The Chairman of the Local Administration Committee at the Egyptian House of Representatives Ahmed al-Sajini said that reports of trees being cut down across Egypt are “a random, exceptional, individual act and not a rule or plan established by the state.”

He noted that old photos were being used as part of the social media campaign against cutting down trees, including those of trees cut down three years ago in Alexandria governorate.

In a phone interview with TV host Amr Adib on the “al-Hekaya” (The Story) show on Monday, Sajini hailed the initiative launched by the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to plant 100 million trees.

He explained that the initiative is being implemented according to a plan drawn up between the ministries of Environment, Agriculture and Local Development.

Thus far they have carried out the planting of 12 million trees under the initiative, he said.

The chairman added that the Environment Ministry aims to plant trees across the country according to the needs of each governorate while creating an investment environment that can be used to provide certain types of wood as well as fruit.

“Planting trees for added value. The principle is not to create an aesthetic environment from them. The principle is to benefit from them after that and introduce them into industries,” he explained.

However this prompted Adib to interrupt him, saying: “Providing wood! You will plant trees so that you can cut them down after that.”

The Environment Ministry has organized a national dialogue regarding the process of cutting trees, developing recommendations for dealing with trees, and criminalizing cutting it in the absence of legal reasons for doing so.

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CAIRO, June 24 (MENA) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday celebrated the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, established by UN General Assembly Resolution 76/269 in 2022, in recognition of the active contribution of women in diplomatic work.

On this occasion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted the honorable national journey of Egyptian female diplomats over the past half-century.

In a statement released on Monday, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that since the recruitment of the first woman into the diplomatic corps in 1964, it has recognized the important and influential role of women in the field of diplomacy. This has placed the Ministry at the forefront of foreign ministries that have enabled women to work and hold leadership positions in this field, added the statement.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its pride in celebrating this occasion, emphasizing its commitment to achieving gender equality, empowering women, and providing them with opportunities to demonstrate their abilities in contributing to and leading diplomatic work. This is evidenced by the fact that in recent years, the proportion of women joining the diplomatic corps has reached nearly 50 percent, read the statement.

Since joining the diplomatic service, Egyptian women have prioritized the nation’s interests in various positions both within and outside Egypt, including in crisis and conflict zones. They have demonstrated professionalism and the ability to endure hardships, recording inspiring success stories, including holding leadership positions in national institutions and international organizations.

The Ministry affirmed that Egyptian diplomacy will remain a rich national school, full of its members, both women and men, who provide an honorable model of work and dedication for the elevation and leadership of the nation among the world’s countries.(MENA)

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CAIRO, June 24 (MENA) – Egypt on Monday extended its heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Jordan over the victims of the accident involving military trucks that were part of a relief and humanitarian aid convoy heading to the Gaza Strip.

Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, said on his official account on “X” platform, “We pray to Almighty God to bless the victims of this tragic accident with His mercy, grant their families patience and solace, and grant a speedy recovery to the injured.”

The accident on Sunday involved three military trucks, within a relief and humanitarian aid convoy heading to the Gaza Strip, as a result of them veering off their path on the (Dead Sea/Adaseh) road.(MENA)

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Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly commended the historical and strategic relations between Egypt and France in different political, economic and cultural fields.

Madbouly made the remarks during his meeting on Monday with members of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Egypt (CCIFE) and a delegation comprising CEOs and officials of some major French companies and banks operating in the Egyptian market.

The two sides reviewed projects carried out by French companies and their future plans to expand their investments in Egypt. Trade and Industry Minister Ahmed Samir was present at the meeting.

The premier lauded the distinguished trade relations between Egypt and France, calling for intensifying joint efforts to enhance the volume of trade exchange to higher levels.

Madbouly said that 940 French companies have investments in Egypt worth USD 7.2 billion, which are distributed in the areas of infrastructure, banking, insurance, energy, transport, communications among others.

The prime minister briefed the French delegation on the measures introduced by the Egyptian government to improve the investment climate and create an attractive business environment, citing the incentives offered to foreign companies as per the investment law.

Madbouly urged French companies to inject further investments in promising businesses, notably the transport sector, especially as the Egyptian State seeks to localize the manufacture of metro and railway cars, as well as the auto industry, in cooperation with global companies.

