The talking heads were largely focused last night on the Madbouly Cabinet’s decision to ease several lockdown restrictions, which Cabinet spokesman Nader Saad discussed in back-to-back-to-back appearances on the airwaves. We have the story in this morning’s Speed Round, below.

The decision to curtail operating hours for restaurants, cafes, stores, and shopping malls is “permanent” and will remain in place even after the pandemic, Saad told Masaa DMC’s Ramy Radwan. Operating hours may be tweaked between the summer and winter seasons, and the government might approve longer operating hours for establishments in tourist governorates. According to Saad, the government doesn’t see any economic benefit to allowing people to sit at cafes after 10pm — but will allow restaurants to operate takeaway and delivery services around the clock (watch, runtime: 14:13). Saad had a similar conversation with Yahduth fi Misr’s Sherif Amer (watch, runtime: 3:14 and runtime: 1:06).

Arab League meeting on GERD, Libya: Amer also called up Arab League Assistant Secretary General Hossam Zaki for a debrief on yesterday’s emergency meeting on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the situation in Libya. Zaki noted that the league was broadly supportive of Egypt’s position on the standstill with Ethiopia, with the exception of Somalia and Djibouti (watch, runtime: 3:02). Radwan also recapped the meeting (watch, runtime: 1:55). We also have the story in this morning’s Diplomacy + Foreign Trade, below.