North Sinai residents near the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip are being evacuated, as Egypt’s army steps up its campaign in the area against militants, Al-Ahram’s Arabic news website reported on Tuesday. Residents within an area 300 meters west of the Rafah border were told to leave their houses within hours on Tuesday, as the deadline for evacuation ends on Wednesday. The evacuation zone will eventually be 500 meters from the eastern Rafah border and 13.8 km long to the south. A number of houses have already been evacuated, with some residents moving to their relatives’ houses. Some locals were dismayed because of the decision, saying it was made abruptly without enough time for them to make the necessary arrangements to move. The evacuation of residents at the borders with Israel in North Sinai is “final, not temporary,” said Governor Abdel Fattah Harhour. The evacuation will be followed by demolition of all housing facilities and the creation of a buffer zone that would “protect Egypt from terrorist dangers,” said the governor.
POLITICS
Sisi stresses importance of informed religious speech
President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with Minister of Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa on Tuesday, and stressed the importance of improving religious preachers’ speeches for better representation of Islam and Egypt. Earlier in October, the Ministry of Justice gave its approval for inspectors from the Ministry of Endowment to arrest violators of the religious speech law inside mosques. The decision is aimed at ensuring that the religious speech in mosques does not include any political context. [DNE, 10/29/2014]
Government committee tasked with Nubians’ relocation
The Ministry of Transitional Justice adopted on Tuesday a decree of the formation of a high committee that would draft a law relocating citizens from Nuba region to the old lands they were obliged to evacuate for the construction of the High Dam in Aswan. The decision came after community talks held with Nubians as per directives by Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab. The new committee comprises representatives from the state and the Nubian community. Official sources said the committee will work on an integrated draft law that would seek development at the Nuba region, taking into consideration its cultural and environmental patterns. The committee is given fifty days to finish its works. [Egypt Independent, 10/29/2014]
Also of Interest
Egyptian nationality stripped from 800, including Palestinians | Egypt Independent
Egyptian Wafdist politician Noman Gomaa dies | Ahram Online
Army Support Conference participants demand emergency law, blame US | Egypt Independent
COURTS
Morsi prison break trial postponed to November 30
The Cairo Criminal Court postponed on Wednesday the trial of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi and 130 others for escaping from the Wadi al-Natroun prison to November 30. The Muslim Brotherhood leaders are accused of collaborating with international bodies, the Palestinian Hamas, and Lebanese Hezbollah, to escape prison during the January 25 uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. The court postponed the trial to hear the prosecution’s testimony regarding the killing of protesters during the January 2011 uprising, a judicial source said. He added that the prosecution is also expected to provide a copy of a report from the Homeland Security (formerly known as State Security) on the killing of protesters. [Aswat Masriya, 10/29/2014]
Military court sentences ex-Egyptian intel officer to year jail for revealing secrets
A former general intelligence senior officer has been sentenced to one year in prison by a military court for revealing secrets harmful to national security. Tharwat Gouda revealed the secrets in an interview with an Egyptian newspaper in September. He has been sent to Tora prison where he will serve his sentence. [Ahram Online, EGYNews (Arabic), 10/29/2014]
Also of Interest
Court to consider challenge against Mubarak prison sentence in January | Aswat Masriya
Court postpones “Zawahri Cell” case to November 6 | EGYNews (Arabic)
Final ruling for Orascom postponed to November 4 | DNE, Egypt Independent
ECONOMY
Domestic debt recorded at EGP 1.8 trillion by June 2014, says Central Bank
Domestic debt reached EGP 1.8tn in June 2014, of which 84.7 percent was government debt and 3.2 percent was public economic authorities’ debt, a monthly Central bank of Egypt (CBE) report revealed. Egypt’s external debt increased by 4.8 percent to record 45.3 billion at the end of March 2014, compared to $43.2 billion at the end of June 2013. The report indicated the rise is attributed to the hike in “net disbursements of loans, facilities and deposits to $1.6 billion, and the increase of $516.8 million worth in external debt because of the rise in most currencies of borrowing versus the US dollar”. Discussing the balance of payments (BOP), the CBE report said Egypt recorded a $2.2 billion surplus during the first six month of fiscal year 2013/2014, compared to $2.1 billion during the same period last year. [DNE, 10/28/2014]
Also of Interest
Egyptian pound steady at central bank sale, stronger on black market | Reuters
PM decides prices for purchasing electricity from renewable sources | Egypt Independent
Tourist numbers increased 76.7% year on year in August: CAPMAS | DNE
Successful overseas dollar bonds launch will be success for Egyptian economy | DNE
BG posts bigger-than-expected fall in profit on Egypt output decline | Reuters/Ahram Online
Ezz Dekheila’s profits fall on energy shortage | Ahram Online
Turkey files anti-dumping suit against polypropylene exports from Egypt | DNE
