The third edition of the World Youth Forum was inaugurated on Saturday 14 December at Egypt’s Red Sea resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh. The 2019 edition of the World Youth Forum is larger than ever, hosting 7,000 Egyptian and foreign youth, as well as a number of other experts, journalists, public figures and officials from around the globe. The opening ceremony, which was inaugurated by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, saw speeches from a number of influential individuals. 12-Year-Old Egyptian Stuns Audience The ceremony started with a speech from Li Yong, Director General of the United Nationa Industrial Development Organization, who spoke about the importance of youth participation. “From our experience, we know that, when young people participate and are included, economic and industrial development processes are much more likely to be sustainable,” said Li Yong. From there, a number of young speakers took to the stage. This included 12-year-old Egyptian Zein Yosusef, who shared his inspirational story of fighting cancer. “I embraced a motto in my life that I repeat daily in everything that I do, called NEGU,” said Zein Youssef confidently to the thousands of audience members as…
Deposed Sudanese President Sentenced for Corruption Charges
Months after the deposition of Sudan’s former president, Omar Al-bashir, who faces multiple trials in relation to his 30-year rule, has been sentenced to two years in prison for corruption and money-laundering by a Sudanese court. The ousted ruler, who is 75, will however serve his two-year sentence at a ‘correctional’ facility as Sudanese laws dictate that civilians over the age of 70 not serve prison sentences. However, with a looming trial regarding the 1989 coup which landed him in power, it is most likely that Al-Bashir will remain in high-security prison Kobar, where he has been detained until all of his sentences are served. Moreover, since 2009, the deposed figure is still indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for supposedly directing a campaign of pillage, mass killing and rape in Sudan’s Darfur region, becoming the first sitting president to receive the indictment. According to the BBC, one of Al-Bashir’s lawyers indicated that an appeal would be sought against the Sudanese court’s verdict. In April, after months of civil unrest and anti-Bashir protests over an ailing economy and corruption, Sudan’s Minister of Defense, Awad Mohamed Ahmed…
Egyptian MP Submits Legislative Amendments to Criminalize All Forms of Animal Abuse
Egyptian Member of Parliament Caroline Maher presented a draft amendment to the Penal Code No. 58 of 1937 to ensure that the penalty is increased for all crimes that constitute violation, transgression or use of violence against all animal species. In a statement, Maher noted that “all religions have recognized the necessity of preserving the lives of all creatures, and imposed moral codes prohibiting all forms of animal abuse, yet with the current legislative gaps, the phenomenon of animal abuse has become a habit practiced by some citizens without legal deterrence.” “One of the manifestations of this pervasive phenomenon is the poisoning of dogs and cats in the streets, and photographing of brutal scenes killing those animals and publishing these videos on social media, without restriction or consideration of the spread of the phenomenon of violence” she added. Maher remarked that the current articles do not include stricter punishment or fines, and that amendments must be made in order to impose penalties proportional to the crime committed. The amendments in the draft law add five new paragraphs to Article (357): to criminalize conducting scientific experiments on animals without obtaining a…
Egyptian Government Opens Shelter for Women Victims of Violence in Giza
Egypt’s Ministry of Social Solidarity announced the opening of a new shelter for battered women in Giza, Egypt Independent reports. The facility, opened on Tuesday, will serve as a center to host and mentor women survivors of violence and abuse. This comes as part of the 16 Days campaign to combat violence against women and girls, which takes place every year from the 25th of November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, until the 10th of December, Human Rights Day. The Giza shelter is one of eight similar facilities across the country, namely in Cairo, Daqahlia, Minya, Qalyubia, Alexandria, Beni Suef and Fayoum. In a statement during the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine Kabbage said that the shelters are one of the services provided by the ministry designed to improve familial ties and protect and rehabilitate women and girls victims of violence. In addition to sheltering women at risk, including survivors of human or sex trafficking and women with disabilities, the centers also provide a number of other services, ranging from healthcare and psychotherapy, to legal assistance, according to Egypt Independent. The shelters are…
Azza Fahmy Reimagines Egypt’s Mamluk Era Through Gorgeous Jewelry Designs
