Egypt’s Prime Minister Madbouly inspects SEMAF railway factory
Egypt’s Prime Minster Mostafa Madbouly visited on Sunday the SEMAF Railway Factory, accompanied by Minister of Transport Kamel al-Wazir, and the Chairman of the Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) Abdel-Moneim al-Taras to inspect the factory’s development plans. The prime minister inspected the various production stages of the railway and subway vehicles, and entered the SEMAF’s model for a passenger train and another for a locomotive. The SEMAF’s officials asserted that the development work will improve the trains’ level of quality. Al-Taras confirmed that the SEMAF railway factory will become comparable to global factories by October 2020, once development work is finalized. The area of the SEMAF Factory is about 150,000 square meters , In addition of an extension area 100,000 square meters at SEMAF territory as an extension area to be used in the future projects.
Source:Egypt Independent
January 19, 2020 12:45 UTC
Iran seeks to examine downed plane’s black boxes itself: report
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran is trying to analyze the black boxes of a Ukrainian airliner that was shot down this month, the state IRNA news agency reported on Sunday, denying a report that a decision had been taken to send the plane’s recorders to Ukraine. Ottawa has said the recorders, or black boxes, should be sent to France, after the military admitted shooting down Ukraine International Airlines flight 752 in error in the tense aftermath of tit-for-tat strikes by the United States and Iran. “We are trying to read the black boxes here in Iran. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency had said on Saturday the black boxes were being sent to Ukraine. Ukraine has previously said it expected Iran to hand over the black boxes to Ukraine.
Source:Egypt Independent
January 19, 2020 11:15 UTC
Berlin Conference to consider Libyan crisis’s dangers to Mediterranean Sea, Europe
The Berlin Conference on Sunday will consider the Libyan crisis’s threat to the Mediterranean Sea and Europe, said the Egyptian Presidency’s Spokesperson Bassam Rady on Saturday. Rady added that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has held many contacts on the Libyan crisis, calling for a comprehensive settlement on its political, economic, military, security aspects alongside a ceasefire agreement. The conference will join all the effective parties including the five permanent members of the United Nations’ Security Council, the neighboring countries, Germany, the United Nations, the European Union, and the African Union, Rady added. Egypt’s position is clear and stable, Rady stressed, viewing that the final solution must include the guarantee of fairly distributing Libya’s wealth, such as its shares of gas and oil, to the Libyan people. Egypt urged to cease the influx of foreign fighters coming from Syria into Libya, which include mercenaries, extremists, and armed terrorists.
Source:Egypt Independent
January 19, 2020 10:52 UTC
Meghan's father accuses daughter of 'cheapening' UK's royal family
Megan Markel - ReutersLONDON (Reuters) - Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle, has accused his daughter of “cheapening” the British royal family, in part of an interview released a day after Buckingham Palace said Prince Harry and his wife would no longer be working members of the monarchy.The palace announced on Saturday that the couple would no longer use their “Royal Highness” titles and would pay their own way in life. Every young girl wants to become a princess and she got that and now she’s tossing that away, for, it looks like she’s tossing that away for money,” Markle said.The interview was filmed after the couple’s announcement that they would step back as senior members of the royal family. “They are destroying it, they are cheapening it, they’re making it shabby ... They are turning it into a Walmart with a crown of it now. I don’t think they know what they are looking for.”
Source:Egypt Today
January 19, 2020 10:41 UTC
Illegal immigration from Egypt to Europe down to almost zero: IOM chief
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Director General António Vitorino said on Saturday that the rate of illegal immigration from Egypt to Europe has decreased over past months to almost zero, thanks to effective measures taken by the Egyptian government. Vitorino praised Egypt’s national strategy to combat illegal immigration adopted since 2016, making it one of the first countries to utilize an active and effective approach to dealing illegal immigration. Madbouly stressed Egypt’s keen interest in combating illegal immigration, because of its negative social, economic and legal repercussions, especially given the turbulent circumstances in the Middle East. The Minister stressed that the Egyptian government is not against organized legal immigration, but rather is fighting illegal immigration, in order to protect Egypt’s citizens from this phenomenon. IOM Director General expressed the organization’s readiness to provide all possible support for the success of the initiative and maximizing its returns.
