Today’s headlines: September 6, 2020

The Mada Morning Digest provides a comprehensive daily overview of the Arabic-language press in Egypt. Covering state and privately owned newspapers, including Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar, Al-Masry Al-Youm, Al-Shorouk, and Al-Watan, the Morning Digest provides a daily snapshot of the most important news coming out of Egypt’s complex political, economic and social conditions by providing exclusive information usually only available to the Arabic reader, as well as giving an insight into some of the discourses operative in the country’s press landscape. Subscribe to the Mada Morning Digest, or sign up for a free trial here.

Gender and Politics

⦿ Fairmont case: Virginity tests, anal exams for witnesses, Al-Manassa (online)

⦿ Mohamed Hamouda: I am representing Fairmont victim for free, she should not be left to die for 4th time, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Psychologist’s harassment of ‘girls’ in Tanta, Youm7 (online)

Labor

⦿ Supreme Administrative Court: Striking from work [only] allowed in private sector, unlike public sector, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Supreme Administrative Court rules to fire 3 postal employees from public posts for striking, inciting to shut down offices  in 2014, Youm7 (online)

⦿ Supreme Administrative Court: Citizens’ right to access public services comes before right to peaceful strike, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Supreme Administrative Court: Labor strikes are not internationally [recognized] right, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Aswan governor ends problem of delayed payment of salaries for employees of Edfu paper pulp factory, Al-Akhbar Al-Youm (online)

⦿ Labor Power Ministry: Issuing 1st guidelines for prevention of corona in work environment, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ [Social Solidarity Minister] Neveen al-Kabbaj: Rolling out exceptional aid to more than 12,000 tour guides to face repercussions of coronavirus, Al-Masry Al-Youm (online)

Foreign Relations

⦿ Sisi: We support Bahrain in all its political positions, Al-Masry Al-Youm (online)

⦿ Egypt sends medical aid to Iraq on president’s instructions, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Egypt, Bahrain affirm support for agreeable political solution to preserve Libya’s sovereignty, unity, Akhbar Al-Youm (online) 

⦿ Sisi: Egypt is ready to support Sudan in facing effects of floods, Al-Wafd (online)

⦿ Egyptian medical aid cargo arrives at South Sudan to help combat coronavirus, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Egypt sends medical aid to 30 African countries to help contain coronavirus, Al-Mal (online)

⦿ Foreign minister to meet Maltese counterpart tomorrow, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Parliament speaker praises Sisi's support for Sudan in facing floods, Masrawy (online)
⦿ Defense minister meets EU Commission deputy president, Youm7 (online)

⦿ Sisi looks into Libyan crisis, Renaissance Dam with EU Commission deputy president, Youm7 (online)

⦿ Foreign minister meets UAE foreign minister, Youm7 (online)

⦿Banks to begin collection of loan repayments postponed for 6 months [due to COVID-19], Youm7 (online)

⦿ Rival Palestinian factions hold rare joint meeting over Israel-UAE deal, Reuters (online)

 

Health

⦿ PM: Medicines for coronavirus treatment protocols are available, no need for storage, Al-Borsa (online)

⦿ Head of Preventive Medicine: Coronavirus has not left us, increase in cases requires quick intervention (interview), Masrawy (online)

⦿ MP calls 3 ministers to make plan preparing for 2nd coronavirus wave public, Youm7 (online)

⦿ Head of Arab Manufacturing discussing provision, production of Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik 5 with Russian ambassador, Darb (online)

Politics and governance

⦿ Cabinet approves new districting law sent by Parliament, Cairo24 (online)

⦿ Cabinet approves draft law on disposing of recovered funds, Al-Akhbar Al-Youm (online)

⦿ Tomorrow: Egyptians abroad begin voting by mail in Senate run-offs, Sada Al-Balad (online)

⦿ Campaigning period for candidates in run-offs ends, campaigning silence starts, Youm7 (online)

⦿ Official Gazette publishes Sisi's decision to dismiss State Council deputy Mohamed Esayyed Abdel Halim from his job, Darb (online)

⦿ Why did Sisi issue a decision to dismiss a deputy in the State Council? Sexual and financial bribery, Masrawy (online)

⦿ Interior Ministry organizes 3rd conference on human trafficking, irregular immigration, Youm7 (online)

Land & urban policy

⦿ With a total of 100 locomotives: Transport minister receives 5th batch of new railway locomotives, Cairo24 (online)

⦿ [Transport Minister] Kamel al-Wazir: No increases in metro ticket prices for at least 2 yrs, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Housing minister calls on contractors executing new administrative capital’s gardens to double workers, equipment, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Director of Administrative Capital for Urban Development company: Investments in phase 1 totaled LE800 bn, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Director of Administrative Capital for Urban Development company: Advance payments for [purchasing land] reduced from 20% to 10% due to corona, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Learn the truth about the sale of Nile islands to foreign investors, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Housing Minister follows up on reconciliation of building violations in new cities, Al-Mal (online)

Economy

⦿ Most prominent point: Sovereign fund reveals plans to restore Khedival Cairo, Youm7 (online)

⦿ Presidential decree to transfer ownership of Tahrir complex, Interior Ministry building, land of National Party to Sovereign Wealth Fund, Darb (online)

⦿ Planning minister reveals formation, resources of sovereign fund, Al-Masry Al-Youm (online)

⦿ Egyptian Lebanese Business Association proposes 2 conditions for the success of the partnership with the sovereign fund, Youm7 (online)

Trade and industry

⦿ Industry minister: Electronic payment orders to be issued tomorrow for late dues of 12 export companies, Hapi Journal (online)

⦿ Finance minister: 35 new deals to settle late fees for exporters, Hapi Journal (online)

Energy, environment & natural resources

⦿ Planning Ministry: Total targeted investments for electricity sector is LE45.3 bn in 2020/21 plan, Hapi Journal (online)

Judiciary

⦿ Former Agriculture Minister Youssef Waly passes away, Youm7 (online)

⦿ Prison, settlement, ongoing case, Youssef Waly’s journey before courts over 9 years, Al-Shorouk (online)
⦿ Chancellor accused of assaulting an officer referred to court, Youm7 (online)

⦿ Lawsuit calling for imposing receivership on Doctors Syndicate postponed to November, Al-Bawaba (online)

⦿ Retrial of a defendant in ‘Rabea operations room’ case postponed to Nov 2, Al-Bawaba (online)

⦿ Criminal Court postpones looking into freeze on Hassan Nafea’s assets, Al-Bawaba (online)

⦿ Boutros Ghali retrial for customs corruption scheduled tomorrow, Al-Bawaba (online)

Human Rights

⦿ Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry: We have human rights concerns about some European countries, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Russia resumes flights to UAE, Egypt [on principle of reciprocity], Russia Today (online)

Agriculture and supply

⦿ Sisi directs management of project to develop Egyptian countryside from comprehensive perspective, collective action among state sectors, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Cost will be borne by Tahya Masr Fund: Sisi instructs protection of small-scale fishermen from risks of profession, Masrawy (online) 

⦿ Agriculture Ministry announces extension of dates to give out summer fertilizer rations to farmers, Masrawy (online)

Media and entertainment

⦿ Parliamentary question on censorship authorities’ role on websites [Netflix] broadcasting drama that insults religion, Youm7 (online)

⦿ [Director of Supreme Media Regulatory Council] Karam Gabr affirms state is under fierce attack from enemy media, Youm7 (online)

⦿ Doaa Khalifa: My personal profile was hacked, videos are fabricated, my stances in support of state, president are well-documented, Youm7 (online)

⦿ Lamis al-Hadidi announces her departure from Al-Hadath channel: ‘Expect me in a new experience,’ Masrawy (online) 

Other

⦿ [PM] Madbuly attends draw ceremony for handball World Cup Egypt 2021, Al-Masry Al-Youm (online)

⦿ ‘Rebellion within Muslim Brotherhood’: Organization’s youth rejects appointment of Ibrahim as [acting] supreme guide, Youm7 (online)

International

⦿ [Secretary General of Arab League] Aboul Gheit: Serbia, Kosovo’s inauguration of embassies in occupied Jerusalem is null, condemned, Al-Shorouk (online)

⦿ Sudan floods: 99 people killed, 100,000 houses collapsed, Defense Council considers country disaster zone, declares emergency, Darb (online)

⦿ Greece pulls back from Nato east Mediterranean talks, Financial Times (online)

Tobruk: Protesters block roads due to sewage swamps, Libya Al-Ahrar (online)

⦿ Morocco embraces new round of Libya negotiations, France24 (online)

⦿ Morocco hosting Libyan-Libyan negotiations, RT (online)