Trump defends Confederate statues, berates his critics
Trump’s unpredictable, defiant and, critics claim, racially provocative behavior has clearly begun to wear on his Republican allies. And Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska tweeted, “Anything less than complete & unambiguous condemnation of white supremacists, neo-Nazis and the KKK by the @POTUS is unacceptable. And the White House said Thursday that it was abandoning plans to form an infrastructure advisory council. Graham said Wednesday that Trump “took a step backward by again suggesting there is moral equivalency” between the marching white supremacists and the people who had been demonstrating against them. Adviser Steve Bannon’s job security in the White House has become tenuous.
Source:Egypt Independent
August 18, 2017 09:00 UTC
World stocks skid as US politics, Spain attack hit sentiment
World stock markets fell Friday as investors reacted to US political upsets and the terror attack in Spain. European shares fell in early trading while futures pointed to a lower open for US stocks on Friday. Dow futures slipped 0.1 percent to 21,721.00 and broader S&P 500 futures fell 0.1 percent to 2,428.20. BARCELONA ATTACK: Investors shied away from riskier investments following the latest attack to hit Europe. ENERGY: Benchmark US crude rose 13 cents to $47.22 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Source:Egypt Independent
August 18, 2017 08:48 UTC
The real revolution in NKorea is rise of consumer culture
Song is what a success story in Kim Jong Un’s North Korea is supposed to look like. Song is part of a paradigm shift within North Korea: Three generations into the Kim family’s ruling dynasty, markets have blossomed and a consumer culture is taking root. GUNS AND BUTTERThe North Korean consumer landscape has evolved dramatically under Kim Jong Un. North Korea has proven it is nothing if not resilient, often finding a way out of its economic problems. However, the same opportunities have widened the gap between the rich by North Korean standards and the poor.
Source:Egypt Independent
August 18, 2017 07:18 UTC
Spanish police kill 5 suspects linked to Barcelona attack
Spanish police on Friday shot and killed five people carrying bomb belts who were connected to the Barcelona van attack that killed at least 13, as the manhunt intensified for the perpetrators of Europe’s latest rampage claimed by the Islamic State group. The region’s Interior Minister Joaquin Forn told local radio RAC1 the Cambrils attack “follows the same trail. Forn confirmed the driver in the Barcelona attack, who had fled on foot, remained at large Friday morning. Various Spanish media said the IDs with his name were found in the attack van and that he claimed his brother might have stolen them. At noon Friday, a minute of silence honoring of the victims was scheduled for the Plaza Catalunya, near the top of the Ramblas where the van attack originated.
Source:Egypt Independent
August 18, 2017 06:45 UTC
Gilead intends producing new drug for virus C relapses: head of strategic planning - Daily News Egypt
American pharmaceutical company Gilead asked the Ministry of Health to register a new drug to treat cases that have not been treated with other virus C treatments, such as Sovaldi and Harvoni. The company has five drugs sold in the Egyptian market for the treatment of virus C, AIDS, tumours, and heart disease. The company’s head of strategic planning noted that Gilead treated 1.5 million patients with hepatitis C worldwide, including 153,000 in Egypt. Gilead is the first innovative pharmaceutical company to treat hepatitis C virus, and it currently has more than one treatment for the virus, most notably Harvoni, Solvadi, and Epclusa. In the US, Gilead drugs are the most expensive in the world, as one tablet costs $1,000 ($28,000 per package).
Source:Daily News Egypt
August 18, 2017 06:33 UTC
Virus C treatment drugs register sales worth EGP 58.8m in H1 2017 - Daily News Egypt
Local pharmaceutical companies producing drugs similar to hepatitis C pill Sovaldi and Harvoni achieved sales of EGP 58.8m in the private market, at pharmacies, during the first half (H1) of 2017 (January to June). Global Napi topped the sales ranking with sales worth over EGP 25.2m during the first six months of the year. Meanwhile, Pharco Pharmaceuticals, with sales of EGP 2.3m, ranked sixth, followed by AUG Pharma, which achieved sales of EGP 672,000, then Magicpharma with EGP 569,000, Mylan with EGP 541,000, and finally Hikma Pharmaceuticals with EGP 378,000 worth of sales. Mash and Marker are considered the only two manufacturers of the full hepatitis C package, which includes Sovaldi, Harvoni, and Daklinza. Egypt is ranked fourth in the world in terms of countries with the highest rate of infection with the hepatitis C virus, after China, Pakistan, and Nigeria.
Source:Daily News Egypt
August 18, 2017 06:00 UTC
Warship captain in collision that killed 7 to lose command
Poor seamanship and flaws in keeping watch contributed to a collision between a Navy destroyer and a commercial container ship that killed seven sailors, Navy officials said, announcing that the warship captain will be relieved of command and more than a dozen other sailors will be punished. Sean Babbitt; and Master Chief Petty Officer Brice Baldwin, who as the ship’s command master chief is its most senior enlisted sailor. The Navy review of what happened aboard the ship following the collision found that the seven deaths could not be blamed on misconduct. The seven sailors who died were sleeping in the area closest to and directly in the path of the incoming water, the study found. Yoshinori Fukushima, spokesman for the operators of the container ship ACX Crystal, also declined to comment, saying they had yet to see the Navy report.
Source:Egypt Independent
August 18, 2017 05:37 UTC
Israeli leader resists calls to criticize Trump
Israel’s prime minister faced growing calls on Thursday to denounce President Donald Trump’s response to the racially charged violence and anti-Semitic displays in Charlottesville, Virginia, even at the risk of angering the American leader. Some have warned that it could cause further damage to an already strained relationship with American Jews. At the same time, the Israeli leader has befriended Hungary’s leader, Viktor Orban, who takes a strong line against Muslim migrants. But in the process, Gilboa said, Netanyahu is pushing American Jews further away. Leaders of liberal Jewish groups, who represent the majority of American Jews, are already at odds with the Israeli government over issues such as egalitarian prayer and recognition of religious conversions.
