[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.]
Economy
Kafr al-Dawwar joins Mahalla textile workers on 5th day of strike
Several thousands of workers at two of Egypt`s largest textile companies—the Kafr al-Dawwar Textile Company and the Misr Spinning and Weaving Company in Mahalla al-Kubra—are on strike over unpaid bonuses promised by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Suez Canal revenues falling, despite expansion project
Suez Canal revenues continued their downward trend in September, with 448.8 million USD in tolls collected compared to 469.8 million USD in the same month last year.
World Bank: Egypt among the most difficult countries to run a business
Egypt fell to 131st place out of 189 countries surveyed for the World Bank’s 2016 Doing Business Report, which ranks countries according to the ease with which entrepreneurs can launch and run a business in compliance with local laws.
After weathering the revolution, Egypt`s real estate sector slows
Confidence in real estate`s inevitable rise was shaken in 2015. In contrast to the heated post-revolution years, prices have risen by just five-ten percent so far in 2015, barely keeping pace with inflation.
Port Said engineering company workers demand annual bonus
Workers at the Port Said Engineering Works Company, affiliated with the Suez Canal Authority, staged a sit-in at the company`s headquarters Wednesday at Port Fouad to demand the annual ten percent bonus decided by a presidential decree issued in September 2015 to state employees.
Govt to disburse ten percent bonus to public business sector workers, excludes protesting workers
Egypt Independent reports.
Political Rights
Alexandria governor resigns in wake of deadly storm
Alexandria Governor Hany al-Messiry has resigned in the wake of Sunday`s disastrous downpours that killed at least five people and inflicted millions of pounds worth of material losses.
Timelines turn red in support of activist Alaa Abd El Fattah and other detainees
Minutes after midnight on Monday, social media users changed their profile pictures to activist Alaa Abd El Fattah, who today marks one year in prison.
TV show suspended after outrage over anchor`s treatment of assault victim leads to advertising boycott
Popular television show Sabaya al-Kheir was temporarily suspended by Al-Nahar channel on Friday in the wake of a boycott campaign, after the program’s host Reham Saeed aired personal photos of a sexual assault victim to discredit her.
Do Sisi`s new laws give prison administrators greater powers?
New amendments to the prison law introduced by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi may further extend the powers of prison administrators to use force against prisoners, rights lawyers claim.
Politicizing religion: Egypt’s Shia
When religious extremism and regional politics meet, Egypt`s Shia population pays the price.
Education interrupted
How do refugees actually fare in Egypt’s education system?
What will the new parliament do with Sisi’s laws?
With Egypt’s long-awaited parliament due to convene early next year, the fate of the laws issued by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the absence of a legislative authority remains in question.
The changing face of downtown
Are the state and private sectors talking to one another? And what about the people?
Downtown lost or reclaimed?
Since becoming the center of nation-wide protests in 2011 that led to the toppling of thirty-year dictator Hosni Mubarak, development plans for the district came to a halt and are now being picked up again.
Interior ministry responsible for journalist`s disappearance: Egypt’s journalists’ syndicate
Mahmoud Mostafa Saad is the third journalist to have reportedly disappeared in less than a week.
Authorities detain two leading Brotherhood figures fleeing Egypt
The two were detained at Matrouh while trying to cross into Libya, according to a security source.
Court lifts travel ban on Egyptian Quran reciter Mohamed Gebreel
Gebreel had been banned from travelling to London as well as leading prayers in Egyptian mosques over what the government said was his use of "prayers for political purposes."
Egyptian state committee freezes assets of twenty-five Brotherhood members
A state committee responsible for appraising Muslim Brotherhood assets has froze the assets of twenty-five alleged members of the group.
Prosecutors charge two Egyptian writers with publishing inflammatory sexual content
Egypt`s prosecution referred a writer and editor to criminal court on Saturday over charges of writing and publishing material that “violates general morals and encourages indecent sexual behavior."
Journalists` Syndicate accuses security of kidnapping two members
The Journalists` Syndicate has accused security forces of kidnapping two of its members late last week and is demanding the general prosecution release them.
