[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 Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa survives assassination attempt Former Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa survived an assassination attempt in 6 October City on Friday morning.
Hasam Movement claims responsibility for Former Grand Mufti assassination attempt A group calling itself “Hasam Movement” claimed responsibility on Friday for the attempted assassination of Egypt’s former grand Mufti.
Pope Tawadros denounces Coptic protests outside White House over sectarian violence in Egypt Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Tawadros II, declared that he opposes demonstrations by Coptic Christians residing in the US who rallied outside the White House on Tuesday protesting against recent acts of sectarianism targeting Copts in central and upper Egypt.
Petitions support Alexandria shipyard workers standing military trial More than 500 individuals and civil society groups signed petitions in solidarity with twenty-six civilian workers from Alexandria Shipyard Company who are currently standing trial before a military court.
Health activist Taher Mokhtar, 2 students released after over 7 months detention Three detained persons including health activist Taher Mokhtar who were arrested from their home in central Cairo in the prelude to the fifth anniversary of the January 2011 uprising were released on bail Wednesday.
Police officers detained on accusations of beating Maadi worker to death Helwan prosecution ordered the detention of three police officers for at least fifteen days on Monday on accusations of kidnapping and torturing a worker to death in Maadi.
`Rabaa operations room` retrial postponed to September 25 Giza Criminal Court postponed Wednesday the retrial of thirty-seven defendants, including the Muslim Brotherhood`s Supreme Guide, to 25 September in a case dubbed as "Rabaa Operations Room."
Five acquitted out of 36 defendants sentenced to life in Ismailia clashes retrial Port Said Criminal Court ordered Sunday the release of five defendants, upheld the sentence against one defendant, and sentenced another defendant to three years in prison, issuing a verdict concerning seven defendants out of thirty-six in the retrial of the case known as the "Ismailia clashes."
Sisi says raising doubts about state’s achievements targets Egyptians` will Egypt’s president said in a televised speech on Saturday that there are some people aiming “to hit” the will of the Egyptians through “questioning” the state’s achievements.
Nobel prize winning scientist Ahmed Zewail dies at age of 70 Egyptian Nobel Prize winner Dr. Ahmed Zewail died on Tuesday at the age of seventy in the United States, reportedly due to unspecified health complications.
Sisi heads mourners at military funeral for Egyptian Nobel Laureate Ahmed Zewail President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi led mourners including a number of Egyptian and dignitaries during the military funeral of winner Egyptian chemist and Nobel laureate Ahmed Zewail Sunday morning at the al-Mosheer Tantawy mosque in New Cairo.
Money without truth: Egypt’s reconciliation deal with Mubarak-era tycoon The Illicit Gains Authority announced on Wednesday that it has officially completed a reconciliation deal with Mubarak-era business tycoon Hussein Salem that will net the Egyptian government a reported 5.8 billion LE.
Top Mubarak-era official Ahmed Ezz named honorary president of new political party Egyptian steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz is seemingly returning to the political scene after being named the "honorary president" of a new political party.
Egypt parliament’s annuls membership of MP Ahmed Mortada The House of Representatives` constitutional and legal committee annulled on Sunday the membership of MP Ahmed Mortada Mansour, after a court decision in July ruled that his competitor Amr al-Shobaki is the legitimate winner of the parliamentary elections in Dokki district in the 2015.
Egypt parliament discusses Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement Committees within Egypt’s parliament discussed on Sunday new cooperation agreements signed with Saudi Arabia, at the top of which is the nuclear power agreement signed during Saudi King Salman’s visit to Cairo in April.
Economy
Egypt negotiations with IMF making `good` progress Egypt is making "good" progress in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, Finance Minister Amr al-Garhy said on Thursday, and expects parliament to pass a long-awaited value-added tax law by early September.
Sisi sets the stage for austerity measures In his address at a youth leadership program on Monday, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said the main challenge Egypt faces is public acceptance of necessary austerity measures to fix the economy.
