The ancient Egyptian civilization was pioneering in developing irrigation techniques, said Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sweilam.

The minister pointed out to the UNESCO’s crucial role in protecting the world irrigation heritage in Egypt by supporting his ministry in establishing an irrigation museum through UNESCO’s “Water Museum Programme” to preserve the Egyptian water legacy and document ancient and modern water management practices in the country.

The minister’s remarks were made during his meeting with Director of UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science Nuria Sanz.

During the meeting, the minister referred to the importance of supporting UNESCO in restoring important historical documents, given the organization’s distinguished capabilities in this sphere.

He, meanwhile, affirmed keenness on promoting cooperation with the organization in order to enhance the training system and capacity building in the water sphere.

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Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala al-Said said that LE7.7-billion worth of investments have been allocated for Luxor governorate during the current fiscal year 2023-2024, with 201 projects set to be carried.

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Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received on Thursday 9/5/2024 a phone call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss developments in the Palestinian territories, particularly the situation in Rafah.

Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid said the phone call focused on security and humanitarian developments in Rafah and the progress of negotiations hosted by Cairo to cease-fire in Gaza and release detainees and captives.

Shourky underlined the need to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible with the full delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

The foreign minister also warned against the serious impacts of the Israeli operation in Rafah.

Blinken expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s ongoing efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire that secure the release of detainees and captives, and discussed with Shoukry ongoing diplomacy to prevent the conflict from spreading, according to a press release issued by the US Department of State.

Secretary Blinken reaffirmed US President Joe Biden’s clear position that the United States does not support a major military operation in Rafah and the United States’ rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

The Secretary also expressed the United States’ support for the reopening of Rafah crossing and the continued flow of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip

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The International Cooperation Ministry gives top priority to entrepreneurship and innovation through launching partnerships with the various development companies, affirmed Minister Rania al-Mashat.

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The Ministry of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs revealed the latest conditions for applying to the initiative to settle the conscription status of expatriate men abroad.

This comes in response to requests made by Egyptians abroad so that they can easily renew their passports abroad, with settling the conscription status being one of the most important items.

The initiative to settle the conscription situation for Egyptians abroad was relaunched on Wednesday, May 1, and applications for it will continue for two months.

 

Conditions

1. Requests for final settlement of conscription status for Egyptians abroad are received at the initiative of the Egyptian state.
2. All requests for the are received on the website for Egyptians abroad who have reached the age of conscription, starting from the age of (18 years) from the date of registration on the website until the age of (30 years), as well as for those over the age of (30 years) to settle their status according to the situation.
3. There must be a certificate approved by the embassy/consulate confirming expatriate status and a receipt for payment in the bank accounts designated for application within the initiative.

 

To register in the initiative, enter the required data on the website, which lists the specifications and conditions for the initiative.

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The Media Center of the Egyptian Cabinet denied rumors claiming that organ trafficking gangs are spreading across the country.

In a Friday statement the Cabinet explained that rumors of organ-trafficking gangs with members including have spread across social media, who lure and kidnap children in order to harvest their organs.

The center said it contacted the Interior Ministry, which denied these reports and said there is zero truth to these allegations.

No complaints or reports had been monitored in any governorate across Egypt regarding similar incidents, it stressed.

The ministry slammed the rumors as aiming to create confusion, and urged all citizens not to fall for these claims.

It also assured that the the necessary legal measures will be taken against the source of the rumors.

The Cabinet’s Media Center also contacted the Ministry of Health and Population, which denied the rumors.

The ministry explained that these social media posts are fake, and have been posted and circulated repeatedly since 2017.

The Center appealed to various media outlets to ensure accuracy and objectivity in publishing facts and to communicate with the concerned authorities to verify incidents before publishing information to avoid spreading confusion and panic amongst the public.

To report any rumors or false information, send them to the WhatsApp numbers of the Cabinet’s Media Center (01155508688 – 01155508851) 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or via email (rumors@idsc.net.eg).

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The undersecretary of the Planning and Budget Committee in the House of Representatives, Mostafa Salem, has criticized EgyptAir for appointing 33 new advisors to the company despite its carried forward losses totaling LE29.4 billion.

