Top News: Expelled Students Cannot Enroll in Private Schools, Subjected to Military Trials

Students suspended from government universities will not be permitted to enroll in private universities, Cairo University President Gaber Nassar told the privately owned news outlet Youm7 following a meeting with the High Council of Universities on Monday.

POLITICS

Sinai attacks will not delay Egyptian parliamentary poll, says minister
Militant attacks that killed over thirty soldiers in North Sinai on Friday will not affect the timing of parliamentary elections, Local Development Minister Adel Labib said on Monday. Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab has also said the elections will take place by the end of the year. Thirty-one members of the security forces were killed in two attacks in North Sinai on Friday. Labib said provincial elections would take place after the parliamentary poll. [Ahram Online, 10/28/2014]

Also of Interest
Parties form National Front against Terrorism to support state efforts | Ahram Gateway (Arabic)
Prosecutor General establishes anti-corruption bureau | SIS, Ahram (Arabic)
Legislative reform committee completes preparation of four laws | Ahram Gateway (Arabic)
Egyptian Feminist Union supports all candidates, but not Muslim Brotherhood | Aswat Masriya (Arabic)

COURTS

Court adjourns the trial of activist Douma, 286 others to November 12
A Cairo criminal court has adjourned the trial of prominent activist Ahmed Douma and 286 others to November 12. The court will hear the prosecution’s arguments in the next session. During the court session, head Judge Nagy Shehata charged Rajia Omran, one of the defense lawyers and member of the National Council for Human Rights, with contempt of court and referred her to questioning by prosecution. The defendants in the trial are accused of attacking the cabinet building and security personnel and torching the Scientific Institute in downtown Cairo during clashes in December 2011. [Ahram Online, 10/28/2014]

Also of Interest
Mubarak “presidential palace” case to resume January 13 | Aswat Masriya (Arabic)

ECONOMY

US signals it might back Egypt bailout
US Treasury Secretary Lew indicated that Washington will go ahead with international emergency loans for Egypt if Cairo pushes further to repair the country’s economy. The United States has long viewed Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, as a linchpin for regional stability. Bailout talks between Egypt and the International Monetary Fund have been stalled for years since reliable economic recovery plans were lacking in Egypt. [WSJ (subscription), 10/28/2014]

IMF cuts Egypt’s growth forecast citing concerns on tourism revenues
The International Monetary Fund cut its growth forecast for Egypt citing the rising security concerns affecting the country’s vital tourism revenues. The economy is expected to grow 3.5 percent in the fiscal year starting July 2014. This contrasts with the 4.1 percent predicted last April. [Ahram Online, 10/28/2014]

Also of Interest
Egypt’s birth rate dramatically rises | AP
EBRD opens permanent office in Egypt | Aswat Masriya (Arabic)
Egypt output slowdown and low oil price hit BG profits | Reuters
Egypt considers allocating state-owned lands to produce renewable energy | Aswat Masriya
Sisi appoints Mahlab to head global logistics center | DNE, Shorouk (Arabic)
Egypt must target neediest in food subsidy reforms, says WFP | Reuters
Sisi’s land cultivation plan ignores worsening water crisis | Al-Monitor
India’s biggest firm to invest in Egypt chemical industry | Aswat Masriya (Arabic)
GAFI Chief: Suez Canal projects to be proposed for Arab, foreign investors | Egypt Independent

SOCIETY & MEDIA

Expelled students cannot enroll in private schools, subjected to military trials
Students suspended from government universities will not be permitted to enroll in private universities, Cairo University President Gaber Nassar told the privately owned news outlet Youm7 following a meeting with the High Council of Universities on Monday. Any private university that violates this stipulation will be dealt with accordingly, Nassar added. Students accused of sabotaging educational facilities will be tried by military courts under a new law issued on Monday. The law also stipulates that soldiers will assist the police in guarding vital “public facilities and institutions.” Those who attack or sabotage such institutions will be referred to the military prosecution and tried by military courts. Universities and schools are considered public facilities under the new law, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab said on Monday. The University of Alexandria expelled on Monday seven students for protesting on campus without a notice. Roshdi Zahran, the university’s deputy chairman, said sixteen students were accused of protesting inside campus without prior notice and using slogans against the armed forces and the police. Security forces also dispersed a student protest at Al-Azhar University on Tuesday, with sources saying they belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood. [Mada Masr, Ahram Online, Aswat Masriya, Ahram Gateway (Arabic), 10/28/2014]

