The nation’s talking heads were still discussing natural gas last night, with the exception of Lamees Al Hadidi, who dedicated her Wednesday episode to the CIB-sponsored Hona Al Shabab competition.

ECO Energy received a EGP 100k prize from CIB for coming out on top on last night’s episode. Two other startups, Sigma Fit and Zero Prime, had participated in the the CIB-sponsored competition (watch, runtime 4:40)

Over on Kol Youm, Amr Adib discussed Cyprus’ announcement that it is close to signing an agreement to sell natural gas to Egypt, saying that it will structured along the same lines as Dolphinus Holdings’ USD 15 bn pact to import natural gas from Israel. He boisterously explained to the viewing public that natural gas from both Cyprus and Israel will be liquefied for use here in Egypt or for re-export (watch, runtime 3:31).

Osama Kamal also broke down the agreement on Masaa DMC (watch, runtime 0:52), while Al Hayah Al Youm’s Nahawand Serry hosted petroleum engineering professor Gamal El Kaliouby, who urged the House of Representatives to sign off on the agreement. Serry also hosted Rep. Mohamed Attia of the House Energy Committee, who backed the agreement and said they are entirely permissible under existing legislation (watch, runtime 40:18).

Serry also hosted New and Renewable Energy Authority deputy Ihab Ismail, who said that around 70% of total FDI in Egypt is in the renewable energy sector, adding that projects in the field have created some 13,000 jobs (watch, runtime 28:13).

But back on Kol Youm, Adib criticized the slow pace at which Egypt has been drawing in investments, stressing that bureaucracy and red tape are still warding off potential investors (watch, runtime 6:08).

He then jumped into dissecting the Armed Forces’ latest statement on its extensive anti-terror operation in Sinai. He told his viewers that the military found, among other things, jihadi broadcasting equipment (watch, runtime 4:57). He also discussed the Interior Ministry’s statement from yesterday about the arrest of alleged members of the Ikhwan at a farm believed to belong ex-presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, which we cover in Politics + Economics, below (watch, runtime 3:23).

Kamal also discussed the military’s Sinai campaign (watch, runtime 2:30) and the latest developments in the Aboul Fotouh case, saying that weapons and ammunition were allegedly found on the farm in question (watch, runtime 3:14).

He then phoned the head of the House Housing Committee, Rep. Moataz Mahmoud, to discuss ongoing debate in the House of legislation that would allow the state to reach settlement agreements with the owners of buildings built without permits and / or in violation of the building code. Also up for discussion was the Unified Building Code. Mahmoud said around 1.8 mn buildings are in violation of existing laws and that reconciliation would earn state coffers c. EGP 72 bn (watch, runtime 16:17).