Egypt

مدينة زوريخ السويسرية أغلى مدن العالم والقاهرة أرخصها

 

ظهر تصنيف سنوي يعده بنك يو.بي.اس السويسري ويشمل 77 مركزا حضريا أن زوريخ المركز المالي السويسري تظل أغلى مدينة كبرى في العام والعاصمة المصرية القاهرة هي الأرخص.

وتشير الدراسة، التي تعتبر مدينة نيويورك قاعدة القياس، إلى أن لوس أنجليس تمثل أفضل قوة شرائية في العالم للعامل متوسط الأجر فسكانها يستطيعون شراء أكثر مما يستطيع سكان نيويورك شراءه بمقدار الربع.

لكن مع أخذ ارتفاع الأجور في زوريخ في الحسبان يأتي سكانها في المرتبة الثانية بعد لوس انجليس من حيث القوة الشرائية وتأتي نيويورك في المرتبة العاشرة ولندن رقم 23.

بحث بنك يو.بي.اس في مجموعة بيانات فرعية عن المكان الأفضل الذي يمكن فيه لمن بلغوا مرحلة الشباب في سنوات الألفية الثالثة الأولى شراء مجموعة من السلع والخدمات تشمل هاتف أبل وجهاز كمبيوتر محمول واشتراك في خدمة نتفليكس.

وأظهرت الدراسة ايضا أن زوجين يسعيان لوجبة عشاء مع زجاجة نبيذ وعرض سينما سيدفعان أكثر في طوكيو ونيويورك وستوكهولم وسيدفعان أقل في براج ومكسيكو سيتي وريو دي جانيرو.

Israel begins construction of sea barrier off Gaza coast

Please note the last line: "Gaza will be uninhabitable by 2020." 

Via Informed Comment, MAAN NEWS AGENCY

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Israeli government began construction of marine barrier off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday, which it says will be used to prevent the movement of the Hamas military wing out of the besieged coastal enclave and into Israeli territory.

Israeli news website Ynet reported that the naval barrier, which is being headed by the Ministry of Defense, is designed to prevent potential “infiltration of a Hamas terror cell” into Israel from Gaza. The multi-million dollar project is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

According to Ynet, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu applauded the barrier as being one-of-a-kind and “an additional setback for Hamas, which has lost another strategic capability that it has invested massive amounts in developing.”

Israeli news daily Haaretz reported that the barrier will consist of three layers: an underwater level, topped by a layer of stone and an above-water barbed wire fence. The entire barricade itself will be surrounded by another fortified fence.

The barrier will reportedly span 37 miles, and is expected to cost approximately 3 billion shekels ($833 million), with each kilometer of the underground part of the barrier costing an estimated 41.5 million shekels ($11.5 million). The costs of constructing the aboveground fence were reported to be at 1.5 million shekels ($416,000) per kilometer.

According to Israeli media, the decision to build the naval barrier was prompted by an incident in the 2014 Israeli offensive on Gaza, when Hamas fighters managed to enter Israeli territory by sea.

Since the 2014 war in Gaza, Israel has maintained an underwater sensor system along the maritime border with the northern Gaza Strip, enabling the Israeli forces to spot divers and swimmers in the area.

Israel has claimed an increased threat of “breaches” from the sea since mounting tensions in Gaza over recent weeks, during which time Israeli forces have killed an estimated 113 Palestinians along the Gaza border during massive demonstrations in protest of Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The more than 2 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip have suffered from a 10-year Israeli-imposed land, air, and sea blockade, which has plunged the small territory into poverty and some of the highest unemployment rates in the world.

The UN has reported that Gaza could be “uninhabitable” by 2020.

 

Nawal Saadawi speaks

The best of Nawal Saadawi 

 

 

Real Madrid's Ramos wishes Salah speedy recovery as Egyptians lash out at him

Ahram Online

''Ramos is a dog,'' was one trending topic on Twitter in Egypt, along with other insults

Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah (C) reacts as he leaves the pitch after an injury while Liverpool's Senegalese midfielder Sadio Mane (R) and Real Madrid's Spanish defender Sergio Ramos (L) comforts him during the UEFA Champions League final football match between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine, on May 26, 2018. (Photo: AFP)

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos wished a speedy recovery for Liverpool's Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah after the injury he suffered during the UEFA Champions League final game Saturday.

