[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
PM instructs Cabinet task force to tackle food prices ahead of Ramadan Prime Minister Sherif Ismail has instructed the Cabinet`s task force committee to address the recent hikes in the prices of basic food commodities in response to complaints from citizens, as well as to provide basic food commodities in areas that suffer from shortages.
Egypt rights committee to visit prisons, police stations during first week of Ramadan The Egyptian parliament`s Human Rights Committee is set to inspect Cairo prisons and police stations on the first week of the holy month of Ramadan.
Activists start campaigns for political prisoners amid renewed detentions Tuesday and Wednesday witnessed a number of court rulings renewing the detentions of political detainees in Egyptian prisons, as activists began several campaigns to support them.
Sisi says 90 percent of prisoners are detained for criminal offenses President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that ninety percent of people languishing in Egypt’s prisons are incarcerated for committing criminal offenses, in an interview marking his second anniversary in office.
Sisi praises civil society organizations that ‘build society’ President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised civil society organizations that “play a developmental role” and contribute to building society as he inaugurated a housing project in Moqattam on Monday.
Baseera poll shows jump in Sisi approval rating in one month The approval rating for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as he concludes his second year in office has reached ninety-one percent, according to a poll released by Baseera, The Egyptian Center for Public Opinion Research, on Saturday.
Arrest of Press Syndicate head `dangerous escalation` against media freedom – Amnesty Amnesty International called the arrest of the Egyptian Press Syndicate`s head and two board members on Sunday "an alarming setback for freedom of expression."
Journalists Syndicate head, board members referred to trial for `harboring fugitives` Journalists Syndicate head Yehia Qallash and board members Khaled al-Balshy and Gamal Abdel Rahim have been referred to trial on charges of harboring fugitives and propagating false news about their arrest.
Media prevented from covering Press Syndicate leaders` trial The Qasr al-Nil court prevented journalists from entering the court session of the head of the Press Syndicate, Yehia Qallash and senior board members Khaled al-Balshy and Gamal Abd al-Reheem on Saturday.
Trial of Journalists Syndicate head, board members adjourned to June 18 Qasr al-Nil Misdemeanors Court adjourned the case against Journalist Syndicate head Yehia Qallash and board members Khaled al-Balshy and Gamal Abdel Rehim to 18 June, until the defense team can review case documents.
Breaking the back of the Journalists Syndicate A month after security forces stormed the Journalist Syndicate and arrested two reporters, the standoff between police and journalists continues.
Egypt court acquits 33 islands’ transfer protesters An Egyptian appeals court revoked on Saturday a two-year prison sentence previously handed down to thirty-three people for protesting the president’s decision to cede sovereignty over two strategic Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.
Former Central Auditing head Geneina referred to trial for remarks on corruption in Egypt The State Security Prosecution referred Hesham Geneina, the former president of the Central Auditing Authority, to trial on Thursday on charges of disseminating false news.
Egypt military court sentences 187 to life amid rise in referrals An Egyptian military court sentenced on Thursday 187 alleged Muslim Brotherhood members and supporters to life in prison over storming a police station in Minya and blocking the railroad after the dispersal of the Rabaa al-Adaweya and Nahda sit-ins in 2013.
Badie sentenced to life in prison for Ismailia violence The Ismailia Criminal Court has sentenced Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and thirty-five others to life in prison for violence that broke out in Ismailia in 2013.
What we know about investigations into the EgyptAir MS804 crash so far Satellites detect distress signals, vessels are en route to crash site, and speculations abound.
French vessel detects signal believed to be from crashed EgyptAir plane The French naval vessel Laplace, which joined the search for remains of the crashed EgyptAir flight MS804 last week, reported signals believed to be from the plane’s black boxes, Egypt’s Ministry of Aviation announced on Wednesday.
EgyptAir black box search zone narrows after signal detected Search teams zeroed in on the wreckage of EgyptAir flight MS804 on Thursday after a French vessel picked up a signal from one of the crashed jet`s black boxes.
Women`s rights activists launch "Say No" campaign to stamp out abuse Activists working for the rights of girls and women in Egypt have launched a new campaign titled "Say No" aimed at encouraging females to reject any form of abuse or mistreatment, particularly that associated with their gender.
Teenage girl dies due to banned female circumcision operation A teenage girl died on Sunday as a result of a female circumcision operation in a private hospital in Suez, according to a statement issued by the National Population Council.