Egypt public prosecutor says $70 mln worth of local wheat falsely claimed Egypt`s general prosecutor said on Sunday that local wheat suppliers worked with government employees to falsely claim 621 million LE worth of grain that does not exist.
Egypt non-oil business activity slows for 10th straight month Business activity in Egypt shrank in July, a survey showed on Wednesday, but at a lesser extent than the previous months.
Egypt suspends 10 foreign exchange bureaus for trading at black market rates Egypt’s central bank has shut down on Monday ten foreign exchange offices for a year after finding them guilty of manipulating and speculating on the prices of foreign currencies.
Egypt revokes license of foreign exchange bureau, suspends six others The Central Bank of Egypt has revoked on Sunday the license of one foreign exchange office and suspended six others after finding them guilty of manipulating and speculating on the prices of foreign currencies.
1 year on: Where does `New Suez Canal` stand? In the year since its unveiling, many of the promises of the Suez Canal expansion project have proven hyperbolic.
Egypt`s Suez Canal dollar revenues reach $3.183 bln from Jan 1- Aug 6 The Suez Canal made revenues of 3.183 billion USD during the period between 1 January and 6 August, 2016, marking a four percent growth compared to the same period last year.
Egypt tourism losses in FY 2015/2016 the worst in 15 years - finance minister Egypt`s finance minister expects tourism revenues in the 2015 / 2016 fiscal year to reach up to 4.5 billion USD, with losses in its last ten months being "the worst in fifteen years."
Foreign Relations
The desperation of Oromo refugees in Cairo An Oromo asylum seeker died in Cairo last week after attempting to help two men who set themselves on fire during a protest in front of a United Nations office.
Muslim Brotherhood members in Egypt can qualify for asylum in Britain: UK Home Office New guidance issued by the UK’s Home Office in August states that Muslim Brotherhood members can qualify for political asylum in the United Kingdom if they are considered to be under threat of “persecution” in Egypt.
Largest Egyptian delegation to date gets ready for Rio Olympics The 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro kicks off on 5 August, with 122 Egyptian competitors across twenty games, constituting the largest Olympic delegation in Egyptian history.
Egypt receives offensive missile vessel from Russia Egypt received on Thursday an offensive missile corvette as a gift from Russia amid the ongoing military cooperation between both states, according to the Egyptian army spokesperson.
Egypt`s Sisi speaks with British PM Theresa May on resuming flights Egypt`s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed the current suspension of UK flights to Sharm al-Sheikh with British prime minister Theresa May in a phone call on Wednesday.
Renaissance Dam will not negatively affect Egypt: Ethiopia`s Parliament Speaker Addis Ababa will not allow Egypt and its people to suffer from negative effects of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Ethiopia’s parliament speaker Abadula Gemeda assured an Egyptian Member of Parliament during a Pan-African Parliament meeting in Johannesburg.
Domestic Security
Are private firms the answer to Egypt’s airport security? Starting this month, security at Egypt’s airports will enter a new phase as a private security company prepares to send in their security guards to partially take over security at Cairo International Airport and Sharm al-Sheikh Airport.
Egypt military says killed leader of Islamic State in Sinai Egypt`s military said on Thursday it had killed Abu Duaa al-Ansari, whom it identified as the leader of the Sinai branch of Islamic State.
Four North Sinai civilians killed by IED planted in garbage bag Four civilians were killed in North Sinai`s al-Arish after an improvised explosive device planted in a garbage bag detonated late Friday in the vicinity of a police station.
UPDATE: Three conscripts, five civilians injured in Giza shooting – ministry Three conscripts and five civilians were injured in a shooting targeting a police vehicle in the district of Nahya in Giza, Egypt’s interior ministry said on Tuesday.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
ما من أعمال فنية ترقى إلى ما حدث في واقعنا Egyptian visual artist Atef Ahmed examines the role of art in reflecting the Arab Spring revolution.