
Egypt's ambassador lauds historical, cultural ties binding Egyptian, Cypriot peoples
During a ceremony attended by members of the federation of Cypriots with Egyptian roots in Nicosia on Friday, Zaazou also hailed the growing distinguished relations between Egypt and Cyprus at various levels.
In his remarks at the ceremony, Zaazou emphasized his commitment to work with the Cypriot government and the federation to promote and expand joint cooperation.
The ceremony, during which the Egyptian diplomat honored two longtime leaders of the federation, was held as part of the Egyptian embassy's efforts to reinvigorate the 'Reviving Roots-Nostos' Initiative, launched by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2017.
The presidential initiative is aimed at strengthening cultural ties between both countries, supporting efforts to preserve their rich historical heritage and common cultural Mediterranean features, and contributing to fostering mutual understanding between their peoples.
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Daily News Egypt
3 hours ago
- Daily News Egypt
Egypt launches initiative with traders, manufacturers to reduce prices of essential goods
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly chaired a critical meeting on Tuesday at the government headquarters in New Alamein to discuss strategies for reducing the prices of essential goods. The meeting brought together key stakeholders, including traders, manufacturers, and the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, to outline concrete actions aimed at easing the financial burden on citizens. At the beginning of the session, Prime Minister Madbouly reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring the availability of essential commodities and production inputs for factories. He acknowledged that Egypt has successfully navigated through recent economic challenges, with the banking sector playing a key role in securing the necessary foreign currency requirements. However, Madbouly stressed that while the economic outlook is improving, these positive trends have yet to be reflected in commodity prices. He highlighted the recent decline in the dollar exchange rate against the Egyptian pound and called on the President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce to convene local chamber heads and reach a consensus on significant price reductions across various goods. 'The economic crisis we faced has been overcome, and all indicators of the Egyptian economy are positive, but prices remain high,' Madbouly said. 'We need to ensure that, just as prices rose during challenging times, they now fall as the situation improves.' During the meeting, Ahmed El-Wakil, President of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, provided a briefing on the availability of goods and the price trends observed in recent months. He noted that despite challenges in the global market, local chambers are committed to cooperating with the government to achieve sustainable price reductions. Ayman El-Ashry, Chairperson of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, discussed the issue of steel prices, announcing that the sector is ready to reduce prices to the lowest possible profit margins, with new prices for steel expected next week. Similarly, Osama El-Shahed, Chairperson of the Giza Chamber of Commerce, presented data showing a drop in the prices of key commodities like sugar, rice, and flour between January 2025 and June 2025, emphasizing that any price stability amidst rising fuel costs represents positive progress. El-Shahed also called for greater support for the industrial sector, particularly through facilitation measures that would help lower the final cost of products for consumers. Other business leaders joined the call for collaborative action. Gamal El-Garhy, Chairperson of the Chamber of Metallurgical Industries, pledged full participation in the price-reduction initiative. Mohamed Khattab, Vice Chairperson of the Chamber of Building Materials, echoed this commitment, stating that all stakeholders share the common goal of ensuring affordable prices for citizens. Ashraf El-Gazairly, Chairperson of the Chamber of Food Industries, affirmed that his members are ready to align with government targets aimed at reducing prices. Alaa Ezz, Secretary-General of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, announced the expansion of seasonal sales (clearance offers) to cover a wider range of products beyond clothing, including food and household items. Ezz emphasized that retail chains will play a crucial role in achieving sustainable price reductions. In addition to the price reduction initiative, Prime Minister Madbouly also led a separate meeting to review the 2025–2030 National Strategy for Handicrafts. The strategy aims to revive traditional crafts, bolster Egypt's presence in international markets, and create new jobs within the sector. Madbouly highlighted the importance of a unified national approach to ensure the sector's sustainability, with the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the MSMEDA taking the lead in coordinating efforts. Cabinet spokesperson Mohamed El-Homsany explained that the strategy outlines a roadmap for Egypt to become a global hub for handmade crafts. The strategy focuses on developing competitive value chains, expanding craft exports to $600 million by 2030, creating 120,000 new jobs, and increasing the formalization of businesses in the sector. The government also plans to develop 15 natural craft clusters across Egypt. This long-term strategy is designed to strengthen the economic and social contributions of Egypt's handicrafts industry while fostering sustainable growth and reducing production costs.


