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☆ Opinion | Republicans Wanted a Crackdown on Israel’s Critics. Columbia Obliged.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Michelle Goldberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Testifying before the same panel on Wednesday, she readily agreed with Republicans’ premise that pro-Palestinian activism at Columbia is shot through with anti-Jewish bigotry, and explained how, under her leadership, Columbia is cracking down. Fifteen students, she said, had been suspended, and six more were on disciplinary probation. If it had been up to her, she said, the stridently anti-Zionist professor Joseph Massad would never have gotten tenure. (Columbia later confirmed that his chairmanship was scheduled to end after this semester.) By bending over backward to be agreeable, Shafik emerged from the four-hour grilling largely unscathed.

Persons: Nemat Shafik, Mohamed Abdou, “, ”, Joseph Massad, Massad, Shafik, that’s, Claire Shipman, David Greenwald, David Schizer, Shipman Organizations: Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Hamas, Islamic

☆ Columbia's president managed to avoid the missteps of other elite colleges in heated congressional grilling
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Nemat "Minouche" Shafik, Columbia's president, appeared before the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Wednesday. But there was a big difference between what those presidents said at their hearing and what Shafik said at hers. Related storyHarvard President Claudine Gay answered with, "It can be, depending on the context," while MIT President Sally Kornbluth said, "I have not heard calling for the genocide for Jews on our campus." In a similarly soft response, UPenn's president Elizabeth Magill responded, "If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment." AdvertisementIn Wednesday's hearing, Shafik also commented on a few controversial professors.

Persons: —, Elise Stefanik, Shafik, Israel's, Claudine Gay, Sally Kornbluth, Elizabeth Magill, Magill, Kornbluth, Mohamed Abdou, Joseph Massad, Massah, Stefanik Organizations: Service, Wednesday, Columbia, Republican, Committee, Education, New York, Business, Harvard, MIT, Gay, Street Journal, Street, Middle East Institute, Hamas, African Studies Locations: Israel, Gaza, UPenn, —, Dubai, Columbia's, South

☆ Three takeaways from the Columbia University president’s testimony on antisemitism
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Matt Egan | Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Columbia University President Minouche Shafik tried to avoid the firestorm of controversy that pushed out two of the three university presidents who testified on Capitol Hill in December. While the other university presidents provided lawyerly answers that went viral, Shafik and her three Columbia colleagues all unequivocally stated that such calls would violate the code of conduct at Columbia. For instance, the Columbia president was asked by Rep. Lisa McClain whether mobs shouting “from the river to the sea” or “long live the intifada” qualify as antisemitic comments. Some people don’t.”Only after David Schizer, the co-chair of Columbia’s task force on antisemitism, indicated it would qualify as antisemitism did Shafik agree. Davidai called Shafik a “coward” in a fiery speech last year criticizing the university president for failing to quiet “pro-terror” voices at the school.

Persons: Minouche Shafik, Shafik, Shafik waffled, Lisa McClain, McClain, “, David Schizer, ” Shafik, Joseph Massad, Tim Walberg, Massad, Mohamed Abdou, Shai Davidai, Davidai, ”, Abdou, Eden Yadegar, CNN’s Elisabeth Buchwald Organizations: New, New York CNN, Ivy League, Columbia University, Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, ”, CNN, Columbia Business School Locations: New York, Columbia

☆ Professor who Columbia president said was ‘spoken to’ for calling Hamas invasion ‘astounding’ says he wasn’t disciplined
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

A university spokesperson confirmed that Massad was under investigation for allegedly making discriminatory remarks, as Shafik noted in her Wednesday testimony. Massad told CNN the investigation was “news” to him and he was not aware of it prior to Wednesday. The department chair did not respond, while the dean, Amy Hungerford, referred the inquiry to a university spokesperson who did not offer any comment. “Professor Massad has chaired his final meeting of the academic review committee,” a different Columbia spokesperson told CNN. Columbia Business School assistant professor Shai Davidai, who Shafik said was under investigation for harassment, told CNN that he has never spoken against students by name, only “pro-Hamas” student organizations and professors.

