Egypt News
EgyptAir switches terminals at Cairo airport over strike - (13 days ago)
Egypt’s national carrier switched its flights from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 at Cairo International Airport on Wednesday after service workers staged a strike.Around 120 Cairo airport workers gathered at the landing strip of Terminal 3 on Wednesday to demand for better financial conditions, causing EgyptAir to change terminals."A rumour spread across the airport that the workers wouldn't be
Abbey Church of the Apostles is back on Egypt's tourist map - (13 days ago)
On Wednesday, Mostafa Amin, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), inaugurated the Abbey Church of the Apostles in Atfih town in Giza governorate after the completion of its restoration with a budget that reached LE6 million.The opening came within the framework of a drive by the Ministry of State for Antiquities (MSA) to save the Coptic shrine and to open more sites to
Egypt court hears appeal by PM Qandil on Saturday - (14 days ago)
Egypt’s Misdemeanor Court will on Saturday announce its decision on an appeal filed by Prime Minister Hisham Qandil against a ruling that ordered his dismissal.On 17 April, Qandil was given a one-year suspended sentence with LE2,000 bail by Dokki Misdemeanor Court for failing to implement a verdict by the Administrative Court that had ordered the renationalisation of the Tanta Flax and Oil
Egyptian activist Douma to remain in custody pending investigation - (14 days ago)
Despite having been granted a release order by a Tanta court after posting bail set at LE5,000, Egyptian political activist Ahmed Douma is to remain in police custody pending investigation of a separate case against him.The Tanta court had postponed to 26 October Douma's appeal against a verdict that had sentenced him to six months in prison for insulting President Mohamed Morsi, but ordered his
Ethiopia dam could lead to 'disaster' for Egypt: Irrigation minister - (14 days ago)
Egyptian Irrigation Minister Mohamed Bahaa El-Din on Tuesday said that Ethiopia's planned Grand Renaissance Dam project was sure to negatively affect the electricity-generating capacity of Egypt's High Dam.At a meeting between electricity ministry officials and members of Egypt's Shura Council (the upper house of parliament), Bahaa El-Din asserted that the Ethiopian dam – especially during
Kerry slams 'politically-motivated' Egypt's NGO trial - (14 days ago)
AFPUS Secretary of State John Kerry voiced concern Tuesday about the sentences handed down by a Cairo court on 43 Egyptian and foreign NGO workers, denouncing it as a "politically-motivated" trial. "This decision runs contrary to the universal principle of freedom of association and is incompatible with the transition to democracy," Kerry said in a statement after the court ordered jail
Egypt's Qena governor bans use of tap water for sanitation, irrigation - (14 days ago)
Qena Governor Adel Labib on Tuesday banned the use of tap water for sanitation and irrigation purposes.According to the decision, individual violators will be fined LE1000, while violating establishments will face closure for a ten-day period. Repeat offenders will face fines of LE3,000 and three-month closures.Shop and café employees often use tap water to hose down the pavements outside
Egyptian Coptic lawyer sentenced to 1 year in prison for 'insulting Islam' - (14 days ago)
A group of Egyptian human rights groups on Tuesday issued a statement denouncing a recent court verdict against Coptic Christian lawyer Romani Mourad.Mourad was sentenced in absentia by a misdemeanour court in Assiut on Saturday to one year in prison and a fine of LE10,000 ($1,430) for insulting and mocking God and the Quran.In July 2012, a number of the Islamist lawyers filed a complaint
Port Said workers hunger strike enters 12th day - (14 days ago)
A hunger strike by three members of the Port Said Independent Health Union has entered its 12th day.Union leader Dr Safwat Abdel-Kerim, Dr Tamim Mohamed, and technician Essam Abdel Barry began their action on 23 May in protest at "massive corruption" at the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) in Port Said.In late April, Abdel-Kerim staged a hunger strike which was later called off when the HIA head
Customs employees at Egypt airports, seaports declare strike - (14 days ago)
Egyptian customs employees at several airports and seaports went on strike on Tuesday to demand better pay and working conditions.Since 10am, 380 customs employees at Cairo International Airport have refused to check passengers' luggage."We always run the risk of catching infections when we go through passengers' luggage," one customs employee, preferring anonymity, told Ahram Online. "We are
Egyptian diplomats left red-faced after Nile dam meeting broadcast live - (14 days ago)
“The trouble was not that the meeting was broadcast on air but rather that some of the participants decided to assume the role of ‘James Bond’ and spoke accordingly, rather than offering a cohesive political proposal on how to move forward with a crisis as crucial as that of a potential cut of Egypt’s share of the river Nile,” commented Amr Hamzawy, political
