Earlier this month, Sudan’s first cabinet since the ouster of president Omar al-Bashir was sworn in and marked the country’s transition to civilian rule after nationwide protests that overthrew the autocrat. The cabinet was formed after Sudan signed a joint civilian-military ruling body that aims to oversee the transition. The new government is formed of twenty ministries, and four Sudanese women were appointed in out of eighteen positions formed on the 5th of September: Asma’a Mohammed Abdullah will assume the role of Foreign Minister, Intisar al-Zain Saghirun as Minister of Higher Education, Lina al-Shaikh Mahjoub as Minister of Labor and Human Resources Development, and Wala’a Essam al-Boushi as Minister of Youth and Sports. In addition, the Sovereign Council saw the appointment of a Coptic Christian woman for the first time, Raja Nicola Issa Abdul-Masseh, and Ayesha Musa Saeed, who are expected to guide Sudan during the transitional period. WHO ARE THE WOMEN? Asma’a Mohammed Abdullah, Sudan’s first ever female Foreign Minister, was one of the leading woman in Sudan’s diplomatic circles as a Sudanese ambassador, employed by the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, prior to the Omar al-Bashir presidency. After her persecution…
‘There Is No Planet B’: 16 Inspiring Photos of the Global Youth Climate Strike
Inspired by 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, millions of people around the world walked out on Friday to participate in the global climate strike ahead of the United Nations Climate Action Summit next week. In a special address on Wednesday evening, Thunberg called out the American Congress on climate change, stating “this is the time to wake up.” “This is the moment in history we need to be wide awake. Dreams cannot stand in the way of telling it like it is, especially not now.” She also submitted the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s special climate report, which showed the alarming impacts on the climate if the world warms by just 1.5 degrees Celsius. Last August, Thunberg stood alone outside the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm as a way to push her country to fight climate change. Later, she formed the organization ‘FridaysForFuture’, inspiring others around the world to join her. …
Small, Scattered Anti-Government Protests Occur in Egypt
According to witnesses and a large number of videos circulating online, a rare protest was spotted near Egypt’s iconic Tahrir Square where protesters chanted for the resignation of current President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. In tandem with the events, the hashtag #MidanAl Tahrir (The Square) is trending on Twitter, with already over 600,000 tweets about the protests. Initially, the legitimacy of the protests has been a challenge to verify, with many critics, including popular TV host Amr Adeeb, calling the videos fake or a re-use of previous demonstrations. Local TV channels have also shown footage of Tahrir square devoid of protests. However, Egyptian Streets received confirmation of the protests’ occurrence through residents in downtown Cairo. Protesters have been reportedly shouting ‘Sisi leave’, ‘Freedom’ and ‘The people want to topple the regime.’ News outlets such as MadaMasr and the BBC have also cited protests in the cities of Alexandria, Suez and Mansoura. #ميدان_التحرير Freedom welcome back… pic.twitter.com/17loXFJhCn — Ha j ar (@biboua1907) September 20, 2019 Cairo’s protest is said to have started around on Friday night where large groups shouted anti-government slogans. The social media videos have also depicted Egyptian security…
Israeli Tourism in Sinai Soars to Over 1 Million Vacationers in 2019
Israeli tourism in the Sinai is seeing a bit of a revival, with a 30% increase compared to 2018’s figures, totaling more than one million vacationers in 2019 so far, Israeli business daily Globes reports. According to data from the Israel Airports Authority, 150,000 Israelis are expected to cross the border into Egypt over the coming months. 35,000 out of those will be entering Egypt around the time of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), while 20,000 are expected to arrive before and after Yom Kippur. Egypt’s revenues from visa fees by Israeli tourists in 2019 so far are estimated to be NIS 50 million (approximately $14 million), according to the publication. The influx of Israeli tourists into the Sinai has continued to increase over the past months despite travel advisories issued by the state of Israel, warning its citizens of travelling to the peninsula due to heightened security threats. Sinai has been a top destination for Israeli holiday makers since 1982, following the Camp David Accords, due to its proximity, affordability, and significance in Jewish history. However, the border between Egypt and Israel was briefly shut down in 2011…
New Egyptian Law Requires Access to Customer Data From Careem, Uber
The soon to be joining ride-hailing applications, Uber and Careem, will be required to provide Egypt’s government with customer data if requested according to new law 2180/2019. The law, which gives customer data to the Ministry of Transport in particular, also stipulated that the companies log data on all rides for six months as per local news outlets Al Ahram and MadaMasr. A common point of contention between critics, fear that Egyptian authorities would be able to track population movement has existed since 2018. Nonetheless, many have voiced out that the Egyptian government can already access personal data through existing telecommunications companies and Internet service providers thus rendering the sharing of customer data a mere formality. Set to be operating under a proper ‘work license’, the companies would thus need to provide a VAT registration, a tax card and commercial records. Moreover, the government is requiring for the two ride hailing giants to abide by certain regulations such as random drug and alcohol tests on a monthly basis as well as providing social security insurance, including pension, to their employees. Similar to the country’s taxis, the law also requires for…
