Muslims begin annual hajj pilgrimage amid heavy rain
Eid al-Adha, or feast of the sacrifice, begins on Tuesday, when pilgrims begin three days of casting stones at walls in a symbolic renunciation of the devil.For a graphic on The haj journey http://tmsnrt.rs/2imJ2yfThe authorities have been preparing for months to ensure pilgrims' safety, Health Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah told Reuters, with more than 30,000 health workers operating 25 hospitals and offering free medical services, including complex procedures such as open heart surgery. "It's indescribable. It's overwhelming to see how his impact has been on this world," said American pilgrim Nasser Mahmoud. "But that's where it all started. It's a very humble thing, you can't even stand there."
Source:Egypt Today
August 19, 2018 22:30 UTC
At least 19 killed by Islamists in northeast Nigeria - survivor
FILE PHOTO: A Nigerian army convoy vehicle drives ahead with an anti-aircraft gun, on its way to Bama, Borno State, Nigeria August 31, 2016. Picture taken from inside a vehicle. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde/File PhotoCAIRO – 19 August 2018: At least 19 people were killed in an Islamist militant attack on a village in northeast Nigeria in the early hours of Sunday, a survivor of the attack said.The militants attacked the village of Mailari in the Guzamala region of Borno state at around 2 a.m., according to the survivor, Abatcha Umar. He said he had not been able to tell whether the attackers belonged to the Nigerian Islamist insurgents of Boko Haram or to Islamic State in West Africa.Umar said he had counted 19 people killed. An aid worker at a camp that received the survivors, and who declined to be identified, put the death toll at 63.
Source:Egypt Today
August 19, 2018 21:00 UTC
One dead as Ugandan police quell protest over mistreatment of lawmakers
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni attends an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Jan. 28, 2018. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File PhotoCAIRO – 19 August 2019: One person died and five others were injured in Uganda on Sunday, police said, as security personnel used teargas and live bullets to disperse a demonstration against the beating up of arrested lawmakers in response to the stoning of a presidential convoy.Police spokesman, Emilian Kayima told local media outlet NTV Uganda in the process of calming the riot a policeman had fired live bullets at a minibus that was carrying passengers. "One policeman fired bullets in a moving taxi (minibus) with passengers, injuring six people. Unfortunately one of them died," Kayima said.
Source:Egypt Today
August 19, 2018 20:26 UTC
Pompeo says 'time for peace' as Afghanistan announces ceasefire with Taliban
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstCAIRO – 20 August 2018: The United States is ready to support and facilitate direct peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday, welcoming a Muslim Eid holiday ceasefire announced by President Ashraf Ghani. "The United States welcomes the announcement by the Afghan government of a ceasefire conditioned on Taliban participation," Pompeo said in a statement. "This plan responds to the clear and continued call of the Afghan people for peace. It is time for peace," Pompeo said.
Source:Egypt Today
August 19, 2018 19:30 UTC
Nagy Shaker dies at 86
Nagy Shaker - Egypt Today. CAIRO – 19 August 2018: Prominent puppeteer and artist, Nagy Shaker, died at the age of 86 on Saturday Aug.18 after a long struggle with illness.The renowned artist was famed for his significant contributions to the puppet theatre in Egypt. “El-Naht Fel-Zaman” (Sculpture in Time), a documentary directed by Youssef Nasser, showcased Shaker’s life and achievements. In 2016, Gezira Art Centre hosted a retrospect of his work that displayed the artist’s contributions to various artistic practices over his career. The funerary service was held today at 2 p.m. at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Ismailia Square, Heliopolis.
Source:Egypt Today
August 19, 2018 17:48 UTC
Tourism and Antiquities Police recover 83 ancient coins
Part of the Recovered Ancient Coins – Egypt Today. CAIRO – 19 August 2018: Bahgat Lotfy Soliman, 35, was detained by the Tourism and Antiquities Police, as Major General Nageh Zaki, head of the Tourism and Antiquities Undercover Department, received information that soliman possesses ancient coins and intends to illegally sell them.A total of 621 pieces were found in Soliman’s house after a search warrant was issued. The ancient pieces go back to the ancient Greek and Roman eras. Furthermore, Mohamed Metwally, a 25-year old student, was later arrested for the illegal possession of ancient antiquities. Among the 83 antiquities recovered were 53 ancient Greek and Roman coins.