Minister denies intentions to cancel free trade agreement with Turkey | Egypt Independent
Arab Investors Conference for Egypt to be held in Cairo in November | Egypt Independent
SOCIETY & MEDIA
Egypt police arrests on Tuesday 34 students amid clashes, army storms campus
Police arrested thirty-four students amid protests and clashes on Tuesday at different universities across Egypt, with the army storming one campus, according to Al-Ahram’s Arabic news website. A security source said that “rioting tools” were confiscated and six homemade bombs were dismantled at Mansoura University in the Nile Delta. Another two sound bombs were found on the campus of Beni Suef University. Six students from the university have been expelled for involvement in protests and clashes that took place on Tuesday. In Cairo, eighty students from Al-Azhar University allegedly blocked a main road, chanted against the government and shot off fireworks, the source said. Police dispersed the group and arrested fourteen Al-Azhar students. Police have stormed at least five universities and arrested more than 180 students since the start of the school year. [Ahram Online, DNE, Egypt Independent, Aswat Masriya, EGYNews (Arabic), 10/29/2014]
Family of jailed activist Abdel-Fattah begins sit-in at Supreme Court
The hunger-striking family of leading Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah has begun a sit-in at the High Court in central Cairo to protest his detention and a jail sentence against his sister, a family member has said. Activist Leila Seif held a sit-in at the Supreme Judicial Council Wednesday protesting the imprisonment of her son Alaa Abdel Fattah and daughter Sanaa Seif, said the Freedom for the Brave movement. Abdel Fattah and Seif were arrested for protesting under the controversial Protest Law, the movement said on its Facebook page. Activist Mona Seif joined her mother’s stance, with both also being on hunger strike for the past fifty-six days. Citing eyewitness accounts, Freedom for the Brave said security forces prevented other activists from joining them. [Ahram Online, DNE, Aswat Masriya, Mada Masr, 10/29/2014]
Also of Interest
Suspended TV anchor Mahmoud Saad will return to airwaves | Ahram Online
5 Syrian refugees face deportation from Egypt | DNE
Presidential decree aims at military expansion, says April 6 | DNE
Campaign to free Peter Greste: ‘A pen is mightier than a sword’ | DNE
Egyptian singer moves to Sweden seeking ‘safe city residency’ | DNE
SECURITY
North Sinai residents near Rafah border begin evacuation
North Sinai residents near the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip are being evacuated, as Egypt’s army steps up its campaign in the area against militants, Al-Ahram’s Arabic news website reported on Tuesday. Residents within an area 300 meters west of the Rafah border were told to leave their houses within hours on Tuesday, as the deadline for evacuation ends on Wednesday. The evacuation zone will eventually be 500 meters from the eastern Rafah border and 13.8 km long to the south. A number of houses have already been evacuated, with some residents moving to their relatives’ houses. Some locals were dismayed because of the decision, saying it was made abruptly without enough time for them to make the necessary arrangements to move. The evacuation of residents at the borders with Israel in North Sinai is “final, not temporary,” said Governor Abdel Fattah Harhour. The evacuation will be followed by demolition of all housing facilities and the creation of a buffer zone that would “protect Egypt from terrorist dangers,” said the governor. [Ahram Online, AP, Egypt Independent, Aswat Masriya, Mada Masr, 10/29/2014]
Egyptian students arrested over ‘anti-police, army’ Facebook pages
Two men have been arrested for allegedly using Facebook to incite violence against the police and army, an interior ministry official has said. An Azhar University student from the Beheira governorate was detained for allegedly running several pro-Muslim Brotherhood Facebook pages, which shares personal details of police officers and calls for protests. Police confiscated a laptop, server, router, two mobile phones and Muslim Brotherhood pins. A second student from Beheira was detained for allegedly running several pro-Brotherhood Facebook pages, which also incite violence against the armed forces and police. [Ahram Online, 10/29/2014]
Also of Interest
Egyptian authorities capture 153 illegal migrants | Aswat Masriya
Two bombs go off in Sharqiyya, no causalities | Aswat Masriya
Military investigating alleged video of army forces torturing citizens | Aswat Masriya
Army assigned to construct 625 football fields in 27 governorates | Egypt Independent
Triple IED explosions in 10th of Ramadan City | DNE
Egypt’s defense minister attends simulated Suez Canal crossing | Ahram Online
INTERNATIONAL
Sisi says Egypt eyes UNSC membership
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said that Egypt is specifically interested in obtaining a seat at the United Nation’s Security Council representing African nations for the council’s 2016-2017 session. In the third part of an interview with Saudi Arabian newspaper Okaz, published on Wednesday, Sisi said his country had previously been elected an UNSC temporary member four times and “actively contributes to UN peacekeeping forces with 2.569 police and army personnel.” [Egypt Independent, 10/29/2014]
Also of Interest
Shoukry meets British PM Cameron | DNE
Egypt and Sudan to reinforce the Nile waters Commission | Aswat Masriya
Egyptian, Cypriot, Greek foreign ministers meet in Nicosia | DNE
FM: Egypt ‘last bastion’ of stability in Middle East | Egypt Independent