Source:Egypt Independent
August 17, 2017 18:45 UTC
Syria claims business comeback with international trade fair
The fair is being held in an area few kilometers (miles) away from the rebel-held eastern suburbs of Damascus. The proximity alone underlines Syrian President Bashar Assad’s increasingly confident position following significant military gains on the ground in the past year. The Damascus International Fair used to be a high-profile annual event, attracting major investors before the war erupted. “This comeback is an indication that the war in Syria is coming to an end,” Samer el-Debs, who heads the Damascus Chamber of Industry, told The Associated Press. The Damascus trade fair, which was first launched in 1954, was among the oldest and most celebrated across the Arab world, attracting Arab and international investors.
Source:Egypt Independent
August 17, 2017 18:00 UTC
Tech companies banishing extremists after Charlottesville
It took bloodshed in Charlottesville to get tech companies to do what civil rights groups have been calling for for years: take a firmer stand against accounts used to promote hate and violence. For one thing, tech companies have long seen themselves as bastions of free expression. But the Charlottesville rally seemed to have a sobering effect. “They have policies against violence, racism, harassment,” said Hankes, whose center monitors hate groups and extremism. The First Amendment offers hate groups a lot of speech protection, but it applies only to government and public settings.
Source:Egypt Independent
August 17, 2017 17:15 UTC
Delayed trial of Egyptian-Irish man detained since 2013 captures Irish media attention
Halawa was arrested in Egypt but the Irish media shed light on the delayed trial of the young man. Halawa was recently referred to trial, after Egyptian prosecution authorities ended the investigations, that lasted for nearly four years. His trial has been adjourned at least 30 times in the past four years as investigations have been ongoing. who asked Sisi to interfere and release Halawa from detention. The Egyptian president, instead, stressed to Enda that Halawa receive decent treatment in prison, according to the Egyptian constitutions.
Source:Egypt Independent
August 17, 2017 15:00 UTC
Government allocates EGP 200m for restoration of Islamic, Coptic, Egyptian monuments - Daily News Egypt
The government will channel 54% of the total allocations directed for investment in the antiquities sector, which is equivalent to EGP 200m in the current fiscal year, for the restoration of Islamic and Coptic monuments and the restoration of Egyptian antiquities in all governorates of Egypt, which represent about 27% of total governmental allocations at EGP 100m per project. Head of the Department of Islamic and Coptic Antiquities at the Ministry of Antiquities, Al-Saeed Helmy, said that the allocations of the government for the restoration of the Islamic and Coptic monuments within the annual budget of the archeological sector represent a small part of what the sector needs. He added that the government has allocated about EGP 100m for the restoration of Islamic and Coptic antiquities in the current fiscal year, which is the same amount as last year. He explained that there are 1,022 Islamic artifacts, including 328 ancient mosques, next to 88 Coptic churches and 11 Jewish temples. Helmy added that the Islamic and Coptic archeology sector is currently working on the completion of the restoration work for 15 projects at a total cost of EGP 100m, including the restoration of the Zaghloul Mosque in Rashid with a cost of EGP 32m, next to Al-Abbasi Mosque, Al-Zaher Baybars, and some historical buildings in historic Cairo area.
Source:Daily News Egypt
August 17, 2017 14:48 UTC
Saudi hospitality market to watch major upcoming developments: Colliers International - Daily News Egypt
A report conducted by Colliers International for the hospitality market in Saudi Arabia has expected major upcoming developments in the next few months, which should enhance the market’s performance. As for Riyadh hospitality sector, the market continued to slide in terms of revenue per available room (RevPAR) in the three months ended in June. Moving to Jeddah, the report noted that the market showed resilience in Q2 despite a fall in terms of RevPAR. The report expected Jeddah’s hospitality market to be the best performer in the kingdom, boosted by new projects like King Abdul Aziz Airport. The market is expected to receive a boost from Eid al-Adha holidays, according to Colliers International report.
Source:Daily News Egypt
August 17, 2017 14:44 UTC
Ministry of Environment : Marsa Allam beach reopened with capture of oceanic white-tip shark
Sources in the Ministry of Environment announced, Tuesday, that the Maritime Survey Committee had captured the shark that attacked young Austrian tourist, Kerstin Schachinger, on August 5. The shark was identified as a female, oceanic white-tip. 20-year-old Schachinger suffered a deep laceration on her right leg after the shark punctured her hip. Meanwhile, Ministry of Environment reopened the beach, Tuesday, where the shark attack occurred, after being closed since August 9. The ministry stated it will continue to survey the area in tandem with monitoring the beach and marine activities.
Source:Egypt Independent
August 17, 2017 14:37 UTC
Italy denies US provided evidence on alleged involvement of Egyptian officials in Regeni murder
The Italian government denied on Wednesday that the US, during the Obama administration, had given it explosive evidence or actionable information on the involvement of Egyptian security officials in the murder of Giulio Regeni, Italian news agency ANSA reported. “We had incontrovertible evidence of official Egyptian responsibility,’’ an Obama administration official — one of three former officials who confirmed the intelligence — told Declan Welsh of the NY Times. In April 2016, the former Italian ambassador to Cairo, Maurizio Massari, left Egypt after the Italian government decided to recall him. The decision followed a meeting between Egyptian and Italian investigative teams on the murder of Regeni. The meeting that occurred before the recall of the Italian ambassador took place in Italy, where Egyptian and Italian investigators failed to reach a consensus on the motive behind the murder of Regeni.
Source:Egypt Independent
August 17, 2017 13:30 UTC