Source:Egypt Today
August 19, 2018 17:37 UTC
'Crazy Rich Asians' sparkles at N.America box office
"Crazy Rich Asians" stars Gemma Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding, Awkwafina and Constance Wu, seen here attending the premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on August 7, 2018 in Hollywood. Highly anticipated rom-com "Crazy Rich Asians" -- the first Hollywood film with an mainly Asian cast in a generation -- dazzled the North American box office in its debut weekend, claiming the top spot, industry estimates showed Sunday.The Warner Bros. adaptation of Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel of the same name raked in $34 million since hitting theaters on Wednesday, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations said. It stars action movie regular Jason Statham as a rescue diver who tries to save scientists in a submarine from an attack by a huge, prehistoric shark. "Mile 22" -- a new spy thriller-action flick starring Mark Wahlberg -- opened in third place at $13.6 million.Another debut film, prehistoric adventure tale "Alpha," shared fourth place at $10.5 million with summer blockbuster "Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Here We Go Again" ($3.4 million)
Source:Egypt Today
August 19, 2018 17:26 UTC
Video: Militant's confessions on Al Jazeera's terror connections, abductions of foreigners
Terrorist Belal al-Denn during his confessions to Sinai Tribes Union - Youtube still imageCAIRO – 19 August 2018: Sinai-based “terrorist” Belal al-Barahmeh el-Denn, appeared in a Youtube video released by Sinai Tribes Official earlier in August, where he “confessed” that Sinai Province group has plotted to abduct foreigners and target economic project.Another ex-extremist, whose identity remained undisclosed in the video, led the Sinai Tribes Union to el-Denn. 2 million in return, and has been secured along with his family. He was shot dead by the police.Palm Sunday of 2017, on April 9, was a deadly day for Christians, civilians and police guarding churches. Some 45 people were killed in bombings at churches in Tanta city of the Delta, and another in Alexandria.The deadliest day in 2017, however, was at a Sufi mosque in North Sinai. A total of 311 worshippers, including young boys, were killed in a mass shooting by militants at the village of al-Rawda east of the town of Bir al-Abed.
Source:Egypt Today
August 19, 2018 17:02 UTC
Aretha honored at Sunday service at father's Baptist church
Fans have left balloons, flowers and other trinkets outside the New Bethel Baptist Church to pay their respects to the late Aretha Franklin. "The New Bethel Baptist Church -- located in a down-at-heel, quiet neighborhood of Detroit -- has been the focus of tributes to Franklin, who passed away from advanced pancreatic cancer on Thursday at age 76. "It's a happy day and a sad day," Pastor Robert Smith Jr said at the start of the service. "Aretha Will Always be My Queen. "Aretha, thank you for making this city, this country, and this world a better place.
Source:Egypt Today
August 19, 2018 16:07 UTC
EgyptAir hijacker detained for 15 days pending investigations
The Egyptian hijacker Seif Eldin Mustafa – File PhotoCAIRO – 19 August 2018: Seif Eddin Mostafa, who hijacked an Egyptian plane in March 2016, was detained for 15 days and referred to the Public Prosecution after the investigations.The Egyptian authorities received on Saturday Mostafa who had arrived in Cairo under tight security measures and was deported to El-Khalifa police station.Mostafa, 60, hijacked an EgyptAir plane with a fake suicide belt which he threatened to detonate in a bid to force the pilot to divert to Turkey, Greece or Cyprus. The hijacking ended peacefully with his arrest and the release of the 55 passengers after a six-hour standoff.Earlier in the day, Prosecutor General Nabil Sadeq ordered to refer the fugitive to prosecution to interrogate him after his extradition from Cyprus.Previously, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has forbidden Cypriot authorities from extraditing the Egyptian man to Egypt until it can examine the case, according to the Associated Press.The Cyprus Justice Ministry said in a statement that it has issued instructions for the suspension of extradition procedures until the ECHR issues its ruling, AP added.A five-judge Cypriot panel upheld a lower court ruling which refused the hijacker’s defense that he may be tortured by Egyptian authorities or be subject to an unfair trial if he returns.Egypt requested that Mostafa faces trial under a bilateral agreement as the two countries signed the 1996 extradition treaty.
Source:Egypt Today
August 19, 2018 15:56 UTC
Esteemed Egyptian puppeteer Nagy Shaker passes away at 86
Saturday was a dark day for puppet enthusiasts as Egyptian puppeteer Nagy Shaker lost his battle to illness, passing away at 86. The Ministry of Culture expressed their condolences, saying that Egypt lost one of its star designers and a pioneer in puppet designs. Since then, Nagy’s works have branched into the fields of visual theater, cinema, painting, sculpturing and graphic design, leaving an impact across different mediums. For his efforts in revolutionizing Egyptian art, Shaker was awarded State Appreciation Award in the field of art by the Supreme Council of Culture in 2015. For his remarkable contributions, Egyptian director Youssef Nasser created a short documentary about the incredible puppeteer’s life and work.
