[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
Government to establish new community on majority of disputed Warraq island Prime Minister Sherif Ismail issued a decree authorizing the New Urban Communities Authority to establish a new community on the disputed Warraq Island, according to Egypt’s official Gazette, published on Sunday.
Lawyer: Prosecution interrogates Wael Abbas, some of his possessions seized illegally Recent interrogation sessions with Wael Abbas, who was arrested from his home during a Wednesday dawn raid, suggest that security forces seized a number of the detained blogger’s personal belongings illegally, according to lawyer Abdel Rady.
Anti-torture NGO founders Magda Adly and Suzanne Fayyad summoned for interrogation Co-founders of Al-Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence Magda Adly and Suzanne Fayyad were summoned for interrogation on Sunday by the investigative judge presiding over the NGO foreign funding case.
University of Washington PhD student, missing for 4 days, brought before prosecution and detained PhD student and researcher Walid al-Shobaky, who has been missing for four days, was brought before the Supreme State Security Prosecution on Sunday and handed a fifteen-day detention order, according to lawyer Mokhtar Mounir.
Egypt Sisi 2nd term: Meeting the future head on On Saturday President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi will be sworn in for his second term in office. The ceremony will take place in front of parliament.
Egypt's President Sisi to be officially sworn in for second term on Saturday Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is due to take the oath of office before Egypt's parliament on Saturday, following his re-election for a second term with a landslide victory almost two months ago.
Mada Masr article shortlisted for Samir Kassir journalism prize An op-ed written by Syrian journalist Samer Mokhtar and published in Mada Masr in March of this year was shortlisted for a 2018 Samir Kassir journalism prize.
Social solidarity minister asks that parliament approve 15% pension increase Social Solidarity Minister Ghada Wali requested parliament approve a fifteen percent increase in pensions on Sunday.
Egypt's Arabic language thanaweya amma exam leaked on social media: Education ministry official A senior official in Egypt's Ministry of Education announced that a group of secondary students in Menoufiya governorate leaked the Arabic language general secondary exam, held across the country on Sunday, in the latest of a series of educational exam leaks in recent years.
Economy
Egypt plans EGP 15 bln benefits package for poor to offset price hikes In preparation for further electricity and fuel price increases, the government is working on plans to reinforce the country’s social security net with a fifteen billion LE package starting in the new fiscal year in July.
Government raises household water tariffs by 46.5% Water tariffs have been hiked by almost forty-seven percent for some Egyptian households, according to the Saturday edition of the Official Gazette. The new rates are applicable on May consumption, and will be reflected in June bills.
Transport ministry to build new river port in Upper Egypt Egypt's transport ministry is to start building a new river port in Upper Egypt as part of a recent drive to improve the country's river transport system.
Foreign Relations
Egypt's Sisi discusses Operation Sinai 2018 with US congressional delegation Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi discussed on Thursday in Cairo with a delegation from the US Congress Egypt's ongoing anti-terror Operation Sinai 2018, according to a statement by the presidency spokesman.
Egypt's defence minister stresses strong US-Egyptian ties in meeting with congressmen Egypt's Defense Minister Sedki Sobhi discussed US-Egyptian cooperation with a delegation of US Congressmen currently visiting Cairo, a military statement said Thursday.
Egypt foreign ministry dismisses EU criticism of recent arrests in the country Egypt's foreign ministry released a statement on Wednesday saying that it rejects recent criticisms by the EU over what the European body described as the arrest of political activists in the country.
Regeni case update: Egyptian public prosecutor delivers key surveillance footage to Italian prosecution Footage from surveillance cameras in the metro station where murdered Italian student Giulio Regeni was last seen before his disappearance was handed to the Italian prosecution, alongside a number of other documents compiled by Egyptian investigators, according to a joint press release issued on Tuesday by Egypt’s Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek and the Italian prosecution.
Italian, Egyptian authorities investigate camera recordings in Regeni case: Prosecution Over the past two weeks, Italian and Egyptian investigation teams have met in Cairo to analyze all data collected during investigations of the killing of Italian student Giulio Regeni, a statement by the Egyptian prosecution read.
