[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
Ten executions carried out in Minya
Up to ten men have been executed in Minya’s high-security Sharq al-Nil Prison, according to local news outlets.
Egyptian blogger Mohamed Oxygen’s detention extended as authorities file new charge
Ibrahim was due to be released on 3 November, but the state prosecutor’s office yesterday filed an additional charge against him, alleging membership in a terrorist organization, and ordered his detention to be extended pending an investigation into that new charge, according to the regional rights group the Arab Network for Human Rights Information and news reports.
Egypt orders detention of stand-up comedian over mocking state-owned religious radio station
Egypt’s general prosecutor ordered the detention of a stand-up comedian over “mocking the state-owned al-Qur’an al-Kareem radio station” at one of his shows.
Egypt’s Public Prosecutor Hamada al-Sawi ordered an urgent investigation into a text conversation circulated on social media of a person insulting Prophet Muhammad, as it represents a “contempt of religion” offence, an official statement read.
Egypt court orders release of young man detained on charges of insulting Prophet Mohammed
An Ismailia court ordered on Saturday the release of a young man who was detained on charges of contempt of religion after a text conversation—showing him insulting Prophet Muhammad—went viral on social media.
How authorities targeted rising online stars for violating ‘family values’
Mada Masr has obtained the case file of imprisoned TikTok star Haneen Hossam, which reveals how the twenty-year-old archaeology student came to be targeted by Egypt’s morality police amid a larger crackdown on a burgeoning influencer industry.
The companies’ employees do not disagree with the government’s desire to “develop” the sector. However, they are against the way in which the government went about the plan.
Election violations have continued in the second round of elections for the House of Representatives as voters turn out in thirteen governorates and the pro-state Nation’s Future Party moves to secure its ruling majority.
Chairman of Egypt's Zamalek Mortada Mansour loses seat in parliament, businessman El-Sallab wins
Mortada Mansour, Egypt's most controversial lawyer and chairman of al-Zamalek sporting club, has lost the seat of his constituency Meit Ghamr in the Nile-delta governorate of Daqahliya, according to a semi-official vote tally.
Foreign Policy
Egypt hosts leading GNA figures vying for top positions in future government
Government of National Accord chairman Fayez al-Sarraj met with high ranking Egyptian officials on Monday during a brief stopover during a flight from Turkey to Bahrain, according to two Egyptian officials and a source in the GNA familiar with Sarraj’s travels, as part of ongoing negotiations to reach a political settlement in Libya that is acceptable to the various local and regional actors enmeshed in the country.
Egypt’s FM follows up on developments in Western Sahara with Moroccan, Algerian counterparts
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry called his Algerian counterpart Sabri Boukadoum and Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Cooperation Nasser Bourita on Saturday to follow up on developments in Guerguerat, a village in the Western Sahara, a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry said.
Egypt, Greece see eye to eye on Libya, regional threats, bolstering cooperation
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday "there is consensus" between Egypt and Greece to stand against regional threats.
Egypt, UK conclude T-1 joint exercise in Mediterranean Sea
Egypt and the United Kingdom concluded a joint amphibious exercise T-1 on Thursday in the Mediterranean Sea, the Egyptian Armed Forces announced.
Egypt's Sisi discusses intelligence cooperation with chief of Britain's MI6
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed boosting security and intelligence cooperation between Egypt and the United Kingdom in his meeting in Cairo with Chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) Richard Moore, the Egyptian presidency said.
The chairman of the Egyptian parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Karim Darwish, has said the election of Joe Biden as the new president of the United States should be welcomed by all in Egypt.
Economy
Egypt’s central bank cuts interest rates by 50 basis points
Egypt’s central bank cut its main interest rates by fifty basis points on Thursday, moving to support an economy badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic as inflation remained muted.
CBE expects inflation to average under 6% in Q4 2020
In a statement, the MPC added that Egypt’s annual headline urban inflation recorded 4.5 percent in October 2020, up from 3.7 percent in September 2020.
Egypt's annual inflation rate increased to 4.5 percent in October from 3.7 percent in September, the Central Authority for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) has said.
Domestic Security
Eight peacekeepers dead, one injured in helicopter crash in Red Sea
Eight Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) peacekeepers died, and one was injured in a helicopter crash on Thursday, the MFO stated.
Egypt reveals deal with GAVI to obtain 20 million doses of potential Coronavirus vaccines
A cabinet’s medical committee’s meeting mentioned an agreement with the vaccine alliance, GAVI, to provide Egypt with twenty million doses of coronavirus vaccines that might get an emergency approval from the World Health Organization (WHO).
From Jadaliyya
Review of "Culture Pop en Egypte: Entre Mainstream Commercial et Contestation"
“Beyond theoretical concerns, the book documents the profound shift that Egypt’s cultural sphere experienced during the last two decades,” Giedrė Šabasevičiūtė writes.
Arabic
«بئر العبد»: اختطاف قبطي.. والعائدون لـ«المثلث اﻷخضر» يحملون السلاح لحماية قراهم
A Coptic man was kidnapped in the North Sinai town of Bir al-Abd, amid armed unrest in the village.
مشاركة مصر في التجارب على لقاحات كورونا خطوة مهمة.. ولكن!
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights sheds light on ethical concerns that Egypt should take into consideration as it starts COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials.
Despite judge’s order for his release, journalist Haitham Mahgoub remains in detention, according to the journalist’s mother.
The state Security Prosecution filed new charges against twenty-eight activists who have been ordered release in the case N. 1338/2019 known as “September 20 Protests.”