[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.]
Maspero Massacre Anniversary
Egypt’s Copts Coalition commemorates `Maspero` martyrs, demands re-investigation
The event will take place at the Archangel Michael Cathedral in the Sixth of October City, where the martyrs are buried.
Socialist People`s Alliance Party remembers Maspero Massacre
"The Socialist People`s Alliance Party has not forgotten and will not forget the martyrs of Maspero and will continue to call for the prosecution of perpetrators and for banning religious parties that played and continue to play a role in fueling sectarian strife," read the statement.
Maspero2011: Archiving the memory of the Coptic protest`s violent dispersal
A new blog by the name of Maspero2011 was created to document the violent dispersal of a Coptic protest which took place opposite the Maspero building in Downtown Cairo on 9 October 2011.
Maspero — the absence of justice
“It has been four years now since the Maspero massacre, and justice has yet to be been served,” writes Mina Thabet.
Political Rights
Egypt`s Sisi says cabinet to remain in place if agenda approved by parliament
The newly-appointed Egyptian cabinet will remain in power if the parliament due to be elected in October and November approves its agenda, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Monday.
ElBaradei condemns enforced disappearance of activists
Former Vice-President of the Republic and former Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei condemned the detention of activists in Egyptian prisons through his Twitter account on Wednesday evening.
Brotherhood terrorist suspect killed in raid: Interior Ministry
The Interior Ministry announced on Sunday that a leading terrorist suspect belonging to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood died while trying to escape a police raid in his hideout in Alexandria.
Actress Entesar`s trial on inciting debauchery to begin 10 November
During an interview on a TV program on al-Qahera wal Nas TV program last week, Entesar discussed sexual relations.
Media host Islam Beheiry appeals blasphemy conviction
Controversial media presenter Islam Beheiry will challenge a Saturday court verdict that upheld a five-year prison sentence handed down to him over charges of blasphemy..
Al-Masry Al-Youm journalists protest layoff plans
Journalists at the eleven-year-old, privately-owned daily newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm staged a protest inside their newsroom on Sunday, condemning plans by the board to lay off sixty percent of the workforce.
Freed Jazeera journalist Fahmy leaves Egypt for Canada
Mohamed Fahmy, a Canadian journalist with Al-Jazeera television freed from an Egyptian jail last month after a presidential pardon for broadcasting "false" news, announced Tuesday he was flying home.
Morsi trial postponed, witness on a `secret mission`
The Cairo Criminal Court postponed the trial of former President Mohamed Morsi and ten others to 25 October on Saturday because a witness was on a "secret mission" at the time.
Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed receive free speech prize
This year`s Freedom of Speech Award from the International Association of Press Clubs (IAPC) went to Australian Peter Greste, who accepted the honour also on behalf of Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, at a ceremony in the Polish capital Warsaw.
Egypt`s police denies arresting missing activist Massouny
Egypt’s interior ministry denied on Wednesday that former activist Mostafa Massouny, who has been missing for almost three and a half months, was arrested by the police or any affiliated security apparatuses.
Egyptian court accepts prosecution appeal against Islamist figures` release
The court ordered a forty-five-day detention renewal for several leading Islamist figures.
Independence List wins majority of Egypt`s Doctors` Syndicate board seats
The Independence list includes members of Doctors Without Rights and Tahrir Doctors, both activist groups that are pressuring the government for better national healthcare.
Egypt’s army begins second stage of operation ‘Martyr`s Right’ in North Sinai
`Martyr`s Right` is the largest operation aimed at rooting out and killing terrorists in Sinai since July`s immediate response to militant attacks.
Egypt`s High State Security Prosecution appeals court decision to release leading Islamist figures
The court ordered the release of Mahmoud Shaaban and ten defendants Wednesday after year long investigations.
What was Arab media saying around the time of the October 6 war?
As Egypt marks the forty-second anniversary of the October 6, 1973, war yesterday, Mada Masrdelved into the archives of Egyptian and Arab press during this turbulent time.
Human rights in focus: Aida Seif al-Dawla
Mada Masr interviews veteran human rights defender Aida Seif al-Dawla.
Amnesty exhorts prosecution to halt retrial of eyewitnesses to Shaimaa al-Sabbagh murder
The international human rights group Amnesty International issued an action alert on Monday advocating for the seventeen eyewitnesses to the fatal shooting of activist Shaimaa al-Sabbagh. They will be retried this month for violating the protest law.
MB spokesperson Gehad Haddad`s family: We don`t know if he`s alive or dead
The family of prominent Muslim Brotherhood spokesperson Gehad al-Haddad say they have not been allowed to visit him or receive any information about him since he was taken to Tora Prison Hospital on Sunday.
