[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Egypt and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Egypt Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week's roundup to egypt@jadaliyya.com by Sunday night of every week.]
Political Rights
Activist Shady al-Ghazaly Harb brought before Supreme State Security Prosecution Activist Shady al-Ghazaly Harb was brought before the Supreme State Security Prosecution for questioning on Tuesday, according to lawyer Halim Hanish, who told Mada Masr that the prosecution has not disclosed which case the interrogation relates to.
Labor lawyer Haytham Mohamadeen arrested from his house Police forces arrested labor lawyer and member of the Revolutionary Socialists movement Haytham Mohamadeen late Thursday night, the latest in a recent string of activist arrests.
Egypt's doctors in dismay The Doctors Syndicate this week initiated legal measures to contest a jail term recently handed down against Mohamed Hassan, a doctor working at a Sharqiya governorate hospital, on charges of insulting the judiciary.
Egypt parliament approves first vote on new cyber-crime law The Egyptian parliament approved on Monday a new government-drafted law that targets cybercrimes in an initial vote.
Events in the Middle East force us to modernise the military: Egypt's defence minister Egypt's Minister of Defense Sedky Sobhi said in Moscow that current events in the Middle East are forcing the Egyptian government to modernize and upgrade the Egyptian armed forces, the Egyptian army said in a statement on Tuesday.
Participating in Egypt's political life requires comprehensive understanding of country's situation: President Sisi Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said during the fifth edition of the National Youth Conference that anyone who wishes to participate in the country's political life must have a comprehensive understanding of Egypt's political and economic landscape.
Egypt's President El-Sisi pardons 332 prisoners including youths and poor health cases Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has issued a presidential decree pardoning 332 jailed individuals including youths and those with health problems.
Egyptian court issues preliminary death sentences for 13 convicted in prison break case An Ismailia criminal court issued preliminary death sentences on Monday to thirteen defendants convicted of escaping al-Mostakbal prison in the Suez Canal governorate in 2016.
Egyptian police arrest organ trafficking ring in Cairo Egypt’s interior ministry said on Friday it had arrested a number of people running an organ trafficking ring in Cairo.
Egypt's President Sisi discusses 2018/19 fiscal year budget with ministers Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi discussed on Saturday the upcoming 2018/19 fiscal year budget with PM Sherif Ismail and a number of officials and cabinet ministers, who briefed the president on ongoing efforts of their respective ministries, according to a statement by the presidency.
Economy
Metro fare hike prompts protests and arrests, adds to the burdens of Egyptians, depending on the distance traveled. In response to the Transportation Ministry effectively raised the metro fare on Thursday evening from a flat 2 LE to a variable fare ranging between 3 LE and 7 LE, Passengers jumped turnstiles by the dozens, protests broke out, there were hostile, arguments between people and the police, and calls to boycott the service have emerged and a mobile app was developed as a workaround.
Cairo metro tickets now available at Fawry branches: Metro company Dozens of outlets in Cairo for the digital payment service Fawry are now selling metro tickets in an effort to reduce crowds at ticket windows at metro stations, according to the Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation, which operates Cairo’s underground metro.
Egypt, Uber and the world New legislation regulating Uber, Careem and other transportation network companies covers only some of the contentious issues surrounding them worldwide.
Can white taxis survive in an app-based transportation market? White taxis attempt to chart their space by suggesting legislative changes, joining new apps
Egypt's Sisi promises five-year tax exemption for SMEs that register in formal economy Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi announced on Wednesday a five-year tax exemption for small and medium-sized enterprises that register their business in the formal economy.
Hermes to launch $300 million investment platform targeting basic education in Egypt with UAE GEMS The Head of Assets Management and Investments at Egypt's biggest investment bank EFG Hermes Karim Moussa said the group is willing to investment 300 million USD in basic education in Egypt in cooperation with UAE GEMS Education in the upcoming five years.
Foreign Relations
Prelude to Israeli violence in Great March of Return: Hamas-Egypt meeting fails to bring truce One day before at least sixty Palestinians were killed and 3,188 injured by the Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza, Hamas officials arrived in Cairo for an emergency meeting to discuss a European Union proposal that would have suspended the culmination of the Great March of Return protests in return for a complete lifting of Israel’s debilitating siege on the strip.
Report from Gaza: Wounds of return While Israel continues to open fire on peaceful protesters, Gaza hospitals are unable to provide adequate care due to severe overcrowding and a critical shortage in supplies.
Egypt condemns targeting of unarmed Palestinian civilians by Israeli occupation forces Egypt's foreign ministry has condemned the targeting of unarmed Palestinian civilians by occupying Israeli forces, after dozens of Palestinians were killed at the Gaza border on Monday.
Egypt orders Rafah border crossing with Gaza remain open in wake of Israeli bloodshed Egypt will keep its Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip open on Monday and plans to send humanitarian aid to the territory, after over fifty Palestinian protesters were killed by Israeli forces.
Egypt to treat injured Palestinians in North Sinai hospitals: Health minister Egypt's Minister of Health Ahmed Radi told Al-Ahram Arabic late on Monday that Egypt will open four North Sinai hospitals to the rising number of Palestinian protesters wounded by Israeli forces in Gaza in recent days.
Egypt's Sisi reiterates US Jerusalem move bodes ill for the region Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi reiterated that the decision by the US to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would lead to instability in the region.