Egypt NGO verdicts 'politically motivated', say critics - (14 days ago)
Jail sentences passed against 43 NGO workers on Tuesday are principally aimed at "pleasing public opinion and endorsing anti-American and anti-Western sentiment," a lawyer for some of the defendants has claimed.Sarwat Abdel-Shahid, a lawyer for the National Democratic Institute (NDI), a US NGO which had 15 employees on trial, said the verdict discriminated against foreigners because Egyptian
Egypt Shura Council convenes to discuss Ethiopia dam project - (14 days ago)
The Shura Council –the upper house of Egypt's parliament, currently endowed with legislative powers – held a closed session on Tuesday to discuss the latest developments regarding Ethiopia's controversial Renaissance Dam project.The meeting, which was closed to journalists, included representatives of the Egyptian intelligence apparatus and strategic ministries, who discussed the
Egypt seeks French help with wheat imports: Source - (14 days ago)
ReutersFrance has received formal a request from Egypt for assistance in storing grain and easier payment terms for wheat imports, French official sources said, as the world's largest wheat importer grapples with a prolonged economic crisis.France, the European Union's top wheat exporter and one of Egypt's leading suppliers, is studying the request and is open to helping Egypt on a vital food
Blue Nile dam won't affect Egypt's water supply: Ethiopian minister - (14 days ago)
Ethiopian Water Resources Minister Alemayehu Tegenu sent a reassuring message to Egypt on Tuesday, asserting that his country's planned Grand Renaissance Dam would not affect Egypt's traditional supply of Nile water."We do not have any plan to harm downstream countries Sudan and Egypt," Tegenu was quoted as saying in a statement carried on the Ethiopian foreign ministry's website.Tegenu went on
Power cuts prompt limited protests in Upper Egypt, Nile Delta - (14 days ago)
Ongoing power outages nationwide – which have coincided with sharply rising summertime temperatures – have prompted Egyptians in several governorates to hit the streets in protest.The electricity ministry has blamed the frequent blackouts on fuel shortages and an overloaded national electricity grid, as air-conditioning usage continues to increase amid ongoing heat waves.According to
Egypt's live TV coverage of Nile crisis meeting draws fire - (14 days ago)
A host of unguarded statements made at a meeting between Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and political figures held to discuss the Ethiopia dam 'crisis' have prompted a wave of criticism against Egypt's already-under-fire government decision-makers.Walking into Monday's meeting unaware that the event was being aired on live television, Egyptian figures from across the political spectrum candidly
In Cairo, Al-Ghannouchi warns against 'democracy of the majority' - (14 days ago)
Rachid Al-Ghannouchi, founder of Tunisia's ruling Ennahda party, stressed the importance of harmony and power-sharing between different political groups during a visit to Cairo Tuesday. Islamist politician Al-Ghannouchi was a guest of honour at the Cairo headquarters of the state-run Al-Ahram institution, which produces a number of news products, including Ahram Online. The Tunisian
Revolutionary alliance plans 'what if' scenario for Morsi 'ouster' - (14 days ago)
The Revolutionary Forces Alliance proposes on Tuesday a transitional presidential council and a national salvation government to replace President Morsi on 30 June, his one-year anniversary in office amid calls for his ouster.In their statement, the Alliance says that a transition of power would be guaranteed by a six-month interim presidential council composed of five officials: the head of the
Egypt approves plan to deal with Ethiopian dam crisis - (15 days ago)
Kuwait News AgencyThe Egyptian Cabinet has adopted a plan, submitted by Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr, to deal with the Ethiopian "Renaissance Dam" crisis without causing strains in Egypt's interests and relations with Nile-basin African countries, presidential spokesman announced on Tuesday.Also, the cabinet decided, during an urgent session held last night under chairmanship of President
Egypt sentences 43 NGO staffers to 1-5 years in prison - (15 days ago)
A Cairo criminal court has sentenced 43 people to between one and five years in prison for working for unregistered NGOs in Egypt.Twenty-seven defendants, all of whom were tried in absentia, received five-year jail sentences. Of the defendants who attended the trial, 11 received one-year suspended sentences, and five received two-year sentences.Forty-three staffers from NGOs, including 19
Egyptair relaunch bodes well for Investment - (15 days ago)
The relaunch of Egypt Air's operations in Zimbabwe at the weekend looks set to improve the flow of foreign investors that have been shunning the country following years of economic hardships.Egypt Air re-introduced flights on the Cairo-Harare route after a nine- year absence and this is expected to increase the country's connectivity with North Africa and the rest of the world.In an interview