Salah took a tumble following a challenge from Ramos and required treatment on the pitch although he came back on moments later. He then crumbled to the ground for a second time and was seen crying when he got up and then left the field to be replaced by Liverpool's England international Adam Lallana.

"Sometimes football shows you it's good side and other times the bad," Ramos wrote on his Twitter account early Sunday.

"Above all, we are fellow pros. #Getwellsoon @MoSalah."

In Cairo, Egyptians screamed insults at Ramos during a public screening of the final. Salah has 20 days to get fit before Egypt takes on Uruguay in its first World Cup game for 28 years.

The tackle, which ended Salah's UEFA final, provoked fury in Egypt, where Salah is a national hero. ''Ramos is a dog,'' was one trending topic on Twitter in Egypt, along with other insults.

Egyptians took to social media to vent their frustration over Salah's injury and blame Ramos for causing it, using Arabic's rich and colourful range of expletives.

Early on Sunday, Egypt's Minister of Sports Khaled Abdel-Aziz announced that Salah needs only two weeks to recover from injury and he will be fit for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

"The simple diagnosis of Salah's injury that he suffers from a sprain of the shoulder joint ligaments," read a statement released by Minister Abdel-Aziz on his Facebook page.

Egypt will kick-off their World Cup campaign 15 June against Uruguay, and then face hosts Russia on 19 June. Their final group stage match will be against Saudi Arabia on 25 June.

via english.ahram.org.eg

Egypt Enjoys a Surge in Economic Freedom

The Daily Signal, by Anthony B. Kim and Patrick Tyrrell

Egypt’s economy is rebounding after years of economic stress and political turmoil.

As Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, noted earlier this year, Egypt is at a turning point in its economic structure and is signaling to investors it is serious about comprehensively reforming its economic system.

According to The Heritage Foundation’s 2018 Index of Economic Freedom, Egypt’s overall economic freedom has increased over the past year thanks to improvements in financial freedom, investment freedom, and business freedom.

Reform of fuel and electricity subsidies has been a notable achievement, and market forces now determine the exchange rate. A recently enactedinvestment law aims to reduce bureaucracy and promote greater foreign investment. And, earlier this year, Egypt’s parliament passed the country’s first bankruptcy law, which should help viable companies return to business success more quickly.

These reforms are paying off. In a recent economic report, Harvard University’s Center for International Development ranks Egypt as the third-fastest growing economy in the world and predicts the country will achieve average economic growth of more than 6 percent per year until 2026.

In addition, tourism has been rebounding, helped by ongoing economic stability and an improved security situation. Tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2018 were up 30 percent over the previous year, with hotel occupancy rates at their highest since 2010.

Egypt’s progress toward greater economic dynamism matters to America. As noted by The Heritage Foundation’s Jim Phillips, Egypt is a heavyweight Arab power that can serve as an effective partner in advancing regional efforts to fight terrorism, contain Iran, and stabilize the explosive Middle East.

Already, as tough reform measures start to pay off, U.S. multinationals have begun to look into the overall investment situation with growing interest.

Encouraging Egypt to capitalize on its current reform momentum by taking more decisive steps in advancing the country’s economic freedom will help the U.S. strengthen its ties with an essential ally in the Arab world, advance mutual strategic interests, and help bring security and stability to the region.

 

الأشعة النهائية لمحمد صلاح تحسم مشاركته بكأس العالم| انفراد

بوابة الاهرام  

إصابة صلاح في مباراة ريال مدريد

أظهرت الأشعة النهائية لإصابة النجم محمد صلاح لاعب المنتخب المصري ونجم فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي، إصابة بتمزق فى الأربطة الخلفية للكتف، وأن فترة العلاج سوف تستمر ٣ أسابيع، وبذلك سيلحق صلاح بكأس العالم.

وقال صلاح وهو يطمئن عائلته بعد ظهور نتيجة الإشاعة أن دعوات الملايين كانت هي العون له، وأنه تابع بكل تقدير مشاعر الناس فى مصر وخارجها.

via gate.ahram.org.eg

الحمد لله

 

عاجل الان لكل المصريين 🇪🇬️
الحمد لله .. جزع بالكتف ومده التعافى من اسبوع لثلاثه اسابيع

دعواتكم لابن بلدنا pic.twitter.com/MVrIiyHMul

— 🇪🇬 منه محمد 🇪🇬 (@Ana_Mana7) May 27, 2018

 

Ex-Brotherhood leaders hail Shoukry’s stance against MB

The verb "hail" in the headline seems a bit farfetched. Can MB member or ex members really go against their clan and call for the Brotherhoods demise? I doubt it. 