He criticized the company’s lack of commitment to rationalizing spending.

The MP made the statements in the plenary session during the discussion of the final account of the state’s general budget for 2022/2023, in the presence of Finance Minister Mohamed Maait, the Deputy Minister of Planning, Ahmed Kamali, and the head of the Central Auditing Organization, Hisham Badawi.

Salem explained: “During the discussion of the final account in the Plan and Budget Committee, two very strange issues appeared before us. Although the Cabinet issued many decisions, and instructions for rationalizing spending, we were surprised when EgyptAir – even though the balance of its carried forward losses amounted to LE 29.4 billion – appointed 33 consultants, so where is the rationalization of spending in that?”

“As for the second issue it is most strange, as we found, during the discussion of the final accounts of the Petroleum Ministry, that the number of employees in the ministry is only one, with 550 employees seconded from other companies,” he noted.

“Ministry officials said at the time that this was to reduce the state’s general budget, which we saw as not true,” Salem said.

“The Egyptian state spent LE1.2 trillion on the social protection and human development sector, representing 55 percent of total expenditures, where LE412 billion was spent on wages with a growth rate of 15 percent, LE 454 billion with a growth rate of 32 percent, LE212 billion on education with a growth rate of nine percent, and LE 147 billion on the sector of health with a growth rate of eight percent,” he explained.

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Egypt threatens to scrap peace deal if Israel doesn’t halt Rafah operation, according to Israeli media reports.

According to the Cairo News Channel, Israeli media outlets are alleging that Egypt put pressure on the US to stop Israel’s offensive in Rafah..

Israeli newspaper Maariv stated that Egyptian officials demanded William Burns, visiting Director of American Intelligence, to urge Israel to halt the operation and resume serious negotiations.

Maariv further reported that Egypt is ready to cancel the Camp David Accords if Israel insists on launching operation in Rafah.

America had increased the severity of its warnings against Israel in respect of its operations in Rafah.

In an unprecedented move, US President Joe Biden announced, in an interview with CNN, last Wednesday, that he would halt arming Israel, if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initiated a full-scale military incursion in Rafah, a city located in the southern Gaza Strip.

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The Egyptian Ministry of Transport has announced the commencement of passenger trial operation for the third segment of Phase 3 of Metro Line 3 (3C), starting from Wednesday, May 15.

This segment is 7.1 kilometers long and extends from El-Tawfikia Station to Cairo University, passing through Wadi El-Nil Street, the Arab League University, and Boulaq El-Dakrour. It includes five stations: three underground stations (El-Tawfikia, Wadi El-Nil, and Arab League University), one surface station (Boulaq El-Dakrour), and one elevated station (Cairo University).

The Ministry stated that the successful completion of the non-passenger trial operation phase for this segment included testing all systems such as lighting, air conditioning, ventilation, fire fighting, and others to ensure their functionality and complete integration. Additionally, trains were operated for dynamic testing to ensure the safety and security of all project components.

With the commencement of passenger trial operation for this final segment of Line 3, the entire line has been opened to the public. The line runs from Adly Mansour Central Interchange Station, passing through Kit Kat and branching north to Rod El-Farag Axis and south to Cairo University.

The line extends for 41.2 kilometers and includes 34 stations. It was implemented in four phases and is considered the first cross-city artery to connect East and West Greater Cairo.

Line 3 serves as a link between all components of the electric rail transport network (Metro network, monorail lines, light rail transit).

It interchanges passenger services with Line 1 at Nasser Station, Line 2 at Al-Attaba and Cairo University stations, and the light rail transit at Adly Mansour Central Station. It also integrates with the East Nile Monorail at El-Stadio Station, the West Nile Monorail at Wadi El-Nil Station, and the planned Line 6 at Abbassiya Station. The line also includes three maintenance workshops for the rolling stock operating on the line: Abbassiya (on an area of 10 acres), Imbaba (on an area of approximately 24 acres where light maintenance for trains is carried out), and Salam (which is considered one of the largest workshops in the Middle East and Africa and was implemented on an area of 65 acres and is dedicated to light and heavy maintenance for trains).

