Egypt’s Ministry of Environment is organizing a clean-up campaign in the South Sinai governorate to raise awareness about the importance of protecting nature reserves in Egypt. In a statement released yesterday, the ministry stated that it started the initiative at the Abu Galum Reservoir in South Sinai Governorate, which is a continuation of the community initiative in the city of Dahab to preserve its natural reserves and prevent it from becoming polluted. “The campaign aims at raising awareness of the importance of nature reserves and appreciating the value of natural resources and its protection for future generations,” the statement said. The initiative was attended by a number of Egyptian and foreign volunteers as well as residents of the local community and some dive centers in Dahab as representatives of environmental tourism workers in the region, as well as workers in the reserve. The director of the Abu Galum reserve said that the initiative included the removal of waste from some parts of the Sahel area in the protected area, as well as the area of the beach which connects the area of the Balohul and the area of Dahila in Abu…
‘Ahlan Wasahlan’: Watch Rami Malek Give Advice to Young Arabs
After scooping up the Best Actor award at the 2019 Academy Awards for his critically-acclaimed portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek went backstage to speak to press, in which he showed off his Arabic speaking skills and gave advice to young Arab talents. “I read that you grew up loving Umm Kalthoum and Omar Sharif, and there’s plenty of Arab young talents growing up now loving Rami Malek. If it’s not too much to ask, what would you say to these guys or ladies, in Arabic if possible?” a reporter asked him. “Well, I will begin by saying ahlan wasahlan, forsa saeeda we menawar” Malek replied. He then went on to say how he never completely proud of his identity, and always felt as an ‘outsider’, before he started to learn more about the ‘magic’ and ‘pure art’ coming from the Middle East. “When I grew up as a kid, part of me felt like I needed to shed some of that. I didn’t feel like I fit in, I definitely felt like the outsider.” “As I got older I realized just how beautiful my heritage and…
New Chapter of Cooperation between Europe and the Arab World: Tusk
As he concluded the first summit ever between the leaders of the European Union and the League of Arab States, European Council President Donald Tusk called it a “new chapter of cooperation” between Europe and the Arab world. “I truly believe that it can be the beginning of a new chapter of cooperation between us,” Tusk said at the press conference. “It is time to get real about partnership between the Arab world and Europe. We are confronted by many of the same challenges, in a geo-political context that has become even more dangerous and unstable. Challenges such as dealing with international security crises and terrorism, fighting climate change and mass population displacement or ensuring sustainable growth and investment in an uncertain global economy.” Tusk added that the leaders at the summit agreed to renew their commitments to uphold all aspects of international human rights law, develop common projects in energy security, technology, tourism and trade, and to implement the Paris agreement. He also asserted that the they agreed to cooperate on a number of security and border control issues, such as addressing the root causes of terrorism and fighting against the movement of…
Ministry of Health Launches a New Campaign to Fight Poliomyelitis
Egypt’s Ministry of Health Hala Zayed inaugurated a new national campaign on 24 February to fight poliomyelitis “polio” through polio vaccine in collaboration with Port Said Governor Abdel El Ghadban. The campaign recruited 90,000 physicians and will be on going until 27 February. According to UNICEF, “Egypt has suffered for long from polio; a disease that has been endemic in the country for almost 3000 years, as illustrated in Pharaonic inscriptions, and infected millions of children in Egypt and the world until 1955 when scientists discovered the first vaccine against poliovirus.” Egypt implemented the last phase of eradicating the disease in 2018. This campaign is inline with the global strategy to end polio. The World Health Organization revealed that there were 29 reported cases of polio across the world. The disease affects children who are younger than five years old. Polio is also known infantile paralysis which is a disease that weakens the muscles and can lead to paralysis. The medics will cover houses and nurseries in urban and rural areas around Egypt and vaccinate all children who are five years old and younger. The campaign will go hand in…
Rami Malek Wins Best Actor Oscar for Bohemian Rhapsody