Egypt Today, by Nawal Sayed

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. (AFP)

CAIRO – 26 May 2018: Amid frequent calls to accomplish reconciliation with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry confirmed that there is no single chance of reconciling with the MB group.

“President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi repeatedly reaffirms that Egypt belongs to all Egyptians, so long as they abide by the law,” Shoukry said in remarks given to state television on Friday.

The Brotherhood was outlawed in Egypt after the ouster of MB-affiliated President Mohamed Morsi. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates followed Egypt’s footsteps and also banned the group.

Recently, MB leaders have proposed initiatives to reconcile with the Egyptian authorities, but they were met with failure.

Leading MB figure Ibrahim Mounir called for negotiations with the Egyptian authorities on condition that the government releases Brotherhood prisoners, most notably Morsi.

In response, Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawki Allam issued a statement condemning the MB. “These terrorist groups must be eradicated,” Allam noted to Asharq Awsaat newspaper on Saturday.

Former MB leader Ibrahim Rabee told Egypt Today that Shoukry’s statements pull out any hope for possible reconciliation with the group.

“Shoukry’s statement, which asserted there will never be reconciliation with the MB, is like killing the group’s hope for being rebuilt one day,” Rabee said.

“Egyptians sentenced the MB to death on June 30, 2013 [in reference to the Egyptians’ revolution against the group and ouster of Mohamed Morsi],” Rabee added.

Rabee asserted that the MB must accept Egyptians’ desires and aspirations if the Brotherhood members seek to live peacefully in Egypt. “The group’s domestic cells must be dismantled and hand over their distribution map to the concerned authorities,” he said.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs preserves the country’s political and diplomatic security,” said former MB leader Tarek al-Beshbeshy.

He pointed out that Shoukry’s statements seemed firm, in addition to statements given by Shoukry on Qatar and Turkey, stating, “These two countries waged an uncovered campaign against Egypt by embracing terrorists.”

Egypt’s education system set for major overhaul

Al Monitor, by May Habachi

Egypt’s Education Minister Tarek Shawki announced in April the implementation of new reforms to improve education in Egypt. The reforms, which are in part funded by the World Bank with a $500 million loan for five years, will cost a total of $2 billion and are expected to replace the existing education system with a new one to better equip Egyptian youth for the current job market.

Starting in September this year, the reforms will be implemented for kindergarten and primary school students, and for secondary students the following academic year.

“September 2018 marks the start of the journey to make our students ready for life, and we are pleased to have this partnership with the World Bank to accompany us on that journey. Our goal is to provide our children with the competencies they need to create a society that learns, thinks and innovates,” said Shawki in his statement to the World Bank in April.

The reforms include introducing a new curriculum that focuses on character building and critical thinking skills, improving teachers’ working conditions and development through training and workshops, changing secondary assessment systems and introducing electronic learning platforms, such as tablets, to students and teachers.

So far, the reforms have been well received by educators and families.

“I think the new reforms are a great initiative,” said Hanadi Fawzi, Early Years educator who has been teaching in Egypt and abroad for 17 years. “Changing the education sector should have taken place decades ago. However, change takes time. It is therefore important that the reforms are implemented thoroughly and consistently to see the desired results that the ministry is seeking.”

It is no secret that Egypt suffers from a poor education system. The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report of 2013-14 placed Egypt last in terms of quality of primary education offered in public schools.

Al-Watani newspaper reported that although Egypt’s public education is free, it is currently under significant pressure to operate efficiently given the large number of students entering schools each year, and that the education budget falls short in providing state schools with adequately trained teachers.

The current system also relies on memorization and fierce competition among students to score high grades on exams and secure a university education. As a result, many parents resort to costly private lessons to supplement their children’s education.

“A big chunk of my salary goes to private lessons,” said a father of four who sends his children to state schools. “The curriculum focuses on memorization, and teachers do not teach in classrooms so that they can be hired as private tutors.”

Changing the curriculum to do away with memorization and costly private lessons is welcomed by many families whose children attend public schools. “I think the new reforms are very much needed and will greatly benefit children. It will also be a relief for parents. I’m personally happy about the changes,” the father, who asked to remain anonymous, told Al-Monitor.