Source:Egypt Independent
January 19, 2020 10:41 UTC
Italian artist revives Cairo’s streets through photo editing
A solo exhibition titled “Imaginary Graffiti Manifesto” by Carmine Cartolano, aka Qarm Qart, an Italian artist based in Egypt, set to launch at the Mashrabia Contemporary art Gallery from January 19 until February 23. The exhibition features a project of Carmine that went viral across social media, where the Italian artist breathed life on Cairo’s old buildings by editing photos of national and international celebrities on their walls, as if it were real graffiti. Carmine moved to Egypt 20 years ago, having graduated from an Italian university where he studied and specialized in the Arabic language. On a relaxing evening while thinking of Cairo, Carmine concluded the city is truly more beautiful than it usually appears from its messy streets. Once he posted his work on social media, Carmine noted that people believed the photos were actual graffiti physically present on Cairo’s streets, instead of edited photography.
Source:Egypt Independent
January 19, 2020 10:41 UTC
Carteron requests registering Kassongo in Zamalek's list
Zamalek's Kassongo Kabongo - FILEFrench Patrice Carteron, coach of Zamalek team, asked to end the procedures for registering the Congolese striker Kabongo Kassongo in the white list in the records of the Egyptian Football Association, during the current period, to study the start of using his efforts in the next stage where the white is linked to a series of consecutive matches during the next stage with various competitions.Zamalek, under the leadership of French Carteron, is looking for, in the next stage, to continue their victories after winning the last 3 rounds of the Egyptian league competitions against Aswan, Tanta and El Gouna, respectively, with results of 2/0, 3/2 and 2/0.Zamalek raised their score with the three victories to 24 points, and they occupy third place in the table of the competition.The team is currently preparing for the decisive confrontation of the team in the African Champions League against Congolese Mazembe, which will be held next Friday, in the fifth round of the group stage of the African Championship, which Zamalek is searching for a win to qualify for the quarter-finals.Zamalek Club decided to implement the French request for Cartier to register the Congolese Kassongo in the white team list, whether local or African, so the French Carteron studies the use of the player in the next stage, which the team begins to face Mazembe. As well as making sure of his complete readiness, whether technical or physical, to be present. In the confrontation, after the player carried out a special training program throughout the last period under the supervision of the French Patrice Carteron, after ending his loan to the Moroccan club, Wydad Casablanca.
Source:Egypt Today
January 19, 2020 10:18 UTC
Egypian handball team prepares to face DRC
Egyptian handball team- fileThe first men's handball team, led by the Spanish technical director Roberto Garcia Barondo, is preparing to face the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 7 pm on Sunday, at the end of the first round of the African Nations Cup hosted by Tunisia and qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.Sunday's handball Egyptian team program includes eating breakfast and the coaching staff will hold a video lecture with the players, immediately before lunch, then a tea session in the fourth and a half before moving to the match room.In this meeting, the Egyptian team seeks to achieve the third victory in order to qualify in the second round, achieving the full score by winning all its matches in the first group.The Egyptian handball team won in the first and second encounters against each of Guinea with a score of 39/22 and Kenya 44/19, respectively.There are also strong confrontations on Sunday, aside from Egypt's match between Congo, Zambia and Guinea with Kenya and Morocco with Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire with Cape Verde, Angola with Gabon and Nigeria with Libya and Tunisia with Cameroon.The team's list includes: Karim Hindawi, Muhammad Essam Al-Tayyar, Muhammad Ali, Ibrahim Al-Masry, Khaled Walid, Ahmed Adel, Wissam Sami, Muhammad Mamdouh Hashem, Ahmed Hisham "Dudu", Saif Al-Daraa, Ahmed Khairy, Yahya Khaled, Mohsen Ramadan, Ahmed Al-Ahmar, Akram Yousry, Muhammad Sanad, Yahya Al-Daraa, Ali Zain, Khaled Walid, Omar Bakkar, Ahmed Moamen.
Source:Egypt Today
January 19, 2020 10:18 UTC
Police fire tear gas to disperse thousands in central Hong Kong
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Police fired tear gas on Sunday to disperse thousands of anti-government protesters who gathered in a central Hong Kong park but later spilled onto the streets, briefly barricading roads and spray-painting buildings. Out in numbers before the demonstration began, police intervened promptly when the rally turned into an impromptu march. I appreciate Hong Kong people still come out courageously, despite the risk,” said organizer Ventus Lau. On Jan 1, a march of tens of thousands of people ended with police firing tear gas to disperse crowds. Authorities in Hong Kong have arrested more than 7,000 people, many on charges of rioting that can carry jail terms of up to 10 years.