The prime minister urged CEOs of French companies to attend the Egypt-EU investment conference to be held in Cairo on June 29-30 and co-chaired by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

On their part, the CCIFE members congratulated Madbouly on his reappointment after being entrusted by President Sisi to form a new government.

They said the CCIFE is keen on fostering trade and investment cooperation between France and Egypt, noting that their country will host a French-Egyptian business forum in the coming months, with the participation of representatives of the private sectors in the two countries.

Meanwhile, CEOs of major French companies said they look forward to pumping more investments in the sectors of oil, gas and green hydrogen as well as the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and vaccines in Egypt.

Representatives of French banks expressed their commitment to expanding their banking and non-banking financial activities, and their readiness to provide more funding for energy transition and electric vehicle projects in Egypt.

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These are the remaining holidays left in 2024 for employees in Egypt following Eid al-Adha:

June 30 Revolution holiday

Employees receive official leave on Sunday, June 30, Sunday, the anniversary of the June 30 Revolution.

Remaining holidays

The remaining official holidays for the year, according to the schedule announced on the Egyptian Presidency’s Facebook page, are as follows:

• The Hijri New Year on Monday, July 8.
• The July 23 Revolution anniversary on Tuesday, July 23.
• The date of the Prophet’s Birthday on Monday, September 16.
• The October 6 War anniversary on Sunday, October 6.

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A source at the Electricity Ministry said that the National Electricity Control Center on Sunday has begun to shed electrical loads for three hours due to the shortage of fuel and natural gas supplied to power plants, coinciding with high consumption rates.

The source told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the high temperatures Egypt is witnessing have currently led to an increase in consumption rates, exceeding 35,000 megawatts.

He expressed hope that the increase in the power cuts will be temporary until gas supplies increase.

The source implored citizens in the meantime to better rationalize consumption, especially of air conditioners and refrigerators.

Setting the air conditioning to 25 degrees, closing curtains and doors are all measures that help lead to reducing consumption, he said, in addition to reducing the value of the monthly electricity bill.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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The Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) said that the rise in humidity levels on Tuesday makes the weather feel hotter than usual, with values ​​ranging between two to three degrees Celsius.

The EMA explained that very hot and humid weather will prevail for the next 72 hours across most of the country.

It will be hot and humid on the northern coasts, moderately hot and humid at night in most areas, and moderate and humid on the northern coasts.

A member of the EMA’s media center, Manar Ghanem, said that the country is exposed to a high-pressure area in the upper layers of the atmosphere, increasing sunshine periods and trapping moisture in a layer close to the Earth’s surface, leading to increased humidity.

Temperatures this week are about three degrees higher than normal rates, she said.

Ghanem added that the country is being impacted by the extension of the Indian monsoon depression throughout this week, which carries very hot air masses with temperatures potentially exceeding 50C.

However, as these masses pass over the Mediterranean Sea with the movement of the depression, they lose part of their heat and are carried with quantities of water vapor, which leads to higher humidity levels.

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The Supreme Administrative Court on Sunday has reduced the disciplinary penalty issued by the Administrative Court against 20 employees at Minia Chest Diseases Hospital to a six-months suspension instead of retirement.

The Administrative Court charged the defendants with committing employment violations, which included their participation in forging and fabricating employment contracts in violation of the law.

The Supreme Administrative Court said that, within the scope of its assessment of the proportionality between the violations and the penalty alongside the discipline of the appellants for the benefit of public service, the court decided that the first ruling was excessive.

The Supreme Administrative Court noted that all of the defendants are young. The Public Prosecution therefore has decided to shelf the criminal aspect against them and requested that they disciplined without prejudice to their career and family future in order to avoid harm to them and those dependent on them.

Imposing the penalty of referral to retirement, as concluded in the first ruling, would fundamentally destroy their future careers, the court ruled.

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President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi extended, on Sunday 23/6/2024, his greetings and expressed appreciation for public servants of state’s administrative apparatus on the occasion of the World Public Service Day, which is celebrated on June 23 of each year.

“On the World Public Service Day, I extend my greetings and appreciation to all public servants of state’s administrative apparatus and to everyone who performs their duties with honor, seriousness, and dedication,” the president posted on his official page on the social media platform Facebook.

“I call upon them to renew their resolve to serve our beloved homeland and Egypt’s honorable citizens.

