Syrian woman in wheelchair tells UN disabled are invisible
After a harrowing 16-month journey, she arrived in Germany where she is now a student. Like many others, she said, accessing basic services such as sanitation, health care and education was difficult when she fled Syria. “On my journey to Germany, I didn’t find many accessible bathrooms along the way — and that’s especially hard for a woman,” she said. “You need to address the needs of people with disabilities, particularly women,” Mustafa said. This is our rights.”She said there is very little data on how many disabled people are in Syria and neighboring countries, which leaves them “invisible” when it comes to programs, policies and assistance.
Source:Egypt Independent
April 25, 2019 13:07 UTC
UK’s PFA chooses team of the year final list, excluding Mo Salah
The UK’s Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has excluded Liverpool striker Mohammed Salah from the PFA team of the year for 2017-2018 despite that he broke a league record upon scoring 32 out of the 44 goals scored throughout the season. The midfielders included Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Manchester City’s Fernandinho and Bernando Silva. The strikers were Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling. 90min said that Salah is still one of the best players in the world even though he wasn’t on the list. Thanks to Salah, who set Liverpool back on top of the league’s list, Liverpool is now likely to win the title for the first time in 29 years.
Source:Egypt Independent
April 25, 2019 11:48 UTC
After Tripoli assault, Libya’s next battle could be over banks
The general has funded his eastern state with a mix of unofficial bonds, Russia-printed cash and deposits from eastern banks, accumulating debt worth around 35 billion Libyan dinars ($25.18 billion) outside the official banking system. Those banks have in recent months struggled to meet minimum deposit requirements, which could give the Tripoli central bank allied to Tripoli Premier Fayez al-Serraj the excuse to shut off access to hard currency, they said. The Tripoli central bank has already cut three eastern banks from Libya’s electronic banking system to curb their operations. FEW OPTIONSDiplomats do not expect Tripoli central bank governor Sadiq al-Kabir to shut eastern banks completely as this would pose risks for western lenders. But they fear the longer the conflict lasts, the harder it will be to unify the central banks and repay debt.
Source:Egypt Independent
April 25, 2019 10:52 UTC
Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin end Vladivostok summit
“Ceaselessly bolstering and developing strategic and traditional relations between North Korea and Russia… is my and my government’s firm and unwavering position,” Kim said. While meeting Putin a day earlier, Kim said the eyes of the world were glued to the developments on the Korean peninsula. Putin to brief journalistsThe Thursday meeting was the first ever face-to-face meeting between the two leaders and Kim’s first official visit to Russia. He and Putin are meeting at the university campus on the city’s Russky Island. Kim Jong Un’s grandfather, the first and “eternal” president Kim Il Sung, was installed as North Korean leader by the Soviet Union in 1948.dj/amp (Interfax, AFP, AP)
Source:Egypt Independent
April 25, 2019 09:56 UTC
Tripoli neighborhoods ‘turning into battlefields’: Red Cross
GENEVA/TRIPOLI (Reuters) – The humanitarian situation has greatly deteriorated around the Libyan capital Tripoli, where “densely populated residential areas are gradually turning into battlefields”, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday. Hospitals are struggling with chronic shortages of medical supplies amid power outages and weakened water pumping stations, the aid agency said in a statement after three weeks of clashes. “It is crucial that hospitals, medical facilities, health staff and vehicles transporting the wounded are allowed to carry out their activities safely,” it said. The World Health Organization said on Twitter that 278 people have been killed in the last three weeks, while 1,332 others have been wounded. Southern suburbs and nearby villages have been heavily fought over and shelled, with territory regularly changing hands.
Source:Egypt Independent
April 25, 2019 09:22 UTC
Egypt’s Sisi attends China’s Belt and Road forum for international cooperation
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited China on Wednesday to attend the Belt and Road forum for international cooperation in Beijing, which witnessed the participation of several presidents and prime ministers. Radi added that Egypt established the Suez Canal Economic Zone as part of the initiative and Egypt’s Sustainable Development Plan 2030. Sisi and the Chinese president Xi Jinping will hold summit talks to discuss strategic relations between the two countries and the maintenance of bilateral consultations and coordination on several regional and international files. Sisi will also meet the Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, along with the chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Wang Yang. This is the fifth visit by President Sisi to China, as the relationship between the two countries depends on the comprehensive strategic partnership.
