Latest news with #Egyptian-French
Al-Ahram Weekly
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Eight Madleen Gaza boat activists remain detained in Israel: Rights group - War on Gaza
Eight of the 12 international volunteers aboard the Madleen boat, which attempted to break Israel's siege on Gaza, remain in Israeli custody, according to Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, which is representing the activists. Israeli forces seized the Madleen boat early Monday, about 200 kilometres off Gaza's coast. All 12 activists aboard were detained and transferred to the port of Ashdod. On Tuesday, Israel's Detention Review Tribunal upheld orders to keep eight international volunteers in custody until their deportation. Under Israeli law, those facing deportation can be detained for up to 72 hours unless they agree to leave earlier. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which organized the voyage, condemned Israel's interception in international waters as a breach of international law. The group said Tel Aviv is treating all 12 activists as if they 'illegally entered' Israel, despite being seized forcibly from international waters. Four of the Madleen 12, including renowned Swiss climate activist Greta Thunberg and Egyptian-French Al Jazeera journalist Omar Faiad, have been deported after agreeing to leave. The remaining eight, including French-Palestinian member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, are held at Givon prison in Ramle, where the coalition describes their detention as unlawful, politically motivated, and in violation of international law. According to Israel Today, the detainees are provided with official prison uniforms and some necessities, including personal hygiene items like soap and toothbrushes—items often denied to Palestinian prisoners. However, on Monday, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir issued instructions preventing the prison authorities from allowing communication or media devices, such as radios and televisions, in the cells where the activists are held. According to Omar Faiad's testimony on Al Jazeera, the Madleen activists endured verbal and psychological abuse during their capture. Rima Hassan, for example, was threatened with physical violence by an Israeli interrogator who warned that if she refused to sign deportation papers, they would smash her head against a wall and question her 'their way.' Meanwhile, Greta Thunberg, who has Asperger's Syndrome, was deliberately kept awake by an assigned officer, causing her neurological distress from prolonged sensory and physical overstimulation. One detainee, Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, has been on a hunger and water strike since early Tuesday. Others report poor detention conditions, including bed bugs and unsafe tap water. At a tribunal hearing, lawyers from Adalah argued that Israel's seizure of the boat, detention of peaceful activists, and the ongoing blockade of Gaza violate international law. They stressed that the Gaza blockade amounts to collective punishment and breaches provisional measures from the International Court of Justice in the South Africa v. Israel genocide case. Adalah also challenged Israel's jurisdiction, noting the activists were captured in international waters, and called for their immediate release, return to the Madleen, and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The activists told the tribunal that Israeli forces had forcibly taken them. They added that their mission was humanitarian—to deliver aid and break the siege on Gaza, which they say has no legal basis under international law. According to the Freedom Flotilla website, the Madleen 12's current status is as follows: Baptiste Andre (France) – Deported Greta Thunberg (Sweden) – Deported Sergio Toribio (Spain) – Deported Omar Faiad (France) – Deported Suayb Ordu (Turkey) – Detained Mark van Rennes (Netherlands) – Detained Pascal Maurieras (France) – Detained Reva Viard (France) – Detained Rima Hassan (France) – Detained Thiago Ávila (Brazil) – Detained Yanis Mhamdi (France) – Detained Yasemin Acar (Germany) – Detained Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Egypt Independent
09-06-2025
- General
- Egypt Independent
Integrated ancient city uncovered in Karnak, dating back to 2000 BC
A joint Egyptian-French mission has uncovered the oldest city and settlement dating back to the Middle Kingdom in the archaeological area of the Karnak Temple. This discovery was made during excavation work in the temple area. The excavations revealed a complete city in the far southeastern corner of the temple, dating back to the period 2050-1710 BC. This is the second discovery this year in the same area. Archaeological sources at the Karnak Temple confirmed that the discovered city lies between the ancient mud-brick wall built by King Thutmose III of the 18th Dynasty (New Kingdom), and the massive wall surrounding the Karnak temple complex, which dates back to the reign of King Nectanebo I of the 30th Dynasty. Restoration work On the sidelines of his visit to Luxor, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mohamed Ismail Khaled inspected the restoration and rehabilitation project of the 'southern chapels' of the Temple of Akhmenu in the Karnak Temple complex. Khaled said that the restoration work on the Akhmenu complex included cleaning, structural and meticulous restoration, as well as complete documentation of the inscriptions and religious scenes. During his stay in Luxor Governorate, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities also inspected the work being carried out by several Egyptian missions affiliated with the Supreme Council of Antiquities at several archaeological sites. These included the Egyptian mission's excavation site in al-Asasif area in Qurna, and the excavation site of the Egyptian archaeological mission in Nagaa Abu-Asaba area in Karnak. He explained that the mission was able to uncover a group of small wooden children's coffins in the al-Asasif area, most of which were in a very poor state of preservation. All coffins were devoid of inscriptions or writing.
