h
ttp://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/3/12/105893/Business/Economy/Egypt-sees--fewer-tourists-in-May.aspx
Egypt sees 21% fewer tourists in May
Steep decline in number of tourists visiting Egypt in May, despite an increase in visitors from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain
Dalia Farouk, Thursday 10 Jul 2014
Egypt saw a 21 percent decline in tourist numbers in May compared to the same period last year, according to the tourism ministry.
A total of 768,221 foreign tourists came to Egypt in May, spending 7.3 million nights in the country. In May 2013, 969,108 visitors travelled to the country, spending 8.8 million nights.
According to the report, the largest proportion of tourists in May 2014 came from Europe – a total of almost 590,000 visitors, compared with almost 684,000 European visitors in May 2013.
Visitors coming from the Middle East dropped 42 percent to 98,434 tourists, despite an 11 percent rise in tourists from Saudi Arabia and an 8 percent rise in tourists from Bahrain.
Earlier this week, Germany lifted its travel warning on Sharm El-Sheikh in South Sinai, according to the tourism ministry.
In Poland, Egypt was ranked 4th in terms of foreign tours by the Polish Association for Travel Agencies, stated the Egyptian tourism ministry.
h
ttp://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/3/12/106415/Business/Economy/Egypt-tourist-numbers-decline--pct-in-June-yearony.aspx
Egypt tourist numbers decline 20.5 pct in June year-on-year
Tourism rates continue to drop in Egypt though many European countries have lifted travel bans as relative stability returns
Dalia Farouk, Ahram Online, Wednesday 16 Jul 2014
Tourists visiting Egypt in June declined 20.5 percent compared to the same period the year prior, according to the latest report by the Ministry of Tourism.
A total of 785,652 foreign tourists spent 6.8 million nights in Egypt during June compared to 988,573 spending almost eight million nights a year earlier.
The report also showed that the first half of 2014 brought 4.4 million tourists to Egypt, a 25 percent drop from the same period the previous year.
From January to June, most tourists came from Europe, with 3.4 million Europeans spending 32 million nights in Egypt.
The Middle East was the second biggest region for tourists to Egypt, with almost 570,000 visitors from the region, representing a 42.5 percent drop from the same period the previous year. Middle East tourists account for 7.7 million nights in the first half of 2014.
The tourism sector, which accounts for roughly nine percent of GDP, has received several blows since a popular uprising forced president Hosni Mubarak to step down in 2011. Prolonged periods of unrest and sporadic violence have led many countries to warn their citizens against travelling to Egypt.
Nonetheless, several countries have recently lifted travel warnings on Egypt's South Sinai resorts following the relative stabilisation brought to the security situation in the area, revealed Minister of Tourism Hisham Zaazou earlier this month.
Several European countries imposed Egypt travel bans since February, when a bomb blast on a tour bus in South Sinai killed three South Koreans and their Egyptian driver and raised concerns about safety in Red Sea resorts.
As part of the Ministry of Tourism's efforts to facilitate the revival of the tourism industry, all electric bills from touristic establishments have been postponed to 2015 while dropping any related fines.
The ministry is also targeting new markets with high purchasing power, particularly India and China.
Earlier this week, EgyptAir signed an agreement to launch a direct flightline between Cairo and New Delhi while adding three lines to the existing four lines between Egypt and India.
Egypt is currently targeting one million tourists from India by 2017.
Ireland has lifted its warning against travel to Sharm El-Sheikh in South Sinai, Egypt's tourism ministry announced on Saturday.
Ireland is the fourth European country to remove its travel ban on the Egyptian tourist hotspot, following Germany, Italy and Denmark.
Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou has been trying to remove all such warnings imposed by European countries since February, when a bomb blast on a tour bus in South Sinai killed three South Koreans and their Egyptian driver and raised concerns about safety in Red Sea resorts.
The number of Irish tourists who visited Egypt in the first six months of the current year reached 6,687, down 43 percent from the same period of last year, official figures show.
h
ttp://www.goal.com/jp/news/74/%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B0%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%83%89/2014/07/21/4971584/%E3%82%B5%E3%83%A9%E3%83%BC%E5%85%B5%E5%BD%B9%E3%81%A7%E3%82%A8%E3%82%B8%E3%83%97%E3%83%88%E5%B8%B0%E5%9B%BD
Egypt's Dar Al-Ifta, the main authority responsible for issuing religious edicts, announced that Eid Al-Fitr will commence on Monday, 28 July.
Eid Al-Fitr is a religious feast celebrated by Muslims worldwide. It marks the end of the holy month of fasting, Ramadan.
The festivities last for three days.
According to Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab all those working in governmental institutions will take four days off -- instead of three, as originally planned with the vacation now from Monday to Thursday
Ancient priest's tomb painting discovered near Great Pyramid at Giza: h
ttp://t.co/3TOgewBXnz 4,300 years old pic.twitter.com/gqARtunGJf
― Yahoo (@Yahoo) July 16, 2014
約4300年前、古代の聖職者の墓に描かれた壁画がギザの3大ピラミッド近くで発見される
ギザの大ピラミッドから東にちょうど300メートル離れたところにあるその墓は、生贄の部屋、中央の広間と玄室から成る。推定年代は、中期または後期の第5王朝（およそ紀元前2450-2350年）に遡る。エジプト古王国時代だ。
By News from Elsewhere...
..media reports from around the world, found by BBC Monitoring
Only a bit over 10,000 km to go: Yoshida on the Alexandria seafront
Continue reading the main story
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A Japanese man is walking with a cart 11,000km (6,800 miles) across the length of Africa - only a year after completing a round-the-world trek in the same manner.
Masahito Yoshida, 33, of Tottori left the Egyptian port city of Alexandria on Sunday on his journey to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, the Japan Times newspaper reports. He's taking everything he needs - around 100kg (220lb) of water, food, cooking utensils and a tent - in a two-wheeled cart that he pulls behind him.
His route will take him through Sudan, Ethiopia and Tanzania along the way - a journey encompassing deserts, savannah grasslands and high mountains. "I am excited about meeting people and animals in places that will be passed by if you travel by train or bus," Yoshida says.