Daily News Egypt
3 hours ago
- Daily News Egypt
Egypt, France airdrop aid to Gaza amid growing humanitarian crisis, global criticism of Israel
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Mada
4 hours ago
- Mada
Surging arrests in several governorates in parallel with alleged Gaza protest incident at Helwan station, lawyers say
Citizens and lawyers across several governorates have described a clear surge in arrests being carried out by the National Security Agency, human rights lawyer Nabih al-Genady told Mada Masr, describing the pace as 'higher than usual.' A second lawyer who works frequently near the Maasara police station in Helwan, the site of an alleged security incident that has prompted public commentary after footage was shared widely over recent days, said they have also observed arrests and raids in the area around the police station, as well as in several other governorates, describing them as proceeding 'at an unusual pace.' Footage circulating on Friday night of the Maasara incident shows two young men apparently storming the NSA office in the Maasara police station in Helwan and briefly holding an officer in an adjacent room, while calling for Egypt's border crossing with the Gaza Strip to be opened to allow for aid to be delivered to Palestinians enduring Israel's starvation policies and protesting Egyptian authorities' arrest of civilians for expressing support for Palestine. The Interior Ministry has since issued two statements denying the authenticity of the video. It described the footage as 'fabricated,' adding that the documents shown — apparently former prisoner cards used by the NSA for monitoring purposes — are 'completely unrelated to reality.' The individuals responsible for producing and disseminating the video have been apprehended and legal action is being taken against them, the ministry stated in its first statement in the early hours of Saturday morning. Citing an unnamed security source, the ministry said the incident was part of what it called 'attempts by [the Muslim Brotherhood] to falsify facts and spread rumors in an effort to undermine the country's stability,' adding that 'the Egyptian people are fully aware of these attempts.' The statement accused the Muslim Brotherhood of seeking to discredit Egypt's longstanding support for the Palestinian cause. The Helwan-based lawyer told Mada Masr, however, that people who frequent the building, especially those who have previously visited the NSA offices on the fourth floor, are aware that the incident 'did in fact happen.' 'Everyone here knows the incident is real,' the lawyer said. 'But when it's brought up, people prefer to stay silent. They say, 'we don't know.' They neither confirm nor deny. If someone admits it, it's as if they've told a secret.' Speaking on condition of anonymity, the lawyer said documents visible in the footage, including the prisoner monitoring cards, belong to known detainees who are currently under surveillance. The lawyer said they believe the incident likely took place on the morning of July 25, just before Friday prayers. Additional security has been deployed since then at the Maasara police station, they continued, describing a security cordon and the frequent sounds of police sirens in the area, with a military police vehicle visible stationed nearby. Iron fencing which has enclosed the building for years also remains in place. In a statement likewise casting doubt about the official narrative of the events, the Egyptian Network for Human Rights (ENHR) has also expressed deep concern over the fate of the two young men visible in the video — Mohsen Mohamed Mostafa and Ahmed al-Sherif. In a statement published Monday, the organization held the public prosecutor, Interior Ministry, and NSA responsible for their safety. While the surge in arrests was notable in Helwan, Genady said he observed the uptick even before the video's circulation. The arrests do not appear to be targeting a specific group, the lawyer continued, noting that some of the arrests were conducted in connection with content people had published on their personal Facebook pages. But the uptick in arrests is not reflected in the pace of referrals to the State Security Prosecution, the defense lawyer said, with the prosecution already processing a steady stream of cases related to publishing offenses and affiliations with banned groups. Detainees in such cases, however, are often held by the NSA for longer periods of two to seven days before being presented to prosecutors, Genady added, which perhaps explains the fact that arrests are not yet reflected in prosecution referrals.