Egypt Today
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Today
Egyptian Amb. and French Culture Min. celebrate publication of a book on Luxor Obelisk
Luxor Obelisk CAIRO - 7 May 2025: Egypt's Ambassador to Paris Ambassador Alaa Youssef and French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati participated in a celebration held to mark the publication of a book titled "The Luxor Obelisk and Its Restoration." The celebration was attended by a group of prominent French figures involved in cultural and heritage affairs and a number of prominent French archaeologists. In her speech at the celebration, the French Minister of Culture expressed France's pride in the historical and cultural ties that unite it with Egypt, emphasizing that the Luxor Obelisk, which has graced the Place de la Concorde in Paris since 1836, is a living embodiment of the strength of these ties. The French Minister stated that the book explores the history of the obelisk, beginning with its donation by Muhammad Ali Pasha in 1830, through the historical events it witnessed since its transfer to Paris, as well as its most recent restoration phases. For his part, Ambassador Alaa Youssef pointed out that the Luxor Obelisk is a testament to the uniqueness of Egyptian-French relations, and that it continues to inspire Egyptologists in both countries. It has remained the focus of international attention since its placement in the Place de la Concorde, a point most recently evident during the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games last summer. The Egyptian Ambassador to Paris expressed his confidence that the publication of this book will contribute to deepening cultural and scientific ties between the two countries and strengthening bridges of communication between generations and civilizations, especially in light of the continuous development of Egyptian-French relations in various fields, which were recently culminated in the signing of an agreement to upgrade relations to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership between President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and President Emmanuel Macron during his recent visit to Egypt last month.
Egypt Today
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Today
Egyptian Amb., French Culture Min. participate in celebration of the publication of a book on Luxor Obelisk
The Luxor Obelisk CAIRO - 7 May 2025: Egypt's Ambassador to Paris Ambassador Alaa Youssef and French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati participated in a celebration held to mark the publication of a book titled "The Luxor Obelisk and Its Restoration." The celebration was attended by a group of prominent French figures involved in cultural and heritage affairs and a number of prominent French archaeologists. In her speech at the celebration, the French Minister of Culture expressed France's pride in the historical and cultural ties that unite it with Egypt, emphasizing that the Luxor Obelisk, which has graced the Place de la Concorde in Paris since 1836, is a living embodiment of the strength of these ties. The French Minister stated that the book explores the history of the obelisk, beginning with its donation by Muhammad Ali Pasha in 1830, through the historical events it witnessed since its transfer to Paris, as well as its most recent restoration phases. For his part, Ambassador Alaa Youssef pointed out that the Luxor Obelisk is a testament to the uniqueness of Egyptian-French relations, and that it continues to inspire Egyptologists in both countries. It has remained the focus of international attention since its placement in the Place de la Concorde, a point most recently evident during the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games last summer. The Egyptian Ambassador to Paris expressed his confidence that the publication of this book will contribute to deepening cultural and scientific ties between the two countries and strengthening bridges of communication between generations and civilizations, especially in light of the continuous development of Egyptian-French relations in various fields, which were recently culminated in the signing of an agreement to upgrade relations to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership between President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and President Emmanuel Macron during his recent visit to Egypt last month.
Egypt Today
16-04-2025
- Business
- Egypt Today
Egypt to host world's largest painted mural in 2025 with wide Japanese participation
Currency signs of Japanese Yen, Euro and the U.S. dollar are seen on a board outside a currency exchange office at Narita International airport, near Tokyo, Japan, March 25, 2016. REUTERS/Yuya Shino/File Photo CAIRO - 16 April 2025: Egypt is set to host the events for the world's largest painted canvas in 2025, a significant artistic and cultural project organized by the "Identity of the Earth" Association, a non-profit civil society organization in Japan. The event is under the patronage of the Japanese Embassy in Cairo and the Egyptian Embassy in Tokyo, with participation from the Japan Foundation, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Egyptian-Japanese Schools Unit. Dr. Gad El-Kady, head of the Egyptian working team overseeing the competition and former Egyptian Cultural Attaché in Japan, stated in a press release to the Middle East News Agency today, Wednesday, that students from Egyptian-Japanese schools are participating in this artistic event. They will be painting canvases measuring 5x5 meters each, which will later be collected and displayed within a unified framework to create the world's largest artwork. He added that a unified title for the canvas will be chosen to reflect Egyptian civilization, the shared culture between Egypt and Japan, and address global challenges such as climate change and water scarcity. The organizing bodies also plan to hold the events in distinguished heritage and cultural sites across Egypt. Dr. El-Kady explained that the events will commence tomorrow, Thursday, with a launch ceremony held at an Egyptian-Japanese school in 6th of October City. The ceremony will be attended by representatives of the sponsoring entities from both the Egyptian and Japanese sides and will include an artistic performance by the Egyptian-French opera singer Farah El Dibany. Following the launch ceremony, the organizing team for the competition will head to the cities of Luxor and Aswan to prepare for the official events of the competition, which are scheduled to take place in December 2025.