Defeating Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper, Rami Malek has won the Oscar for best role at the 91st Academy Awards making him the very first Arab American to earn the award. The Egyptian-American’s role as Freddie Mercury has also landed him several awards, including a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for best actor. Accepting the award, Malek made a speech in which he paid tribute to his mother and deceased father, stating that ”he would be looking down on me[Rami] right now”. He also thanked his partner and co-star Lucy Boynton, who portrayed Mary Austin in the biographical Queen film, stating ”You are the heart of this film and you captured my heart.” Malek also highlighted encouragement to those still trying to find their voice ”We made a film about a gay man, an immigrant – we’re longing for stories like this. I’m a first generation American, my story is being written right now.” The highest-grossing musical biographical film of all time, with over $406 million worldwide, also received other nominations including sound mixing, sound editing, film editing and best picture. Bohemian Rhapsody is a biopic of British rock band Queen;…
Egypt to Establish African Space Agency in New Cairo
According to Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research’s advisor for African affairs Islam Abou El Magd, Egypt has decided to invest USD 10 million in a new venture to construct the first African Space Agency. In an interview with the new agency MENA, Abou El Magd revealed that the space agency headquarters will be located in the outskirts of New Cairo. The contract will be signed by the countries of the African Union in March. “The National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS) will temporarily host the headquarters of the agency until the construction of its permanent site is completed,” the minister added in the statement. Egypt’s opportunities in the outer space science field are very limited. Mohammed Sallam, also known as “Mido” is the only Egyptian, and Arab, running to be involved in the Mars One Project. In an interview with Egyptian Streets, Mido said “When I saw the program [Mars One] I did not blink, really, especially since I live in a country that does not promote space as a valid career option.” With this new venture, Egypt and other African countries will be able…
IN PICTURES: Algerians Protest Against Bouteflika’s 20 Year Rule
Thousands of people gathered across Algeria on Friday to protest against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s plans to run for a fifth term. This is the first nation-wide protests against the president since the Arab revolutions in 2011, when Algerian security forces managed to contain those mass demonstrations. Bouteflika’s office said late on Thursday that he would travel to Switzerland on Sunday for “routine medical checks”, without giving further details. Journalists filmed riot police firing tear gas over the crowd to block a march on to the presidential palace in the capital, Algiers. “No to Bouteflika and no to Said,” the crowd chanted, referring to the president’s youngest brother Said Bouteflika, who is a presidential adviser. Bouteflika remained popular with many Algerians, as they credit him for ending a long civil war caused by Islamists in the late 1990’s….
Health Ministry: 30.37 Out of 100 M Egyptians Screened for HCV
According to a statement made by the Health Minister Hala Zayed, 30,375 million Egyptian citizens have participated in the ”100 Million Seha (Health) campaign to test for hepatitis C (HCV). Although the campaign had for goal to detect and treat 50 million then 100 million, its current target is still considered a partial success. Egyptians were urged to get tested at workplaces, in malls and in neighborhood communities. Many volunteers were trained and given testing kits to carry out the test for others. There are also testing halls in most public and private hospitals requiring only the national ID for testing. From a total of targeted 7, 760,000 in Cairo, around 6, 999,000 citizens were tested according to Egypt Today. The national campaign is part of President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi’s initiative announced earlier in February to free the country from the disease by 2020. It will take place from October 2018 until April 2019 in all of Egypt’s governorates, targeting people between the ages of 19-59. The official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health Khaled Megahed stated that the campaign will target 17 governorates, including Cairo, Fayoum, Giza, Beni Suef,…
For the First Time, European and Arab States Join Forces in Egypt
The European Union (EU) and the League of Arab States (LAS) will hold their first ever Heads of State Summit on February 24th and 25th, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, to discuss how to further cooperate on a range of joint issues, including climate change, economic development, and illegal migration. European Council President Donald Tusk will co-chair the meeting together with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who will also be representing the EU. According to a press release on Friday by the European Union, the summit will seek to strengthen Arab-European ties. On the first day, 24 February, a plenary session will be held on ‘Enhancing the Euro-Arab partnership and addressing global challenges together – part 1’. The second day will be devoted to ‘addressing regional challenges together’ and part 2 of the first session that was held previously, followed by a press conference. More than 20 European heads of state or government will be at the summit, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May. After the signing of a memorandum of understanding in 2015, the EU and LAS have maintained an…