Source:Egypt Independent
January 19, 2020 10:07 UTC
Rashford out of Liverpool's clash
Marcus Rashford - FILEIn a painful blow to Manchester United manager Gunnar Solskajer, his player Marcus Rashford was confirmed as absent from Liverpool clash on Sunday because of his injury in the Red Devils victory over Wolves Wolverhampton last Wednesday.Manchester United, fifth in the Premier League standings, prepares to face hosts Liverpool on Sunday in the 23rd round of the English Premier League, in a difficult task at Anfield against a team that has lost only two points in the tournament's journey so far.Solskajer announced the list of that traveled to Liverpool, missing the name Rushford.The Norwegian coach said last Thursday in statements highlighted by his club's website: "Rashford had a problem with his back recently, but what he suffered against Wolverhampton is a different injury. "The list saw the presence of Eric Bailey, who recovered from his injury.United are hoping to stop Liverpool's triumphant career in the league, which is 13 points behind runners-up Manchester City.
Source:Egypt Today
January 19, 2020 09:56 UTC
Photos: Fire devours cafeteria in Hurghada
A huge fire devoured a cafeteria in the Mubarak Five area on the Airport Road in Hurghada on Sunday, with dense smoke clouds engulfing the scene of the incident. Firefighters rushed to the scene to put out the fire and managed to extinguish it before it could spread to the residential area and neighboring shops. Eyewitnesses said the fire was caused by a natural gas leak inside the cafeteria. The police had earlier received a report on the fire, which found that the fire had devoured all the contents of the cafeteria, but there were no human casualties. Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
Source:Egypt Independent
January 19, 2020 09:45 UTC
Awqaf Ministry cancels auction for iconic ex-PM Nahas building
FILE: The Ministry of AwqafCAIRO, Jan 19 (MENA) - The Ministry of Awqaf has stopped an auction to sell a building in Samanoud, once home to former Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa el Nahas (1879-1965) in the northern governorate of Gharbia.The ministry is weighing the optimum ways to utilize the iconic building, according a statement issued by the ministry on Sunday.The ministry further asserted keenness on preserving Egypt's ancient and modern symbols, the statement added.
Source:Egypt Today
January 19, 2020 09:45 UTC
Yemen’s president says military needs to be on high alert following attack
ADEN (Reuters) – Yemen’s president told the military on Sunday it needs to be on high alert and ready for battle following an attack on Saturday by Iran-aligned Huthis on a military training camp in the city of Marib. The attack “confirms without doubt that the Huthis have no desire for peace”, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi said, in a statement on Yemen’s state news agency SABA. The attack killed 73 people and left dozens wounded, two medical sources told Reuters. The sources said the attack targeted a mosque in the camp as people gathered for prayer. Saudi state TV put the death toll from the attack at 60.
Source:Egypt Independent
January 19, 2020 09:33 UTC
Almost 400 wounded in Lebanon clashes Saturday: rescuers
Almost 400 people were wounded Saturday during running battles between Lebanese anti-government protesters and security forces in the capital Beirut, rescue services said. More demonstrations were expected later Sunday as part of the wave of popular protests that has demanded the wholesale ouster of the Lebanese political class, which the activists condemn as inept and corrupt. The security forces responded with water cannon and tear gas to disperse the crowds. The Red Cross said it had rushed 80 people to city hospitals while 140, including both protesters and members of the security forces, were given first aid at the scene of the clashes. The demonstrators have been denouncing rampant corruption in Lebanon and accuse authorities of being inefficient and motivated by personal and partisan gains.
Source:Egypt Independent
January 19, 2020 08:15 UTC
Trump lawyers present defense for ‘dangerous’ impeachment
President Donald Trump’s legal team presented Saturday its line of defense for his upcoming impeachment trial, a process they dismissed as unconstitutional and “dangerous.”It was the first time the team presented its arguments, modeled on those put forward since December by Trump and his fellow Republicans. White House counsel Pat Cipollone will be lead lawyer, backed by Trump’s personal attorney Jay Sekulow. They will be joined by Ken Starr, who was at the center of Bill Clinton’s impeachment in the 1990s, and celebrity lawyer Alan Dershowitz. “The articles of impeachment are constitutionally invalid on their face. They fail to allege any crime or violation of law whatsoever,” the defense team said.
Source:Egypt Independent
January 18, 2020 23:15 UTC