from the House of Representatives, whose members have submitted more than 5 briefing requests to Minister of Education Reda Hegazy over the method of selecting appointees during the past period and the exclusion of some on the basis of fitness tests or because of pregnancy, which is not supposed to be a punishment for applicants.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Egyptian Initiative considered in a statement that this step is “explicitly discriminatory” and “in violation of the provisions of the Constitution and the law”.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Egyptian Initiative stated that the successful men and women joined training courses in three stages:<\/span><\/p>\nThe first: health fitness, which consists of undergoing a medical examination inside the Military Academy and by it. Those who passed the examination were informed that they would move on to the second stage, which is physical fitness. Pregnant women, women who had recently given birth, and male and female teachers suffering from anaemia were exempted from joining this stage, on condition that they would go directly to the appearance examination without passing through the second stage.<\/span><\/p>\nThe second: physical fitness, which includes several exercises such as (running, jumping, push-ups and sit-ups, balance). At this stage, everyone who failed to reach the levels set for passing the training was excluded.<\/span><\/p>\nThe third: the appearance examination, in the presence of a representative of the Ministry of Education and military commanders.<\/span><\/p>\n On 4 October 2023, the Minister of Education announced contracts with only 14,000 assistant teachers, which means the exclusion of about 14,000 of those who had earlier passed the ministry’s competition, because of the results of the medical and physical fitness tests and the appearance examination conducted by the Military Academy, despite the state’s urgent need to place teachers and close the shortage in order to improve the educational process.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
127 Demonstrators in Support of Palestine Remain in Detention<\/b><\/h3>\n
Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution decided, in the middle of the week, to renew the detention of 127 demonstrators from 20 different governorates for 15 days pending investigations into the demonstrations that broke out on 20 October 2023 in support of the Palestinian cause and in condemnation of the war on Gaza.<\/span><\/p>\nThe detention renewal decisions, in 24 cases relating to the demonstrations in support of Palestine, came over the course of a week in a procedural manner without investigations, and none of the appeals against the detention decisions were accepted.<\/b>
\n<\/b>The detention decisions included Abdel Samad Rabie Abdel Rahman, who suffers from “blood leukaemia” and a weakness of the heart muscle, and to whom the 57357 Children’s Cancer Hospital had given a study scholarship, according to statements by lawyer Khaled Ali. Abdel Rahman had been taken to hospital after fainting inside his place of detention and falling into a coma, days after the State Security Prosecution rejected the request submitted by his defence for his release because of his deteriorating health.<\/b><\/p>\n
The Supreme State Security Prosecution charged the detainees with offences relating to “joining a terrorist group, inciting demonstrations through the use of social media, participating in a gathering of more than 5 people, committing a terrorist act, deliberately sabotaging public and private property, and damaging movable and immovable property”.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Cairo’s Plan for a Ceasefire<\/b><\/h3>\n
Egypt’s State Information Service said that Cairo had put forward a proposal to end the bloodshed in Gaza, including a 3-stage plan for a ceasefire.<\/span><\/p>\nThe head of the service, Diaa Rashwan, said that the Egyptian authorities had put forward a proposal to bring the views of the parties concerned closer together, in an effort to stop the aggression on Gaza and restore stability.<\/span><\/p>\nRashwan explained that Egypt had not so far received any responses to the proposed framework from any of the parties concerned, adding that the proposal would be developed in detail and announced in full to Egyptian, Arab and international public opinion once Cairo received the responses.<\/span>
\n<\/span>A few days ago, the head of the Egyptian intelligence service, Abbas Kamel, presented to the delegation of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, which recently visited Cairo headed by the head of the movement’s political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, an Egyptian initiative for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for reaching an agreement on exchanging the Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, in 3 stages, as follows:<\/span><\/p>\nThe first stage:<\/span><\/p>\n1- It includes a humanitarian deal lasting from 7 to 10 days, during which Hamas releases all the civilians it holds, women, children, the sick and the elderly, in exchange for Israel releasing an appropriate, agreed number of the Palestinian prisoners it holds, as follows:<\/span>
\n<\/span>a- A complete ceasefire in all areas of the Gaza Strip by both sides, the redeployment of Israeli forces away from the vicinity of population centres, and allowing citizens to move freely from the south to the north, as well as the movement of cars and trucks, while Hamas commits to halting all forms of operations against Israel.<\/span>
\n<\/span>b- A halt to all forms of Israeli air activity, including drones and reconnaissance aircraft, in all areas of the Strip.<\/span>
