[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 Doctors Syndicate asks government to extend partial curfew for three weeks
Egypt’s Doctors Syndicate demanded on Thursday that the government extend the current curfew for another three weeks to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Egypt's medical union demands designating isolation hospitals for infected medics
The Egyptian Medical Union, which comprises medical, pharmaceutical, veterinary, and dentistry syndicates, has demanded the designation of isolation hospitals nationwide for medical staff infected with the coronavirus to help frontline workers in the fight against the pandemic.
Egypt under fire over coronavirus deaths among healthcare workers
Egypt's medical union blamed the government for the rise in coronavirus infections and deaths among healthcare professionals, warning of a "complete collapse" of the country's health system.
Egypt’s health ministry says it is working hard to protect health workers on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic, adding it has designated a special twenty-bed floor for infected staff in every quarantine hospital since the virus emerged in the country in February.
No political prisoners freed as Egypt pardons thousands on Eid
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has pardoned more than 3,000 prisoners, in a move coinciding with the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. No activists, journalists, or political prisoners, however, were among the 3,157 people granted clemency late on Saturday.
Egypt’s SIS warns Washington Post over 'misconduct and disinformation'
Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS) says it has sent a warning to the editor-in-chief of The Washington Post newspaper over “professional misconduct and disinformation” displayed in a recent report on Egypt.
Egypt’s State Information Service to hold monthly meeting with foreign correspondents
“The aim behind these regular meetings is to listen to the foreign correspondents and respond to any inquiries related to their work and their coverage of Egyptian affairs,” Rashwan said in the statement.
Egypt licenses more churches, total number reaches 1,638: Cabinet
A cabinet committee tasked with legalizing the status of unlicensed Christian places of worship has licensed seventy churches and service buildings that had been operating without a permit, the cabinet said in a statement.
Parliamentary committee to investigate controversial Giza flyover Tuesday
The Housing Committee of the House of Representatives said it will inspect on Tuesday the al-Zomor Canal axis flyover currently under construction in al-Haram district, Giza.
Egypt parliament approves new conditions for licensing foreign banks
Article 65 states that for a foreign bank to be licensed in Egypt, its branch should have a capital of 150 million US dollars, be subject to the supervision of the central bank of the country in which its headquarters are located, that it receives permission from this central bank as a precondition to perform in Egypt, and that it accepts that its activities in Egypt be overseen by the CBE.
A world redrawn: Egypt historian Khaled Fahmy sees rising surveillance state
State surveillance is on the rise globally as governments such as Egypt's take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic, warns exiled historian and intellectual Khaled Fahmy.
Mugamma revisited: Reimagining the building and the square
The government administrations housed in the infamous Mugamma building at Tahrir Square are most likely set to be replaced by a luxurious hotel, while the square itself is being renovated. Amid the digitizing of many government services and the relocation of core government functions outside the city center, several administrative departments in the building have already moved out. This building, which was once the national hub of the physical interface between citizen and government, dating back to the 1940s, perhaps most acutely exemplifies the challenges facing downtown Cairo.
Foreign Policy
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to resume technical talks on GERD
Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan have agreed to resume the technical discussions on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Khartoum and Addis Ababa announced jointly on Thursday.
Egypt is ready for 'serious and constructive' talks with Ethiopia, Sudan over GERD: Foreign ministry
Egypt said on Thursday it is always ready for talks with Sudan and Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) after the announcement by Khartoum and Addis Ababa that they are willing to resume technical discussions, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a short statement.
Egypt, Sudan officials discuss all aspects of Ethiopia’s disputed dam: Foreign ministry
The prime ministers of Egypt and Sudan discussed Ethiopia’s controversial dam project on the River Nile during a meeting held on Tuesday via video conference that was attended by both countries' intelligence chiefs and irrigation and foreign ministers.
Egypt supports reaching a political solution to the crisis, as well as preserving Libya's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, said Sisi, speaking during a virtual meeting on Tuesday of the heads of the African contact group of states on Libya, his spokesman Bassam Rady said.