Brawl between Al-Ahram chief, Saudi ambassador confirmed
An initially-denied sharp exchange between Saudi Arabia`s Ambassador in Cairo Ahmed Qattan and the board chairman of Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram newspaper Ahmed al-Sayyed al-Naggar has been confirmed, with the pair having reportedly engaged in a political argument that ended with each throwing water at the other.
Masters holders demand government jobs in open-ended sit-in
Master`s degree holders began new protests on Sunday, again pressing the government to offer them jobs equal to their previously-appointed peers.
Beheira upholds dismissal of ten students over army insult
The Administrative Court in Beheira upheld a decision by the chairman of al-Azhar University, on Monday, to dismiss ten students found guilty of insulting the Egyptian military.
Student union elections kick off 16 November
Elections for student unions throughout Egypt`s public universities are beginning on 16 November, with candidacy applications starting Monday and the whole process ending by 3 December.
Elections
First day of runoff elections fails to reel in expat voters
Few expatriates showed up to vote at Egyptian embassies and diplomatic missions on Monday, the first day of voting abroad in the parliamentary runoff elections.
Nour Party candidate attacked in Mahalla
A Nour Party parliamentary candidate was attacked on Tuesday by unknown assailants and has suffered head injuries and a concussion.
Low turnout in parliamentary runoff despite state incentives to vote
A lower turnout for Egypt’s parliamentary election runoff, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, was reported than in the first round on 18 and 19 November.
Of few expats who voted in runoffs, most were young men, in Kuwait, and voting for Sohag: HEC
Only three percent of registered expat voters cast their ballots in the runoffs for the first round of parliamentary elections.
Elections commission: There have been lower turnouts
Mada Masr presents a timeline of how many people have headed to the polls in the last five years.
Egypt`s parliamentary elections produce 21.7 percent turnout in first round run-offs
The Free Egyptians Party, founded by billionaire businessman Naguib Sawiris, has clinched the biggest quota in the elections, announcing it has won forty-one seats.
Nedaa Masr withdraws from phase two of parliament elections
An electoral alliance has announced it is withdrawing its candidates from the second phase of the House of Representatives` elections slated for 23 November, citing several breaches and media biases.
Q&A: Yasser Borhamy fatwas behind Nour Party failure - former Nour Party candidate
Al-Masry Al-Youm interviews Mahmoud Maatouq, a Nour Party candidate who failed to garner enough votes in the parliamentary elections in Qena and subsequently decided to resign from the party.
Nour Party urges sheikhs for support during runoffs
The Salafi-led Nour Party has urged preachers from the Salafi Call, for which the party acts as a political arm, to lobby followers behind the party during runoffs for the first phase of parliamentary elections scheduled for 26-28 October.
Bribery controlled first round of elections: rights organization director
The use of "political money", or bribery, has controlled the first round of the House of Representatives` elections, said Ayman Nasry, executive director of the Ecumenical Alliance for Human Rights and Development in Geneva.
Nour Party claims ten seats in runoffs
The Salafi-led Nour Party claimed success in taking over ten seats out of the twenty-three it was competing for in runoffs for the first round of parliamentary elections that ended Wednesday.
Foreign Policy
Mistral warships to be delivered to Egypt in the first half of 2016
Egypt signed a deal with France to buy two Mistral warships in early October.
Egypt`s FM in Vienna this week to participate in Syria talks
Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry will head to Vienna on Thursday to discuss Syria’s political developments with the US, Russia, and others.
Egypt receives last batch of F-16 fighter jets from 2009 US military deal
The US had halted military aid to Egypt after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, though it resumed the aid earlier this year.
Domestic Security
Egypt extends North Sinai state of emergency for third time this year
The state of emergency was originally implemented in 2013 following an increase in Islamist attacks on security personnel and installations in North Sinai.
Six security members injured in North Sinai blast
A security source said the explosion was caused by a bomb planted to specifically target security forces in the city.
From Jadaliyya Egypt