Egypt Promotes New 100-Pound Banknote at COP27

View of a COP27 sign on the road leading to the conference area in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh town, Egypt October 20, 2022. REUTERS/Sayed Sheasha
View of a COP27 sign on the road leading to the conference area in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh town, Egypt October 20, 2022. REUTERS/Sayed Sheasha
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Egypt Promotes New 100-Pound Banknote at COP27

View of a COP27 sign on the road leading to the conference area in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh town, Egypt October 20, 2022. REUTERS/Sayed Sheasha
View of a COP27 sign on the road leading to the conference area in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh town, Egypt October 20, 2022. REUTERS/Sayed Sheasha

Egypt promoted a new 100-pound banknote during the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27). The banknote displays the logo of the COP27 and its name in both English and Arabic on one side, and the form of the 100 pounds on the other.

The banknote was launched by the Egyptian finance ministry, represented by the Public Treasury and Mint Authority, to mark the launching of COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh.

The Public Treasury and Mint Authority is partaking in an exhibition held at the ministry of finance’s pavilion, in the COP27’s Green Zone, to promote the Egyptian heritage, and to ensure taking part in such a high-level event, as an official body responsible for a wide collection of releases including medals, coins, and copper motifs that depict historic events, figures, and occasions.

Egyptian finance minister Mohamed Maait said releasing a 100-pound commemorative banknote highlights the importance of the climate conference.

The Public Treasury and Mint Authority has made all efforts to produce auxiliary coins, and commemorative banknotes that document historic occasions and national projects, he added.

For his part, Hossam Khodr, head of the Public Treasury and Mint Authority, said the authority offers various creative works for Egypt’s visitors from around the world, including the “Tutankhamun Medals Collection” celebrating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of his cemetery, featuring six medals depicting the most known possession of Tutankhamun and old Pharaonic treasures; 11 medals of Muhammad Ali dynasty; the Collection of Historic Cairo, which was released to commemorate the 1050th anniversary of the establishment of historic Cairo, consisting of six medals featuring the capital’s most known landmarks such as Al-Azhar Mosque, the Aqmar Mosque, the Mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi’i, the Mosque of Sultan Hasan, and the Muhammad Ali Mosque.

It also displays commemorative coins depicting former presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser, and Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat, both released to celebrate the presidents’ 100th anniversary.

The Egyptian government has given the green light to issue uncirculated commemorative silver coins to celebrate 200 years on deciphering the ancient Egyptian language, and the emergence of Egyptology, as well as 100 years on the discovery of the Tutankhamun cemetery in Luxor Valley.



Latest Tests Show Seine Water Quality Was Substandard When Paris Mayor Took a Dip

 Boats carrying members of delegations sail along the Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. (AFP)
Boats carrying members of delegations sail along the Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. (AFP)
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Latest Tests Show Seine Water Quality Was Substandard When Paris Mayor Took a Dip

 Boats carrying members of delegations sail along the Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. (AFP)
Boats carrying members of delegations sail along the Seine during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. (AFP)

Tests results released Friday showed the water quality in the River Seine was slightly below the standards needed to authorize swimming — just as the Paris Olympics start.

Heavy rain during the opening ceremony revived concerns over whether the long-polluted waterway will be clean enough to host swimming competitions, since water quality is deeply linked with the weather in the French capital.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a highly publicized dip last week in a bid to ease fears. The Seine will be used for marathon swimming and triathlon.

Daily water quality tests measure levels of fecal bacteria known as E. coli.

Tests by monitoring group Eau de Paris show that at the Bras Marie, E. coli levels were then above the safe limit of 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters determined by European rules on June 17, when the mayor took a dip.

The site reached a value of 985 on the day the mayor swam with Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet and the top government official for the Paris region, Marc Guillaume, joined her, along with swimmers from local swimming clubs.

At two other measuring points further downstream, the results were below the threshold.

The statement by Paris City Hall and the prefecture of the Paris region noted that water quality last week was in line with European rules six days out of seven on the site which is to host the Olympic swimming competitions.

It noted that "the flow of the Seine is highly unstable due to regular rainfall episodes and remains more than twice the usual flow in summer," explaining fluctuating test results.

Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century. Since 2015, organizers have invested $1.5 billion to prepare the Seine for the Olympics and to ensure Parisians have a cleaner river after the Games. The plan included constructing a giant underground water storage basin in central Paris, renovating sewer infrastructure, and upgrading wastewater treatment plants.