[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 sentences 3 to death over 2018 attack on Alexandria's security director
A Cairo criminal court handed preliminary death sentences on Monday to three defendants over the failed assassination of Alexandria's security director in March 2018 ahead of Egypt's presidential elections.
8 sentenced to life imprisonment; 7 acquitted of joining ISIS affiliate group, including footballer
A Cairo Criminal Court handed life imprisonment sentences to eight people and acquitted seven others, including a footballer, over joining a group affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organization.
Egypt's press authority says decision to stop hiring at state-run papers is temporary
The decision, announced by the cabinet earlier this week, has raised questions over the future of hundreds of journalists and staff members who have worked for years at state-run newspapers without permanent contracts.
Egypt parliament to discuss new amendments to 'terrorist entities law'
The Egyptian parliament’s Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee began on Monday morning discussing new amendments to the so-called terrorist entities law (Law no.8/2015). The new amendments aim to widen the scope of entities labelled as terrorist or being involved in funding terrorist activities and operations.
Egypt parliament includes hostile news portals into terrorist entities law
On Monday’s session, parliament discussed the new amendments in order to broaden the scope of terrorist entities to include Muslim Brotherhood-linked television channels, radio stations, and social media accounts, which are involved in inciting violence and terrorism.
Egypt's court upholds ban on face veil for academic staff at Cairo University; verdict final
Egypt's High Administrative Court upheld a ban on Cairo University's academic staff from wearing the face veil, or niqab, during classes, putting an end to a case that started in 2015.
At doctors’ memorial service, anger and calls for health minister to resign
A memorial service at the headquarters of the Doctors Syndicate in downtown Cairo on Tuesday was followed by a standing protest for three doctors who were killed in a road accident that left eleven others seriously injured. Their deaths have sparked outrage within the syndicate, which is accusing the Ministry of Health of routinely mistreating doctors. The syndicate has filed a request with the public prosecutor to investigate the accident and hold those responsible in the ministry to account.
Foreign Policy
Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan meet for final time in Washington over GERD
The foreign and water ministers of Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia will begin the final round of talks on rules for operating and filling the contentious Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Tuesday in Washington DC, where they are set to discuss technical and legal draft agreements prepared last week by experts in Khartoum.
Egypt should focus on ensuring maximum water security in GERD deal: Analysts
Ahead of the upcoming round of talks in Washington to secure an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which has stirred months of disputes and an impasse in negotiations between Cairo and Addis Ababa, water experts and analysts agree that Egypt should stick to its demands on maintaining the maximum possible level of water security.
What's behind the Egypt-Ethiopia Nile dispute?
This video explains why Ethiopia's new dam on the Nile river has Egypt worried about its water supply being cut off.
Libya's neighbours rebuff foreign interference in its internal affairs: Egypt’s foreign minister
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry lauded on Thursday the outcome of a meeting on Libya, saying all participants rebuffed foreign attempts to meddle with Libya's internal affairs.
Haniyeh’s visit to Tehran in early January to attend the funeral of the leading Iranian figure, who was killed by a United States targeted strike on 3 January had not been agreed upon with Cairo, which controls all movement in and out of southern Gaza through the Rafah border crossing.
Economy
Egypt signs two gas exploration deals in Mediterranean worth $332 mln with ExxonMobil
Egypt signed on Tuesday two deals with major US oil company ExxonMobil to explore for oil and gas in the Mediterranean region with a minimum investment of 332 million US dollars, the petroleum ministry said on Tuesday.
Egypt's tax system to be automated by end of 2020: Finance minister
Egypt's Finance Minister Mohamed Maait has announced that all tax measures will be automated by the end of 2020 in order to increase tax revenues and prevent tax evasion.
Egypt keen on private sector participation in development projects: minister in Davos
According to the statement, El-Mashat said at a meeting hosted by the Global Infrastructure Hub (GI Hub) that the Egyptian government is currently carrying out infrastructure works and upgrades to its road networks to connect the various parts of the capital and establish new cities, mainly the New Administrative Capital, Galala City, and New Alamein in partnership with the private sector.
Egypt allocates EGP 3 billion to develop road networks, alleviate poverty
Egypt is providing two billion Egyptian pounds to implement an emergency plan for developing and surfacing roads in governorates to boost the infrastructure, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said.
Domestic Security
Egypt foils plot by fugitive Brotherhood leaders to disrupt national security: Interior ministry
Egyptian authorities foiled a plot orchestrated by fugitive leaders of the banned Muslim Brotherhood in Turkey with the aid of accomplices in Egypt that was designed to destabilize the country on the ninth anniversary of the January 25 Revolution, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.
Egypt reopens Rafah border crossing between North Sinai, Gaza Strip
Egypt on Sunday reopened the Rafah border crossing between North Sinai and the Gaza Strip in both directions, allowing Palestinians to pass through after the crossing was closed on 24 and 25 January.
Arabic
4 حقول غاز في شرق المتوسط تغير خريطة المنطقة
The article examines how Egypt will benefit from the recent natural gas exploration in the Mediterranean to position itself as a regional hub for international gas trading.
الإثنين 27 يناير: بدون مشاركة «الصحفيين» ومكرم.. بدء هيكلة المؤسسات الصحفية القومية
The article looks into Press Syndicate's unilateral plans for institutional restructuring of journalism.
مصر تحتفل بـ"عيد الشرطة": لماذا "يناير" أكبر من محاولات محوها؟
The article discusses the systematic efforts by the authorities to silence the commemoration of the January 25 Revolution.
من مُلامسة النجوم في الميدان إلى تروما الشتات: قصة صحفيي الثورة
The article examines how the situation for journalists has worsened nine years after the revolution.