Egypt issues joint statement demanding end to nuclear weapons
Egypt has issued a joint statement with sixteen countries demanding the elimination of nuclear weapons, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Egypt to receive 24 “Su-35” fighters by end of 2023-2024
Egypt’s air force is expected to receive twenty-four “Su-35” fighter jets as part of a contract between Russia and Egypt in 2018, according to Russian government-funded television network Russia Today (RT).
Shoukry, Lebanese counterpart discuss regional developments
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry took part in discussions on Wednesday with his Lebanese counterpart, Nassif Hitti, on recent regional developments, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement.
Egypt ready to strike anywhere to neutralise national security threats: High-ranking official
Egypt will not tolerate any threats to its national security and will take the necessary measures to protect it, a high-ranking official has told Daily News Egypt. “We are ready to strike deep inside any country to neutralize the threat either near our borders, or elsewhere,” the official said.
Economics
Egypt to deduct 1% of employees' income for one year amid coronavirus crisis
Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly approved on Wednesday a draft law cutting the net monthly income of all employees in public and private sectors by one percent and pensioners' net monthly income by 0.5 percent for one year as of 1 July.
Egypt Railway Authority's debt reaches EGP 250 bln: Presidency spokesperson
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed on Saturday with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Transport Kamel al-Wazir the executive position of the projects of the ministry, the development and modernization of the railway network, as well as the possible solutions to settle the debts of the Railway Authority, which total about 250 billion Egyptian pounds.
Egypt likely to reduce T-bills, bonds bids following the IMF’s $2.7 loan: Finance ministry
The Ministry of Finance announced on Wednesday it will likely reduce the accepted amounts of treasury bills (T-bills) and bonds bids issued in local currency until the end of FY 2019/2020, which ends in June.
New strategy being put in place to develop Egypt's petroleum industry: Oil minister
Egypt's Petroleum Minister Tarek al-Molla has announced the national plan for the petrochemical industry and that a new strategy is being put in place to develop the industry, which will be implemented between 2020 and 2035.
Egypt’s Gold prices fall by LE6 per gram, 21-karat gold at LE756
The price of gold in the Egyptian market dropped on Wednesday by about six Egyptian pounds per gram compared to Tuesday’s prices.
Domestic Security
Egyptian police kill 21 terrorists who plotted attacks on Eid El-Fitr
Egypt’s police killed twenty-one terrorists in shootouts in North Sinai. The interior ministry said the terrorists had planned to carry out attacks during Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Egypt reports daily record of 910 new coronavirus infections
Egypt's health ministry reported Wednesday 910 new coronavirus infections, the highest single-day increase announced to date, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases to 19,666.
Health Ministry offers free COVID-19 tests for suspected cases
Health Ministry will choose some places within two days, firstly in Cairo, for taking samples from suspected cases of COVID-19 for PCR tests, according to Nancy al-Guindy, the director of the Central Public Health Laboratories (CPHL).
Health Ministry urges retired medical staff to join coronavirus fray
Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population has called on retired doctors to head back into the fray to treat coronavirus patients amid staffing shortages nationwide.
From Jadaliyya
Sara Salem, Anticolonial Afterlives in Egypt: The Politics of Hegemony (New Texts Out Now)
The book addresses anticolonialism and its afterlives through the formation of Egypt’s postcolonial state and the evolution of Nasserism as a political project.
Arabic
Members of the National Council for Human Rights in Egypt called on the authorities to release pretrial detainees.
بعد أكثر من عامين.. الصحفي حسن البنا مبارك على الأسفلت تنفيذا لقرار إخلاء سبيله.. وأصدقاؤه: وصل بيته
Journalist Hassan al-Banna was released on Thursday, after spending twenty-nine months of unjustified pre-trial detention.
أسرة الباحث عبده فايد: أرسلنا تلغرفات للنائب العام تطلب الإفصاح عن مكانه
Political analyst Abdou Fayed was arrested from his home last Tuesday. His whereabouts remain unknown.
Lawyer Tarek al-Awadi demanded the Egyptian authorities to disclose the whereabouts of journalist Shaimaa Sami, who was arrested on Wednesday from her family’s home in Alexandria.
فتيات "تيك توك" وسلطة لا تتجزأ
The article discusses Egypt’s state surveillance tactics in the name of public morals.
In this podcast, Egyptian doctors talk about their struggle on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic.