(Xinhuanet 07/19/17)
Egypt called on Israel Wednesday to stop violence at East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, warning against the consequences of conflict escalation at the Muslim shrine. Israel should respect the freedom of worship, the religious sanctities and the rights of the Palestinians to practice their religious rituals freely and safely, Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Israel shut down the holy site and installed checkpoints and metal detectors at its entrances after three Palestinian Muslims with Israeli citizenship shot two Israeli policemen on Friday morning. The attackers were later killed by Israeli police. The site, holy to both Muslims and Jews, includes the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In protest against the new Israeli security measures, dozens of...
(Daily News Egypt 07/19/17)
Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry expressed on Tuesday his country’s support for the United Nations (UN) Envoy to Yemen’s initiative towards reaching a political solution to the conflict, according to a statement. Shoukry discussed with UN Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed the latest developments in Yemen during the latter’s visit to Cairo. Ahmed briefed Shoukry on the results of his latest international meetings regarding his initiative on the situation in the Yemeni port of Hodeida, adding that tackling the situation in Hodeida was an important step towards reaching a cease-fire and then direct negotiations between the Yemeni parties. Ahmed earlier proposed during an Arab League meeting a plan to solve the Yemeni conflict. The plan would...
(Daily News Egypt 07/19/17)
Al-Warraq MP asserts meetings between residents and officials to take place. Following clashes between security forces and residents of Al-Warraq island this week, which resulted in the death of a citizen and the injury of dozens from both sides, the retreat of security forces is likely to be temporary as government officials have asserted they had no plans of stopping the demolition of buildings they claimed exist on lands owned by the state. “The government will not be intimidated to stop its plans,” Deputy of Giza Governor Alaa Al-Haras confirmed to Daily News Egypt Tuesday, declining to give exact dates on when encroachment procedures would resume. On the other hand, residents claim to have ownership rights over the lands and...
(Bloomberg 07/19/17)
Vodacom Group Ltd. sees the expansion of mobile-banking services into new markets in sub-Saharan Africa as a top priority following a shareholder vote to rubber stamp its purchase of a 35 percent stake in Safaricom Ltd., Kenya’s biggest company. “We will use Safaricom to enter other markets where neither Vodacom nor Safaricom are,” Chief Executive Officer Shameel Joosub said in an interview at the wireless carrier’s annual general meeting in Johannesburg on Tuesday. The two businesses have a combined 30 million mobile-banking customers, giving them “a very sizeable platform on the continent,” he said. Vodacom’s purchase of the Safaricom stake from U.K. parent company Vodafone Group Plc gives the South African company access to the fast-growing M-Pesa platform, which processed...
(AFP (eng) 07/18/17)
Egypt said it would end visas on arrival for Qatari citizens as a dispute between four Arab states and the Gulf emirate continues over allegations that Doha supports terrorism. The measure, which goes into effect on Thursday, will not include spouses of Egyptians or university students who will be granted tourist visas on arrival, foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said. The decision was announced on Monday as Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah, who is trying to mediate an end to the dispute.
(Xinhuanet 07/18/17)
Egyptian Trade and Industry Minister Tareq Qabil said on Tuesday that Egypt and Morocco have agreed to form an action group to promote economic cooperation. The agreement came after Qabil met with his Moroccan counterpart to discuss economic cooperation in several areas to boost integration between the two countries, the minister said in a statement. The two countries will tackle challenges facing trade and seek means of enhancing cooperation, he said. The talks were also about investment opportunities in Egypt, especially those in major national projects such as the Suez Canal development corridor. Trade between Egypt and Morocco surged to 680 million U.S. dollars in 2016 from 475 million dollars in 2013. Moroccan investments in Egypt, which amount to about...
(Reuters (Eng) 07/18/17)
Egypt will end visa-free entry for Qatari nationals with some exceptions, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Monday, the latest measure taken against Doha which Cairo and three Gulf governments are boycotting. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed sanctions on Qatar on June 5, cutting diplomatic and transport ties with the tiny Gulf monarchy, after accusing it of financing militant groups and allying with their regional arch-foe Iran. Doha denies the accusations. "It does not make sense to keep making exceptions for Qatar and giving it privileges in light of its current positions," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid. Qatari nationals will now have to apply for a visa in order to enter Egypt. Qatari...
(Xinhuanet 07/18/17)
Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shokri stressed on Tuesday that Qatar sticking to Saudi-led bloc's demands is "condition for resuming stalled relations." "The Arab demands were issued based on Qatar violations of the international laws and accords by intervention in the Arab countries domestic affairs, and sheltering terrorist leaders and members," spokesperson of the foreign ministry, Ahmad Abu Zeid said in a press statement. Last month, the Saudi-led bloc, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism, interfering in their internal affairs and seeking closer ties with Iran, a Saudi rival. Qatar has strongly denied the charges against it, while rejecting a list of 13 demands announced by the bloc for resuming...
(Reuters (Eng) 07/18/17)
Three recently discovered major gas fields are expected to raise Egypt's natural gas output by 50 percent in 2018 and 100 percent in 2020, the petroleum ministry said. "The fields of Zohr, North Alexandria and Nooros are among the most important projects that will increase natural gas production ... and will contribute to (Egypt’s) natural gas self-sufficiency by the end of 2018," Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla said in a statement, which set out the production forecasts. Egypt's natural gas production rose to about 5.1 billion cubic feet per day in 2017 from 4.4 billion cubic feet in 2016 with the start of production from the first phase of BP's North Alexandria project. Egypt has been seeking to speed up...
(Xinhuanet 07/18/17)
The Egyptian police killed in raid Tuesday two members of a militant group loyal to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood Islamist group, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. The police said the information confirmed they belonged to Hasm group, which claimed responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks in Egypt, referring to the group as a Brotherhood's armed wing. The pair, two college students aged 24 and 21, are among the leading members of Hasm terrorist group and they are responsible for orchestrating and carrying out a terror attack in Cairo in early May that killed three policemen, said the statement. The police raided their hiding place on the outskirts of Cairo, killed them in a shootout and found nine...
(Reuters (Eng) 07/18/17)
Three years after he risked his life crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Italy on a small boat crammed with migrants, 22-year-old Sow Muhammed can hardly believe his luck. The former street hawker from Guinea now works as a caterer in Venice, rents his own apartment, and sends money back home regularly to his mother and siblings in the West African nation. "I am happy I came to Europe, and my family is also happy," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation as he packed up leftovers at a training event for people who work with refugees, where he had served a menu which included traditional African dishes. "I talk to my family frequently, ask them their needs, and help...
(Reuters (Eng) 07/17/17)
Ride-hailing firm Careem, a Middle East rival to Uber Technologies Inc, has bought a minority stake in a three-month-old Egyptian start-up that connects commuters with private buses in Cairo. Dubai-based Careem invested $500,000 in Swvl and Chief Experience Officer and Co-Founder Magnus Olsson will take a board seat. Careem, which operates in 12 countries mainly in the Middle East, declined to disclose the exact size of the stake. Swvl, founded in April by a former Careem executive, is a bus transportation service where passengers can reserve and pay their fare through the company's mobile app. The app uses the passenger's location and destination to find the shortest possibly journey time based on the nearest bus station that travels along fixed...
(AFP (eng) 07/17/17)
Security forces have killed nine militants in the Sinai Peninsula and also destroyed 15 vehicles transporting weapons into Egypt across its western border, the military said in statements on Sunday. The "extremists" were killed in two separate incidents in the middle Sinai, but the military did not say when they took place. Both involved the air force and "law enforcement forces". The military said a planned "hostile act" was foiled after "a highly dangerous terrorist" group was discovered and tracked, and six militants were killed in a mountainous area. In a separate incident, three "highly dangerous" extremists were killed and another was arrested. A four-wheel-drive vehicle and five caches containing "large amounts of explosives and ammunition" were destroyed, the military...
