Egypt’s state news agency says security forces have arrested four suspected members of a militant cell recruiting fighters for the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham.

POLITICS

Muslim Brotherhood condemns military’s role in politics in October 6 statement
The people will not allow the military to turn into a political party that will dominate the country, the Muslim Brotherhood declared in an official statement issued Monday, the 41st anniversary of the October 6 War. The group noted in the statement that the army’s defeat on June 5 in the 1967 War was due to the military’s intervention in politics, in a word of warning against the institution’s present-day political activities. Interior Ministry spokesman Hany Abdel Latif stated that the Armed Forces and the police will remain the backbone of the country’s protection, both domestically and abroad. [Mada Masr, 10/6/2014]

State tightens grip on mosques for Eid al-Adha
The ministries of endowments and interior tightly controlled Eid al-Adha prayers on Saturday, with a host of restrictions and security regulations preventing clerics from delivering sermons critical of the ruling regime. Prior to the festival, the ministry of endowments stipulated that only clerics from Al-Azhar University could deliver Eid sermons. But the Brotherhood organized its own prayer outside mosques in Alexandria. Individuals hoping to win seats in the parliamentary elections capitalized on the massive Eid congregations by hanging up their campaign banners and posters near designated prayer areas. Some campaigners have distributed campaign fliers and leaflets to worshippers around designated prayer areas. [Mada Masr, 10/4/2014]

Also of Interest:

COURTS

Nine policemen detained over sexual harassment in Egypt’s Minya
Prosecutors in Upper Egypt have ordered an investigation into nine policemen over the sexual harassment of a woman. Two are accused of sexually harassing the woman, while seven others are accused of preventing her from reporting the incident. They will be detained for fifteen days pending investigations into the incident in Minya. The woman who accused the policemen reported that the two policemen rescued her from an attempted rape by a taxi driver, but instead of returning her to her family, they sent her to a woman who runs a brothel. The two officer allegedly attempted to rape her later. [Ahram Online, Egypt Independent, 10/5/2014]

Also of Interest:

ECONOMY

Egypt’s budget deficit shrinks to 12.4 percent of GDP in 2013/2014
Egypt’s overall budget deficit fell to EGP 253.7 billion or 12.4 percent of GDP in the fiscal year of 2013/2014, from 13.8 percent of GDP in 2012/13, according to according to a new report released Thursday by Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). [Egypt Independent, 10/2/2014]

International financial institutions offer projects in Egypt through PPPs
Egypt has received requests from the largest three global financial institutions to participate in financing and constructing public projects through public-private-partnership (PPP), according to Finance Minister Hany Qadry Dimian. The institutions are the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). [Egypt Independent, 10/6/2014]

Also of Interest:
Egypt repays $350 million debt to British Gas | Ahram Online, Egypt Independent, Digital Look
Egyptian economic investment summit scheduled for February 21| Ahram Online
IMF to participate in Egypt’s economic summit: Lagarde | Ahram Online
Mamish: Unprecedented interest in investing in Suez Canal Development Project | SIS
Egyptian expat remittances hit highest level ever, boosts economy | Egypt Independent
EGAS pumps $4 billion to increase gas production in 2014/2015 | Egypt Independent
BG Group says received $350 million from Egypt for gas debt | Reuters
Egypt’s entrepreneurs gear up for second annual RiseUp Summit | Mada Masr

SOCIETY & MEDIA

Damietta teen stabbed to death after intervening in sexual harassment incident
A Damietta teenager was stabbed to death while trying to defend a woman from sexual harassment, the Catch a Harasser campaign reported on its official Facebook page on Monday. Ahmed Fayed, 17, was a member of the anti-sexual harassment campaign. He reportedly attempted to intervene when he saw a group of men sexually harassing a woman in Ras al-Bar City, who then attacked him in retaliation. Meanwhile, the first day of the Eid al-Adha holiday witnessed a decline in sexual harassment incidents, “Shoft Taharosh” (I Saw Harassment) initiative said Sunday. The initiative cited intensified security measures and the low numbers of citizens occupying public places and parks, as reasons for reduced sexual harassment, adding that the lower number of sexual harassment incidents was not due to a decrease in the phenomenon – but rather a step up in security presence due to possible terrorist threats. At least forty-two cases were reported by the Alexandria police on Saturday, and three men were arrested in Cairo. [Mada Masr, Aswat Masriya, Ahram Online, Egypt Independent, 10/6/2014]

Muslim Brotherhood, Salafi Call clash in Alexandria
Members of the Muslim Brotherhood clashed with members of the Salafi Call in Alexandria on Saturday following Eid al-Adha prayers. Both parties altercated verbally when a Brotherhood rally passed by a prayer area set up by the Salafi Call, then descended into a fight using weapons and chains. Clashes also erupted in Alexandria on Sunday between supporters and opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood. Police dispersed the two groups, which numbered in the hundreds. Four pro-Morsi protesters were arrested and at least two were injured in the clashes. [Aswat Masriya, Mada Masr, 10/5/2014]

Also of Interest:
Activists launch street campaign on Eid demanding release of prisoners | Egypt Independent
Egypt’s civil society fears it will be silenced | AP
Journalists Syndicate condemns French magazine for Prophet Mohamed cartoon | Mada Masr
Censorship of Al-Masry Al-Youm interview raises questions | Mada Masr
Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma back in prison after brief hospital visit | Aswat Masriya

SECURITY

Egypt arrests militants recruiting for ISIS
Egypt’s state news agency says security forces have arrested four suspected members of a militant cell recruiting fighters for the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham. The MENA news agency reported on Sunday that the four suspects, all of Egyptian nationality, were arrested in the Suez Canal city of Port Said. The report quotes a senior local security official as saying the four confessed to recruiting young fighters to join the Islamic State militants in Syria. The agency says that according to the men’s confessions, another four Egyptians, also members of the cell, are already in Syria. The men are being held pending investigation [AP, Ahram Online, Reuters, 10/5/2014]

Egypt militant group releases video of beheadings
Sinai-based militant group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis released Sunday a video showing the execution of four men, including three being beheaded, accused of spying for the Egyptian army and for Israel’s Mossad intelligence service. The video, uploaded on YouTube and a jihadist forum, showed a fourth person who was shot and his house destroyed. In the video, they accused the Egyptian government of collaborating with the Israelis to attack their fighters in Sinai and vowed to hunt down the local informants they rely on. The gruesome footage shows the three men confessing before being decapitated by masked men. [Ahram Online, Aswat Masriya, Reuters, AFP, 10/5/2014]

Also of Interest:
Sound bomb explodes near church in Egypt’s Minya | Ahram Online
Sufi cleric abducted in Sinai by suspected militants: Military source | Ahram Online, Aswat Masriya
Egypt tightens security measures for October 6 celebrations | Ahram Online, Mada Masr

INTERNATIONAL

Egypt exerts intensive efforts to get non-permanent seat in UNSC
Egypt is exerting intensive diplomatic efforts at the international level to garner more support for its bid to get a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for the African Group in the years 2016/2017. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry distributed a booklet to foreign ministers of all UN member states saying that Egypt has played a major role in maintaining global peace and security. It also recounts how Egypt has always been committed to boosting international action through the UN for achieving the goals of the UN Charter. [SIS,10/6/2014]

Also of Interest:
Egypt condemns ‘horrible murder’ of British hostage by ISIS | Ahram Online
Situation not to escalate to war if dam talks collapse – Ethiopian president | Aswat Masriya