If he makes it, Yoshida will have added another continent to his current tally of four. The 44,000km round-the-globe trip he finished in June 2013 took him across Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. Yoshida overcame immigration bureaucracy, theft, and several bouts of heat stroke to complete the journey in 1,621 days. "Sure, there were times that I thought my life was in danger," he says. "But I was also touched by the kindness of people." His goal is to cross every continent on foot.
h
ttp://jbbs.shitaraba.net/bbs/read.cgi/travel/7927/1213107250/
A bomb exploded near the foreign ministry in downtown Cairo on Sunday morning, killing two police personnel and injuring several others.
Two lieutenant colonels were killed, and five police personnel and one civilian were injured, state television said.
The explosion, in the Boulaq Abu El-Ela district, was reportedly caused by an improvised explosive device placed beneath a tree outside Gate 3 of the ministry, which is located near the Maspero state television building
Police were deployed in the area and traffic was temporarily halted.
Ambulances transferred the victims to the Police Hospital in Agouza.
Boulaq Abu El-Ela is a working-class district located between two of Cairo's main downtown squares – Tahrir and Ramsis.
Sunday marks the first day of the new academic year in many schools in Cairo, with heavy traffic seen on the streets this morning.
Abu Farag Primary School is located near the accident site. State TV said numerous parents had come to collect their children from nearby schools.
Explosions have repeatedly targeted police sites and personnel over the past year, following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
In June, ahead of the 30 June protests anniversary, three explosions struck near the Ittihadiya presidential palace in the Heliopolis area of Cairo, killing two policemen.
Four explosions struck in Greater Cairo – most notably at the Cairo Security Directorate – killing six people, on the eve of the 2011 uprising anniversary.
A bomb in Cairo's downtown went off late Tuesday, injuring pedestrians and causing damage to a number of shops. No deaths have been reported.
Head of the Cairo ambulance department, Mohamed Sultan, says at least 13 were injured in the blast, three of whom are in critical condition.
The blast was near Ramses Street's metro station in the vicinity of the High Court building. The area, which has witnessed recurring violence over the past three years, is usually crowded and bustling with street vendors.
It was initially thought a bomb had been planted in a private car parked in the area but investigations revealed an improvised explosive device was behind the explosion, which took place near the vehicle.
Many cities in Egypt have been hit by bomb attacks over the past year following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
While the Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails, denies any involvement in such attacks, other Islamist groups have claimed responsibilities for some of them, including Al-Qaeda-inspired group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, or (Partisans of Jerusalem).
The explosion took place as thousands prepare to celebrate the birth of a revered Sufi icon; no serious injuries reported
Ahram Online, Thursday 16 Oct 2014
A bomb exploded on Thursday evening near a central mosque in the Nile Delta city of Tanta, injuring 11 people, said Egypt's health ministry.
Mohamed Sultan, head of emergency and ambulance services, said there were no critical injuries and no deaths reported so far, reported Ahram Arabic news website.
Meanwhile, a source at the ministry of interior told Ahram Arabic news website that two home-made bombs exploded at 6:15PM near the mosque shattering restaurants' windows. The source added that a police officer was among the injured.
The explosion took place near Al-Sayyed Al-Badawi mosque, the 13th century revered Sufi Sheikh, as thousands of people were marking the last night of a week-long celebration of El-Baddawi Mouled (birthday).
Tanta is the capital city of Gharbiya governorate in the central Delta region.
The event was expected to be attended by the city’s governor and the local authorities.
Late Tuesday, an improvised bomb blew off in central Cairo, injuring 16 people.
Many cities in Egypt have been hit by bomb attacks over the past year following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
大学での政治活動の制限強化を記録する運動体である自由監視学生団（Students for Freedom Observatory）によると、治安部隊は10月11日に全国15県で学生71人を逮捕した。この団体の情報では、多くの学生が夜明け前の家宅捜索で逮捕されている。現場には制服警官、私服警官、完全武装した特殊部隊が現れたという。警察は大学での抗議行動が全国的に発生したのを受け、10月12日に44人、13日にさらに17人を逮捕した。自由監視学生団によれば、当局は学生14人を釈放したが、その他の多くの学生たちに対して15日の勾留延長を決定した。またミヌーフィーヤ大学ではデモを指揮したとして学生5人が停学処分となった。
h
ttp://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/113276/Egypt/Politics-/-injured-in-Egypts-Nile-Delta-Tanta-city-explosion.aspx
11 injured in Egypt's Nile Delta Tanta city explosion, no deaths
The explosion took place as thousands prepare to celebrate the birth of a revered Sufi icon; no serious injuries reported
Ahram Online, Thursday 16 Oct 2014
A bomb exploded on Thursday evening near a central mosque in the Nile Delta city of Tanta, injuring 11 people, said Egypt's health ministry.
Mohamed Sultan, head of emergency and ambulance services, said there were no critical injuries and no deaths reported so far, reported Ahram Arabic news website.
Meanwhile, a source at the ministry of interior told Ahram Arabic news website that two home-made bombs exploded at 6:15PM near the mosque shattering restaurants' windows. The source added that a police officer was among the injured.
The explosion took place near Al-Sayyed Al-Badawi mosque, the 13th century revered Sufi Sheikh, as thousands of people were marking the last night of a week-long celebration of El-Baddawi Mouled (birthday).
Tanta is the capital city of Gharbiya governorate in the central Delta region.
The event was expected to be attended by the city’s governor and the local authorities.
Late Tuesday, an improvised bomb blew off in central Cairo, injuring 16 people.
Many cities in Egypt have been hit by bomb attacks over the past year following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
h
ttp://english.ahram.org.eg/News/113290.aspx … @ahramonlineさんから #midjp #エジプト #egyjp
Attack on police vehicle near Al-Arish city by unknown assailants
Ahram Online, Friday 17 Oct 2014
Militants killed two policemen and injured eight others in Egypt`s North Sinai on Thursday night when they hit a patrol car with RPG fire.
Local officials told state news agency MENA that unidentified assailants targeted the police vehicle in El-Masaeed district on a main road near Al-Arish city.
None of the militant groups currently active in Sinai have yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Militant attacks on police and military targets have become commonplace in North Sinai since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in the summer of 2013, with some attacks also taking place in other parts of the country, including the capital. Hundreds have been killed in the violence.
