Latest from Watani
Watani
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Watani
Why the US is in decline
On 4 July, the US celebrated its Independence Day, commemorating, as in every year, the great national legacy established by its Founding Fathers. On 4 July 1776, thirteen states on the American East Coast formed an alliance that initiated the United States of America. Historical remembrance aside, this year's 4th of July celebration could not distract the world from today's reality. Over the last three decades, the world has disturbingly witnessed the decline of the US and the consequences of its prolonged global leadership and dominance as the sole world superpower since the end of WWII in 1945. This decline, and the involvement of the US in igniting and inflaming global conflicts, are widely acknowledged by observers, scholars, and political analysts who monitor and track mounting global crises, the involvement of the US in such crises, and the impact of these crises on global peace. 'Why the US is in decline' was the topic of a recent episode of Judge Andrew Napolitano's podcast Judging Freedom. On 14 July, Judge Napolitano hosted American economist and public policy analyst, Colombia University Professor Jeffrey Sachs to discuss the issue. I today present excerpts of this interview. Judge Napolitano: What do you believe was Trump's purpose in bombing the mountains in Iran, and did he achieve it? Professor Sachs: 'The purpose supposedly was to stop the nuclear activities of Iran. No, he didn't achieve it. I think all expert views concur that nothing much happened except Iran realising that it could not negotiate with the United States, and withdrawing from monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency. This was a debacle of the first order.' And the International Atomic Energy Agency turned out to be an asset of Mossad, did it not? 'It played into Israel's hands in a very stupid way. So, it played its role. What we've seen here is the CIA / Mossad operations operating through the international system and operating through the US military. Once again, all to no achieved purposes. That's also standard operating procedure for the US military-industrial complex. We've been at this for decades, nothing comes of it except people making money in the military sector and increasing insecurity for the world.' If the purpose of the bombing was to degrade Iran, or terrify Iran, or bring about regime change. It obviously had the opposite effect. How could Mossad and CIA have been so wrong in their guesstimate as to what this bombing would bring about? 'Which genius forecast of the CIA are you referring to in the last 30 years? The one about remaking Afghanistan as a democracy? The one of American soldiers being greeted with flowers in Iraq? The one about the pushover of Bashar al-Assad in 2011? The one about removing Moammar Gaddafi and leading to 'new stability' in Libya? These people are completely unaccountable. They have no knowledge of the world other than assassinations, coups, and military operations. The world does not settle down that way; the world becomes more dangerous and unstable. These 'geniuses' in quotation marks have done the most remarkable thing in the world; they have absolutely degraded the security of Americans from a position of basically complete security.' What do you think President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu were discussing last week? 'They met in private three times while Netanyahu was in Washington. I don't know specifically what they were talking about, but we once had the idea that there would be a ceasefire, a peace and a resolution of the unending wars in the Middle East. And that kind of talk is basically gone. That talk is also gone in the case of Ukraine. That talk is gone all over the world. Trump is basically proving to be absolutely incapable of solving any problem and he is proving to be the extension of the Biden administration because the Biden administration was nothing more than the military-industrial complex. We're basically stuck with a militarised undemocratic system. Presidents come and go, but the system remains. It does anything Israel wants, to an extent it's actually run by Israel, which is shocking… Whatever it is, we have a permanent State that does not respond to the public will, does not respond to American security, does not respond to the public interest, does not respond to budgetary realities.' Judge Napolitano put on the show an excerpt of a 2017 interview given by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Le Figaro. Despite being said eight years ago, President Putin's words still ring true as pointed out by Judge Napolitano. Professor Sachs quoted President Putin: ''I've dealt with three presidents and they actually come in with ideas, but then those ideas disappear because the men in the dark suits and the briefcases'—that's the CIA, the Pentagon, the Armed Services Committees and so forth, that's the big donors— 'they come in and they say: No, no, no, Mr President, you do it this way.' Now, we've just witnessed this exactly happening with Donald Trump. And Donald Trump ran on a campaign of making peace. He was going to make peace here and there… But he certainly doesn't have the guts to make peace. Because to make peace, you have to go against the CIA. You have to go against the military-industrial complex… We are run by the military-industrial complex. Trump is a sideshow. What Trump has done in recent weeks with Ukraine, the Middle East, China, Epstein tapes, with all of it is just fall into line as presidents are supposed to do. 