[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.]
Palm Sunday Bombings
Explosion in Alexandria church minutes after Pope leaves, Province of Sinai claims responsibility An explosive detonated near St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria, a few minutes after Pope Tawadros II left the church.
Three Egyptian police died preventing suicide bomber from entering Alexandria cathedral Three Egyptian police officers were killed when a suicide bomber they had prevented from entering St. Mark`s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria blew himself up.
Update: At least 30 killed in explosion in Tanta church, Province of Sinai claims responsibility Province of Sinai has claimed responsibility for the Palm Sunday bombings at the St. George Coptic Orthodox Church in Tanta and St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria.
Palm Sunday church bombings in Egypt kill 43, wound dozens Bombs exploded at two Coptic churches in different cities in northern Egypt as worshippers were celebrating Palm Sunday, killing at least forty-three people and wounding about 100 in an assault claimed by the Islamic State group.
BREAKING: Egypt`s Sisi declares state of emergency Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi declared a state of emergency countrywide for three months, following attacks on churches in Tanta and Alexandria on Sunday.
Egypt`s Sisi orders Armed Forces `to help police to secure vital facilities` Egypt’s President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi issued a decree Sunday that the armed forces will help the police in securing vital facilities across the country after two deadly attacks on churches earlier in the day.
Political Rights
Forcibly disappeared student is released after more than 100 days detention: Lawyer A court ordered the release of journalism student Ibrahim Ragab more than 100 days after he was forcibly disappeared and detained on charges of belonging to a banned organization, according to lawyer Mahienour al-Massry.
19-year-old prisoner falls into coma from medical complications: Borg al-Arab Hospital A nineteen-year-old detainee in Borg al-Arab Prison went into a coma as a result of complications from a brain tumor, according to a medical report released on Monday from Borg al-Arab’s government hospital.
Doctor warns Irish-Egyptian prisoner Ibrahim Halawa faces serious health complications from hunger strike An Irish doctor who was sent to Egypt to medically assess political prisoner Ibrahim Halawa issued a warning that the health of the Irish-Egyptian prisoner is deteriorating, and recommended he be released to undergo further medical tests.
Report reveals Egypt has world’s highest number of circumcised women More women and girls have undergone female circumcision in Egypt than in any other country, according a report issued by 28 Too Many, a UK-based organization campaigning against the practice, which has been banned in Egypt since 2008.
Egypt’s women turn to social media to recount childhood sexual violence Women in Egypt have seized upon the existence of a social media hashtag in the past few days to relay accounts of sexual violence and harassment they experienced at ages as young as five years old and that often involved relatives or close family members.
TV anchor Ahmed Moussa sentenced to 6 months in prison for airing private phone calls A misdemeanour court sentenced controversial TV anchor Ahmed Moussa to six months in prison and a 40,000 LE fine for airing private phone calls, according to lawyer Hamdouh Gamil.
Egypt`s Sisi `may use legal powers` in Aya Hegazi case after verdict In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News, the president spoke about possible intervention in the case of the Egyptian-American prisoner, as well as discussing regional issues and the Trump administration.
State Council urges Sisi to block presidential appointment of judicial posts The crisis over the law on judicial authorities’ appointments continues as over 600 State Council judges rejected the bill recently passed by Parliament, which allows the president to designate judicial heads.
Egypt continues to suffer from WWII landmines Unusually, this year may have seen no casualties resulting from World War II landmines remaining in Egypt, due to stepped up efforts, however survivors of landmine explosions continue to call for more state support.
Economy
IMF chief praises economic reform progress in Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, on Wednesday while on an official visit in Washington.
Sisi visit to US gives much-needed boost to tourism: minister The US State Department`s statement saying that Egypt is a "safe country" and advising its citizens to travel there by placing the country on the Green Map will help the tourism situation to improve positively, said Tourism Minister Mohamed Yehia Rashed.
Saudi Arabia to invest $100 mn in Egypt solar energy project Fawaz Alhokair Saudi Group has allocated 100 million USD for investment in the solar sector in Egypt in 2017.
Foreign Relations
Italy accuses 10 of killing Regeni, removes 16 officials from list of suspects The identification by Italian investigators of an initial list of defendants accused of the 2016 killing of Italian student Guilio Regeni in Egypt marks a critical development in the case. An initial list of twenty-six names was pared down to ten politicians and officials.
Pope Francis condemns Egypt blast, decrying war, terrorism and weapons Pope Francis condemned a deadly blast at a church in Egypt and said at a Palm Sunday Mass that the world was suffering from wars, terrorism and "interests that are armed and ready to strike."
`Sisi will handle situation properly`, says US President Trump after Egypt church attacks President Donald Trump has said that the US "strongly condemns the terrorist attack" in Egypt, hours after two churches in Alexandria and Tanta were hit by blasts on Palm Sunday.