The Egyptian military has targeted militant hideouts with helicopters and ground troops, killing scores of militants, according to army statements.
h
ttp://english.ahram.org.eg/News/113290.aspx … @ahramonlineさんから #midjp #エジプト #egyjp
Attack on police vehicle near Al-Arish city by unknown assailants
Ahram Online, Friday 17 Oct 2014
Militants killed two policemen and injured eight others in Egypt`s North Sinai on Thursday night when they hit a patrol car with RPG fire.
Local officials told state news agency MENA that unidentified assailants targeted the police vehicle in El-Masaeed district on a main road near Al-Arish city.
None of the militant groups currently active in Sinai have yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Militant attacks on police and military targets have become commonplace in North Sinai since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in the summer of 2013, with some attacks also taking place in other parts of the country, including the capital. Hundreds have been killed in the violence.
The Egyptian military has targeted militant hideouts with helicopters and ground troops, killing scores of militants, according to army statements.
「エルサレムの支援者」による忠誠宣言はイラクとシリア以外からのイスラム国支持表明としてはこれまでで最も大きな意味を持つものであり、かつての国際テロ組織アルカイダ（Al-Qaeda）をしのぐ勢いをイスラム国が得ていることがうかがわれる。(c)AFP/Ammar Karim with Samer al-Atrush in Cairo
Metro ticket prices may rise if the government is unable to increase revenues through advertising
Waad Ahmed , Monday 22 Dec 2014
Egyptians could be looking at yet another price hike in transportation costs as the government plans to study raising ticket prices for Cairo's metro.
A ride in Cairo's underground metro, the fastest way to move around the capital, is sold for LE1 ($0.13) per ticket for all destinations for customers despite a cost of LE9 for the government, said Mohamed Ezz Eddin, spokesperson for the transportation ministry. The government will study options to increase revenues, including raising ticket prices, at the beginning of 2015, he said.
"We will study whether advertisement inside the metro would be enough to cover the operation costs," Ezz Eddin said adding that if not, prices may be raised in accordance with "the number of stations travelled to by each passenger."
A state-owned railway management firm has acquired exclusive rights to advertise on the metro's three lines for LE175 million ($24.5 million) over the next five years, the Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation (ECMMO) said in November.
The cost of transportation in Egypt rose significantly after the government cut fuel subsidies in July, raising prices at the pump by up to 78 percent. Fares for taxis and the more accessible, privately operated 14-passenger microbuses increased as a result. Public transportation on the other hand, primarily buses and the Metro, maintained prices.
Built in the 1980's, Cairo's metro transported about four million passengers daily in the 2013/14 fiscal year, according to ECMMO. The company expects to transport about 6 million passengers daily in 2019/2020.
Ezz Eddin said that any additional revenues raised will be used to upgrade the metro, "we plan to buy new air-conditioned trains and replace older ones to make the ride more humane in the summer heat," he said.
But for Ibrahim Ali, a middle-aged lawyer who takes the metro to go to court daily, the metro will remain his transportation of choice, even if ticket price is increased.
"I don't have an alternative, the metro is still cheaper than microbuses but price hikes will put pressure on my budget," he said as he went to ride the Metro from the downtown station named after late president Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Salma, a pharmacy student in Cairo University said she might have to take a longer route if the ticket price increases to more than LE3.
A new phase of Cairo's third metro line linking Abbasiya in Central Cairo and the northeastern suburb of Heliopolis was inaugurated earlier this year. Once completed, the new line will stretch 43.5 kilometres from Cairo airport to Imbaba in Giza.
A fourth line is due to be completed by 2019.
France has already funded the construction of Egypt's three metro lines from 1979 to 2012, with loans amounting to roughly €1.2 billion ($1.47 billion), international cooperation minister, Naglaa El-Ahwany, said last week.
h
ttp://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2015/01/24/girl-allegedly-shot-dead-near-tahrir-square/
Shaimaa El Sabbagh, a 31-year-old member of the Socialist Popular Alliance was killed Saturday near Tahrir Square after being shot by security forces, the group claimed.
Confirming her death in statements to Daily News, a member of the alliance said their members organised a small protest near Talaat Harb Street, close to Tahrir Square and to the party’s headquarters in downtown Cairo.
“She was shot with birdshot three times, two of them in the eye and head,” the member who spoke in a shaky tone said.
The member said two of her colleagues were also injured from birdshot.
“Security forces immediately dispersed the march with force despite efforts of the protesters to ‘talk it out,” he said.
The group claimed a few more members were arrested and the party’s secretary general was beaten and taken into custody.
The incident comes to mark the fourth anniversary of 25 January Revolution.
New underground parking opens in Cairo's Tahrir Square
h
ttp://english.ahram.org.eg/News/121816.aspx @ahramonlineさんから
Egyptian PM inaugurated the long-awaited parking garage
Ahram Online , Saturday 31 Jan 2015
A long-awaited underground parking garage in Cairo's Tahrir Square was inaugurated on Saturday.
Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, Minister of Local Development Adel Labib, and Governor of Cairo Galal Mostafa attended the inauguration ceremony for the four-level garage, which is located in front of the Egyptian Museum.
There is space for 1,700 cars and 24 tourist buses, according to official statements given at the inauguration ceremony.
Mostafa said during the inauguration that parking in the garage will be for free until Monday, when charges will be applied.
He also stressed that the garage will help with traffic management in downtown Cairo's congested streets.
Arab Contractors constructed the parking garage, while Arab Contractors for Maintenance and Services (ACMS) are responsible for the garage's maintenance, cleanliness and services.
h
ttp://english.ahram.org.eg/News/122065.aspx @ahramonlineさんから
Airport security says those who planted the bombs are being tracked down
Ahram Online , Tuesday 3 Feb 2015
Explosives experts defused two bombs at Cairo Airport on Tuesday, airport security director Alaa Ali told Al-Ahram Arabic news website.
The explosives were planted under cars in the parking lot adjacent to terminal 3 of the airport on the eastern outskirts of Cairo.
Also on Tuesday morning, a bomb went off in downtown Cairo, causing no injuries.
Ali said roads to and from the airport are operating normally and airport security are investigating the incident in efforts to identify the perpetrators, adding that a small explosion heard was due to a water canon used in the dismantling process.