Source:Egypt Independent
April 25, 2019 09:22 UTC
Sisi arrives in Beijing to attend 2nd Belt and Road Forum
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi arrives in Beijing to attend The Belt and Road Initiative was launched by the Chinese government to enhance trade, investments, and infrastructure in than 150 countries in Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. CAIRO - 25 April 2019: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi arrived Beijing early Thursday to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRFIC), said Egyptian presidential spokesperson Bassam Radi in a statement.In his meeting with Chinese Minister of Defense Wei Fenghe on March 26, President Sisi discussed the Chinese initiative, affirming that the Belt and Road Initiative is complementary to Egypt’s development efforts to attract more investments and build new megaprojects across the country, including the Suez Canal Corridor, logistic industrial zones, and new ports on the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.The Belt and Road Initiative was launched by the Chinese government to enhance trade, investments, and infrastructure in than 150 countries in Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. The initiative is a revival to what was known as “The Silk Road.”The second edition of BRFIC is taking place on April 25 - 27, and attended by 37 heads of state, the United Nations secretary-general and the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). That is in addition to 5,000 from more than 150 countries, and 90 international organizations, reported CGTN.The initiative was launched in 2013. Since then, BRI agreements were signed by 126 countries and 29 international organizations with China.
Source:Egypt Today
April 25, 2019 09:11 UTC
Sri Lanka Catholic churches halt public services over security fears
Sri Lanka’s Catholic churches suspended all public services over security fears on Thursday, as thousands of troops joined the hunt for suspects in deadly Easter bombings that killed nearly 360 people. Overnight, security forces using newly granted powers under the country’s state of emergency arrested 16 more suspects in connection with the attacks. AFP / Attacks in Sri LankaAFP / Police have so far arrested 75 people but tensions remain high with several suspects unaccounted for. A senior Catholic priest told AFP that all public services were being suspended and all churches closed “on the advice of security forces.”Private services for burials will still be carried out, but no public masses are scheduled. AFP / Jewel SAMAD Security remained tight at the churches targeted in Sri Lanka AFP / Jewel SAMAD Authorities have said they cannot rule out further attacks while suspects remain at large.
Source:Egypt Independent
April 25, 2019 09:00 UTC
Sudan military chiefs resign as deal struck with protestors
The 10-member military council had invited the protest leaders for a meeting after the leaders suspended talks with the army rulers on Sunday. Minutes later in a separate statement the military council announced that three members of the ruling body had resigned. They swiftly turned into nationwide rallies against his rule and that of the military council that took his place. ‘Ready to talk’Earlier in a press conference, senior opposition figure Omar el-Digeir said protest leaders were prepared to meet directly with Burhan. “We fear that the military council might steal our revolution, so we have to participate until the transfer to civilian rule is accomplished,” he said.
Source:Egypt Independent
April 25, 2019 08:48 UTC
‘Spy vulture’ held in war-torn Yemen
Griffon vulture Nelson crossed into war-torn Yemen in search of food but ended up in the hands of Yemeni fighters — and temporarily in jail for suspected espionage. Spy deviceForces loyal to the government believed that the GPS tracker attached to the bird may have been a spy device for the rebels. Hisham al-Hoot, who represents the FWFF in Yemen, travelled from the rebel-held capital Sanaa to Taez to plead with local officials to release the helpless animal. Today, the locally-famous vulture is being properly fed and getting stronger every day. Hoot said that Nelson was not able to find any source of sustenance in Yemen.
