A draft bill to toughen penalties for [redacted] harassment has been greenlit by the House Legislative Committee, Youm7 reports. The bill would see offenders sentenced to between two and four years in prison and handed EGP 100-200k fines. Repeat offenders could see the punishment more than doubled to a maximum seven years in prison and a EGP 500k fine. Currently, the maximum penalty for offenders is a one-year jail sentence and a fine of up to EGP 10k. The bill will now be sent to the House of Representatives for a final vote.

The bill to give new authority over international arbitration to the Supreme Constitutional Court moved closer to becoming law after MPs gave preliminary approval yesterday, according to Masrawy. Under the changes, the court would be given the power to override international court and arbitration rulings that it believes affect the country’s national and economic security. They also give the prime minister the power to request the SCC consider whether a given verdict by an international court or arbitration body breach the Egyptian constitution or harm the country’s interests. The bill will now be put up for a final vote in the general assembly.

The USD 400 mn World Bank loan earmarked for the government’s national health ins. system was preliminarily approved by MPs yesterday, Gomhuria reports. The loan, which will be disbursed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, will help subsidize health ins. costs for people unable to afford it, and fund infrastructure for the rollout of the universal system.