Tens of bombs were dismantled across Egypt during the past month, and several went off. An insurgency against Egyptian security forces mainly in Sinai spiked after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, but bombs have also been found in and near civilian facilities.
However, victims of militant bombings and shootings have been largely confined to the security forces.
A bomb went off in downtown Cairo's Qasr El-Nil street on Tuesday morning, damaging shop windows and causing no injuries, according to Alaa Abdel-Zaher, head of the explosives division at the Cairo police force.
The bomb was planted in an electricity box in Behler passage, Abdel-Zaher told private television channel ONTV.
Turbulent weather causes ports to close, expected to persist until Thursday
Ayat Al-Tawy, Wednesday 11 Feb 2015
Cairo's morning sky looked dull yellow on Wednesday as a sand storm kept its grip on the capital for the second day, ushering in the beginning of one of the country's windiest winter months.
Early February marks the start of the Coptic month of Amshir, which falls between February 8 and March 9 of the Gregorian calendar and is infamous for its blustery, sandy storms.
Weather forecasters said the turbulent weather is likely to keep a firm grip until Thursday, with low temperatures and rainfall expected in the capital Cairo, the Nile Delta provinces and north coast.
"Gusty sand- and dust-rattling winds are expected to keep on across most parts of the country, obscuring vision on roads and obstructing navigation," Wahid Saudi, spokesperson for the Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA)," said.
At least three ports in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea remain closed off on Wednesday for the second day in a row due to the harsh weather, yielding high wind speeds of 75 km per hour and waves up to 5-6 meters high, port officials told state news agency MENA.
Temperatures in Cairo are expected to dip to a low of 7 Celsius (45 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday with a high forecast at 14 C (57 F). The Mediterranean city of Alexandria on Egypt's north coast should see the same low and a high of 13 C (55 F).
Nile Delta and the Suez Canal towns are forecasted to see temperatures at 1-2 C (34 F) higher or lower, while southern cities are likely to see warmer weather where highs hover around 19-22 C. (66-71 F)
An Egyptian man has been killed during clashes between protestors - mainly Muslim Brotherhood supporters - and security forces on Friday, the latest street fights in Cairo's Matariya district.
It was not clear whether the deceased was a protester or a passerby.
The man was injured with birdshot and died due to his wounds while being transferred to hospital, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.
The low-income district of Matariya has become in recent months a place for frequent street fights between protestors who are mostly reported to be Brotherhood supporters, and police trying to disperse their demonstrations.
Out of 23 people killed nationwide on the fourth anniversary of 2011 revolution, 12 people were killed in Matariya.
Also on Friday, two policemen were injured in clashes with pro-Morsi protesters in the southern city of Beni Suef.
Supporters and loyalists of the Muslim Brotherhood and the ousted Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi have protested for over a year and a half against his toppling, with their demonstrations frequently leading to injuries and loss of life.
Sunday, 22 February 2015
The region’s very own chocolate museum will open its doors in Cairo next month, giving Egyptians the ultimate delve into all things cocoa, Egypt Independent news website reported.
In just three days, organizers said the museum would give visitors a tour through at least 4,000 years of chocolate, introducing them to the history and the evolution of the delicacy.
Six people- including 4 police personnel- were injured on Thursday morning after a bomb exploded in front of a police station in El-Waraq district in Giza governorate, a security source told Al-Ahram Arabic news website.
El-Waraq explosion marked the fourth of its kind in the greater Cairo area on Thursday.
The ministry of health had said one individual was killed in an earlier morning bomb explosion in Imbaba.
Three bombs had exploded in the greater Cairo area early on Thursday morning near shops belonging to mobile network providers in Mohandiseen and a restaurant in Imbaba, Al-Ahram's Arabic news website reported.
Two of the bombs exploded in front of a Vodafone and an Etisalat shop on two main avenues in the Mohandiseen area - Gameat El-Dowal street and Ahmed Orabi street.
These two explosions shattered the shops' glass front but left no injuries.
Police cordonned off streets in the area.
Meanwhile, a third bomb detonated roughly the same time near a popular restaurant in the low-income district of Imbaba's Wehda street.
The explosion injured three workers, according to the ministry of health.
Police told Ahram Arabic news website that the the explosion led to the amputation of the leg of one of those injured.
Authorities were alerted of the presence of an unidentified package at the site of the Imbaba explosion, however, the device detonated before officers could reach the scene.
The plantation of small bombs in public spaces reportedly by anti-government has spiked in recent months, constituting a diversification in the tactics of militants who previously focused on more direct targetting of police and army facilities and personnel since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
h
ttp://english.ahram.org.eg/News/124295.aspx @ahramonlineさんから
Bomb goes off at High Court building in downtown Cairo's Ramses Street; one of the injured is in critical condition
Ahram Online , Monday 2 Mar 2015
A bomb has exploded at Cairo's High Court building, injuring eleven including one who's in a critical condition, according to the health ministry.
Earlier reports said a person had died, but this has since been denied.
The area surrounding the building - which houses the General Prosecutor's office and is the headquarters of some of the country's most senior courts - is currently being searched by explosives experts.
After the explosion, hundreds of people in downtown's crowded Ramses Street, where the building is located, ran towards the explosion site, but security forces soon cordoned it off. The security cordon is, however, surrounded by hundreds of bystanders.
Cairo Governor Galal Saed visited the scene to examine the bombing's aftermath.
Tens of bystanders chanted in support of the police.
Egypt has recently seen a spike in bombings in civilian areas which seldom happened before as militants focused on targetting police and army personnel and facilities.
A car bomb in October detonated in the same location, causing 13 injuries but no deaths. Another bomb exploded in the nearby Qasr El-Nil Street in February but caused no injuries.
2 killed, 9 injured in downtown Cairo bombing
Bomb goes off at High Court building in downtown Cairo's Ramses Street, killing two civilians
Ahram Online , Monday 2 Mar 2015
A bomb exploded at Cairo's High Court building, killing two men and injuring nine on Monday, according to health ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel-Gaffar.
The deceased, two civilians, were pronounced dead when they succumbed to their injuries hours after the blast, the last of a cluster of bombings that Egypt has been witnessing for a year and a half.
The area surrounding the building - which houses the General Prosecutor's office and is the headquarters of some of the country's most senior courts - was searched by explosives experts who found no more explosive devices.