'MAGA' turns out to be a campaign slogan. Of course, it's nothing new; it's a continuation of the deep State. And the deep State has led us to one war after another.' How close are we to World War III? 'We may already be in it. The problem with WWIII is that there will be no historians alive afterwards to understand when it really started. But if we were in a conventional era with conventional weapons and there would be a world war and it would be devastating, but there would be a history afterward, maybe the historians would say WWIII started in 2014 or maybe 2019 or maybe 2022. Maybe we're in it already… There's no will in the political class to talk about peace. You don't hear peace anywhere… We don't have a serious policy of diplomacy of negotiation that gets to the core issues of why these conflicts exist.' Watani International 1 August 2025 Comments comments
Watani
21 hours ago
- Watani
Three dead, 14 injured in Minya bus accident carrying Sunday School children
A bus carrying a group Sunday School children from Minya overturned on 30 July, killing three young women and injuring 14 among whom are seven children. The children, aged between 7 and 13, and their supervisors were among the congregation of the church of the Holy Virgin and Amir Tadros (St Theodore) in the village of Daqouaf in Matai, Minya, some 250km south of Cairo. The village is administratively affiliated to Samalout, and is under the jurisdiction of Matai Diocese. The bus had picked up the children from their church and was heading southeast to Hurghada on the Red Sea for a three-day beach holiday. According to Fr Antonious Shukry, priest of the church in Daqouaf, the bus had been barely one hour on its way down the eastern desert road when the accident occurred. Eyewitnesses said it made a violent crash into a concrete fence on the side of the road. Fr Antonious said that a second bus carrying more passengers from the church to the same destination overtook the overturned bus. Its passengers quickly informed those at the church and notified the police. 'We rushed to the scene of the accident, then to the Minya hospital where the dead and injured had already been moved' he said. The second bus had helped the police and ambulance service move the injured to hospital. The bodies of the dead, three 19-year-old women who served in the church, were moved to the hospital morgue for forensic investigation. Their names: Raymonda Shukry, Mirna Yacoub, and Dina Ashraf. They were among those supervising the children on the bus. Health sources said that the 14 injured are in stable conditions, and have been discharged from hospital after receiving the necessary treatment. The prosecution is conducting investigations into the cause and conditions of the crash. Anba Gawargios, Bishop of Matai, presided over the funeral service for the three young women who had lost their lives. Addressing a deeply grieved congregation, the tearful bishop praised the young women as 'faithful servants who had shouldered their responsibility until the last minutes of their lives.' He prayed for peace for their souls, comfort for their families and friends; and speedy recovery for the injured. Comments comments
Watani
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Watani
Good bye Lotfy Labib (1947 – 2025)
The Coptic Orthodox Church issued a statement mourning Coptic actor Lotfy Labib who departed the world on 30 July, aged 78. Mr Labib passed away in a Cairo hospital after a prolonged illness. The Church statement commemorated Mr Labib as an artist who 'leaves behind a distinguished and enduring legacy of diverse artistic contributions, spanning both the public arena and Christian-themed works.' The Church remains confident, the statement read, that Mr Labib will go down in the history of cinema, theatre, and television, and in the hearts of his fans as the great actor he was. 'We pray to the Lord for eternal rest to the soul of the late gifted artist, and that the Lord bestows comfort upon his family, loved ones, and fans,' the statement read. Born in Beni Sweif in 1947, Mr Labib graduated from the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts in 1970, but made his artisitc debut years later. Meanwhile, he had completed his military service and taken part in the 1973 October War, then travelled abroad for four years. He excelled in dramatic and comedic roles, and was known for his warm distinctive voice. Mr Labib starred in some 200 movies and 20 television series. He was a beloved and respected actor, close to the heart of his colleagues and fans. He was particularly admired for his sense of humour and commitment to his profession and fans. He played memorable roles in Christian films depicting saints. Mr Labib leaves behind three daughters; Katia, Kristina and Carmen. Comments comments Tags: Lotfy Labib (1947 - 2025)Michael Girgis
Watani
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Watani
'Connected': Coptic youth in service