Danish NGO official deported from Egypt over ‘suspicious training’
Egyptian airport authorities have barred a Danish Institute for Human Rights official from entering the country over “suspicious training” for Egyptian youth. Ashraf Mikhael, project director at the institute, arrived in Cairo on a flight from Amsterdam. After his data was examined by security officials, he was deported to Turkey. Mikhael, a Danish citizen of Egyptian origin, was said to be involved in conducting “suspicious” training sessions for Egyptian young people. The institute, which works across several countries, does not have an office in Egypt. However, it says on its official website that it has worked closely with NGOs in the country since 2011, including the Egyptian Democratic Association (EDA), and it helped establish the Egyptian Network for Public Participation (ENPP). [Ahram Online, 10/28/2014]

Also of Interest
Family of jailed activists Alaa and Sanaa start full hunger strike | Ahram Online, Aswat Masriya
Human rights organizations launch civil society awareness campaign | DNE
Human rights organizations condemn protesters’ conviction | DNE
Ban on TV host painful blow to freedom of expression: ANHRI | DNE
Egypt moves against both terror and dissent | AP

SECURITY

Army operations in Sinai lead to arrests and casualties
Additional troops from the armed forces and police have been deployed to the Sinai Peninsula to assist forces already present in the “war on terror.” This new military operation, launched after deadly attacks in North Sinai on Friday that left at least thirty-three soldiers dead, has so far eliminated eight “terrorists” including one who is implicated in the Friday attack. Armed Forces Spokesman Mohamed Samir said in an official statement that the army also arrested seven suspects. They also destroyed three houses, which Samir said belong to terrorists, and three arms warehouses “used by terrorist groups in their criminal operations against armed forces and police personnel.” [DNE, Aswat Masriya, Mada Masr, SIS, 10/28/2014]

US Embassy in Cairo warns of possible terrorist attacks in Maadi
The US Embassy in Cairo warned citizens on Monday of a possible terrorist attack threat against US schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Maadi, Cairo. The embassy cited “a recent anonymous posting on a Jihadist website” encouraging attacks against western schools and teachers. The statement, posted on the embassy’s website and sent to US citizens in the region, noted, “The Embassy is working with local schools identified with the United States or that have high concentrations of American teachers or students to review and enhance their security posture.” It also warned US citizens in the region to “remain vigilant regarding their personal security and alert to local security developments.” [DNE, US Embassy in Cairo, 10/28/2014]

Also of Interest
Defense minister inspects army combat readiness in western region | Ahram (Arabic)
WW2 mine injures eight Egyptian immigrants near Libyan border | Ahram Online
Egyptian authorities capture 153 illegal immigrants | Aswat Masriya
Explosive device dismantled outside Giza school | Aswat Masriya
Four women injured in Rafah explosion | Aswat Masriya
Border guards destroy nine new tunnel openings in Rafah | Shorouk (Arabic)
Sinai: Between security solutions and media rhetoric | Mada Masr

INTERNATIONAL

US urges Egypt to quickly complete its review of the demonstration law
The United States is “deeply troubled” by the sentencing of twenty-three Egyptian activists to three-years in prison for violating the protest law, US State Department spokesman said in a Monday press briefing. Spokesperson Jen Psaki described the sentences as “harsh” and said US concerns also includes activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah who was detained, along with twenty-three others, on Monday after a retrial for violating protest law. “We urge Egypt’s leadership to quickly complete its review of the demonstration law and to release an amended version that will enable full freedom of expression and association,” Psaki added. [Ahram Online, 10/28/2014]

Sisi applauds Saudi Arabia for its support of Egypt post-June 30
In an interview with the major Saudi newspaper Okaz published on Tuesday, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised Saudi Arabia for its immediate support to Egypt following the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood from power. Sisi said that in the wake of these past three years, many world powers tried to push for a new regional order in the Middle East in order to consolidate a stronger position for themselves. But when this aspiration failed, leading only to civil wars and instability, these powers lost much of their credibility. He added that although many foreign powers supported terrorist groups in order to advance their ambitions for political change in the region, Egypt is supporting these powers today in their counter-terrorism efforts. Speaking on Egypt’s foreign policies, Sisi reaffirmed that Egypt’s relations with Russia and the United States under his rule are not competitive and are only pursued in the country’s interests. He also dismissed that a rapprochement with Qatar and Turkey will happen now. [Mada Masr, Ahram Online, Ahram (Arabic), SIS, Aswat Masriya (Arabic), 10/28/2014]

Also of Interest
Sisi meets US treasury secretary | SIS
Shourky, Hammond discuss cooperation in fighting terrorism | SIS
FM: Egypt supports the elected government in Libya and non-interference | Aswat Masriya
Sisi meets Senegal president to discuss bilateral relations and trade | Ahram (Arabic)
Egypt condemns Israel’s approval to build new housing units in Jerusalem | SIS
Egypt, South Sudan agree to joint mechanisms to run water resources | SIS