Special Report: After university crackdown, Egyptian students fear for their future Nearly a dozen local students have told Reuters they have been targeted over the past three years and regularly face violence and harassment at the hands of security forces.
Egypt’s population grew by one million people in 6 months Egypt’s population will reach ninety-one million as of 10 p.m. on Sunday, according to the state-run Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics.
Guardian says Joseph Mayton never reported news stories about Egypt UK-based newspaper the Guardian denied that freelance journalist Joseph Mayton, whom it accused of fabricating quotes and sources in stories, was its correspondent in Cairo.
Economy
Alexandria Shipyard workers could face military prosecution for sit-in Military prosecutors in Alexandria have summoned twenty-six civilian workers, engineers and administrators from the Alexandria Shipyard Company for questioning on charges of instigating strikes and obstructing production.
Egypt receives 4.7 mln tonnes of wheat since start of harvest season – ministry Egypt’s government received about 4.7 million tons of wheat from local farmers since the beginning of the harvest season in mid-April, the agriculture ministry said on Saturday.
Sisi underlines $146 billion worth of national projects Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Friday that the state is currently managing eight national projects, which are being executed by more than 1,000 companies and nearly two million Egyptian workers, although he warned that development in the education and health sector is unlikely for some time.
Egypt`s budget deficit rises to 9.2 pct of GDP in first 9 months of fiscal year Egypt`s budget deficit rose to 9.2 percent of the country`s Gross Domestic Product during the first nine months of the current fiscal year compared to nine percent during the same period last year, the finance ministry said.
Social solidarity ministry to reimburse families affected by tourism decline Egypt’s ministry of social solidarity said it will reimburse the families affected by the decline in tourism in Sharm al-Sheikh, Saint Catherine and Dahab in south Sinai for six months.
Gender-based violence in Egypt costs between EGP 2.17 and 6.15 billion annually: Survey The total cost of the violence that women and their families were subjected to in 2015 is estimated to be at least 2.17 billion LE and could be as high as 6.15 billion LE if all violent incidents women experience during one year are calculated, according to Egypt`s Economic Cost of Gender Based Violence Survey.
Foreign Relations
Egypt opens Gaza border crossing for 4 days ahead of Ramadan Egyptian authorities have agreed to open the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip, allowing for a two-way flow of people and goods for a period of four days ahead of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, which is due to begin on 6 June.
Egyptian territories not on the table in Palestinian-Israeli peace talks: Egypt FM Shoukri Egypt`s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry denied on Wednesday speculations that the concession of Egyptian territories to establish a Palestinian state was part of a French Palestinian-Israeli peace initiative.
4 dead, 340 migrants rescued in Mediterranean Sea by Egyptian, Greek coast guards The bodies of four drowned migrants were recovered from the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, while 340 others were rescued by Egyptian and Greek coast guards. However, many may still be stranded at sea.
Egypt receives $500 million from Saudi, secures funds from Kuwait and EBRD Saudi Arabia has transferred 500 million USD to Egypt as part of a 2.5 billion USD grant, Minister of International Cooperation Sahar Nasr confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday.
Egyptian diplomat reportedly calls Sub-Saharan African ministers `dogs and slaves` at UN conference An Egyptian diplomat allegedly referred to Sub-Saharan African ministers as “dogs and slaves” at a United Nations conference on the environment in Nairobi, according to a Kenyan ambassador.
Sisi and the Hungarian prime minister: Peas in an authoritarian pod Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for his first, three-day state visit to Egypt. He is returning a visit that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi made a year ago to Hungary, which resulted in an effusion of statements from both leaders expressing their mutual support.
Sisi says Egypt, Hungary to bolster trade, counter-terrorism efforts Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban agreed during Cairo talks Wednesday to bolster trade cooperation and join forces in the fight against terrorism.
Japanese educational system to be generalised in Egypt in five years: deputy to Japanese ambassador in Cairo For its vital and effective role in supporting Egypt’s development and progress, the current leadership represented in President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is keen to enhance bilateral relations with Japan by exchanging expertise in different sectors.
Domestic Security
Roadside bomb kills 6 military conscripts, injures 6 others in North Sinai A roadside bombing near the North Sinai town of Sheikh Zuwayed claimed the lives of six military conscripts on Tuesday, wounding six others.
22 killed in Northern Sinai: army spokesperson The Egyptian military killed twenty-two alleged "terrorists" over the past two days in Northern Sinai, as part of the third phase of the "Martyr`s Right" operation, the military spokesperson said on Thursday.