Source:Egypt Independent
August 19, 2018 15:22 UTC
In Pics: Dronka Monastery; historical eyewitness of the Holy Family journey
A woman at an icon of Mary and Christ in Muharraq Monastery, Asyut Oct. 15, 2017 – Maher EskandarChurch clergy and Copts celebrate at Dronka Monastery in Assiut, Egypt, in September 2017 – Egypt Today/Hazem Abdel SamarEgyptian Coptic Christians lighting candles before a Virgin Mary icon at Dronka Monastery in Assiut, Egypt, in September 2017 – Egypt Today/Hazem Abdel SamarThe Holy Family in Egypt - Wikimedia commons/Edwin LongCAIRO – 19 August 2018: Thousands of Christian and Muslim visitors continue to flock to Virgin Mary’s Monastery, the Dronka convent located Western the Assiut Mountain, to celebrate the Virgin’s fast which begins on August 7 and ends on August 22.Reverend Luka who served as the monastery secretary for years told Egypt Today that the Virgin’s cave goes back to the time of the Pharaohs, who carved it to hide from the flood 4,500 years ago and when the Holy Family arrived, they lived in the cave. Back then, Assiut, where the Holy family took the boat to return to Palestine, was the capital.“The Holy Family’s time in Dronka was a time of extraordinary phenomena and miracles,” said Reverend Luka, adding: “When the Holy Family left, the first church, the Cave Church, was built here in the 1st century AD. It was not like today's churches, but one in the spiritual sense – where prayers are held and supplications are raised.”The reverend told Egypt Today that the monastery welcomes a million visitors annually during the Virgin’s fast mid-August.The reverend said, “When monasticism emerged in the 4th century in Egypt, this place became a monastery. Many monasteries were built, but Dronka Monastery survived, unlike them. They were, however, chronicled in Coptic history.” He further explained that the Dronka Monastery used to be called the "Monastery of Writing Monks" as monks were active in copying books.Assiut officials said that the government provided sufficient services for the Coptic holy sites in Assiut and that they have recently added new extensions to the place as well as direction signs on the main desert roads to reach the monasteries.
Source:Egypt Today
August 19, 2018 15:00 UTC
Gender, age of Alexandria sarcophagus remains identified: Antiquities Ministry
The Ministry of Antiquities announced on Sunday that archaeological studies on the skeletons from the Alexandria sarcophagus discovered in July have identified the genders, ages and height of the remains through anthropological screening. The second was a man aged between 30 and 35 years-old, measuring between 160 and 165.5 cm.”“The third skeleton was a man aged between 40 and 44 years-old. Mostafa Wazeri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, added that the research team also found gold chips from badges, which are currently are being studied. Workers accidentally unearthed the approximately 2,000-year-old black granite sealed sarcophagus in July during construction of an apartment building in Alexandria. Hopes ran high that the mysterious tomb may have belonged to famed Macedonian king Alexander the Great, one of the world’s greatest conquerors.
Source:Egypt Independent
August 19, 2018 14:37 UTC
Two monks charged with murdering Bishop Epiphanius
Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, Pope Tawadros II. during the fenral of Bishop Epiphanuis - press photoIdeological struggles: Background to Bishop Epiphanius's death CAIRO - 12 August 2018: In an official statement released Thursday, the Church explained that those who serve God know that they are protected from the first to the last day of the year, verifying that the recent murder did not shake the church or scare those serving God. CAIRO – 19 August 2018: Two monks were referred to the criminal court on Sunday over murdering Head of the St. Macarius Monastery in Wadi El-Natroun, Bishop Epiphanius, Alexandria Court of Appeals stated.The expelled monk Ash’eyaa, whose birth name is Wael Saad, and Monk Faltaous al-Makary, whose birth name is Raymond Rasmi Mansour, were charged with the “deliberate murder” of Bishop Epiphanius.Bishop Epiphanius was found dead on July 29 inside the monastery and two monks, who were kept in detention pending investigation since then, confessed killing the bishop.During the investigation, Ash’eyaa said that he was planning to murder the late bishop but failed. In the first attempt he found Epiphanius praying and in the next time he couldn’t catch him before getting to the church, but in the third attempt he could kill him in the time between midnight and dawn.Monk Faltaous al-Makary tried to commit suicide via slitting his wrist and then jumping off a high building inside the monastery. Also, Ash’eyaa tried to commit suicide a day after the murder.Following the death of Bishiop Epiphanius, Pope Tawadros II issued new monasticism laws, topping which is the deactivation of the social media accounts of all monks and bishops.The death of Bishop Epiphanius revealed the struggle between the school of Pope Shenouda and the ecclesiastical school of Matthew the poor.
Source:Egypt Today
August 19, 2018 14:03 UTC
9 Centers Inaugurated by Cultural Palaces Authority
Inas Abdel Dayem – Egypt Today. CAIRO – 19 August 2018: According to Ahmed Awwad, head of the Cultural Palaces Authority, nine recently inaugurated palaces will bring cultural events to secluded, underprivileged areas in Egypt, “endorsing positive traditions and percepts and preserving cultural heritage and Egyptian identity.”Gamal Abdel-Nasser Cultural Palace in Assiut, which provides a 145-seat theatre, is among the inaugurated palaces. The entity offers numerous spacious areas, a library and a small museum for Nasser.A palace was also established in Abraq, in the Red Sea governorate, and an additional provision is currently under construction in Ras Hadraba.Several other entities are prepared in Al-Adessat and Hod Al-Remal in Luxor. Additionally, renovation works are taking place at existing palaces in Al-Bahr Al-Azam, Belbais, Sharm-El-Sheikh and Kafr Al-Sheikh.The inauguration of the nine palaces comes within the framework of the Ministry of Culture to renovate cultural, artistic and historical entities in Egypt.
Source:Egypt Today
August 19, 2018 14:03 UTC