Egypt’s parliament approved on Monday El-Sisi’s presidential decree to extend the country’s state of emergency, that has been in effect for two years, for three more months from 27 October 2019 to 26 January 2020 on the grounds of fighting terrorism and implementing development programs in a stable climate, Ahram Online reported. This is the tenth time the president issues a decree to extent the state of emergency. According to the bylaws of the Egyptian House of Representatives, two-thirds of the members of the parliament must approve the imposition or extension of the state of emergency within seven days of the decision. BBC Arabic said that Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced in his speech to the house of Representatives that there are”forces of darkness exploiting the turmoil in the Arab region and the Middle East to carry out despicable acts against innocent civilians as well as members of the armed forces and police, hoping to destabilize Egypt.” According to Egypt Today, “The Armed Forces and Tourism Police shall take all the necessary measures to combat the dangers of terrorism and its financing sources in order to maintain security throughout the…
PM: Sunday an Official Holiday for Prophet’s Birthday
According to an official decree November 10 will be an official holiday on the occasion of Prophet Muhammed’s birthday (Mawlid al-Nabi al-Sharif). The decision, which entitles a paid holiday to governmental employees, public schools and institutions, was announced by Egyptian Prime Minister Mabdouly on Sunday. A beloved religious holiday among Egyptians, the birthday corresponds to the 12th of the Islamic month of Rabi’ al-awwal. On this occasion, Egyptians traditionally celebrate the day offering and eating sweets such as lokum with nuts (malban), peanuts and dried chickpeas with syrup (soudaneya, homoseya) and desiccated coconut treats (gozeya) among others. Although they can seldom be found, there is also a tradition of presenting children with ‘mawlid dolls’ which are candy figurines made of sugar and nuts. In Egypt, similarly to countries with a predominant Muslim population, Islamic saint birthdays are honored through public events. Various figures’ and saints’ are typically celebrated with worshippers gathering to chant and to pray together. In the past, celebrations of the Prophet’s birthday included tahteeb (stick fighting) as well as processions in Cairo….
Egypt’s Train Conductor On Criminal Trial For Forcing People to Jump Off Train
Egypt’s top prosecutor on Saturday ordered a criminal trial against the train conductor who forced two street vendors without tickets to jump off a moving train, leaving one of them dead and the other injured, Amr Adib reports. Investigations showed that the conductor opened the carriage door and ordered the two men to jump out the moving train after they refused to pay for the tickets. Prosecutor General Hamada el-Sawy said that the conductor would face two charges, including causing injuries that led to the death of one of the two men. No specific date yet has been set for the trial. Last week, two young men – Mohamed Eid and Ahmed Mohamed – jumped off a train heading from Alexandria to Luxor in the Nile Delta province of Tanta. Eyewitnesses said that the train conductor, Magdy Ibrahim Mohamed, forced the two young men to choose between paying the ticket, handing them to the police, or jumping off the train. The incident sparked huge public anger in Egypt, and the conductor was later arrested for investigations. According to the Egyptian Railway Authority, the conductor violated the proper procedure set forth…
Nour El Sherbini Wins Her Fourth World Championship Trophy Despite Knee Injury
Egypt’s Nour El Sherbini became the youngest woman to win the Women’s World Championship, receiving her fourth World Championship trophy in squash on Friday at the Great Pyramids of Giza after defeating Raneem El Welily in the 2019-20 CIB PSA Women’s World Championship. El Sherbini clobbered her compatriot El Welily, who currently holds the ‘World No.1’ title, 3-1 by scoring 11-4, 9-11, 11-5 in 41 minutes, 11-6. According to PSA World Tour press release, this win is considered “all the more incredible” as she is suffering from a knee injury. “The last couple of months for me have been really hard,” El Sherbini said after winning the 20th PSA title of her career. “I didn’t know what I was going to do… but I took the risk and took the decision that I wanted to play this tournament badly, and I wanted to come and try and see how it goes. I was getting better every match and I’m very grateful and happy to be standing here right now.” El Sherbini’s knee injury has lead to a drop in her ranking, as she currently stands at ‘World No.4’ in this month’s…
How the Cairo Tower Gave Birth to Modern Egypt
