Egypt's parliament approves stricter penalties for avoiding military service

Egypt's parliament has approved a law that toughens penalties for citizens who evade mandatory military or reserve service. The move comes as part of a series of military and security-related developments in the country.

In other related news, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi promoted the commanders of the Navy and Air Force to the rank of lieutenant general. A new defense minister, Lt. Gen. Ashraf Zaher, was also sworn in, and a new minister of military production, Salah Gamblat, was appointed. Separately, Egypt's foreign minister stated that Western and African nations rely on Egypt's experience in combating extremist ideology.