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The Cultural Development Fund Sector, headed by Waleed Qanoush, announced that visitors to the Naguib Mahfouz Museum behind Al-Azhar Mosque and the Umm Kulthum Museum in Manial El-Rawda, both affiliated with the Fund, will be admitted for free from Wednesday, May 15 to Monday, May 20, from 9 am to 4 pm.

The International Council of Museums established International Museum Day in 1977, designating May 18 of each year as a day to celebrate the importance of museums and their educational, cultural, and artistic awareness-raising roles.

International Museum Day is celebrated annually worldwide on May 18 with various events and activities organized by museums and cultural institutions aiming to recognize the significance of museums in promoting education, culture, and arts.

Header image credit: Umm Kulthum Museum official website.

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After nearly a decade of implementing the experiment at three different environmentally damaged sites in the Red Sea, and under the auspices and support of the United Nations Development Programme’s Global Environment Facility (GEF), environmental researchers from the Abu Salam Environmental Association and the Red Sea Reserves, in scientific collaboration with the Department of Marine Sciences at Al-Azhar University’s Faculty of Science, have announced the success of the project to rehabilitate destroyed coral reefs in Hurghada.

Mohamed Abdelghani, the project’s executive director at the Abu Salam Association, considered the project to be one of the most successful environmental projects implemented to rehabilitate and replant coral reefs in a natural way. He explained that during the recent inspection of the planting models, the growth of many types of hard and soft corals was observed on the planting models, in addition to the appearance of many other marine creatures and colorful fish.

The successful natural rehabilitation of coral reefs in this project has opened up new possibilities for environmental researchers, highlighting the need to restore damaged coral reef areas and potentially incorporating such restoration costs into the fines imposed by law on those responsible for the destruction.

This project is the first of its kind in the region to move beyond the study and monitoring phase to the stage of active participation in solving environmental problems, representing a successful model for the rehabilitation of damaged coral reefs in the Red Sea.

Hashim Madkour, President of the Abu Salam Association, praised the scientific collaboration between the association, the Natural Reserves Sector, Al-Azhar University’s Faculty of Science, and the United Nations Development Programme’s Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The project aims to rehabilitate coral reefs in areas that have been destroyed from the coast by providing artificial surfaces made of environmentally compatible materials suitable for receiving coral reef larvae and their natural growth. The project also addresses the challenges facing coral reefs, such as recreational activities and unsustainable human activities.

Madkour explained that the coral reef restoration and planting project serves as a model for the efforts of civil society organizations to conserve the Red Sea’s natural resources. This is achieved through the implementation of scientific monitoring programs, environmental research, and activities to raise awareness of the value of biodiversity in the Red Sea, promoting positive change and environmental conservation.

Madkour further elaborated that the project targeted the rehabilitation of three areas of damaged coral reefs in the Hurghada region, Makadi Bay, Abu Sodfa, and Abu Minqar Lighthouse. Models were installed in the three areas, and all of them successfully received soft and hard coral larvae that grew successfully. The success of the rehabilitation and planting experiment encourages the establishment of new coral reef planting sites in other damaged areas.

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Youth and Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhy has agreed with representatives of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), associations of clubs and all respective bodies and the Interior Ministry to increase the numbers of spectators during future matches.

The Youth and Sports Ministry said in a statement that such a step came at a meeting held on Tuesday 7/5/2024 in the New Administrative Capital to discuss increasing the numbers of fans at all national and African tournaments, in which Egyptian clubs are set to compete.

During the meeting, all state-run bodies and the Interior Ministry agreed on this increase, in addition to holding the knockout matches of African tournaments with full capacity attendance.

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Water and Irrigation Minister and head of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) Hani Sweilam asserted the importance of building an African community capable of adapting to climate change which represents a major challenge to African countries.

This has prompted Egypt to participate in the African climate summit in September which ended up with announcing the Nairobi declaration which called on countries responsible for climate change to make serious commitments for accelerating climate action and laying down mechanisms for financing climate action.