“I also emphasize my support for efforts toward the comprehensive development of the state administrative apparatus, at the levels of human resource efficiency, digital transformation, and information technology, as the fundamental ways for the Egyptian State to build its renaissance and achieve comprehensive development.”

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President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a presidential decree approving the seventh amendment to Basic Education Assistance Agreement.

The agreement is signed between Egypt and the USAID.

The decree was published in the official Gazette.

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The value of services provided through the electronic payment and collection system has reached LE 2.5 trillion in the first 11 months during this year, compared to LE 2.1 trillion in the same period last year, said Finance Minister Mohamed Maait.

The total value of salary payments reached LE 299.4 billion compared to LE 242.2 billion in the same period of last year, he added.

The minister also noted an increase in the value of electronic payment service for suppliers by 14 percent to reach LE 1.1 trillion compared to LE 989.8 billion in the same period of the previous year.

In a press release on Sunday, the minister said that the financial inclusion is considered one of the main pillars for growth and the transition to the digital economy.

The State has exerted strenuous efforts in the past decade in the digital payments sphere, he further said.

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The Egyptian Ministry of Environment explained that it had not received any confirmed reports yet about the appearance of anything out of the ordinary in the North Coast.

This follows in response to footage spread across social media raised questions of a possible shark or whale on the north coast has prompted the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries to form a monitoring group in the area.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Heba Maatouq, explained in statements reported by the Mubasher Plus news website on Sunday that the appearance of whales in this area is normal and assured that it is safe to go on vacation.

She also denied the recent appearance of any whales other than a dead whale which the ministry reported during Eid al-Adha.

The National Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries in Alexandria has revealed forming a committee to conduct a survey of the beach of the village of Marbella on the north coast after it received a report on presence of a whale or dolphin in the sea water in front of the aforementioned beach.

Statement from the institute explained that since the video sent only shows the dorsal fin and part of the body, and the head or tail fin area does not appear, it is difficult to accurately determine the species. It said it is likely that the object is a small fin whale, and work will continue to verify it completely.

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Media host Amr Adib on Sunday criticized an announcement by the National Electricity Control Center that the loading shedding period in Egypt has been raised to three hours due to shortages in fuel and natural gas supplies to power plants.

During his show “al-Hekaya” (the story) on MBC Misr satellite channel, Adib noted that citizens were not informed of this decision in advance, and that it happened suddenly enough that some were trapped inside elevators with their families and children.

Despite the capabilities of power stations in Egypt to produce electrical energy exceeding what is required, the Electricity and Renewable Energy Ministry failed to maintain the announced timetable for load shedding, he said, which was not supposed to exceed two hours.

“Do our people not even deserve an apology? Is this the way to deal with patient people? Is the state managing the crisis correctly?” he questioned.

 

Diab calls for an apology

Adib called on the government to issue an official apology for this sudden and unexpected measure, especially since this comes in light of a severe heat wave that the country has been experiencing for two days which only further burdens citizens already suffering under the heat.

The crisis must be managed in an efficient manner, he said, with work to be done to find sustainable solutions to confront the challenges facing the energy and electricity sector in Egypt.

“No one from the Cabinet or the Ministries of Electricity and Petroleum wants to talk. They sent us the statement and entered the cave,” he added.

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The former head of the Electricity Utility Regulatory Authority, Hafez Salmawy, said Sunday that the nation is facing an issue with fuel shortages as temperatures rise, leading to more consumption, which requires increasing load shedding hours.

Salmawy’s remarks came during an interview with Ahmed Moussa’s TV show “Ala Massoulity” (On My Responsibility).

“We have additional power plants and there is no problem with producing electricity, but in order to produce more electricity we need larger quantities of fuel,” he explained, adding “We exceeded 35,000 megawatts of electricity use in July.”

He also said that up to 18 shipments of natural gas have been contracted to solve the operating dilemma with power plants, and the shipments will begin arriving next month, at a financial cost of $1.5 billion or LE60-80 billion.

Regarding a solution he said that, “We must benefit from Japan’s experience in reducing electricity consumption after a problem occurred in their nuclear station, which saved them consumption amounting to about 18 percent more than the percentage we need in Egypt”.

Salmawy also noted that there are smart electrical devices that consume half and a third of the normal electricity consumption in traditional devices.