Egypt's prosecution refers Lebanese tourist to urgent criminal court over insulting Egyptians in viral video Egypt's prosecution referred a Lebanese tourist on Sunday to urgent criminal court on charges of "deliberately broadcasting false rumors which aim to undermine society and attack religions," after she harshly criticized the country in a video that went viral on social media.
Egyptian, Jordanian and Palestinian officials stress rejection of Israeli actions against Palestinians A consultative meeting of Egyptian, Jordanian and Palestinian diplomats held in Cairo on Thursday stressed its rejection of Israeli actions against unarmed Palestinians in recent weeks.
Egypt, Jordan and Palestine to hold diplomatic-intelligence meeting to discuss halting Israeli escalation in Gaza Egypt will host a diplomatic meeting Thursday at the level of foreign ministers and heads of the intelligence services of Egypt, Jordan and Palestine to discuss ways to halt the recent Israeli escalation in the Gaza Strip.
Sudanese FM says dam deadlock will be broken, Sudan and Egypt on same page Sudan's Foreign Minister al-Dardiri Mohamed Ahmed said his country, along with Egypt and Ethiopia, were determined to end the deadlock in talks over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Project, following the failure of previous negotiations.
French journalist barred from entering Egypt A French journalist announced on Thursday that security personnel at Cairo International Airport prevented her from entering the country on 25 May.
Domestic Security
Egypt's military says 8 'takfiris', 2 conscripts killed in Sinai operation Egypt’s military has said eight Islamist "takfiris" and two army personnel have been killed in the past few days as part of an extensive offensive to crush militant groups concentrated in parts of Sinai.
Egypt police find body of Muslim Brotherhood fugitive after raid, shootout in Giza: Ministry Police have found the dead body of a fugitive member of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group while pursuing terrorist suspects in a desert area near the Wahat road in Giza governorate, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Monday.
Court adds 241 people to Egypt’s terrorist list Over 200 people accused of being connected to the militant group Province of Sinai were added to Egypt’s terrorist list, the Official Gazette announced on Sunday.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
The Army, the Economy, and Discontent in Egypt - GMU Event (8 June, 5:30pm - 1203 Merten Hall) From a political economy approach, this talk follows how Egypt’s military institution has been visibly, or often invisibly, controlling the economy and state in the past three decades.
Arabic
مواطن وظابط وصحفي: كيف أدارت "الأجهزة" الانتخابات في المناطق الأكثر فقرًا Almanassa discusses the role of the security apparatus during the presidential elections in the most marginalized areas in Egypt.
لا للمضايقةِ القانونيةِ للمدافعتينِ د.سوزان فياض ود.ماجدة عدلي Al Nadeem deplores the state’s systematic crackdown on rights defenders, following the calling into an investigation of its founders on Thursday.
الأحد .. مجلس النواب يصوت نهائيًا على قانونى جرائم المعلومات وتنمية الصعيد The parliament resumes its sessions on Sunday to vote on Cybercrimes law and the establishment of the Development for Upper Egypt Committee.
ننشر التقرير العام لخطة النواب عن موازنة مصر 2018..2019 Masr Al-Arabiya discusses Egypt’s new public budget for 2018-2019.
عمال بلا أجر Bel Ahmar sheds lights on the marginalization of workers in Egypt.
جراف»| الصحة والتعليم في «الموازنة الجديدة»: التراجع مستمر» Mada Masr examines the continued regress of the health sector under the new public budget.
بعد حكم الدستورية.. هل تتوقف الحكومة عن التدخل في عمل الجمعيات الأهلية؟ The article discusses the constitutional court ruling revoking Article 24 of the Associations Law of 2002, which prohibits the state from shutting down NGOs.
«سيناريوات تعديل الدستور: «السيسي رئيساً للحكومة Al-Akhbar reflects on the possible amendments to the constitution that would be introduced under Sisi's second presidential terms.