After the explosion, hundreds of people in downtown's crowded Ramses Street, where the building is located, ran towards the explosion site, but security forces soon cordoned it off. The security cordon was, however, surrounded by hundreds of bystanders.
Cairo Governor Galal Saed visited the scene to examine the bombing's aftermath.
Tens of bystanders chanted in support of the police.
Egypt has recently seen a spike in bombings in civilian areas which seldom happened before as militants focused on targetting police and army personnel and facilities.
A car bomb in October detonated in the same location, causing 13 injuries but no deaths. Another bomb exploded in the nearby Qasr El-Nil Street in February but caused no injuries.
In the latest in a series of militant attacks, four bombs exploded in Greater Cairo on Friday morning and two more in the afternoon, leaving no casualties, state news agency MENA reported.
One of the bombs targeted an electricity unit in the southern Cairo suburb of Maadi, causing damage to three cars. Another was planted in a central square in Zaytoun, an eastern Cairo neigbourhood.
On the western outskirts of Cairo, twin bomb attacks targeted a gas supply unit in 6 October city.
Later in the day, two crude bombs went off in the densely populated districts of Al-Marg and Al-Amireya in northeast Cairo. No injuries have been reported.
On Monday, a string of bomb attacks hit the capital, killing two people outside a courthouse in central Cairo.
Bombings and shootings have become commonplace in the capital and other parts of the country amid an uptick in militant insurgency since the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
The bloodiest attacks have occurred in the border Sinai region, mainly targeting police and military personnel. The violence has killed hundreds in the past 18 months and also led to civilian casualties.
Egypt planning new capital city east of Cairo
The administrative and business capital will be situated between Cairo and the Red Sea and will house some five million people.
Egypt is planning a new administrative and business capital, which will be built on the outskirts of Cairo, the BBC reports.
A website promoting the new capital was unveiled on Friday, though the official launch to global investors and politicians took place at a government conference at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Planned to house up to five million residents, the city will be built in the corridor between Cairo and the Red Sea. It will have 1.1m housing units and 1.75m permanent jobs.
"The master plan is to create a global city with smart infrastructure for Egypt's future, which will provide a multitude of economic opportunities and offer a distinct quality of life," according to the website.
The area allocated for the city is some 700 sq km (270 sq miles) - about the size of Singapore.
Egyptian government departments, ministries, and foreign embassies, will move to the new metropolis from Cairo.
The company behind the development is Capital City Partners, a private real estate investment fund led by Dubai businessman Mohamed Alabbar, who built the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
エジプト政府が管轄する「国家母子評議会（National Council for Childhood and Motherhood）」によれば、昨年の児童虐待事件の発生件数は過去3年の平均より55％増加し、そのうち半数が学校で起きているとのこと。2014年には2人の児童が学用品の準備が悪いという理由で激しい体罰を受け、命を落としたという。
Only tourists on organised trips will be exempt from the rule
Ahram Online , Tuesday 17 Mar 2015
Any person wishing to enter Egypt will need to obtain a visa before departure and will not be offered it at the airport upon arrival, Egypt's ministry of foreign affairs announced on Monday.
Individual tourists must obtain visas for tourism purposes from Egypt's diplomatic missions prior to their arrival in Egypt, the statement says.
Organised tourist groups will be the only exception, according to the statement.
The decision will apply from 15 May 2015.
Many nationalities, including Europeans and American, were allowed to obtain an Egyptian visa at the airport upon arrival.
The same decision was taken in September 2011 but the government suspended it after three days due to a public outcry and accusations that it will be a big blow to Egypt’s tourism industry.
"This is an act of state sovereignty,” foreign ministry spokesman Badr Abdel Atti told Ahram Online. “Every country has the right to protect its borders."
But the tourism sector has expressed its concern.
"We do not have diplomatic missions in all cities for independent tourists to apply for a visa,” chairman of Egypt's Federation of Tourism Chambers (EFTC) Elhamy El-Zayat told Ahram Online. “Many people, especially frequent travelers, won't like to send their passports away by mail to get visas, because they may need their passport at any time."
El-Zayat discussed the matter with tourism minister Khaled Rami on Monday, he said.
The EFTC chairman suggested that a new system be implemented to allow tourists to apply for visas online, as either groups or individuals.
Egypt to require pre-obtained visas for foreigners of any nationality
Only tourists on organised trips will be exempt from the rule
Ahram Online , Tuesday 17 Mar 2015
Any person wishing to enter Egypt will need to obtain a visa before departure and will not be offered it at the airport upon arrival, Egypt's ministry of foreign affairs announced on Monday.
Individual tourists must obtain visas for tourism purposes from Egypt's diplomatic missions prior to their arrival in Egypt, the statement says.
Organised tourist groups will be the only exception, according to the statement.
The decision will apply from 15 May 2015.
Many nationalities, including Europeans and American, were allowed to obtain an Egyptian visa at the airport upon arrival.
The same decision was taken in September 2011 but the government suspended it after three days due to a public outcry and accusations that it will be a big blow to Egypt’s tourism industry.
"This is an act of state sovereignty,” foreign ministry spokesman Badr Abdel Atti told Ahram Online. “Every country has the right to protect its borders."
But the tourism sector has expressed its concern.
"We do not have diplomatic missions in all cities for independent tourists to apply for a visa,” chairman of Egypt's Federation of Tourism Chambers (EFTC) Elhamy El-Zayat told Ahram Online. “Many people, especially frequent travelers, won't like to send their passports away by mail to get visas, because they may need their passport at any time."
El-Zayat discussed the matter with tourism minister Khaled Rami on Monday, he said.
The EFTC chairman suggested that a new system be implemented to allow tourists to apply for visas online, as either groups or individuals.
Egypt to end on-arrival visas for lone travellers: Officials
(AFP) / 18 March 2015
The move is aimed at bolstering border security but prompting fears that tourism revenues could be harmed.
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Egypt will stop issuing on-arrival visas to tourists travelling alone, officials said Tuesday, in a move aimed at bolstering border security but prompting fears that tourism revenues could be harmed.
Groups travelling with tour operators will be exempted from the measure, which goes into effect on May 15, but others will have to apply at consulates abroad, tourism and foreign ministry officials said.
