[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
Egyptian photojournalist Shawkan released after five years in detention
Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, known as Shawkan, and 213 others who have served five-year prison terms for their involvement in a Muslim Brotherhood sit-in in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya square in 2013, were all released on Monday.
Cairo Criminal Court sentences one to death, four to life over terrorism charges
The terrorism circuit at Cairo Criminal Court sentenced on Sunday one person to death and four others to life in prison in the case known in the media as the "October Terrorist Cell" over murder and terrorism-related charges.
Egyptian Military Appeals Court upheld Sunday a five-year jail term for the former head of the country’s Central Auditing Organisation, Hisham Geneina, over spreading false news about the armed forces and the country's internal affairs.
Grand imam described polygmy as a 'restricted right' but did not call for ban: Egypt's Al-Azhar
Egypt's al-Azhar, the highest seat of Sunni Islamic learning, issued a statement on Saturday clarifying that Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayyeb did not call for polygamy to be banned while addressing the issue of multiple wives during his weekly Friday television show on state TV.
In defence of the press: Egypt's Journalists Syndicate elections
Eleven candidates are competing to lead the Press Syndicate, the largest number of nominees in the history of the union.
Egypt's cabinet approves amendments to terrorism law
The Egyptian cabinet approved on Wednesday amendments to some provisions of the terrorism law, requiring that apartment tenants notify police in the area within seventy-two hours of signing rental contracts.
And what about the unstoppable train of austerity?
After over twenty people were killed and forty-five injured in the Ramses Railway Station train crash last week, the country inevitably began debating the causes of the tragedy.
The Armed Forces and the Constitution: Amendments grant the military unchecked powers
Among the proposed amendments to Egypt’s constitution currently making their way through parliament is an unprecedented change to the defined role of the armed forces in the country.
Islam Khalil was forcibly disappeared after he was ordered to be released by a criminal court last week.
Egypt hands over four Qassam Brigades members ‘missing’ since 2015 to Hamas
Egypt handed over four members of Hamas’ military wing who were kidnapped in Egypt in 2015 to Hamas officials in Gaza on Thursday morning, according to a senior Hamas official.
Writers, publishers, and human rights groups are speaking out against the sentencing of publisher Khaled Lotfy to five years in prison by a military court for distributing an Arabic translation of a book by an Israeli author.
Foreign Policy
Egypt, France conduct joint air force exercise at Egyptian air base
French Rafale jets have arrived at an Egyptian air base to conduct a joint military exercise with Egyptian air forces, the Egyptian Armed Forces announced.
Presidential decree approves amendments to US aid deal
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a decree on Thursday approving an amendment to a deal on the US aid to Egypt with regard to bilateral cooperation in the science and technological domains, extending twenty million US dollars instead of sixteen million US dollars to promote science and technology collaboration.
Egypt's Sisi, Lebanon's Al-Hariri discuss electricity infrastructure, energy cooperation
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has discussed with Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri electricity projects, infrastructure, and energy cooperation, according to a statement by Egyptian presidential spokesperson, Bassam Rady.
Economy
Egypt: Rationalising food subsidies
The second phase of rationalizing Egypt’s database of ration-card beneficiaries will take place in March, Minister of Supplies and Internal Trade Ali Moselhi said earlier this week.
Domestic Security
Egypt's Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek summoned on Sunday the head of Railways Authority and other top officials for questioning as part of the investigation into the deadly train crash that took place in Cairo's Ramses Station on Wednesday.
Train drivers among six workers detained over fatal Egypt train crash
Egypt’s Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek on Thursday ordered the detention of six people for four days pending investigation of their involvement in a deadly train crash at a Cairo station on Wednesday morning which killed twenty-two people.
Death toll rises to 22 in Egypt railway train crash: Health minister
Egypt's Minister of Health Hala Zayed said that the death toll from the train crash in a central Cairo railway station on Wednesday has risen from twenty to twenty-two, after two of the injured died in hospital on Thursday.
Arabic
الأحزاب المعارضة... في النَفَس الأخير
The article discusses the ongoing restriction of political opposition by state authorities.
استراتيجية السيسي: حالة الحرب الدائمة
The article analyzes the strategy of Sisi’s Egypt to maintain order and combat terrorism through the crackdown on political freedoms.
من على رصيف الموت: النواب يشيدون بالرئيس والحكومة
The article examines the government reaction to the deadly train crash.
بعد دعوات لتطبيقها..هل توقف «الخصخصة» نزيف الدماء على قضبان «السكك الحديد»؟
The article raises questions over the privatization calls to the railways sector and its impacts on transportation infrastructure in Egypt.