Spokesman of the Muslim Brotherhood Gehad al-Haddad was arrested on Tuesday afternoon in an apartment in Cairo’s Nasr City. Haddad was arrested along with Morsi-era governor of Qalyubiya Hossam Abu Bakr.
GOVERNMENT & OPPOSITION

Pro-Morsi alliance denounces Delga raid, denies dwindling protest numbers
The National Coalition to Support Legitimacy (NCSL) called for more demonstrations on Tuesday. The alliance announced last week that it would stage protests for a week to commemorate the passing of one month on the Raba’a al-Adaweya and Nahda events of August 14. The NCSL also denounced the raid of the village of Delga, a town held for over two months by militants loyal to the ousted Islamist president. They stated that the siege on the village came after a rumor that al-Jamaa al-Islamiya leader, Assem Abdel Maged, was taking refuge there. The coalition denied a decline in protest numbers and blamed the bias of the media coverage, explaining that the “extension of emergency law as well as deputizing university security to arrest students is evidence to how worried authorities are.”  [Aswat Masriya, DNE, 09/17/2013]

Also of Interest:
Party leaders: Meeting with the president was fruitful | AMAY (Arabic)
Egypt has shown world ‘truth’ about Morsi’s removal | Ahram Online

COURTS & CONSTITUTION

Salafi representative walks out of constituent assembly session over phrasing
Chairman of Salafist Nour Party, Younes Makhion, asserted on Monday that his party’s representative withdrew from the constitution-drafting session in protest over how the meeting was run, accusing certain committee members of “excluding views” from a discussion  on Islamic-related articles in the suspended 2012 constitution. Makhioun explained that Zarqa had not withdrawn from the fifty member committee. The committee may reexamine constitutional statements that limit freedom of religion to followers of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Talk about al-Azhar’s status in the constitution has also been taking place. Mohamed Abdel Salam, the legal adviser of the Azhar Sheikh and rapporteur of the state and political pillars subcommittee, said that the position of Al-Azhar in the final document is being negotiated around an article in the section about society’s driving principles. The Primary Elements of the State sub-committee has also agreed upon placing an article on al-Azhar in the constitution. On the system of governance, committee member Mohamed Abdel-Aziz said the political system in the new constitution will be balanced between the president and the parliament. The party which wins the majority of votes will choose a prime minister who must be approved by 51 percent of the parliament members. Meanwhile, the National Council for Women called on the committee include a quota for women in parliament. Assembly head Amr Moussa said that the electoral process does not belong in the constitution, and should be outlined by the law, adding that he rejects the political exclusion of the Brotherhood. He also said that the role of the armed forces in the constitution is subject to discussion. Assembly spokesperson Mohamed Salmawy accused the media of misinforming the public on the committee’s activities, particularly in regards to presidential powers. Finally, a new committee has been formed within the assembly, tasked with drafting the constitution’s preamble. The committee includes Abdel Gelil Moustafa, Sayed Hegab, and Mohamed Salmawy. Two non-committee members will also be consulted – Salah Fadl and Mahmoud al-Rabiey. [Ahram Online, AMAY (Arabic), Aswat Masriya, Reuters, Mada Masr, SIS, Shorouk  (Arabic), EGYNews (Arabic), Ahram Gate (Arabic), ONA (Arabic), 9/17/2013]

Brotherhood spokesman Gehad al-Haddad arrested
Spokesman of the Muslim Brotherhood Gehad al-Haddad was arrested on Tuesday afternoon in an apartment in Cairo’s Nasr City. Haddad was arrested along with Morsi-era governor of Qalyubiya Hossam Abu Bakr. More arrests of Brotherhood leaders have been made in Sohag and Fayoum. Meanwhile, The Interior Ministry is examining the possibility of transferring the trials of Muslim Brotherhood leaders to the Police Institute in Tora, a senior security source from the ministry said. The same source said on Monday that there are security reasons behind the decision to change the location of the trials since the trial of former President Hosni Mubarak in New Cairo is already placing a huge burden on security authorities. The North Cairo Criminal Court has also upheld requests filed by the General Prosecution demanding freezing the assets of a number of Brotherhood leaders and several of their allies, including Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, Deputy Supreme Guide Khairat al-Shater, former Supreme Guide Mahdi Akef, as well as leading members Mahmoud Ezzat, Saad al-Katatni, Essam al-Erian, and Mohamed al-Beltagy. [Ahram Gate (Arabic), Ahram Online, ONA (Arabic), Tahrir News (Arabic), Egypt Independent, Ahram Online, AP, Aswat Masriya, Mada Masr, AMAY (Arabic), 9/171/2013]

Also of interest:
Brotherhood leaders liken Egypt jail cells to graves | Reuters
Ahmed Ezz retrial on charges of money laundering resumes | EGYNews (Arabic)
Authorities say evidence confirms Brotherhood planned terrorist attacks | AMAY (Arabic)
Sinai hospital workers acquitted by military court | DNE
Fourteen Qasr al-Eini demonstrators charged with assaulting policeman | DNE
Trial to strip Mohamed al-Baradei’s citizenship postponed to November 7 | Ahram Gate (Arabic), ONA (Arabic)  
Freedoms sub-committee proposes putting a visual map of Egypt in the constitution | Tahrir  (Arabic)

ECONOMY

Egypt launches EGP 260 million EU-funded projects
The chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, Ahmed El-Wakil, announced on Sunday the launch of eight new regional projects valued EGP 260 million funded by the European Union, according to a press statement. According to the statement, the head of the Federation of Egyptian Industries Mohamed El-Sweidy explained in the conference of launching these projects that they aim to support the sectors of food industry, tourism, textile, solar energy and environment, as well as the construction and modernization of schools. [DNE, 9/16/2013]

