
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has appointed veteran diplomat Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy as his first presidential political adviser. This decision, effective April 6, establishes a new position for a one-year term. Ramzy, 72, brings over four decades of diplomatic experience from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the United Nations, and the Arab League. His expertise includes conflict resolution, mediation, international security, disarmament, and non-proliferation. He previously served as Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Special Envoy for Syria from September 2014 to March 2019. Ramzy also held ambassadorial posts in Germany, Austria, Brazil, Slovenia, Guyana, and Suriname, and was Egypt's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, where he chaired the International Atomic Energy Agency between 2003 and 2007. His career also includes roles as deputy chief of mission in Washington, political counsellor in Moscow, and second secretary in New York. He headed the Arab League's permanent mission to the United Nations in Vienna from 2013 to 2014. Ramzy holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the American University in Cairo and a PhD in international economics from the University of Surrey.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Egypt Today.

The Supreme Council of Al-Azhar, Egypt's highest Sunni institution led by Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb, has approved the creation of Al-Azhar Institute for Arabic Calligraphy and Ornamentation. This institute will function under the specialized education system of the Al-Azhar Institutes Sector. The initiative is part of Al-Azhar's strategy to train specialists in Arabic calligraphy and Islamic ornamentation, combining academic study with practical training. It also aims to revive this Arab art, preserve cultural heritage, and instill aesthetic values in younger generations. The institute's academic program will be three years long, leading to an intermediate technical qualification in Arabic calligraphy and ornamentation. Exceptional students can pursue an additional two years of study to earn a specialized certificate equivalent to a post-secondary qualification. Admission requires an Al-Azhar preparatory certificate or equivalent, along with passing written and oral entrance exams and a personal interview.
Must ReadEgypt's Cabinet Media Center has released an infographic showcasing a World Economic Forum video that details Egypt's achievement in eliminating the Hepatitis C virus. The infographic emphasizes Egypt's role as a global leader in eradicating the disease through a comprehensive national campaign. Four years ago, Egypt faced one of the highest Hepatitis C infection rates globally, but it is now the first country to successfully eliminate the virus. This success is attributed to screening over 60 million citizens and providing free treatment to more than 4 million patients. The World Economic Forum highlights the national campaign's full support from political leadership, the availability of mobile testing units and health centers, reliance on innovative research, reduced testing and treatment costs, and local medicine manufacturing, all contributing to free treatment for all infected individuals.
Must ReadKhalil Al-Hayya has been elected as the head of Hamas's political bureau, succeeding Yahya Sinwar. Sinwar was appointed to the role in August 2024, taking over from Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in an Israeli raid in Tehran. Sinwar himself was killed in October 2024, three months after his appointment. Following Sinwar's death, the position remained vacant for 21 months until Al-Hayya's recent election.