(AFP (eng) 07/17/17)
West Bromwich Albion have completed the signing of Egypt defender Ahmed Hegazi on a season-long loan deal from Al Ahly, the Premier League side said on Monday. The 26-year-old caught the eye of Baggies boss Tony Pulis during the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, in which the centre-back helped Egypt to a runners-up finish. West Brom have the option to make the deal permanent at the end of next season, and Pulis is delighted to have got his man. "We're pleased he's here, he's a good addition. He's got good pedigree and has played for some good clubs. Hopefully he'll be a good signing for us." Albion club chairman John Williams also added: "We're delighted to add Ahmed...
(Xinhuanet 07/17/17)
Egypt said on Monday that it would be self-sufficient in natural gas by 2020 thanks to the discovery of three gas fields in recent years, according to an official statement. The Petroleum Minister Tarek al-Molla said in a press statement that the discoveries of the gas fields in Zohr, Nooros and North Alexandria will supply the country with 50 percent of its domestic natural gas needs in 2018, and 100 percent in 2020. Egypt's production of natural gas rose to 144 million cubic meters per day in 2017 from 124 million cubic meters per day in 2016, with the start of production from the North Alexandria field. The three natural gas fields are expected to produce 130 million cubic meters...
(Reuters (Eng) 07/17/17)
Egypt's Manpower Ministry ordered the closure of leading market research firm Ipsos's business in the country, citing workplace health and safety violations, a ministry decree dated June 20 showed. The decree was made public by local media late on Saturday. The spokesman confirmed its authenticity to Reuters. He said Cairo local authorities had not yet carried out the order. "As of June 20, 2017, Ipsos Egypt for Consulting Services is to be shut down completely for not carrying out a natural disasters assessment and not making a contingency plan to protect the building and employees in case of a disaster," stated the decree. Ipsos, a global market research firm headquartered in France, conducts audience research on Egyptian television networks and...
(Reuters (Eng) 07/17/17)
At least one person has been killed and dozens injured in clashes between police and residents of a Nile island in Cairo, when security forces attempted to demolish illegal buildings, the ministry of Interior said in a statement. The violence erupted when police arrived at al-Warraq island on Sunday morning to eradicate encroachments on state-owned land, the statement said. "The forces were surprised by demonstrations by some of the trespassers, who had assaulted the forces by firing birdshots and throwing stones ... Which pushed the forces to fire teargas to disperse the protesters and to control the situation," the statement added. At least 37 policemen and 19 residents were injured in the clashes, the statement said. Security forces withdrew from...
(Xinhuanet 07/17/17)
Africa is making progress towards the establishment of a trade zone by Oct. 30 that will cover approximately half of the continent's member states. The Common Market for the Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Director of Trade and Customs, Francis Mangeni, said in a commentary published in the Star Newspaper on Monday that so far 19 of the 26 countries involved have signed the agreement. "Three outstanding annexes had meant the tripartite agreement was not complete and this was advanced by some countries as the reason they could not sign or ratify the agreement. However their adoption represented a milestone in the negotiation, as it removed the last obstacle to signing and ratifying the agreement," Mangeni said. The tripartite free...
(AFP (eng) 07/15/17)
Police on Saturday questioned the suspected jihadist who stabbed to death two German women and wounded four others at a Red Sea beach resort, adding to the woes of Egypt's hobbled tourism industry. Judicial sources said the man who had swum ashore from a public beach in Hurghada to carry out Friday's attack confessed to sharing the ideology of the Islamic State jihadist group, although there was no IS claim of responsibility. The sources said the suspect, a 28-year-old from Kafr al-Sheikh province in the Nile Delta, north of Cairo, has been transferred to the capital for questioning. At the same time, the prosecution, said in a statement that it had not yet confirmed the assailant's motives and urged the...
(AFP (eng) 07/14/17)
Two Ukrainian women were killed on Friday at an Egyptian beach resort when an assailant swam ashore and stabbed them and also wounded four others, state media said. The governor of Red Sea province, where the resort of Hurghada is located, said two "foreign residents" of the city were killed in the attack, a cabinet statement said. Egypt's official Al-Ahram newspaper reported on its website that two Ukrainian female tourists died in the stabbing and four others were injured. The interior ministry said the attacker, who had swum ashore, has been arrested and was being questioned about his motives. In January 2016, three tourists in Hurghada were wounded in a stabbing assault by two assailants with apparent Islamic State group...