Egypt, Qatar gas talks put on hold
Egypt and Qatar are not currently negotiating further natural gas deliveries as supplies of fuels from other Gulf states and the end of peak summer demand eases pressure on Cairo to reach a deal, industry sources said. Doha agreed in May to donate five cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and initial talks were held for Egypt to buy at least thirteen more, but that was before the Egyptian army removed Qatar-backed Islamist President Mohamed Morsi from power in July. [Gulf Times, 9/17/2013]

Also of Interest:
CBE grants US$40 billion tender for auction | Egypt Independent
National Council for Wages to discuss minimum wages in the private sector next week | EGYNews (Arabic)
National Council for Wages agree on minimum and maximum wages in the public sector| Shorouk (Arabic), Ahram Gate (Arabic), ONA (Arabic)
Egypt hopes to tie oil payments to production increases: minister |  Reuters
Egypt’s budget deficit expected to fall in 2013/14: Finance ministry | Ahram Online
Beblawy discusses investments with Saudi ambassador | EGYNews (Arabic)
Ministry of Finance issues treasury bonds at EGP 4 billion | EGYNews (Arabic)
BP discovery to boost Egypt’s natural gas reserves | Ahram Online
Egyptian stocks rise with Arab investors as net-buyers | Ahram Online
Curfew will not affect tourism industry: tourism officials | DNE
Electricity blackouts return on fuel shortages and high consumption | DNE
Ziad Bahaa-Eldin: Egypt not in urgent need of IMF loan | DNE, SIS
EGP 260 million EU-funded projects launched in various sectors | DNE

SOCIETY & MEDIA

Human rights council condemns attacks on Christians in Upper Egypt
An Egyptian state-run human rights body has condemned sectarian attacks on Coptic Christians in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Minya. The National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) issued a statement Monday condemning the attacks targeting Christians in Minya and stating that the “onslaught” proves that Christians are being intentionally targeted because of their religious beliefs. The NCHR declared it would form a special committee to investigate sectarian attacks in Upper Egypt, particularly Minya. [Ahram Online, Mada Masr, AMAY (Arabic), 09/16/2013]

Also of Interest:
New Egyptian petition: Run, general, run | AP
Media advisor defends Jazeera closure | Mada Masr
Minister of Endowments: No room for politics in the Ministry | EGYNews (Arabic)
Tamarod members in Beni Suef submit resignations | Egypt Independent
School textbook calls June 30 a coup, Education Minister halts its printing | Egypt Independent
“Students against the Coup” stage protest at Cairo University against military rule | Shorouk (Arabic)
Egyptian Student Union dismisses five Muslim Brotherhood students | Shorouk  (Arabic)

SECURITY

One injured in attack on checkpoint in Egypt’s Sinai, military operations continue
Egyptian armed forces’ operations in the restive Sinai Peninsula will not run on a deadline, military spokesperson Ahmed Mohamed Ali said late Monday. Operations will continue until the army has achieved its objectives, he claimed. Meanwhile, unknown assailants fired at a military checkpoint in North Sinai’s Rafah on Tuesday, injuring an army conscript. Jihadist group, Ansar Bayt al-Maqdi accused the armed forces of carrying out a massacre in the village of Lufaytat in North Sinai, saying that seven were killed, including four children under the age of ten. The group vowed that its response to the “criminal and apostate army…  will be painful.” A military source denied that these events took place. [Ahram Online, Egypt Independent, DNE, 9/17/2013]

Cairo University cancels deputizing university security
Cairo University head Gaber Nassar decided on Sunday to cancel a proposal to grant university security arrest powers, following a meeting with the university’s student union. While the decision remains in effect in other public universities, Tanta University was also among those refusing to grant powers of arrest to its university guards [DNE, Ahram Online, EGYNews (Arabic), 09/16/2013]

Also of Interest:
Gunmen attack Damietta police station, no casualties | Ahram Online, Aswat Masriya
Fatal Suez minibus attack not by terrorists: source | Egypt Independent
Egypt curfew will be reduced to 12 – 5 a.m. next week: Source | Ahram Online

REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Egypt’s closure of Rafah puts academic future of Palestinians at risk
Tens of Palestinian students gathered on Monday in front of the Egyptian embassy in the Gaza strip to demand the re-opening of the Rafah border. Palestinian students wishing to study in Egypt or abroad have been stranded in Gaza, as the Rafah crossing has repeatedly been closed. In response to a call by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the Egyptian authorities will open the border crossing with the Gaza strip for four hours on Wednesday and Thursday for emergency cases only. [Ahram Online, SIS 09/17/2013]

Foreign Ministers stress importance of Egypt-Russia relationship
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nabil Fahmy and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov both stressed the importance of the relationship between their two countries. The two ministers discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations in a number of areas including politics, economics and trade. They also discussed regional issues, with the Syrian conflict and the Palestinian issue at the top of the agenda, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Fahmy, also, met with Secretary General of the Security Council of the Russian Federation (SCRF) Nikolai Patrushev in Moscow on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Egyptian Minister of Tourism Hisham Zaazou will ask the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry to remove its travel warnings on Egypt. [DNE, Ahram Online, 09/17/2013]

Also of Interest:
Fahmy assigns Mona Makram for promoting the road map in USA and Canada | AMAY (Arabic)
Congress discusses aid to Egypt | Tahrir  (Arabic)