[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 LGBTQI+ Activist Sara Hegazy Dies Aged 30 in Canada
According to various news outlets, young LGBTQI+ activist Sarah Hegazy, was found dead in her home in Canada, where she had lived in exile since 2018. Authorities have ruled that Hegazy met her death through suicide, having left behind a letter that reads:
“To my siblings–I tried to find redemption and failed, forgive me. To my friends–the experience [journey] was harsh, and I am too weak to resist it, forgive me. To the world–you were cruel to a great extent, but I forgive.”
A year after the rainbow flag controversy
This article by Sarah Hegazy, who was imprisoned and driven into exile for raising a rainbow flag at a concert in 2017, was originally published in Arabic on Mada Masr in September 2018. Sarah recently took her own life after a long struggle in exile. She is grieved by many.
Journalists arrested in Egypt amid crackdown on press freedoms
In yet another crackdown on press freedom in Egypt, journalist Mohamed Mounir was arrested by security forces at dawn this morning and taken to an unknown location for several hours, according to a statement published by Mounir’s family. Several hours later he was brought before the State Security Prosecution for investigation, according to the Arabic Network for Human Rights.
Egypt parliament approves amendments to House law amid differences over election system
Egypt's parliament–the House of Representatives–approved on Sunday amendments to the law regulating the formation and election of the House of Representatives (Law 46/2014). Parliament also approved two draft bills on the exercise of political rights (Law 45/2014) and the performance of the National Election Committee (Law 198/2017).
Egypt's parliament to discuss four political laws and new budget
The Egyptian House of Representatives is scheduled to meet on Sunday to discuss two political laws that aim to regulate the formation and election of Egypt's two chambers of parliament–the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Egypt's Rose Al-Youssef magazine pulls cover deemed offensive by Coptic Orthodox Church
Egyptian state-owned weekly political magazine Rose al-Youssef pulled on Saturday a controversial cover that was deemed offensive by the Coptic Orthodox Church, one day after the country’s National Press Authority decided to refer its editor-in-chief to investigation over the cover.
Egypt's prosecution refers TikTokers Haneen Hossam, Mawada Eladhm to criminal trial
Egypt's general prosecution on Thursday referred detained TikTok influencers Haneen Hossam and Mawada Eladhm, who are well known for their videos on the video-sharing platform, to criminal trial for violating familial values and principles in Egyptian society and establishing and running online accounts to commit this crime.
Foreign Policy
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan continue talks over disputed Nile dam on Tuesday
Egypt, which considers the flow of the Nile water a matter of national security, said on Monday it may resort to the United Nations Security Council to prevent Ethiopia from taking any “unilateral” action on the mega hydropower dam if Addis Ababa remains "intransigent."
Egypt, South Sudan discuss boosting cooperation, efforts against coronavirus
Egyptian Ambassador in Juba Mohamed Qadah met Friday with South Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Beatrice Khamisa, where they discussed bilateral cooperation and aid by Cairo to the country to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
Egypt will seek other options if Ethiopia remains intransigent: Foreign minister
Egypt will seek other options, including going to the United Nations Security Council, if Ethiopia remains intransigent during the new round of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) talks, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry stated on Monday in Cairo.
Despite backlash over Regeni case, Italian PM announces sale of warships to Egypt to proceed
The Italian government is moving forward with the sale of two Fremm frigates, worth an estimated 1.2 billion euros, to Egypt, despite opposition to the deal over the lack of progress in the investigation into the murder of Italian doctoral student Giulio Regeni in Cairo in 2016, according to Italian news agency ANSA.
Economy
Egypt seeks loan of over $1 billion, taps UAE banks: Sources
The Egyptian government is looking to raise a loan of more than one billion US dollars and has tapped lenders in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for financing help, three sources familiar with the deal said.
World Bank provides $400 mln to boost health insurance in Egypt
The World Bank said on Tuesday it would provide four hundred million US dollars to support universal health coverage in Egypt as the country struggles with rising numbers of new coronavirus cases.
Egypt’s parliament approves $50 million financing agreement with EBRD to improve energy efficiency
Egypt’s parliament has approved an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to get an additional fifty million US dollars for a program to improve the efficiency of energy use by the Suez Oil Processing Company.
Submitting income tax returns online made mandatory as of 2021: Egypt's finance minister
Egyptian income tax payers will be committed to submit their returns online as of January 2021, the Ministry of Finance announced on Wednesday.
Aiming to Revive Travel Despite COVID-19 Woes, Egypt is Resuming Flights on July 1
On 14 June, the Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Manar announced that flights between Egypt and countries that will allow travel to and from it will resume on 1 July from all Egyptian airports. On the same day, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities released a video advert enticing tourists to Egypt’s most popular destinations in what appears to be a concerted effort to resuscitate the sector.
Egypt extends export ban on medical masks for 3 months
Minister of Trade and Industry Nevine Gamea has extended an earlier ministerial decision suspending the export of face masks and infection prevention supplies for another three months.
Domestic Security
Egypt reports highest daily rise in coronavirus infections and fatalities
Egypt reported on Monday 1,691 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of infections to 46,289, the health ministry said.
Egypt expands blood transfusion services to take on more donations
Egypt’s Health and Population Minister Hala Zayed announced Monday that her ministry will be expanding its blood plasma donations from recovered coronavirus cases, raising the number of Blood Transfusion Services Centers receiving plasma donations from five to twenty centers soon.
Egypt establishes first field hospital to treat coronavirus cases: official
President of Egypt’s Ain Shams University Mahmoud al-Metainy on Monday revealed the details of Egypt’s first field hospital for coronavirus treatment, saying that it has been set up on a plot of land behind the university measuring 4,500 meters squared.
From Jadaliyya
Jadaliyya Egypt Page Co-Editor Amr Adly Explains Market-Making Failure in Egypt (Video)
In a webinar dated June 8, 2020, American University in Cairo Scholar Amr Adly presented findings from his new book Cleft Capitalism: The Social Origins of Failed Market Making in Egypt (Stanford University Press, 2020).
Arabic
Doctors Syndicate called on authorities to immediately release doctors who were detained over commenting on government response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“الأطباء”: إصابة 500 طبيب بفيروس كورونا المستجد.. و68 حالة وفاة
Five hundred doctors infected and sixty-eight died in pandemic so far, according to the Doctors Syndicate.
دون حضورهما.. الجنايات تجدد حبس ماهينور المصري وهيثم محمدين 45 يوما
Cairo Criminal Court renewed the preventive detention of lawyers Mahinour al-Masry and Haytham Muhamadeen for an additional forty-five days.
The article discusses Egypt’s coronavirus relief funding measures.
«أنا عايزة السما مش الأرض».. سارة حجازي تُنكّس علمها للمرة الأولى والأخيرة
al-Masry al-youm writes about Sarah Higazi, Egyptian LGBTQ activist who committed suicide this week after being imprisoned and allegedly tortured by the Egyptian regime for unfurling a pride flag at a 2017 concert.
Nawara Negm writes about Sarah Higazi.
«كورونا» في شمال سيناء.. أسباب عديدة للقلق
The article discusses how the coronavirus is affecting North Sinai.