\n<\/span>c- Intensifying the entry of humanitarian and relief aid (medicines, medical supplies, fuel and food) into all areas of the Strip, especially between Gaza and the north of the Strip.<\/span><\/p>\nThe second stage:<\/span><\/p>\n2- The second stage includes the release of all the female soldiers held by Hamas, in exchange for a number, agreed by both sides, of the Palestinian prisoners held inside Israeli prisons, as well as the handover of all the bodies held by both sides since the start of the operations on 7 October 2023. This stage lasts for 7 days, according to the criteria and procedures of the first stage.<\/span><\/p>\nThe third stage:<\/span><\/p>\n3- During it, negotiations are held for a period of up to a month on Hamas releasing all the Israeli soldiers it holds, in exchange for Israel releasing a number, agreed by both sides, of the Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli prisons, provided that during this stage the Israeli forces are redeployed outside the borders of the Strip, with the halt to all air activity continuing and Hamas committing to halting all military activity against Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Starting from January: The Minimum Pension Is EGP 1,300<\/b><\/h3>\n
The National Organisation for Social Insurance announced that the minimum pension will be raised to EGP 1,300 instead of EGP 1,150, and the maximum to EGP 10,080 instead of EGP 8,720, while the minimum insurance contribution wage will be raised to EGP 2,000 instead of EGP 1,700 and the maximum to EGP 12,600 instead of EGP 10,900.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
A Briefing Request on Applying the Minimum Wage in the Private Sector<\/b><\/h3>\n
MP Mohamed Abdullah Zein El-Din, a member of the House of Representatives, submitted a briefing request to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, addressed to the ministers of finance, planning and labour, to put in place a mechanism that ensures the private sector’s commitment to applying the minimum wage for its workers. The request stated that the National Wages Council does not have a mechanism to inspect private sector establishments to make sure they are committed to applying the minimum wage, and that monitoring the extent of compliance takes place through the company’s workers, who submit complaints to the complaints committee of the National Wages Council or to the directorates of the Ministry of Labour if they do not receive it.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Senate Member: The Medicine Shortage Crisis Is a Conspiracy Against Egypt<\/b><\/h3>\n
The deputy chair of the Senate’s Health Committee, Hussein Khodeir, said that there is no crisis or shortage in the medicine market in Egypt, particularly in diabetes medicines, as there are 12 “similar” alternatives on the market, noting that the Drug Authority is working well and respectably to provide all types of medicines. In television statements, he called for the Ministry of Health to cooperate with the Egyptian Drug Authority in issuing a list of similar and alternative medicines for some imported brand names that are not available on the market. He concluded by describing what is happening regarding the shortage of some imported medicines on the market as a conspiracy, saying: “The conspiracy exists because we have started to take off in exports, and everything happening in the medicine market is the result of the conspiracy against Egypt”, as he put it.<\/span><\/p>\nIt is worth noting that complaints about the shortage of some well-known medicines in Egypt have increased in recent days. Traders and pharmacists say that there is an abundance of active ingredients, but the growing reliance on the brand names of imported medicines leads consumers to feel a shortage when local alternatives are offered.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Pharmacists Syndicate in Egypt has previously called for medicines to be sold by their scientific name, which is the officially registered name of the medicine, instead of by the brand name chosen by the producing companies, with the aim of reducing prices and enabling consumers to choose the medicine suited to their medical condition.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Egypt Asks Its Citizens to Leave Sudan <\/b><\/h3>\n
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on all citizens present in Sudan to leave it urgently, including the areas that have not been reached by the armed clashes under way between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Foreign Ministry urged Egyptians not to travel to any Sudanese city at present under any circumstances, in order to preserve their safety. <\/span>
\n<\/span>The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday that it is following the situation of Egyptians stranded abroad, as part of preserving their security and safety, particularly in areas witnessing armed clashes.<\/span><\/p>\nIt added that the Egyptian Embassy in Khartoum had succeeded in evacuating 18 male and female students, along with a number of their parents, who were stranded in the city of Wad Madani in Sudan’s Gezira State, to which the armed clashes recently spread.<\/span><\/p>\nThousands of Sudanese were forced to flee again as the clashes spread to the city of Wad Madani, which lies 180 kilometres from the capital Khartoum and which had quickly turned into a main centre for displaced people and relief operations.<\/span><\/p>\nAbout half a million Sudanese had been displaced to Gezira State before the Rapid Support Forces began their advance towards the villages along the highway between Khartoum and Wad Madani.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Egypt Announces the Detection of the New Coronavirus Variant<\/b><\/h3>\n
The Egyptian Ministry of Health announced on Thursday the detection of the new coronavirus variant JN.1, after two citizens were confirmed to be infected with it through laboratory tests carried out on them.<\/span><\/p>\nThe Ministry of Health said that the health condition of the infected is stable, and there is no medical need for them to be admitted to hospital, as their symptoms are mild, consistent with an upper respiratory tract infection.<\/span><\/p>\nThe World Health Organization classified JN.1 as a low-risk variant.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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