But changing the curriculum alone will not solve problems inherent in public schools. For the new education system to succeed, teachers must undergo training and professional development. Therefore, the ministry aims to train about 500,000 teachers across all governorates through Teachers First, a development program for teacher training. To date, more than 30,000 teachers have undergone the training and many more are expected to complete the training in the next few months.

According to Teachers First, educators are taught to use specific applications to learn new teaching approaches in the classroom, track their development and even award themselves and their peers for completing milestones. This approach helps teachers embrace the idea of continuous development as well as create a supportive environment where experiences are shared.

“Professional development of teachers is vital,” said Azza Radwan Sedky, an academic who is also trained in pedagogy and has taught teachers for more than four decades in the Middle East and Canada. “Teachers learn from one another especially if they are good at what they do. But there is more to it than professional development. An improved environment, compensation in salary and benefits, and an opportunity to grow go hand in hand with professional development.”

Another aspect of the reform is introducing tablets to high school students. As part of the Education Ministry’s goal to encourage learning in the 21st century, it will distribute 1.5 million tablets to students and teachers for free, which they can keep. Although this move has been welcomed by some educators and families, it is not without controversy.

“It is absolutely important for students to learn to use information communication technologies such as computers, tablets and mobile technology in this day and age,” said Fawzi. “However, I would recommend for the tablets to stay at school with the teachers so that they aren't stolen, lost or damaged. If the students have homework, they can stay after school and complete their assignments on the tablets or use their own devices at home if they have them.”

It seems, however, that giving away the tablets was decided in order to support the national high school exams going digital. The electronic exams will consist of multiple-choice questions and will be based on a cumulative grading system of three high school years instead of a single standardized test. In August 2017, Egypt Independent reported that according to Shawki, this "new system aims to reduce the importance of rote memorization."

“I’m happy with these high school reforms and know that using electronic devices for learning is important today,” said a mother of three boys who attend state schools. “I’m just concerned that my boys will be playing games instead of doing their homework. However, at home I will ensure that they will use their devices for schoolwork only.”

“More important than having a tablet is the information provided,” said Sedky. “If a tablet mirrors the archaic information in textbooks, then we haven’t changed much. But if a tablet opens up the learning experience, allows the students’ minds to expand and explore untrodden places, and takes them to another level, then it’s worth it.”

Alongside these technological developments, the high school curriculum is also expected to receive a face-lift. However, according to Reda Hegazy, head of the general education sector at the Ministry of Education, this will be implemented later, as textbooks for next year have already been printed.

While these reforms are the latest to be introduced by the Ministry of Education, they are not the first. There have been several attempts in the last few years to improve education in the country, but they have been met with limited success. These reforms, however, seem to be far more comprehensive and elaborate than previous ones. Will they succeed? Time will tell, but Egyptians are hoping that they will bring about real change to better the lives and increase the contributions of the next generation.

“I have hope that the education system in Egypt will change for the better, and hence give us better human beings across the board,” said Sedky.

Found in:EDUCATION

As a freelance writer, May specializes in development and social issues. She has been published in international publications including Newsweek Middle East, Ms. Magazine, Global Living, Expat Go Malaysia and Kuwait Bazaar, among others.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/05/egypt-new-education-system-modern.html#ixzz5GcShJRGE

Woman who posted Holocaust denial songs to YouTube convicted

Rather surprised that Allison Chabloz would be convicted and charged as her songs were deemed not satirical but offensive to the Jewish people.

I agree, but how come Wael Abbas would not be guilty of the same charges.

A woman who wrote and performed antisemitic songs mocking the Holocaust has been found guilty of posting “grossly offensive” material to YouTube.

Alison Chabloz, 54, was convicted of three charges relating to three of her songs at Westminster magistrates court on Friday. The district judge, John Zani, said he was satisfied the material was grossly offensive and that Chabloz intended to insult Jewish people.

The prosecutor Karen Robinson previously told the court: “Miss Chabloz’s songs are a million miles away from an attempt to provide an academic critique of the Holocaust.

“They’re not political songs. They are no more than a dressed-up attack on a group of people for no more than their adherence to a religion.”

Continue reading here (Woman who posted Holocaust denial songs to Youtube convicted)