Egypt's Government Resigns amid Graft Probe

Egypt's government led by Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb has resigned, newswires reported on Saturday, citing a statement from the office of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.

The resignation of the cabinet was accepted, the President's office said without giving a reason for the resignation.

The announcement comes about a week after Egyptian authorities arrested Agriculture Minister Salah el-Din Helal on charges of taking bribes.

The President asked Mehleb's government to continue carrying out their duties until a new cabinet is formed. He also tasked Oil Minister Sherif Ismail with forming a new cabinet within a week.

It was not immediately clear why exactly the government resigned but according to Egyptian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Prime Minister "had been unhappy with the performance of several ministries", Reuters said in its coverage of the news.