He added that when the electricity is cut off, fuses in the central panel should be disconnected and operated sequentially to avoid damaging these devices due to excessive voltage.

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The Youth and Sports Ministry participated in celebrations held by the Embassy of India in Cairo to mark the 10th International Yoga Day 2024 on Friday 21/06/2024.

The main event was held at Freedom Park in Zamalek district of Cairo on June 21, the Embassy of India said earlier.

In recognition of the global popularity of yoga, the United Nations declared on December 11, 2014 to celebrate June 21 of each year as International Yoga Day.

The event was attended by India’s Ambassador in Cairo Ajit Gupte.

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Ahmed Saleh, a senior official at the office of the Egyptian mission for tourist package pilgrimage in al Madina al Munawara, asserted that the travel movement of pilgrims from Makka al Mukarama to al Madina al Munawara after finishing their pilgrimage rituals is constantly being followed up.

The mission has appointed a task force for locating any missing pilgrims or lost belongings in al Madina al Munawara, Saleh said.

The mission succeeded in securing the return of 40 lost pilgrims, he said, adding that at present there has been none reported missing.

As many as 723 supervisors from tourism companies work on serving the pilgrims, he said.

The movement of the pilgrims is being followed up around the clock whether during their stay in Makka or in al Madina to ensure their safety, comfort and wellbeing, he added.

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The Health and Population Ministry announced, on Sunday23/6/2024, free-of-charge medical services were offered for 177,463 citizens across the nation through 167 convoys in May.

Spokesman for the Health Ministry Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said that 32,215 lab tests were performed in May and 964 citizens were referred to hospital for surgery.

Ahmed Saafan, head of the Curative Medicine sector, said the ministry is keen on continuing medical convoys across the nation in implementation of the directives of political leadership.

He added that all precautionary measures are maintained while offering the services.

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The official spokesperson for the Zamalek club Ahmed Salem on Saturday said that rumors about the club retracting on its demands over the upcoming matches, including the game against Al-Ahly, are false.

In a statement published on his Facebook account, Salem explained that Zamalek’s Board of Directors, headed by Hussein Labib, adheres to its four demands contained in the statement issued on June 17 after the al-Masry SC match.

Zamalek issued a statement earlier in June in which it announced its refusal to play any match after its confrontation with Pharco, which took place on Friday, until after the end of all the first round matches of the competing clubs.

This also includes a refusal to play the Ahly match, especially since the latter still has postponed matches from the first round.

Salem added, “There is absolutely no truth to what is being said about him retracting from any of the demands or changing the stance.”

Zamalek’s official spokesperson concluded, “We call on websites, programs, and social media pages to be accurate in what they publish.”

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Footage shared by visitors to al-Hamam Beach west of Alexandria of a suspected dead whale or shark on the beach has gone viral across social media, the news website Cairo 24 reported on Saturday.

The Vice President of the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries in Alexandria, Abeer al-Saharty, said that she formed a scientific team of various specialties to monitor reports of marine animals sighted near a tourist village at kilometer 67 in Hamam city.

According to preliminary information, descriptions from village officials and the video sent to the institute, she noted that the reported animals are either a whale or a shark and that it is not dead.

Saharty said that the exact nature of the sighted creatures will be determined fully once the scientific team completes their investigation.

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The Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) expects that the weather on Sunday will witness a continued rise in temperatures ranging from two to three Celsius degrees in the north of the country up to Greater Cairo.

Very hot weather will prevail in most parts of the country, hot on the northern coasts.

Temperatures on Sunday

• Northwestern coasts: 33C
• Northeastern coasts and central Sinai: 34C
• Lower Egypt and Canal cities: 38C
• Cairo: 39C

The Director General of Forecasts and Early Warning at the EMA Mahmoud Shaheen said that turbulent weather conditions around the world are impacting Egypt.

Regarding weather conditions, Shaheen explained that Egypt is being impacted by air masses in neighboring countries such as Libya or Sudan.

He stressed that the developed early warning system in Egypt monitors weather phenomena and predicts the course of weather phenomena.

The highest temperatures in Egypt was recorded in the spring, not the summer, he noted.

“Last year, the highest temperature recorded in Cairo reached 45C, and this year it reached 43C, two degrees lower than last year,” he concluded, adding that temperatures in Cairo did not fall below 37C.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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