[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
Former head of Egypt's Customs Authority charged with accepting bribes
Egypt's top prosecutor has referred the former head of the Egyptian Customs Authority to a criminal trial on charges of accepting bribes to illegally offer other customs benefits, a source at the public prosecution office said on Monday.
Egypt's parliament to toughen legislative penalties on monopolistic practices
Egypt's parliament–the House of Representatives–will convene Sunday to discuss new government-drafted amendments of two laws regulating "Supply Affairs" and "the Protection of Competition and the Prevention of Monopolistic Practices."
Differences between Egypt's Al-Azhar, endowments ministry leave religious edicts law in limbo
Differences between Egypt’s two major Islamic institutions, al-Azhar and the Ministry of Religious Endowments, have led to parliament’s Religious Affairs Committee suspending its discussion of a draft law regulating religious fatwas.
Tensions mount over Regeni case
The investigation into the killing of Italian student Giulio Regeni in Cairo in 2016 reaches a critical stage after placing five Egyptian officials under investigation in relation to the death of Italian researcher by Italian prosecutors.
Leading Brotherhood figures sentenced to life in prison in relation to 2013 headquarters clashes
An Egyptian criminal court sentenced Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and five others figures of the Brotherhood--which is designated as a terrorist group--to life in prison on Wednesday on violence-related charges.
EgyptAir plane hijacker referred to criminal court on hijacking, terror charges
Egypt's Prosecutor-General has referred a man who hijacked an Egypt Air plane during a passenger flight in 2016 to court on charges of hijacking and promoting terrorism.
Egyptian actress released following questioning over revealing dress
Egyptian actress Rania Youssef was allowed to walk free on Wednesday after four hours of questioning over obscenity charges for wearing a revealing dress, a source at the public prosecution office said.
Egypt’s new political order in the making
Plans to amend Egypt’s constitution—including those that would extend President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s term in office—are underway, with changes to be introduced in the first half of 2019, according to three different sources in the president’s office, the General Intelligence Service (GIS) and parliament who have attended private meetings within various state bodies in recent months.
Following a high-profile torture case that ended with two police officers being handed light prison sentences in November, Egypt’s state-led human rights council has called on legislators and executive authorities to amend torture-related penal code statutes.
Doctors Syndicate officials warn of doctor emigration
Board members of Egypt’s Doctors Syndicate warned that the phenomenon of doctor emigration has been increasing over the past three years and the number of doctors who resigned during the past three years reached about six thousand because of the weak incomes received by doctors affiliated with the Health Ministry hospitals.
Foreign Affairs
Egypt's defence minister meets US homeland security secretary
Egypt's Defense Minister General Mohamed Zaki held on Monday a meeting with visiting US Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, the Egyptian armed forces announced.
Egypt's navy participates in drills with British, Italian forces in Mediterranean
Egypt’s navy has carried out joint exercises with British and Italian naval forces in the Mediterranean, which is part of efforts by the Egyptian Armed Forces to further military cooperation with friendly countries.
Egypt condemns UN expert's report on housing rights 'violations' as 'baseless and defamatory'
Egypt's foreign ministry issued a statement on Thursday condemning a recent report by the UN special rapporteur on the right to housing which alleges violations in the area of housing rights in the country, saying the report contained fabricated incidents and baseless allegations about the government’s policies in the area of housing.
Cairo's Warraq: Unfinished business
Last week’s cabinet decision to expropriate land on Warraq has provoked anger among the island’s residents. The decision to expropriate one hundred meters of land along both sides of the Rod al-Farrag Axis as it crosses the island, and to take thirty meters of land around the island’s shoreline to construct a corniche, was taken on 22 November and published in the official gazette four days later.
Dozens of Warraq residents turned out to protest the government’s latest decision to expropriate land to make way for real estate development plans, a move that could result in the forced eviction of thousands of people on the island.
Writer Ibrahim al-Husseini arrested, detained in unknown location
Police forces arrested writer Ibrahim al-Husseini on Sunday at his home in the Shubra al-Kheima district of Cairo, rights lawyer Mohamed Abdel Aziz told Mada Masr. Husseini has yet to appear in any prosecution office or police detention center.
Al-Nadeem Center closure case adjourned as state lawyers present new documents
In the latest development in the appeal submitted by Al-Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Torture Victims against the government-enforced closure of their premises in February 2017, the Administrative Court ruled on Wednesday to adjourn the case to 26 December according to a statement issued by the center.
Over the last several days, Mada Masr journalist Rana Mamdouh was subjected to a series of arbitrary security measures by Egyptian authorities, which Mada Masr’s lawyers and members of the Journalists Syndicate board have characterized as “illegal” and “unconstitutional.”