Against the backdrop of the exquisite and glorious Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, with an entrance that carries an aura of sophistication, elegance and historical treasures, Azza Fahmy Jewelry’s new Mamluk collection was displayed under each architectural inspiration for the jewelry piece. In this collection, Azza Fahmy follows in the footsteps of the renowned Iraqi architect and designer Zaha Hadid who often designed wearable architectural models. However, she goes even further by brining back old cultures to life, preserving key moments in Egypt’s history through magical and impeccable designs worn by modern women. Since 1969, when Azza Fahmy first invaded that male dominated field of jewelry making to pursue her passion, the jewelry design house grew to be a global phenomenon with great provenance, with the recent announcement of the opening of their first American storefront at the Waldorf Astoria in Los Angeles. Egyptian Streets spoke with creative director Azza Fahmy, CEO Fatma Ghali and head designer Amina Ghali to learn more about the Mamluk collection and their future plans: What was the idea of the woman that you had in mind when designing this collection? The Azza Fahmy…
7 Tips on Pairing Your Jewelry with Your Clothes
Jewelry has been used for centuries to decorate us for special occasions, and enhance our beauty. They liven up our appearance as well as our existence. However, they also have the ability to create a terrible look if not chosen correctly to coordinate with our clothes. There are many kinds of jewelry, and they come in thousands of shades of color. It can be hard to choose from a variety of them. An item might look beautiful when displayed in a store, but it can look horrible when worn with a dress. To help you decide the best jewelry pieces that go best with your dress, below are some useful and foolproof ideas. Contrast The time when you used to wear matching jewelry with your clothes is now ancient history, and if you were to go out like this, you’d be sure to get some hurtful and criticizing comments. Today the trend is to wear accessories that contrast with your dress. If a dress is white in color than black and white jewelry will go well with it. As with pink, you can match another lively color like yellow. Like…
Google Injects 1M USD Into Arabic Digital Skills Program, Improves Arabic Search
Upon searching for ‘recycling plastic’ and other environment-related keywords, the social enterprise Greenish appears on the first page of Google’s results. Greenish aims to build a green movement in Egypt and mobilize individuals and organisations who want to adopt sustainable solutions, and through the program ‘Maharat Min Google’, its online presence was refined. The NGO was better able to run a social business using online strategies and Search Engine Marketing, reach more clients looking for a company like Greenish on Google, and better its website content . Greenish’s website visits increased by 40 percent. On Tuesday, Google made a series of announcements which promise more helpful services to the Arab world at its largest event to date in the Middle East and North Africa. One of these announcements was a $US 1 million grant for the Arabic digital skills learning program ‘Maharat min Google’. Looking forward to our renewed partnership and promising venture with @GoogleArabia filled with high hopes and aspirations for the youth of the MENA region#google4mena #believeininjaz pic.twitter.com/JuPzNHgJnx — INJAZ Al-Arab (@INJAZAlArab) December 10, 2019 Google.org is regranting Injaz Al-Arab, an NGO that specializes in youth training, the…
Egypt Approves Law to Grant Foreigners Egyptian Nationality Under Conditions of Investment
On Tuesday, Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly’s cabinet approved a draft decision related to Parliament’s Law 190 which would grant foreigners citizenship to Egypt, in special cases where they meet certain investment conditions. This decision was announced by the PM, as per various Egyptian news outlets including Al Masry Al Youm. There are four main conditions for this eligibility: buying state-owned property for a minimum of $US 500,000. Another condition is to join an investment project worth $US 400,000 at least and with a partnership rate of not less than 40 percent of the project’s capital. The third condition is depositing an amount of $US 750,000 from abroad, to be paid back in EGP after the deposit by five years in according to the Central Bank of Egypt’s rate, and without interest. Lastly, the fourth condition which would facilitate the acquisition of getting Egyptian nationality would be upon depositing $US 250,000 as foreign funds to the state’s budget. Last year, Egypt’s House of Representatives approved a bill that would grant foreign residents with the Egyptian nationality if they deposit seven million pounds over a period of five years, Egypt Independent…
Cairo University’s Anti-Violence Against Woman Unit Aiming to Create ‘Safe Environment for All’
Cairo University’s Anti-Violence Against Women Unit recently organized the closing ceremony of the “16 days of global activities to combat violence against women” under the slogan “Together for a Safe University Environment for All”, in which the University participated in from November 25 to December 10, with many activities and events. Mohamed Othman Al-Khasht, president of the university, explained that the policy of the anti-violence unit and its principles are compatible with the goal of developing the Egyptian mind, as it is concerned with changing the way it thinks towards women, and raising awareness that university education must be safe for all. For her part, Dr. Heba Noah, Vice President of Cairo University for Education and Student Affairs, said that the university is working to give graduates all the support and knowledge needed to become mentally and physically qualified to avoid and prevent all forms of violence. Head of the Anti-Violence Against Women Unit, Dr. Howaida Mostafa, noted that the unit aims to implement all policies relevant to combat violence against women, from training cadres to spreading a culture that supports the status of women. Cairo University is a pioneer…