The country is trying to woo back tourists after almost four years of unrest has damaged the economy and hit the once-thriving industry and as it battles militants who have killed scores of security personnel.
About 10 million tourists visited in 2014, down sharply from a 2010 figure of almost 15 million people drawn to the country’s archaeological sites and pristine Red Sea resorts.
Between five and seven per cent of them arrived alone, tourism ministry spokeswoman Rasha Al Azayzi told AFP
“It is certainly a decision related to security,” she said, confirming that only groups that have booked with tour operators may still receive the visas at airports.
A foreign ministry official confirmed the decision, which a senior security official said would continue to be studied.
“It achieves the security objective but, for a country that attracts tourists, there is fear that this will have a negative impact,” he said.
Tourists have mostly been spared the sporadic violence that has killed more than 1,000 people since 2011, when a popular uprising overthrew longtime president Hosni Mubarak.
Three South Korean tourists were killed in a 2014 suicide bombing aboard a bus in the resort town of Taba on Israel’s border.
Most militant attacks since the army overthrew Mubarak’s successor, president Mohammed Mursi, in 2013 have targeted policemen and soldiers.
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New visa procedures will not apply to tourists visiting in groups, confirms a foreign ministry spokesperson
Marina Barsoum , Wednesday 18 Mar 2015
Egypt's foreign ministry spokesperson Badr Abdel-Ati stressed on Wednesday that the new modification concerning visas will not affect foreigners currently living in Egypt nor organised tourist groups.
"Individual foreigners wishing to visit Egypt either for work or for tourism purposes will be the ones who will need to obtain a prior visa from their Egyptian consulates," Abdel Ati told Ahram Online.
Meanwhile, head of the Customs and Immigration Authority Ashraf Reda said that they haven’t received any new visa regulations from the foreign ministry.
"We will be working by the old visa procedures until we get other instructions," Reda said.
Many nationalities, including Europeans and American, were allowed to obtain an Egyptian visa at the airport upon arrival.
Starting May 15, individual tourists wishing to visit Egypt should apply online for the visas or go to the nearest Egyptian consulates in their countries, according to the spokesperson of the Egyptian foreign ministry.
"Just like all other countries, before you travel you need to get the visa first, that would be the case for individuals," Abdel Ati said.
The cost of the Egyptian visas will remain the same as the old price which was $15 per person.
A similar decision was taken in 2011; however, the Egyptian government suspended it after a public outcry, especially from the tourism industry sector.
Egypt has been a magnet for tourists interested in ancient sites, Red Sea resorts, or Nile cruises.
Tourism is an important source of income for the Egyptian foreign currency. However, it has been hammered since the uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
Egypt received over 14.7 million tourists in 2010. Though since the 2011 uprising, the number of visitors dropped to 9.8 million. In 2012, the number of tourists rose to 11.5 million but fell again in 2013 to 9.5 million with revenues of $5.9 billion.
Former foreign minister Hisham Zaazou told Reuters at the end of last year that tourism may fully recover by the end of 2015.
Bomb diffused in train station in Upper Egypt's Beni Suef
h
ttp://english.ahram.org.eg/News/125745.aspx @ahramonlineさんから
Trains connecting Cairo and Aswan stopped for over an hour Saturday after a suspicious object was found on the railtracks of a station in Beni Suef, the Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported.
Explosive experts were called to the scene and a bomb was found and diffused, railway authorities stated.
Egypt has been suffering a wave of small scale bombings over the past year. Train stations have been a common target.
エジプトの「母の日」の翌日に当たる22日、大統領府でシサ・アブ・ダウー（Sisa Abu Daooh）さん（65）の表彰式が行われた。男性用の服とターバンを身に着けて現れたアブ・ダウーさんは、シシ大統領から表彰され、賞金5万エジプトポンド（約78万円）を受け取った。ダウーさんが暮らすエジプト南部の保守的な地方では大変な額だという。
On arrival visas will still be available for foreign tourists until an electronic visa system is introduced on a yet to be announced date
Ahram Online , Thursday 2 Apr 2015
悲しげに鳴く赤毛の子ネコが、エジプトのアレクサンドリアから英国のモートン・オン・ラッグ港へ渡って来た船の中に、Mediterranean Linens社の職員によって発見された。金属製のコンテナのひとつに子ネコがいることを理解すると、船のエンジニアらは動物愛護団体Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals（英国王立動物虐待防止協会）職員を呼んだ。
RSPCA職員は虫の息の子ネコを檻から出し、すぐに動物病院に連れて行った。動物愛護団体のスタッフによれば、動物がこれほど長期間飲まず食わずだった例は他に知らないという。その堅忍さと勇敢さから、子ネコはシンドバッドと命名された。
On-arrival visas to be scrapped within 6-8 months: Egypt's tourism minister
Individual tourists will be required to obtain a visa via a new system before they come to Egypt when the changes are implemented
Ahram Online , Monday 6 Apr 2015
Egypt will no longer allow tourists from certain countries to obtain a visa on arrival at the airport "within six to eight months" said the country's tourism ministry on Tuesday.
The change in visa regulations will require all individual tourists to obtain a visa before travelling to Egypt, in place of a current system whereby citizens of a number of countries are able to purchase a tourist visa on entry to Egypt.
Tourists travelling with tour operators will still be able to purchase a visa on arrival.
The change in policy was first announced in March to be activated in May, but was postponed amid widespread criticism from tourism operators. A foreign ministry statement said that the change in policy would be implemented when a new e-visa system was in place.
Egypt's Tourism Minister Khaled Ramy said that the new e-visa system will work on drawing tourists to the country while at the same time ensuring that Egypt's internal security won't be jeopardised, MENA reported
The initial decision to end visas on arrival sparked criticism from local and international tour operators, who argued that it would deter travelers at a time when Egypt is working on shoring up its flagging economy.
Egypt's once flourishing tourism industry has been hammered by protracted political turmoil since the 2011 popular revolt that toppled long-time strongman Hosni Mubarak.
In 2014, around 10 million tourists visited Egypt, a sharp slump from a record 2010 figure of over 14.7 million who visited the country's ancient sites and sea resorts.
The tourism industry contributes 11.3 percent of the country's gross domestic product and generates over 14 percent of foreign currency revenues.
