president of America’s biggest economic rival, he focused on his long relationship with Xi as the two gathered with aides for opening remarks before formal talks.
Pyongyang rejects call to halt nuclear tests
North Korea’s foreign ministry on Thursday rejected an international statement urging it to halt nuclear tests, with a spokesperson calling it “a grave political provocation against our state” by “hostile forces”.
A meeting of ministers from the Friends of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty — a grouping of Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands — said any new nuclear test by North Korea would be irresponsible and unacceptable.
