[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


Egypt says BBC 'promoting lies of Muslim Brotherhood' in online article

The Egyptian State Information Service called on officials to boycott the BBC and has summoned the head of its Cairo office

Egyptian musicians union bans popstar Sherine from performing after controversial comments

Egyptian pop-singer Sherine Abdel-Wahab is in hot water again over statements during a concert in Bahrain, which prolific Egyptian litigator Samir Sabry has described as “offensive to Egypt.” 

Egypt's constitutional amendments to be ready mid-April if approved: Parliament Speaker

Egypt's Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal said Sunday that amendments of the Egyptian Constitution are expected to be ready by mid-April if approved by lawmakers.

Egypt's interior ministry to release 408 prisoners after Sisi pardon

Egypt’s interior ministry said on Thursday it would release more than four hundred prisoners who received a presidential pardon earlier this year.

Egypt's Sisi orders govt to withdraw appeal against court decision on pension increases

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the government on Thursday to withdraw its appeal against the High Administrative Court ruling issued in February concerning the right of pensioners to receive annual increases to their pensions, the Egyptian presidency announced.

AO's guide to Egyptian media council's new bylaws on media, social networks

New bylaws established by Egypt's top media regulator and approved by the Egyptian parliament and published in the official gazette came into force Monday.

Egypt's Court of Cassation upholds jail terms for 66 convicted in 2013 Nahda dispersal case

Egypt’s Court of Cassation, the country’s highest appeals court, has upheld prison terms against sixty-six people convicted of committing various violent offenses during the dispersal of a 2013 sit-in by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

National dialogue on Egypt constitutional amendments begins

Egypt's national dialogue on proposed amendments to the constitution began on Wednesday.

National dialogue on constitutional amendments includes no opposition voices

Parliament speaker Ali Abdel Aal opened the first of six national dialogue sessions on a set of proposed amendments to Egypt’s constitution on Wednesday by characterizing the process as an open and inclusive one.

Editor in chief: Al-Mashhad handed 1st penalties under new bylaws for report on police racketeering for amendment referendum

Less than a week after the Supreme Media Regulatory Council issued the executive bylaws outlining penalties for outlets that violate its rigid statutes, the first suspension and substantial fine was handed down to a media organization on Thursday. 

Egypt’s Parliament to follow legal procedures in constitutional amendment

The House of Representatives on Sunday issued a statement clarifying the procedures to be followed for the amendment of the constitution. 

Report: Nearly 500 people sentenced to death in Egypt in 2018

Nearly five hundred defendants were handed death sentences in Egypt in 2018, according to a new report that notes a continued increase in the use of the death penalty by Egyptian authorities over the past several years.

Al-Azhar establishes unit to debate atheism

Al-Azhar, the Sunni Muslim world’s most prestigious religious institution, announced on Friday that it would establish a unit called “Bayan” (Declaration) to counter atheism within the framework of mutual dialogue.

Cabinet approves resignation of Deputy Minister of Transportation

A source in the Ministry of Transportation said that the ministerial cabinet approved the resignation of Deputy Minister of Transportation Amr Shaat after he submitted resignation documents to Minister of Transportation Kamel al-Waziri on Thursday without clarifying his motives for resignation.

Eleven Hassam members in court after attack on Alexandria Security chief

Egypt’s Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek on Wednesday referred eleven defendants to the State Security Criminal Court over charges of attempting to assassinate Chief of Alexandria Security Directorate Mustafa al-Nemr, and joining the MB-affiliated militant movement “Hassam.”

Foreign Policy

Egypt's Sisi receives Jordan's King Abdullah in official ceremony

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received Sunday Jordanian counterpart King Abdullah II in an official ceremony at Ittihadeya Palace in Cairo.

Leaders, top officials from Egypt, Iraq and Jordan discuss Sunday Summit preparations

A meeting of foreign ministers and intelligence chiefs from Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq convened in Cairo on Saturday, a statement by Egypt's foreign ministry read.

Egyptian naval forces head to France for joint training

A number of Egyptian naval vessels have left for France to participate in the activities of the Egyptian-French Joint Maritime Training (Cleopatra-Japian 2019) scheduled over several days in French territorial waters, a statement by the Egyptian military spokesperson Tamer al-Refai read.

Golan Heights is occupied Syrian land: Egypt's foreign ministry

Egypt reaffirmed on Friday that it considers the Golan Heights to be occupied Syrian territory after US President Donald Trump announced that Washington would recognize Israeli sovereignty over the territory which Israel seized from Syria in 1967.

Egyptian-British military joint training (Ahmus I) continues: Statement

The joint training by Egyptian-British military forces (Ahmus I) continues in the Mohammed Najib military base, a statement by the Egyptian military spokesman Tamer al-Refai read.

Sudan summons Egypt’s ambassador over disputed border

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry summoned the Egyptian ambassador to Khartoum in protest of the Egyptian Petroleum Ministry’s call for oil and gas exploration bids in the Red Sea’s Halayeb triangle located in Egyptian-Sudanese disputed waters.

 Economy


Egypt targeting 89 percent debt-to-GDP ratio in 2019-2020 fiscal year

The Egyptian government is targeting a public debt/GDP ratio of eighty-nine percent in the 2019-2020 financial year, the president’s office said in a statement on Thursday.

Egypt, Germany sign contract on nitrogenous fertiliser complex in Ain El-Sokhna

El-Nasr Company for Intermediate Chemicals (NCIC), which is affiliated with Egypt’s National Service Projects Organization, and Germany's Thyssenkrupp have signed a contract to establish a nitrogenous fertilizer complex in Egypt’s Ain al-Sokhna.

Domestic Security


Eight workers killed in fertiliser warehouse explosion in Ain El-Sokhna

At least eight workers were killed and five others were injured on Thursday in an explosion at a phosphorus fertilizer warehouse in Egypt’s Ain al-Sokhna, al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

Arabic


المركز المصرى يصدر تقريره عن جزيرة الوراق بعنوان: ( صراع المساحات… جزيرة الوراق نموذجاً)
 

The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights published a report on the ongoing struggle between al-Waraq residents and the Egyptian government.

كيف تحقق مياه مصر أمن دول الخليج الغذائي؟

Mada Masr explores how Egypt water resources serve the needs of Gulf states food security.

حدث في «الحوار المجتمعي»: قضاة يتمسكون بـ «استقلال موازنة الجهات القضائية»

The article examines the reactions of judges to the controversial constitutional amendments.

إحالة «إلغاء تحويل الوراق لمجتمع عمراني جديد» إلى «خبراء العدل» 

Mada Masr covers the developments in al-Waraq lawsuit against the government’s plan to evacuate the land.

تطبيق لوائح السجون: حلال لأعوان مبارك... حرام على «الإخوان»!

The article discusses how prison authorities apply different regulations toward Muslim Brotherhood and former regime figures prisoners.