[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
Journalist Ismail Alexandrani`s detention extended for 3rd time National Security prosecution extended the detention of investigative journalist and sociopolitical researcher Ismail Alexandrani for fifteen more days pending investigations.
Over 70 international scholars demand release of journalist and researcher Ismail Alexandrani A number of scholars and researchers from around the world have issued a statement calling on Egyptian authorities to release journalist and researcher Ismail Alexandrani.
Student community outraged after Egyptian Student Union dissolved Representatives of recently elected student unions in public universities were outraged following a decision by the Ministry of Higher Education to nullify the results of the Egyptian Student Union elections late Thursday.
Over 400 Egyptian public figures sign petition denouncing annulment of nationwide student union Over 400 public Egyptian figures signed on Saturday a petition rejecting a decision by a higher education ministry committee that annulled the results of the recent election of the nationwide students union.
Egyptian women protest minister of justice`s decree on "summer marriages" phenomenon A group of fifteen women stood on the steps of the Journalists’ Syndicate on Tuesday night to oppose a new law issued by the minister of justice that allegedly legalizes touristic marriages.
New Woman Foundation calls for clear article criminalizing harassment in labor law The New Woman Foundation requested, in a statement on Sunday, that a clearly defined article be included in the labor law to protect women from harassment in the workplace.
Interior Minister appoints new head of National Security in ministry reshuffle Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar appointed a new chief for the National Security Agency on Saturday as part of a reshuffle that has affected several leading positions within the ministry.
The impossible parliamentary alliance The pro-regime Alliance to Support Egypt is trying hard to control parliament, but so far with limited success.
Egypt puts gag order on reports about nuclear power station Egypt’s government has banned unauthorized reporting about a nuclear power station being constructed on the country’s Mediterranean coast.
Egypt court rejects Mahinour El-Masry’s 2nd legal challenge against jail term An Alexandria court rejected on Sunday a second legal challenge presented by activist Mahinour El-Masry and two other defendants against their fifteen-month prison sentences.
Egypt`s Sisi appoints committee to investigate corruption claims Egypt`s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ordered a taskforce to be formed late Saturday in order to investigate corruption allegations in the media.
Former manpower ministers accused of embezzling LE40 million Former ministers of manpower, Nahed al-Ashry and Kamal Abu Eita, have been accused of involvement in the embezzlement and misappropriation of millions of pounds from the ministry’s emergency labor funds during their terms in office.
55 trade unions submit memo to NCHR over restrictions Fifty-five general independent trade unions submitted a memorandum to the chairman of the National Human Rights Council to demand that restrictions on trade unions and labor freedoms be lifted.
NCHR prepares list of 101 forced disappearance victims The National Council for Human Rights is preparing a list with the names of forced disappearance victims that so far include 101 victims reportedly arrested by security forces.
MP Okasha says Egypt`s security apparatuses working against country’s wellbeing Parliamentarian Tawfik Okasha said Saturday that all Egyptian security apparatuses are “working against the wellbeing of the country and working for their narrow ideas.”
Egyptian policemen sentenced to life in prison for torturing man to death The two policemen, officer Ahmed Kafrawy and lower ranking policeman Ahmed Saleh, were found guilty of torturing two men and killing one of them.
Egyptian prosecutors order re-arrest of police officer accused of torturing detainee to death Prosecutors in the port city of Ismailia ordered late on Thursday the re-arrest of a policeman, released only hours earlier, who is accused of torturing a veterinarian to death in November.
Prisoners in Egypt set fire in Qalyoubiya police station in protest of inmate death Dozens of prisoners set fire to blankets inside a police station cell in Egypt`s Qalyoubiya governorate in protest of the death of an inmate who was suffering from Virus C.
Egypt sentences Brotherhood chief, others to 10 years over murder and violence An Egyptian military court sentenced on Tuesday Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie and other senior leaders to ten years in jail for murder and inciting violence.
MP Emad Gad could face expulsion from parliament after quitting Free Egyptians Party Elected parliamentarian Emad Gad announced Monday night that he was quitting the Free Egyptians Party, putting himself in jeopardy of expulsion from the parliament.
Economy
El-Sisi vows more jobs, says less unemployment means less terrorism Egypt President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said Sunday that providing job opportunities would curb militancy, stressing that his administration intends to curb unemployment in restive North Sinai and across the country.
Egypt`s Central Bank raises interest rates 50 basis points The Central Bank of Egypt has decided to raise interest rates by fifty basis points in an effort to mitigate inflation.