UN Security Council says Egypt`s Palm Sunday bombings `heinous and cowardly` A statement by the council urged all member states to cooperate with the Egyptian government in bringing to justice the perpetrators of the attacks, which were claimed by Islamic State militant group.
Egypt ‘weary’ of polarization in UN Security Council over chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun Egypt is “weary” of the polarization which has emerged in the United Nations Security Council in the wake of the recent chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun, Syria, the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson announced on Thursday.
Egypt`s Sisi concludes visit to US, returns to Cairo Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has concluded his first official visit to the US as a head of state, returning to Cairo on Friday, the president’s office said.
Egypt’s FM to head to Khartoum for talks on Egypt-Sudan relations Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is set to head to Khartoum Saturday evening to meet with Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir and attend the meetings of the Egyptian-Sudanese political consultation committee that begin on Sunday, a ministry statement read.
Domestic Security
Police kill believed militant in Damietta town where residents accuse police of illegal searches Egyptian police killed Mohamed Adel Balboula, who was believed to be a member of the armed Islamist Hassm movement, in a firefight in the Damietta village of Basarta, according to an Interior Ministry statement published on Friday.
Two members of Hasm, Lewaa El-Thawra killed, five arrested in Egypt police raids: Ministry Two members of the Hasm and Lewaa al-Thawra militant groups have been killed in a shootout during a police raid in Beheira governorate, while five others were arrested in another police raid in Alexandria, Egypt’s interior ministry announced on Saturday evening.
Province of Sinai claims responsibility for assassination of 4 soldiers in North Sinai Islamic State-affiliate Province of Sinai has claimed responsibility for the Thursday assassination of four Egyptian soldiers south of Arish in North Sinai. The Egyptian Armed Forces is continuing its operations to track down the militant group in central Sinai.
Arabic
الأسبوع المقبل.. قوانين «الاستثمار والصيدلة والإشراف القضائى» على طاولة البرلمان The investment bill among several other bills will be debated in parliament the week ahead.
تواضروس» يرحب بزيارة بابا الفاتيكان «التاريخية» لمصر« Pope Tawadros II looks forward to welcoming Pope Francis I for two-day visit to Egypt set for 28 and 29 April.
«القومى لحقوق الإنسان» للسلطات الثلاث: احترموا استقلالية القضاء The National Council for Human Rights called on authorities to respect the independence of the judiciary as a fundamental guarantee of citizen’s rights to a fair trial.
رئيس «حريات الصحفيين»: الزملاء المحبوسين بحاجة إلى عفو.. والوقفات الاحتجاجية ليست كافية The head of Freedoms Committee called upon the urgent release of and provision of medical treatment for detained journalists.
صحفيون ضد التعذيب»: 150 انتهاكًا ضد الصحفيين خلال الربع الأول من عام 2017« Journalists against Torture Observatory reported 150 of violations against journalists during the first quarter of 2017.
الجريدة الرسمية تنشر قرار الموافقة على اتفاقية قرض كويتي بـ30 مليون دينار The Official Gazette published a number of decisions issued by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, the most important of which was the decision to approve a second loan agreement to finance Helwan power station project and amend the loan agreement signed on 18 March 2012 between Egypt and Kuwait Fund for Arab Development.
»27 مايو الحكم على محافظ المنيا الأسبق بتهمة احتجاز عضوي «تمرد Minya’s Criminal Court adjourned the trial of former Minya governor accused of detaining two Tamarod activists during the violent incidents in July 2013, to 27 May.
خلافات إخوان مصر ترمي فارين إلى السودان في الشارع The crisis within Muslim Brotherhood deepened as young members of the Muslim Brotherhood based in Sudan were expelled after they expressed their resentment towards the policy of the movement’s elders.
صفقة القرن: أي سلام؟ Sisi-Trump meeting reflected a new approach between the United States and Egypt centered on reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
مصر | مشروع «مثلث ماسبيرو»: أبراج ضخمة على أنقاض العشوائيات The Egyptian government has started the procedures to acquire the area of “ Maspero Triangle” project in Cairo which has been delayed for years out of fear of public anger.
تعداد المصريين يتخطى 100 مليون نسمة Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics announced Wednesday that the number of Egyptians worldwide reached 100 million.
"في دهشور.. حماية الأثار "على الورق Dahshur, one of the oldest archaeological sites in Egypt, is being systematically destroyed without any security plan to protect the country’s monuments.
المفوضين تؤجل دعوى تطالب بإغلاق سجن العقرب شديد الحراسة لجلسة 18 مايو Administrative Court adjourned a lawsuit demanding the closure of Aqrab prison to 18 May.
المفوضين تؤجل نظر 12 دعوى تطالب ببطلان اتفاقية ترسيم الحدود لـ1 يونيو State Commissioners Authority delays ruling on twelve lawsuits filed against the demarcation agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia to 1 June.
قرار جديد يعزز من سلطات الأوقاف في مراقبة المساجد Egypt’s Ministry of Endowments suspended Wednesday extremist imams for violating preaching regulations.