Source:Egypt Independent
April 25, 2019 08:48 UTC
Isolation helps Brazil indigenous group defend way of life
The teens are members of the Arara indigenous group — and they had to travel eight hours round-trip by boat to the nearest city, Altamira, to download those video clips. They live with about 200 others in Laranjal village on the edge of the Iriri River in Brazil’s northern state of Para. A simple lifeAFP / Mauro Pimentel The Arara live in wooden houses arranged in an arc around a weel-used football pitch AFP / Mauro Pimentel The Arara live in single-story wooden houses, many of them painted blue, that form an almost perfect arc around a well-used grass football pitch. While they enjoy some of the trappings of modern life, the Arara say they are fiercely attached to their traditional culture. Some decorate their faces and bodies with motifs inspired by local plants or animals using pigments extracted from jenipapo fruit.
Source:Egypt Independent
April 25, 2019 08:48 UTC
Mangroovy El Gouna Residence Brings New Standard Of Luxury To El-Gouna With Soon-to-be-announced Boutique Resort
Mangroovy El Gouna Residence Brings New Standard Of Luxury To El-Gouna With Soon-to-be-announced Boutique ResortCAIRO - 24 April 2019: Mangroovy - El-Gouna's only beachfront residence - is pleased to announce further expansion of its portfolio following the signing of an agreement with a luxury hospitality operator (name to be revealed on April 25, 2019), that is expected to significantly upgrade the level of services offered in the resort town and set new standards of hospitality in El-Gouna.Construction of the 160-room resort is expected to start later this year as part of Mangroovy’s ambitious master-plan and will include a mix of rooms and fully-serviced residential suites, many of which will have tranquil, private rooftops and gardens.The resort will cater to guests through a variety of amenities, where they’ll experience an unsurpassed level of service & excellence where everything matters. There will be a poolside restaurant, a café, a library, cigar lounge, spa, and gym; all designed around an idyllic pool terrace.New addition coming your way soon in Mangroovy, El-Gouna’s only beachfront residence; your yearlong destination.
Source:Egypt Today
April 24, 2019 18:22 UTC
Free entry to military museums, sites in Sinai Liberation Day: Army
Egypt’s military spokesperson Tamer al-Refeai said that the army would open the military museums and sites for free entry on Thursday on the occasion of Sinai Liberation Day. He added on social media that the army would open the Military Alamein Museum, the Military Portsaid Museum and 6th of October War Panorama to spread the military and national culture and promote awareness of the heroic acts of soldiers who sacrificed their lives for Egypt’s dignity and greatness. Sinai Liberation Day is a public holiday in Egypt that celebrates the liberation of Sinai from Israeli occupation, returning it to Egyptian sovereignty. The anniversary of the liberation takes place on April 25 of each year, when many Egyptians celebrate the day in 1982 when Egypt recovered Sinai. Israel withdrew its last soldier soldier from the city of Taba in 1988.
Source:Egypt Independent
April 24, 2019 16:41 UTC
Parallel interactions
Yet a question remains: Were there any interactions or parallel paths invisible to Egyptian society? This makes it difficult to credit the strength of organized political opposition as behind the reduction of the presidential terms. This can be described in our country as the parallel courses or invisible interactions estimated by the state institutions, and so we know the truth of its position on issues raised and the popularity of governance, amongst other issues. Certainly, there are interactions taking place in the depth of the Egyptian society away from political parties and institutions, which has made the state reduce the presidential terms and retreat from the first proposal. In fact, these interactions are not influenced by a political mediator or framed by a supportive or opposing party.
Source:Egypt Independent
April 24, 2019 16:41 UTC
Business Insider: Egypt the biggest hotspot for billionaires in 2019
Egypt topped the list made by Original Travel agency of the hottest 15 destinations for billionaires in 2019, according to America’s prestigious business magazine Business Insider. In a prior report, Business Insider signified travel as one of the five key investments on which the rich spend their wealth. Business Insider said that these trips vary in form including adventurous experiences, lavish retreats, and educational expeditions, among others. Collaborating with the luxury travel agency Original Travel, Business Insider decided to identify 15 getaways billionaires are heading to in 2019. Business Insider dedicated a report to Egypt, spotting a light on its iconic landmarks–especially the Pharaonic sites filled with rich history.
Source:Egypt Independent
April 24, 2019 15:33 UTC