Egypt’s Ban from Weightlifting World Championships Could Extend to 2020 Olympics
According to international and local news outlets, Egypt has been banned from participating in the weightlifting category of the current World championships for doping offenses with which were confirmed in 2016. The news was announced by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) on its website on Wednesday. If the two-year ban is upheld despite attempts from Egypt’s attempts to reverse it, it will prevent national players from also participating in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Confusion has surrounded the news of the ban, with players telling local news outlets such as al Ahram, that they were surprised to find that the starting lists for the World championships, currently held in Thailand, had omitted their names. “The starting lists were announced on Tuesday and we were surprised to find that we were excluded. We will return to Egypt,” Egyptian weightlifting athlete Mohamed Ihab told Ahram Online. Egyptian authorities, namely the Egyptian Olympic committee and the Egyptian Weightlifting federation, had maintained that they were not informed of the decision officially. This contrasts strongly with IWF’s statement which states “The Egyptian Weightlifting Federation was officially informed of the decision by the IMFSP on 12 September…
‘Aladdin’ Star Mena Massoud Chosen Ambassador for ‘Speak Egyptian’ Initiative
Nabila Makram Abdel Shaheed, Minister of State for Emigration and Egyptian Affairs Abroad, met with Egyptian star Mena Massoud on Wednesday who starred in this year’s Disney remake of Aladdin and is currently visiting Egypt to participate in the El Gouna Film Festival. During the meeting, Makram announced Massoud as an ambassador for the “Speak Egyptian” initiative, which is launched by the Ministry of Emigration to protect the national identity of Egyptians living abroad through a program that teaches the Egyptian dialect for all ages. Makram expressed her pride and happiness in his career achievements, as well as his adherence to speaking the language of his motherland, pointing out that art is one of the elements of soft power for Egypt due to its influence. The Minister added that he reflected a positive image of Egypt globally, and wished him more success in the future. Mena Massoud will also participate in the third session of this year’s El Gouna Film Festival, which will be held from 19 to 27 September. Massoud was born in Cairo, Egypt to Egyptian Coptic Christian parents before immigrating to Canada when he was three-years-old. He previously worked in television,…
Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum Among The Guardian’s Best 100 Films of the 21st Century
Nadine Labaki’s critically-lauded cinematic gem Capernaum has earned a spot on The Guardian’s picks for the best 100 films of the 21st century. Coming up at no. 71, Capernaum outranks silver screen classics like The Dark Knight, Gladiator, No Country for Old Men, Lost in Translation, and Requiem for a Dream. The list was compiled by longtime Guardian film critics Peter Bradshaw, Cath Clarke, Andrew Pulver, and Catherine Shoard, featuring picks by each. “A sprawling drama that functions both as an excoriating treatise on the nature of poverty in Lebanon, and an idiosyncratic drama in which a child takes his parents to court for their ill-treatment of him,” Pulver writes of Capernaum, describing it as “a highly original and affecting film.” Capernaum, which follows the story of a 12-year-old boy born in poverty in Beirut who sues his parents for bringing him into the world, opened to glowing reviews from critics shortly after its release. The cinematic gem earned Labaki a 15-minute standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival, an Oscar nod, and Palme D’Or, BAFTA, and Golden Globe nominations, in addition to a dinner invitation by Oprah Winfrey. Capernaum isn’t…
Egypt Will Mark World Cleanup Day with 4 Massive Eco Campaigns
Egypt has announced its first official participation in this year’s World Cleanup Day, Al Ahram Online reports. Set to take place on Saturday September 21st, 2019, the global event is expected to draw millions of volunteers and environmental activists to clean up “litter and mismanaged waste from our beaches, rivers, forests, and streets,” as per the movement’s website. For its part, Egypt is planning 4 massive events to mark the occasion. The Chamber of Diving and Water Sports (CDWS) and other dive centers will organize cleanup campaigns in Sharm El Sheikh’s Nabq reserve, as well as in some dive sites in Dahab and the Red Sea Governorate. In Minya, a large cleanup will be organized along the banks of the Nile River in collaboration with eco-startup Greenish. CDWS also announced that it would be launching a nationwide awareness campaign to educate consumers on single-use plastic pollution and introduce the public to more sustainable alternatives. World Cleanup Day is an initiative launched by Let’s Do It! World, an environmental movement that began in Estonia in 2008 and quickly morphed into a global phenomenon, expanding to 157 countries. This comes as part of…