Egypt's Sisi discuss military cooperation with Sudan's defence minister
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi discussed with Sudanese Defense Minister Awad Mohammed bin Auf military cooperation, border control, as well as combating organized crime, terrorism and irregular migration on Tuesday, a statement by presidential spokesperson Bassam Rady said.
Egypt expected to vote against US-drafted UN resolution condemning Hamas
Cairo intends to vote against an unprecedented US-drafted resolution that would condemn Hamas for launching missiles into Israeli territory and inciting violence against civilians, an Egyptian government source tells Mada Masr, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Economy
Cairo, Rome ink 45 million Euros deal to support Egyptian private sector
Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr and Italian Ambassador in Cairo Giampaolo Cantini signed a deal Saturday to support the development of Egypt’s private sector with total investment of forty-five million euros.
Egypt's Sisi launches a risk insurance fund to encourage Egyptian investment in Africa
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi announced on Sunday the launch of a risk insurance fund to encourage Egyptian entrepreneurs to invest in Africa.
70 percent of land in 1st phase of Egypt's New Administrative Capital sold: Spokesman
Official spokesperson for Egypt's New Administrative Capital Khaled al-Hosseiny said on Tuesday that seventy percent of the land in the first phase of the new capital has been sold; a total of 17,000 feddans and affirmed that the main developers in the project are mostly Egyptian.
Banks’ profits score EGP 48.499bn until September 2018
Banks operating in the Egyptian market achieved a net profit of 48.499 billion Egyptian Pounds at the end of September 2018, according to the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE).
Domestic Security
Search vessels dispatched to find 14 missing Egyptian fishermen in Gulf of Suez
Two tugboats have been dispatched on Sunday to look for a fishing vessel that disappeared on Saturday in the Gulf of Suez, according to a representative from the fishermen syndicate.
Egypt's army warns factories against importing, producing army-style uniforms
Egypt's armed forces are instructing the owners of textile companies and factories not to produce fabrics that can be used to create army and police uniforms, a statement by Egyptian army spokesperson Tamer al-Refai said on Monday.
Egypt's interior ministry says 2 others involved in Coptic monastery attack killed
Egypt's interior ministry announced on Saturday in an official statement that it killed two other members of the cell involved in the attack that killed seven Coptic Christians south of Cairo in early November.
Egypt hosts counterterrorism exercise for Sahel-Saharan states at Mohamed Naguib Military Base
In light of the keenness of Egypt's political leadership to bolster military relations with brotherly African countries, Egypt is hosting a counterterrorism exercise with countries from the Sahel and Sahara region.
International human trafficking network uncovered in Egypt
Egypt's Administrative Authority (ACA) said on Thursday that it has uncovered an international human trafficking network consisting of twenty Egyptian, foreign, and Arab nationals involved in the sexual exploitation of women and drug trafficking.
The article explores the first edition of the international Egyptian Defense Exhibition which opened this week
Arabic
مصر | ضربة اقتصادية جديدة: رفع الدعم عن الوقود في 2019
The Egyptian government announced plans to lift sbusidies on fuel starting in 2019.
منتدى أفريقيا 2018: لقاء احتفالي بلا اتفاقات كبرى
The article examines the policy of Sisi's Egypt toward Africa, as Egypt hosted the “African Forum 2018” in Sharm al-Sheikh this year without presenting real strategy on how to foster cooperation with African countries.
الدولة تغطّي فساد مستشفى سرطان الأطفال!
The article discusses corruption in the children’s cancer hospital in Egypt following an investigative report that was banned by the government a few months ago, accusing the hospital of acts of financial and administrative misconduct.
قوانين غير تقليدية في مصر: الصياح والغناء وركوب الحافلة قد يذهبون بك إلى السجن
Almanassa examines how legislation in Sisi's Egypt is arbitrarily used against citizens in the name of restoring control in the country.
بين عقوبات إضافية وانتظار الإشارة.. هؤلاء «رهن الاحتجاز» رغم إخلاء السبيل
The Arabic Network for Human Rights published a report on victims of freedom in Egypt who are still detained in prisons despite the fact they have been ordered a release.
الجماعة الإسلامية تنسحب من «تحالف الإخوان» وتدعو لتفعيل المصالحة
Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya announced its withdrawal from Pro-Morsi coalition and called for the enactment of the national reconciliation as indicated in the Egyptian constitution.
من الحكم للتنفيذ.. محطات في قضية إهانة القضاء «تسلسل زمني»
Masr Al-Arabiya examines the “insulting the judiciary” case and the shortcomings of the judiciary system in Egypt.