Sisi’s 6 October speech celebrates Armed Forces, warns of future dangers
In his speech commemorating the 6 October War, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has highlighted the strength of the Armed Forces and how Egypt must remain secure, unlike its neighboring countries.
Sisi criminalizes failure to report information on possession of explosives
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a new amendment to the Egyptian Penal code on Wednesday, criminalizing failure to report knowledge of the possession of explosives to authorities.
Police visit online news site Masr al-Arabiya`s offices in Dokki
Several reports on Wednesday claimed police forces and investigators stormed the offices of the privately owned Masr Al-Arabiya news website and interrogated staff members.
Elections
Sisi supporters smell victory ahead of Egypt election
There is really only one possible outcome to Egypt`s much-delayed parliamentary election when people begin voting later this month -- a body loyal to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
INTERVIEW: Former Egyptian general sees his bloc leading new parliament
A former intelligence officer who heads the largest loyalist coalition running in Egypt`s upcoming elections expects his bloc to lead the new parliament and eventually seek to curb the legislature`s wide-ranging powers.
Sama al-Masry banned from elections for misconduct: court
Bellydancer Sama al-Masry has been banned from running in parliamentary elections by the Supreme Administrative Court, citing misconduct.
Parliamentary candidates in Upper Egypt behind fuel shortage: petroleum minister
Petroleum Minister Tarek al-Molla said candidates in the parliamentary elections in Upper Egypt are spreading rumors that have created a fuel crisis so they can use it in their campaigning.
Parliamentary election expat vote to be held in 139 countries, four exclusions
The House of Representatives election will be held at the headquarters of 139 Egyptian embassies abroad, excluding four countries due to unrest, namely Libya, Syria, Yemen and the Central African Republic.
Egypt`s human rights council temporary freezes activity of members running for parliament
The council will freeze the activities of rights lawyer Hafez Abu-Seida and journalist Mohamed Abdel-Aziz until the end of the parliamentary elections as the council is one of the entities monitoring the polls and it wants to adhere to "objectivity and independence" during monitoring.
Over twenty-seven million registered voters in elections first round: HEC
Some 27,402,353 voters are registered to take part in the elections first round due to start 18 October in Egypt, stated the Higher Elections Committee (HEC) Saturday.
ESDP launches parliamentary elections program
The center-left party would `double the wages of teachers and increase health spending`
Pro-Sisi coalitions to dominate Egypt`s parliamentary elections
Ahram Online reports.
Egypt`s Socialist Alliance Party launches electoral programme
“The party’s electoral programme relies on the social and democracy goals represented by the January 25 Revolution and its extension in June 30,” Medhat El-Zahed, acting chairman of the SPAP, said in a press conference.
Controversial candidates Ezz, El-Masry out of Egypt`s electoral race
Both disqualified candidates have a high profile, with Ahmed Ezz once being part of ousted president Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party, while Sama El-Masry is a belly dancer.
Eighty-one domestic, six international NGOs to observe Egypt’s upcoming parliamentary polls
The Egyptian prime minister’s advisor Refaat Qomsan announced on Wednesday that eighty domestic and six international NGOs will be allowed to observe the upcoming parliamentary elections being held between 17 October and 2 December over two stages.
Infographic: Who`s who in Egypt`s upcoming parliamentary elections?
Mada Masr compiled an infographic to help you make sense of who the most important candidates are, what the difference is between coalitions and lists and who is running where.
Foreign Policy
Russia’s Syria raids may strain Egypt-Saudi ties: Experts
Egypt’s support for the Russian military involvement in favor of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may strain its relations with oil-rich Saudi Arabia, analysts said.
Pope Tawadros arrives in United States
Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria arrived in the United States on Wednesday to begin a three-week visit.
Egypt’s defense purchases bill at LE81 billion in 2015
This will be Egypt’s second arms deal with France after the country bought 24 Rafale fighter jets and a FREEM frigate last February, a deal estimated at 5.2 billion euros.
Egypt says Russia`s intervention in Syria will counter terrorism
Russia`s intervention in Syria will curtail the spread of terrorism and help deal a fatal blow to Islamic State in the war-torn country, Egypt`s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said.
Sisi and Tunisia`s Essebsi agree on unifying efforts to counteract terrorism
The Tunisian president is completing the first Cairo visit of his tenure.
Economy
Government bank threatens state agencies over delayed debts
The threat came as those government agencies failed to either settle their debts on time or issue bonds with the value of part of those debts, the source explained.
Skyrocketing vegetable prices push inflation to 9.2 percent in September
The cost of living in Egypt shot up in September, as annual consumer inflation accelerated to 9.2 percent, up from 7.9 percent in August, according to state statistics agency CAPMAS.