Throughout history, iconic temples and buildings were constructed to symbolize power, with height being one of the main aspects used to impress the population. For instance, the Great Pyramid of Giza, which was built to house the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu, was once the tallest monument in Egypt for nearly 4,000 years, before it was overtaken by the Cairo Tower in 1961. Yet buildings can also hold ulterior motives or represent key events in history, such as the windowless AT&T Long Lines Building, located in the middle of New York City at 33 Thomas Street, which is reported to be one of the most important National Security Agency surveillance sites around the world, according to an investigation by The Intercept. According to Martin Parker, Chicago’s home insurance building, which is considered the first modern skyscraper, represents the moment when the economic system of capitalism came to be “materialized in steel and glass” – a sign of breaking into a new world. Standing in Downtown Cairo, the modern monument known as the ‘Cairo Tower’ (Borg Al-Qāhira), which is 50 meters above the Great Pyramid, also represents a new chapter in Egypt’s…
Confirmed Rumour: Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom Visit Egypt
After days of social media speculation and unconfirmed rumours, pop singer Katy Perry is confirmed to have conducted a visit to Egypt. View this post on Instagram Ancient Egyptians believed that when you pass on your heart had to be weighed. It had to be lighter than a feather to be qualified for the trip to the afterlife. My mother has called me feather since I was a little girl and I hope after all is said and done my heart is as light as one. This is 35. A post shared by KATY PERRY (@katyperry) on Oct 31, 2019 at 6:23pm PDT The Hollywood artist shared a post of her visit to the Giza Pyramids along with her partner and famed actor Orlando Bloom on her official Instagram page. She shares a reference to the ‘Weighing of heart’ ceremony which is a well-known afterlife belief in ancient Egyptian culture. Katy Perry, whose fascination with the ancient civilization spills into Egyptomania, is famous for alluding to ancient Egypt in her ‘Dark Horse’ official music video….
Eminönü: Getting a Rare Glimpse into Old Istanbul
From the Bosphorus, Istanbul is a shimmering skyline of towering walls, grand palaces, and intricate minarets that still retains much of the allure of its famous culture and beauty. It is still as awe-inspiring now as it was for Russian envoys in the tenth century or Austrian ambassadors in the sixteenth. On the ground, however, it is a rapidly changing city. The old Ottoman caravansaries, the hans, are almost all gone, replaced by new glass stores and hotels. The Divan Yolu, once the monument lined central street of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, is now a line of stores and restaurants. Even the Hagia Sophia, once the greatest church on earth is now overrun by hordes of tourists and is replete with modern gift shops and cafes. But one part of the old city has really maintained that feeling of old Turkey. Between the ever more expensive and less unique Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaaar (also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, the Mısır Çarşısı) lies the inner heart of the neighborhood of Eminönü. In this twisted knot of streets lay the true markets of old Istanbul, complete with everything…
Five Popular Spots in Cairo Where You Can Grab Delicious Weekend Brunch
Egypt’s capital has a rich food scene with restaurants and cafes emerging in every corner. And while Cairo’s food hubs are busiest during the evenings, when friends and family reconvene to socialize, many enjoy grabbing breakfast during the during the weekend mornings. We compiled a list of popular breakfast spots across the city. Lyfe View this post on Instagram Taste the rainbow A post shared by Lyfe – Eatery & Juicebar (@lyfe.egy) on Aug 6, 2018 at 1:25am PDT It is a little spot in Maadi with a beautiful ‘picnic-looking’ outdoor seating area, as well as an indoor seating area. Their menu is diverse with many appealing and healthy breakfast options. Lyfe’s menu includes greek yogurt, oats and a variety of smoothie bowls with mixed fruits, milk and seeds. Not to mention, it has a stack of oats pancakes that are soft and fluffy, as well as diverse ‘on toast’ options with avocado, salmon Andrea View this post on Instagram A post shared by Andrea Group (@andreaegypt) on Feb 5, 2019 at 2:17pm PST Andrea has become the favorite breakfast spot for many locals and tourists…
Egypt Produces the Most Plastic Pollution in the Arab World
Egypt produces 5.4 million tonnes of plastic annually, making it the biggest plastic polluter in the Arab World. A recent report by the WWF also revealed that Egypt is the biggest source of plastic polluting the Mediterranean, pouring in 250,000 tons every year. Turkey is the highest polluter in the Middle East, with 5.6 million tonnes of plastic coming out of the country every year. Egypt ranks second in the Middle East, and Iran follows, at almost 4 million tonnes. Globally, China ranks first, producing 59 million tonnes of plastic a year. The United States is the second biggest world polluter; its plastic production amounts to almost 38 million tonnes. Germany is in third place, with 14.4 million tonnes annually. Rapid growth in global plastic production began in the 1950s. Over the next 65 years, annual production of plastics increased nearly 200-fold to 381 million tonnes in 2015. This piece was originally published on InfoTimes.org and was written by Aya Nader. InfoTimes is a platform that combines data science, information design, and storytelling, forging a digital experience that informs the public on current topics of interest. For data-driven stories, visit infotimes.org Main…