Egypt court backs release of Mubarak-Era Housing Minister - (15 days ago)
A Cairo criminal court on Monday approved a decision to release former Housing Minister Ahmed al-Maghraby who has been detained pending an investigation over claims he squandered public money while in office.Maghraby, who was accused of illegally seizing state-owned lands worth 25 million Egyptian pounds under Hosni Mubarak's government, was acquitted in April but remained in custody after a
Egypt, Ethiopia Nile water dispute sparks tensions - (15 days ago)
Press TVEgyptians call it our 'lifeline' or the 'source of our existence'; this shows how important the Nile River is to this country.Supplying 95% of Egypt's water consumption, as 90% of the population lives on its banks, it was of no surprise that there was great concern amongst Egypt's leaders about the construction of the Ethiopian grand dam on the Blue Nile.Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi
Politicians propose hostile acts over dam plan - (15 days ago)
Gulf NewsPoliticians meeting with Egypt’s president on Monday proposed hostile acts against Ethiopia, including backing rebels and carrying out sabotage, to stop it from building a massive dam on the Nile River upstream. Some of the politicians appeared unaware the meeting with President Mohammad Mursi was being carried live on TV.Mursi did not directly react to the suggestions, but said
Body found in Egypt's Marsa Matrouh could be missing conscript - (15 days ago)
A body found in Marsa Matrouh could be missing army conscript Mokhtar Essam Mokhtar, an army spokesperson has said.Mokhtar went missing last Wednesday in Egypt's Western military zone. He was not seen on a military train with other conscripts.His brother claims Mokhtar was kidnapped by militants but nothing has been officially confirmed.The military has been on a search mission since Mokhtar was
Egypt's president aide apologises for live TV mix-up - (15 days ago)
A presidential aide has apologised for failing to inform attendees that a national meeting about the Ethiopian dam was being aired live on television.“It was initially planned that the national meeting would be recorded and aired the next day, as is usually the case, but due to the importance of the topic it was decided at the last minute to air the meeting live. I forgot to inform the
Egypt NGO trial defendants optimistic about Tuesday verdict - (15 days ago)
The fate of 43 NGO employees accused of operating in Egypt without proper legal status will be decided on Tuesday after a year-long trial that had sparked a political dogfight between Cairo and Washington.The defendants, including 13 Egyptians employed by five international NGOs, face five or more years in jail for allegedly working for unregistered, foreign-funded organisations.The case began in
Egypt issues summary of tripartite report on Ethiopia dam - (15 days ago)
The Egyptian presidency on Monday published a summary of a final report issued over the weekend by a tripartite commission – including Egyptian, Sudanese and Ethiopian representatives – tasked with studying the potential impact on downstream states of Ethiopia's controversial Renaissance Dam project.Despite Ethiopia's insistence that the project would not have an adverse impact on
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AFPTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rallies supporters after riot police again clash with thousands of anti-government demonstrators in a second week of nationwide unrest.Three people have died in the protests against Erdogan and his Islamic-leaning Justice and Development Party (AKP), in power since 2002.Following are the main events of the past days:- May 28: A peaceful local protest
AFPTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing one of the biggest challenges of his decade in power with anti-government protests that critics say have exposed growing discontent with his increasingly authoritarian and conservative agenda.Here are the key events since Erdogan's Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) assumed power in the predominantly Muslim but staunchly
AHRAM ONLINEFounders of Egypt’s 'Rebel' campaign, a newly established movement that aims to withdraw confidence from President Mohamed Morsi by collecting citizens' signatures, spoke at an open forum on Wednesday to discuss the campaign, which has recently gone viral online and on the streets.'Rebel' campaigners hope to collect 15 million signatures and hold a mass sit-in on 30 June –
BBC SportWhen it's put to him that he might be the most talented athlete in the world to hold a racquet, a bashful Ramy Ashour admits "that's pretty great".The 25-year-old Egyptian is more than just the current squash world number one - his elastic, unorthodox brilliance and charisma could be the key to squash breaking out beyond its four walls and regaining a place on the wider sporting