The March announcement was not the first time that tighter visa regulations were proposed.
In September 2011, authorities approved rules that would have required individual tourists to apply for visas in their home countries before entering Egypt, but the plans were suspended and shelved three days later.
：No daylight saving this summer: Egypt's prime minister
h
ttp://english.ahram.org.eg/News/128195.aspx @ahramonlineさんから
Egypt's Cabinet agreed on Monday not to switch clocks for daylight saving time this summer, and carry studies on the possibility of canceling the practice altogether in future years
Ahram Online , Monday 20 Apr 2015
Egypt's cabinet agreed on Monday not to switch clocks for daylight saving time this summer, and carry out studies on the possibility of canceling the practice altogether in future years.
The cabinet previously announced that clocks would go forward one hour starting on 1 May, but suspended the decision until a national opinion poll was carried out to ask citizens whether or not they support daylight saving time.
The polls, according to a cabinet statement, showed that most citizens disapprove of the practice.
Egypt first adopted daylight saving time in 1988 as a way to reduce electricity consumption, but in April 2011 the cabinet endorsed a decree to cancel changing clocks in summer.
The practice returned in May 2014, after fuel shortages led to electricity cuts nationwide.
In the summer of 2014, Egypt changed the clock four times, first applying daylight saving time, and then suspending it during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan to shorten fasting hours from dawn till dusk.
Standard time in Egypt is GMT + 2, and GMT + 3 during daylight saving time.
h
ttp://english.ahram.org.eg/News/128509.aspx @ahramonlineさんから
#midjp #エジプト #egyjp
Public polls show that moving the clocks forward during summer is unpopular
Ahram Online , Friday 24 Apr 2015
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi issued a decision to officially abandon summer daylight saving time, which has for years seen clocks put forward one hour in the summer, his office said Thursday.
The decision came three days after the cabinet approved scrapping the system this year, following a public poll that showed a majority did not support applying daylight saving time in Egypt.
“The decision was made in response to the majority of citizens who have been polled in this regard,” presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef said, as quoted by state news agency MENA.
First implemented in Egypt in 1988, daylight saving time was introduced as a power-saving measure prolonging daylight hours.
It was abolished in April 2011 after the uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak, with the government saying at the time the practice was ineffective in curbing power usage after polling the public.
Moving clocks forward each summer was revived in May 2014 in order to ease rolling power blackouts.
In the summer of that year, Egypt changed the clock four times, first applying daylight saving time, and then suspending it during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan to shorten the daily dawn-to-dusk fast.
Egypt is normally two hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) — meaning it was three hours ahead when daylight saving time was applied.
ところが、聖母マリアが再び姿を現したという報告は、昇天直後の紀元1世紀から多数寄せられている。アイルランドのジョアン・アシュトンが1989年に著した『Mother of All Nations』によれば、著書発刊以前の1000年の間に、世界各地で実に21,000回以上その姿が目撃されたというのだ。そのうち、フランスのルールドやポルトガルのファーティマなど、11件がローマ法王庁によって真正の出来事と認められているが、ほかにもボスニア・ヘルツェゴビナのメジュゴリエや、日本の津和野（島根県）にある乙女峠でも聖母マリアらしき姿が目撃されている。公にされているもの以外にも、こうした目撃事例は世界各地に無数にあり、総数は到底把握しきれるものではない。
The number of younger people who favour and practice female genital mutilation (FGM) is declining in Egypt, according to the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) conducted in 2014.
The WHO defines FGM as “all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.”
The survey shows the total percentage of married females who have experienced FGM aged between 15 and 49 reaches a whopping 90 percent, but the percentage aged 15 to 17 is 61 percent, a decline of 13 percent compared with surveys conducted in 2008.
It credits this decline to the FGM Abandonment and Family Empowerment Program.
Other indicators show a decline in the support of women for FGM in comparison with other surveys that were conducted since the year 2000.
Back then support stood at 75 percent, and now, according to the 2014 survey, it has dropped to 58 percent.
Governorates like Damietta and Port Said will witness an expected decline in the number of FGM cases to 10 to 11 percent of girls in the age bracket of 0-19.
A considerable decline has also also been noticed in some governorates in Upper Egypt.
In a press release on the report issued by the UN office in Cairo, Egyptian Minister of Population Hala Youssef said that the decline in FGM in the age bracket of 15-17 is a clear result of the various initiatives and media campaigns on the ground, as well as law enforcement efforts.
In a case that made headlines in the last two years, a doctor who performed FGM on Sohair El-Batei, resulting in her death, was sentenced in January 2015 to two years in prison – the first prison sentence for this crime in Egypt – and the father also received a suspended three months jail sentence.
Youssef said that her primary source of concern remains not the number of FGM cases, as these, she said, will continue to decline with upcoming generations who think differently than those born in the sixties and seventies, but rather that 80 percent of these criminalised procedures are performed by health service providers, who are fully aware that FGM is a clear violation of the 'Ethical and Professional Charter for Physicians'.
Temperatures in Egypt peaked at 46 Celsius Wednesday, but will fall in the coming days
Ahram Online , Thursday 28 May 2015
Meteorological experts predict a continuous drop in temperatures across Egypt starting Friday, according to a statement by the Egyptian Metrological Authority (EMA).
A heatwave across Egypt peaked at 46 Celsius Wednesday, leaving a number of Egyptians suffering severe heat stroke, according to the Egyptian health ministry.
Better weather will prevail in Lower Egypt and Cairo in the coming days, while the heatwave will continue in Upper Egypt, the EMA announced Thursday.
Egypt's capital is expected to see Thursday a high of 34 degrees Celsius and a low of 21. Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria is expected to see a high of 25 and a low of 21.
Sharm El-Sheikh, the Red Sea Sinai resort, is expected to see a high of 33 and a low of 28.