The month of July 2025 witnessed a host of activities that gathered young diaspora Copts into the embrace of their Mother Church in their Egyptian motherland. On the evening of Saturday 26 July, Pope Tawadros II opened the Fifth LOGOS Coptic Youth Forum for young Copts in the diaspora. Participating were 250 young men and women from Coptic Orthodox dioceses in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia; also a number of Coptic bishops and priests. From generation to generation Logos Youth Forums for young Copts from around the world consistently bear the motto 'Back to the Roots'. This year's forum was held under the theme 'Connected', a theme intended to affirm that the Coptic Orthodox Church is grounded in an uninterrupted connection between forefathers and children, whereby the faith is passed down from generation to generation. Connection encompasses individuals and communities, with openness rooted in faith, using modern-day communication facilities, fulfilling the commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ: 'You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world' (Matthew 5:13–14). This year's forum coincided with the Church's celebration of the 17th centennial of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. The opening ceremony featured a performance that included five relevant scenes of theatre, voice-over narration, and hymns. The scenes depicted key moments in the Council of Nicaea, focusing on the heroes of orthodox faith throughout the ages: Pope Athanasius the Apostolic, Cyril I, and Dioscorus. The central message was the significance of preserving the sound Christian faith along generations. The performance included segments in Arabic, Coptic, English, and French. In tribute to the Thrice-Blessed Metropolitan Pachomius (1935 – 2025) of Beheira, a singular character in the contemporary history of the Coptic Church, who had led the Church in 2012 as Acting Patriarch during a critical time of Islamist dominance in Egypt, a documentary was screened, highlighting his most significant works. Enriching experience Fr. Younan Samir, coordinator of the Fifth Forum, and Dr Mina Ramsis, representative of the LOGOS Forums Office, each delivered a word during the event. The ceremony concluded with a word from Pope Tawadros, in which he warmly welcomed the youth to the Fifth Logos Forum, and offered his appreciation and gratitude to their bishops, priests, and families for facilitating their coming to Egypt and reconnecting with their roots. The Pope said that, throughout the forum, the participants will be able to gain knowledge, learn, study, and visit important sites—an experience that would enrich their lives. The following day, Sunday 27 July, the Pope celebrated Mass with the youth of the 5th Logos Youth Forum. From then on, the youth embarked on a busy programme of spiritual activity and visits during which they toured Egyptian landmarks and Coptic sites. The visits included a tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) on the Pyramids Plateau in Giza. GEM, the world's biggest repository of ancient Egyptian antiquities boasts significant monumental pieces in addition to the famous Tutankhamun collection. It is scheduled to officially open in a grand international celebration later this year. Official opening of Grand Egyptian Museum postponed The Logos youth also visited Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Abbassiya, Cairo, which was built in 1968 as the patriarchal seat in Cairo, and was renovated and reconsecrated in 2018. Its crypt houses the relics of St Mark who preached Christianity to Egypt and was martyred in Alexandria in AD68, and the remains of Pope St Athanasius the Apostolic, the world famous theologian and 20th Coptic patriarch who died in 373. Pope Tawadros personally welcomed the young men and women on the steps of the cathedral, and took a commemorative photograph with them. Officials and institutions Upon invitation from the Pope, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy visited the Logos Youth Forum as the young people gathered at St Mark's in Abbassiya. Accompanying him was Nabil Habashy, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Migration and Egyptians Abroad, along with other officials. In attendance were metropolitans, bishops, and politicians. Mr Fathy addressed the young people, explaining about Egypt's world-famous cultural tourist destinations and official efforts to preserve them as precious heritage sites; also to present them to the world. Mr Fathy and Mr Habashy then joined Pope Tawadros to open the LOGOS Exhibition for service, cultural, and social institutions, held on the sidelines of the Fifth LOGOS Youth Forum. Some 16 institutions took part, among them the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority, Fahim Foundation for persons with mental disabilities, Coptic Institute for Church Management, Official Website of the Coptic Orthodox Church HIGH Office for Service Weeks, Arab Academy for Maritime Science and Technology, Alexandria Youth Council, Papal Office for Projects, Tyrannus School of Education, Bible Society, Pope Cyril the Pillar of Faith Centre for Theological Studies, St Paul the Apostle Medical Services, and Anafora Retreat Centre. Service Week Earlier in July, Pope Tawadros II had inaugurated the fifth Service Week for Coptic Orthodox Youth from around the world at Karma House in Ikingi Maryut, southwest Alexandria. Some 80 young men and women from around the world took part in the Service Week. The opening ceremony included a documentary showcasing the history of the Logos youth gatherings from 2018 until 2025. The young men and women then engaged in discussions with the Pope, tackling topics related to voluntary service, the work of the apostles, and comparisons between past and present. Pope Tawadros spoke about the theme of the Service Weeks, 'GPS,' and offered new spiritual reflections on its meaning: G for Glory, P for Power, S for Sky. In a moving gesture, the young people celebrated the 37th anniversary of the Pope's