UPDATE: Egypt`s central bank tightens import controls to ease forex crisis Egypt`s central bank tightened trade financing regulations on Tuesday to support local manufacturing and ease the ballooning trade deficit that has worsened an acute foreign exchange shortage.
Egypt signs $500m agreement with African Export-Import Bank Egypt signed a 500 million USD agreement with the African Export-Import Bank to fund the country`s exports to African countries.
Egypt to receive 2nd tranche of EIB loan to finance third metro line extension Egypt signed an agreement with the European Investment Bank to receive the second tranche worth 200 million euros for the extension of Cairo`s third metro line.
Egypt to receive $1.5bn from Arab funds for Sinai development Egypt will finalize loans worth a total of 1.5 billion USD with Arab funds to finance development projects in the Sinai region.
Foreign Relations
Russia says groups behind Sinai plane bombing identified The head of Russia`s Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, said on Thursday that Russian authorities have identified groups that were possibly involved in the bombing of the Metrojet passenger jet that crashed in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in late October.
Saudi’s decision to up Egypt investments by 30%: Economics or politics? On 16 December, Saudi Arabia committed to increasing its investments in Egypt to around 8 billion USD. Little additional information has been released, leaving experts to speculate on the rationale for the agreement, and how exactly the promised investments will be delivered.
Six-fold Renaissance dam meeting in Khartoum aims for consensus with diplomatic representation A two-day meeting starting in Khartoum on Sunday between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan’s irrigation and foreign ministers, and the Renaissance Dam’s tripartite meeting aims to overcome discords over the dam.
Germany to build two additional submarines for Egypt Two additional submarines are currently being constructed in Germany to be delivered to Egypt, after the latter received a submarine earlier this month.
Egypt`s Sisi calls for lifting weapons ban on Libya`s government President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi underlined the importance of lifting the weapons ban imposed on Libya`s government in statement on Saturday.
Egypt`s Sisi reiterates need for political solution in Yemen crisis During a meeting with Yemeni FM Abdel-Malek El-Mekhlafi in Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi stressed the importance of having a political solution in Yemen based on the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and UN decisions.
Iraqi FM arrives in Cairo for emergency Arab League mtg Thursday on Turkish intervention Iraq`s Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to attend an emergency meeting of the Arab League to discuss Turkish intervention in Iraq.
Egypt demands immediate Turkish withdrawal from Iraqi territories Egypt’s foreign affairs minister called on Thursday for “the immediate and unconditioned withdrawal of Turkish forces from Iraq,” describing it as a violation of the country`s sovereignty.
Egypt`s interior minister talks counter terror cooperation with Somali counterpart Egypt’s Minister of Interior, Magdy Abdel Ghaafar, met with his Somali counterpart, Abdel al-Razaq Mohamed, in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss bilateral cooperation in fighting terrorism.
France offers Egypt 4 military ships: newspaper The La Tribune French newspaper has announced that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was offered four military ships from France at a cost of 580 million euros.
Hamas condemns apparent Egyptian killing of mentally ill Palestinian The Palestinian interior ministry in Gaza accused Egyptian forces on Saturday of killing a mentally ill Palestinian who had waded through the sea into Egypt`s territory on Friday.
Domestic Security
Journalist stabbed 4 times in Giza metro station Journalist Ahmed Gamal Ziada was attacked Friday night in Giza by two assailants who stabbed him four times.
Can foreign consultancy salvage Egypt’s airports? British firm Control Risks has been brought in to evaluate Egypt’s airport security, but uncertainty remains over the degree to which security measures can be improved.
Egypt`s army says killed militant who was involved in murder of police captain Egypt`s army announced on Sunday that security forces have killed a militant in North Sinai allegedly involved in the murder of a police captain in January 2015.
Roadside bomb kills policeman, injures 2 in Egypt’s North Sinai An improvised bomb exploded on Thursday, killing a policeman and injuring two others in Egypt’s North Sinai.
Trains resume following bomb on Cairo-Zagazig railway track Railway services have resumed on the eastern railway line between Cairo and Zagazig following repairs to damage caused by an improvised bomb that exploded on the track on Saturday.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
Alexandrian Cosmopolitanism: An Archive Samah Selim reviews Hala Halim’s book of the same name, which examines the discursive construction of Alexandria in modern European canonical texts.
الداخلية أساس الحكم والحداثة في مصر Aly El Raggal examines the organizing logic of “the interior” in structuring the modern state and society of Egypt.