Egypt's FM Shoukry:'The continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian land is the source of the crisis' Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said during an urgent meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo on Thursday that the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people is a "moral and political disgrace" for which the international community bears responsibility.
Egypt's Sisi meets with head of French internal intelligence agency Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi met with the head of France's General Directorate for Internal Security in Cairo on Monday to discuss regional issues and cooperation between Egypt and France, according to an official statement.
Egypt, Russia agree on importance of continued cooperation in combating terrorism Egypt and Russia agreed on Monday on the importance of their joint coordination in fighting terrorism, a statement by Egypt's foreign ministry said following the conclusion of talks between the foreign ministers of both countries in Moscow.
Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia reach agreement on next steps for dam technical studies After more than twelve hours of non-stop talks in Addis Ababa, Egypt's ministers of foreign affairs and irrigation, along with the country's intelligence chief, reached on Wednesday morning an agreement with their Ethiopian and Sudanese counterparts on the next steps to reconcile their views on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced.
Ethiopian PM meets Egypt's FM and intelligence chief for GERD talks Ethiopian Prime minister Abiy Ahmed met on Tuesday with Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry and head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate Abbas Kamel in Addis Ababa on the sidelines of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam tripartite talks between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, the Egyptian foreign ministry announced.
Domestic Security
Egypt's interior minister opens new special forces training institute Egypt's Minister of Interior Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar opened a new special forces training institute in the Cairo suburbs on Monday, which aims at improving the tactical and combat capabilities of units.
Police captain killed in failed assassination attempt on CSF head south of Arish A police captain was killed in an explosion targeting a vehicle carrying the head of Sinai’s Central Security Forces, as it drove along the Ring Road in the south of Arish on Friday morning.
Egyptian authorities separate buffer zone from Rafah City with barbed wire The Armed Forces has been laying a barricade of barbed wire five kilometers from Egypt’s eastern border with Palestine over the last two weeks, according to eyewitnesses, in an attempt to separate the security buffer zone from the rest of Rafah City.
Egypt's Cassation Court places 135 defendants on terror list in 'Helwan Brigades' terror case Egypt's Cassation Court on Tuesday placed 135 defendants on the country's terror list for a three-year term in the trial known in the media as the "Helwan Brigades" case.
Egypt's army kills 19 'takfiris' in Sinai anti-terror operations: Armed Forces spokesman Egypt’s military and police forces have killed nineteen "takfiris" and arrested twenty criminal suspects over the past few days as part of an offensive to crush terrorism in the northern and central Sinai Peninsula, the Armed Forces spokesperson said on Thursday.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
Joel Blecher, Said the Prophet of God: Hadith Commentary across a Millennium (New Texts Out Now) An interview with Joel Blecher on his new book, Said the Prophet of God: Hadith Commentary across a Millennium.
Youssef El-Chazli, ed. “Everyday Alexandria(s): Plural Experiences of a Mythologized City.” Special Issue of Egypt Monde Arabe (New Texts Out Now) An interview with Youssef El-Chazli on the theme issue, “Everyday Alexandria(s): Plural Experiences of a Mythologized City.”
Who Told You History is an Open Buffet? On Facts, Fiction and Absence in the Archives Salma Shamel examines how a play by the name of Zig Zig prompts a discussion about the power of the archivist and how it relates to the history we understand.
Arabic
بعد مناقشته بـ «البرلمان».. ما هي عقوبات قانون مكافحة جرائم المعلومات؟ The article highlights the penalties set by the new cybercrime law in Egypt.
فى أقل من شهر .. 4 قرارات وأحداث «استفزت» المصريين Masr Al-Arabiya reflects on the impact of the state’s latest economic and political decisions on Egyptians.
للمرة الرابعة على التوالي.. تجديد حبس عادل صبري 15 يومًا The General Prosecution renewed the detention of Masr Al Arabiya’s Chief Editor Adel Sabry for fifteen days.
يوميات صحفية برلمانية| تجاهل لـ"المترو".. ومادة "النوبة المفخخة" تجدد الهجوم على الدستور The article discusses the issues that sparked controversy in the parliament’s preliminary session on Sunday.
معتقلون للأبد: آلة الحبس الاحتياطي تعمل ذاتيًا Mada Masr investigates the practice of preventive detention in Egypt as a tool to punish political opponents.
قناة «الناس»: «الإسلام» كما تراه الدولة The article examines the religious propaganda broadcast by Al Nass TVchannel.
غدا ترون.. كم مرة وعد فيها السيسي مواطنيه بالرخاء Rassd traces Sisi’s unrealistic promises.
«عفو رئاسي عن 331 مسجون.. القائمة تضم إسلام مرعي وأندرو ناصف و105 من «أحداث مسجد الفتح الثانية Three hundred and thirty-one prisoners were granted presidential pardon, according to the Official Gazette.
جلسة حوار المبادرة المصرية حول التقاضي البيئي تصدر توصيات من أجل دعم دور التقاضي في حماية البيئة والسكان The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights held on Monday a dialogue session on environmental litigation.
تحقيق مع قائد عسكري في فندق بالقاهرة A military commander was arrested in Cairo over "financial corruption" charges, according to Al Akhbar.
مصر تُحدّث «تعليمها» وسط انتقادات The article examines the controversy on the educational reform introduced by the Minister of Education in Egypt.