monastic vows, which coincides with the end of July. World Service Week for Youth of the Coptic Orthodox Church is the fifth such week organised for young people following the Logos Gatherings of 2018 and 2022. The week was held under the patronage of the HIGH Office for Service Weeks, and the theme of this year's event was 'Discipleship.' The voluntary service of the young people involved work with the poor and underprivileged, with children, the elderly and the handicapped. The youth were also treated to visits of Coptic landmarks. The Coptic Orthodox HIGH office is in charge of coordinating among dioceses of the Coptic Church outside Egypt and the areas most in need of services inside Egypt's dioceses. HIGH, which stands for 'Hands in God's Hand', was established through a decision issued by the Holy Synod in March 2024. Newcastle Coptic Youth On 23 July, Pope Tawadros II received at the papal headquarters in Alexandria a group of youth from the church of Mar-Girgis (St George) and Pope Athanasius in Newcastle in the Diocese of Ireland, Scotland, and North East England. The young people had come to Egypt on a visit of service in which they offered educational and awareness-raising services in several churches across the land. They were accompanied by the church's priest, Fr Bishoy Karam. The visit was in coordination between the Diocese of Ireland, Scotland, and North East England, and HIGH. The Pope expressed delight at the young people's visit and their keenness to serve their brothers and sisters in Egypt. He talked about Egypt's unique cultural, historical, and geographical position, noting that the Church of Alexandria is characterised by what he called 'three pyramids of living faith'; these being 'the pyramid of education and service (sweat); 'the pyramid of martyrdom (blood); and 'the pyramid of monasticism (tears). The Pope took time to hear the youth out, replying to their questions and concerns. Before they left, he presented them with souvenirs and a symbolic HIGH passport. Watani International 30 July 2025 Comments comments
Watani
4 days ago
- General
- Watani
Ancient Coptic city unearthed in Western Desert
An Egyptian archaeological mission from the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) has unveiled a significant discovery in the heart of the Western Desert of the remains of the central residential city of Kharga Oasis, dating back to the early Coptic (Egyptian Christian) period that extended from the first to the 8th century AD—a period during which Egypt was under Roman and Arab rule ; the Arabs conquered Egypt in 640. Located in Ain al-Kharab archaeological site some 5km north of the city of all-Kharga, the unearthed ancient city offers rare insight into Egypt's transition to Christianity. Among the findings are the ruins of residential structures, churches, and cemeteries, also a mural depicting Christ healing a sick person. Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathy, described the discovery as a testament to the depth and diversity of Egyptian civilisation during one of its most transformative periods. 'This find enriches our understanding of religious transition in Egypt,' he said. 'This discovery is considered a valuable window into early Christian life in Egypt,' asserted Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the SCA. 'Kharga Oasis played a key role as a religious and social hub throughout many historical periods,' he said. Mr Khaled explained that the unearthed structures include mudbrick homes with plastered walls, service areas fitted with ovens, and storage spaces containing large fixed pottery jars once used for preserving food and grain. The mission also recovered ostraca, pottery fragments, glass and stone artefacts, burial remains, and a vivid mural illustrating Christ performing a healing miracle. Findings from previous excavation seasons, Mr Khaled added, indicate that the site was used continuously throughout several centuries. Roman-era buildings were later adapted for use during the early Coptic period and again in the Islamic era. Seham Ismail, Director General of Antiquities in Kharga and head of the mission, revealed that the team also uncovered the remains of two churches. One, she explained, is a large basilica-style church featuring a central hall flanked by two aisles, separated by rows of square columns, with service buildings to the south. The second church is smaller, she said, rectangular in shape, with remnants of seven exterior columns and Coptic inscriptions still visible on its interior walls. Additional service structures were found on its western side. According to archaeology expert Abdel-Rehim Rihan, member of the SCA's History and Antiquities Commission, al-Kharga Oasis some 600km southwest Cairo, saw large incoming waves of Christians in the 3rd century AD, apparently fleeing to Kharga from Roman persecution. The numbers swelled to the point where the Alexandria Church installed a Bishop in Kharga. Christians were able to practise their faith and worship freely there, far from the eyes of the Roman authorities. They left behind towns, churches, cemeteries, and monasteries. The famous Bagawat necropolis in Kharga, believed to be the cemetery of the recently discovered city, is considered one of the oldest and best-preserved Christian cemeteries in the world. It dates back to the 3rd to 7th centuries AD and contains hundreds of mud-brick tombs, some with elaborate frescoes depicting biblical scenes. Comments comments Tags: Ancient Coptic city in Kharga OasisSanaa' Farouk