He made the remarks during his participation in the extraordinary meeting of the executive committee of the council via video conference to review the 2024 action plan and budget of the council.

Sweilam reviewed Egypt’s efforts as AMCOW head, underlining the importance of building on the achievements realized over the past period.

He referred to the launch of AWARe initiative for water adaptation and resilience.

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Minister of Military Production Mohamed Salah Eddin Moustafa met on Wednesday 8/5/2024 with CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Mayar Holding Company Thamer al Rayes.

The meeting took up cooperation between the two sides in manufacturing, installing and maintaining elevators with the help of the Egypt Gulf Elevators & Escalators Company (EGGEEC).

Moustafa stressed the importance of implementing directives of the political leadership to maximize the use of local products and remove all obstacles hindering manufacture and production.

He made it clear that this meeting was meant to follow up on the production process and contracts signed between the two sides.

Moustafa said his Ministry and Mayar Holding Company also talked about the time needed to increase the local components.

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Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly welcomed his Jordanian counterpart Bisher Khasawneh upon his visit to Cairo.

Madbouly and Khasawneh are expected to lead the 32nd round of the Egyptian-Jordanian joint committee.

During receiving the Jordanian PM at Cairo International Airport, Madbouly was accompanied by Labor Minister Hassan Shehata and Jordanian Ambassador to Egypt Amgad Aladalia and other senior officials.

The two sides agree on developing bilateral relations and the importance of coordinating at all levels especially concerning the current regional challenges.

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In conjunction with International Thalassemia Day on May 8, the Egyptian Ministry of Health announced that it has provided treatment and health counseling to 32,591 individuals diagnosed with Thalassemia (also known as Cooley’s anemia) through a presidential initiative for premarital testing.

According to a Facebook statement released by the ministry, the cases represented 1.9 percent of the total number of individuals screened under the initiative which reached 1.7 million young men and women.

 

What is Thalassemia?

The official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, explained that Thalassemia is one of the most common genetic blood disorders in Egypt.

It is an inherited disorder of red blood cells that leads to a lower than normal level of hemoglobin and red blood cells. This condition is caused by a genetic mutation and is passed down from parents to children.

Abdel Ghaffar added that an individual may be infected with the disease and exhibit symptoms, or they may carry only one of the genes and not show any symptoms.

He highlighted the most prominent symptoms as signs of anemia including pale skin, general weakness, wasting, irregular heartbeat, delayed growth, and infertility.

 

Treatment options

He further explained that treatment depends on the type and severity of the disease and may include repeated blood transfusions, certain nutritional supplements, or stem cell transplantation.

Abdel Ghaffar emphasized that after the results of the premarital tests are obtained, if either the man or woman is found to have Thalassemia, a text message is sent to their mobile phone stating “Note: Some premarital test results require follow-up with a specialist doctor and referral to the nearest hematology clinic.”

Health awareness and counseling are provided to both parties without affecting their freedom of choice, educating them about the disease, how to prevent its complications, and informing them about the indicators of the potential risk of their children developing Thalassemia, he added.

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The Egyptian Ministry of Interior issued a statement on Wednesday confirming the killing of an Israeli-Canadian businessman in the city of Alexandria.

According to the statement, “On May 7, 2024, a Canadian businessman residing permanently in the country was subjected to a criminal shooting incident in Alexandria.”

The ministry further stated that legal procedures have been initiated and an investigative team has been formed to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The statement did not provide any further details regarding the identity of the victim, the motive behind the attack, or any potential suspects.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz has identified the victim of the shooting incident in Alexandria as an Israeli businessman involved in the export of fruits and vegetables.

According to Haaretz, the businessman, who entered Egypt using a Canadian passport, had been residing and working in the country for over nine years.

His company’s headquarters were located in Alexandria.

Haaretz’s report provides additional details about the victim’s identity and background.

The Israeli newspaper’s findings align with the Egyptian Ministry of Interior’s statement on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter), which confirmed the nationality of the victim.

The incident has sent shock-waves through the local community, prompting calls for a thorough investigation and swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice.

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