エジプトにおいて日本人マーケットに携わる旅行関連業者からなる「エジプト日本旅行業連盟」（JTUE： Japanese Travel Union of Egypt）より、現地時間2015年6月03日（水）のカイロでの警察官銃撃事件発生後のピラミッドエリアおよびその周辺の様子に関し、詳細なレポートが届きましたので、以下にご紹介いたします。
エジプトで青年スポーツ相を務めたアレイ・エッディネ・ヘラル（Aley Eddine Helal）氏はAFPに対し、2010年W杯（2010 World Cup）の開催地決定投票で、7票を確保する見返りとして、ワーナー氏から700万ドル（約8億8000万円）を要求されたと話した。ワーナー氏は、現在FIFAを揺るがせている汚職問題の中心にいる。
015年6月11日（木）
エジプトにおいて日本人マーケットに携わる旅行関連業者からなる「エジプト日本旅行業連盟」（JTUE： Japanese Travel Union of Egypt）より、現地時間2015年6月10日（水）の午前にルクソール近郊のカルナック神殿の駐車場付近にて発生した爆発事件に関し、エジプト内務省発表の事件の概要、並びに発生後の現地の状況についてレポートが届きましたので、以下にご紹介いたします。
Egyptian metro riders relieved as Sadat station reopensAfter more than 650 days out of action, the reopening of one of Cairo's major subway stations leaves thousands breathing a sigh of relief
Ayat Al Tawy , Wednesday 17 Jun 2015
Cairo's main central metro station, Sadat, came back into operation on Wednesday after almost two years of closure, in a move expected to allay pressure on millions of strap-hangers inconvenienced by the shutdown.
"I am so happy [with the reopening] that I wanted to go kiss the walls of the station," 20-year-old university student Omneya joked.
She is one of thousands of riders who have had 30 to 90 minutes, and sometimes extra cash, added to their daily commute because of the shutting down of Sadat – a major hub for switching between metro lines.
Lying under the iconic Tahrir Square--the epicenter of the 2011 uprising and a venue of many mass protests and clashes, Sadat has been closed by the police since August 2013 for "security reasons," on the back of nationwide unrest after the violent security dispersal of two Cairo protest camps by supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi.
The long-awaited reopening is expected to ease severe congestion caused at other vital downtown stations, namely Al-Shohadaa – another switching stop three stations from Sadat.
"It was insane to merge the traffic of two stations into one, especially in an area as vital as central Cairo," middle-aged lawyer Sabry Sabry said.
"Now they will spare us not only the time but also the bumper crowds we suffered."
Security was beefed up at the station as Transport Minister Hani Dahi paid a visit in the early morning to ensure a smooth operation.
Around half a dozen policemen stood post at each platform, as policewomen were seen thoroughly searching passengers' handbags.
Officials say metal detectors and x-ray machines have been installed as part of enhanced security measures.
Feeling a flicker of excitement, a woman ululated as she waited for the train and a man was seen waving national flags.
"We promised we would reopen the station before Ramadan and we have fulfilled the promise," Dahi said during his tour, in reference to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan that begins on Thursday.
He said the move was to "alleviate pressure on Egyptians" during the fasting month.
Over 3.5 million of Greater Cairo's 21 million inhabitants rely on the subway for their daily travel, according to official estimates by the country's national tunnels authority.
It was believed that the authorities closed the station to thwart attempts by Morsi supporters to use the fast and cheap underground transport system to mobilise large protests in Tahrir.
But many tend to believe that the almost two-year shutdown was beyond the pale.
"[The authorities] could have tightened security and opened it at least a year ago," Mervat Mehanny, a civil servant, said. "Things have been pretty calm for quite a while, but [the government] often takes right decisions at the wrong time."
Omneya, the student, agrees.
"The step has come too late. Now our exams are finished and the universities have closed."
Even so, others are of the view that the closure was necessary to secure central Cairo, home to a large number of ministries and powerful state institutions which were occasionally targeted by a simmering insurgency launched by Islamist militants.
カイロ ２７日 特に午後４時過ぎ以降砂嵐激しくなり視界不良に。 午後５時半過ぎの地震 私は気が付かなかった。5.2-magnitude earthquake felt in Egypt - official ht
tp://english.ahram.org.eg/News/133889.aspx
No damage or injuries were reported
Ahram Online , Saturday 27 Jun 2015
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake rattled Egypt on Saturday but no damage or injuries were reported, an official told Ahram Online.
Abo El-Eila Amin, deputy head of the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, said that the earthquake hit at 5:34pm local time and lasted for several seconds.
The epicentre of the earthquake was 6km south-east of Nuweiba, a coastal town in Sinai, around 332km away from Cairo.
Amin also said that the earthquake's epicentre was 11km below sea level.
The last earthquake to hit Egypt was in March. With the epicentre in northern Egypt, it registered 5.7 on the Richter scale and was felt in Cairo, Suez and cities along the north coast.
The most destructive earthquake in the country's modern history struck Cairo in October 1992 and registered a magnitude of 5.8. It killed more than 500 people, injured thousands and displaced tens of thousands more.
Deadly clashes erupt in Egypt after Eid prayers @AJENews ht
At least six people killed in clashes between pro-Morsi protesters and police in Giza.
17 Jul 2015 09:15 GMT | Egypt, Middle East, Muslim Brotherhood, Politics
Six people have been killed in clashes between anti-coup protesters and Egyptian police in a city adjacent to Cairo, the health ministry said.
Supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi had held small marches in Giza after the Friday morning prayers for Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
State news agency MENA quoted an interior ministry source as saying security forces intervened and arrested 15 armed Muslim Brotherhood members.
Anadolu News Agency reported several protests in the Giza neighbourhoods of al-Haram, Nahra and al-Omraniya following the prayers, adding that security forces responded by firing live bullets.
In the city of Alexandria, in the country’s north, security forces used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters, sources there told Al Jazeera.
Protests by the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood have largely faded under a tough security crackdown, but smaller rallies are held regularly by Egyptians protesting against the coup that removed Morsi from power in 2013.
The Suez Canal inauguration will take place on Thursday 6 August
Ahram Online , Tuesday 4 Aug 2015
The Egyptian cabinet designated Thursday 6 August, the date of the inauguration of the new Suez Canal, as an official holiday for workers in the government sector.
Cabinet spokesperson Hossam El-Qaweish said on Tuesday afternoon that the decision was made by the cabinet so that governmental workers would be able to celebrate and follow “the inauguration of this great achievement."
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi announced in August 2014 the start of work on a parallel canal to decrease shipping times and vowed to have it completed by mid-2015.
The venture is projected to generate $13.2 billion in revenues by 2023 instead of the current $5.3 billion from the existing canal.