Persons: Minouche Shafik’s, Joseph Massad’s, Massad, ” Shafik, ”, Shafik, ” Massad, “, Amy Hungerford, Elise Stefanik, Mohamed Abdou, Shai Davidai Organizations: New, New York CNN — Columbia University, CNN, Columbia, Education, Workforce, African Studies, of Arts and Sciences, Republican, Arts and Sciences, Columbia Business School Locations: New York, Gaza, Israel, Middle Eastern, Columbia

☆ Napoleon stranded a bunch of scientists in Egypt and now we have modern archaeology
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Napoleon Bonaparte brought engineers, architects, and scientists when he invaded Egypt. In three stages, these "savants" meticulously illustrated the ruins of ancient Egypt. But one of his lesser-known offenses — abandoning a crew of scholars and scientists in Egypt — led to the unexpected byproduct of formal archaeology as we know it today. AdvertisementIt divided Egypt into ancient and modern times, and launched the modern vision of ancient Egypt as we know it today. The structures, symbols, and images of ancient Egypt became fashionable features of European art and architecture.

Persons: Napoleon Bonaparte, —, Egypt —, Ridley Scott, Napoleon, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Nina Burleigh, Dominique, Vivant, Denon, savants, Napoleon's savants, Burleigh Organizations: Service, Scientific, Art Media, Egyptian Ministry of Tourism Locations: Egypt, France, Upper Egypt, Kings, Luxor, Karnak, Thebes, Edfu, Upper, Lower Egypt, Egyptian, Europe

☆ French Warship Treats Around 1,000 Injured Gazans off Egyptian Shore
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Dixmude, a French helicopter carrier, has been docked in the Egyptian port of al-Arish, 50 km (30 miles) west of the Gaza Strip, since November. Israel has targeted the largest remaining hospitals, saying Hamas fighters are operating there, something Hamas denies. Those lucky enough to cross into Egypt, like 16-year-old Ahmed Abu Daqqa, who was injured on Nov. 1, faced long waits for medical care. Doctors in Gaza "took out the shrapnel and put in two rods, but a month later they discovered more shrapnel in my knee. He and others on board the French ship were awaiting further transfers to hospitals in Egypt or abroad.

Persons: Alexandre Blonce, Gazans, Israel, Ahmed Abu Daqqa, Ahmed Fahmy, Mohamed Abdelghany, Nafisa, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Hamas, World Health Organization Locations: ARISH, Egypt, Gaza, French, al, Arish, Palestinian, Italy

☆ Big Oil Bets on Hot Air in Climate Talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Carol Ryan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The closing plenary at the COP27 climate summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, last year. Photo: MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY/REUTERSOil-and-gas companies are banking on a glacial pace of progress on cutting fossil-fuel use in this year’s round of climate negotiations—and they may well get it. Climate Change Conference, COP28, begins Thursday with an oily twist. It is being hosted by the United Arab Emirates, which pumps more than 3 million barrels of oil a day. is a member, will have a pavilion at the climate summit for the first time.

Persons: Sharm El Sheikh, MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY Organizations: REUTERS, United Arab Emirates, of, Petroleum Locations: Sharm El, Egypt

☆ Spain denounces 'indiscriminate' Gaza deaths, angering Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit meets with Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Cairo, Egypt November 24, 2023. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also weighed in, saying the two European leaders had failed to spotlight what he called crimes against humanity committed by Palestinian militants of Hamas. Hamas fighters burst into Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7 in an attack Israel says killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel has bombarded Gaza and sent in troops and tanks in retaliation, killing about 14,000 Gazans, around 40% of them children, according to Palestinian health authorities. On Thursday, Sanchez met Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Israel Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

Persons: Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Pedro Sanchez, Alexander De Croo, Mohamed Abdel, Sanchez, Eli Cohen, De, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Netanyahu's, Jose Manuel Albares, Albares, Isaac Herzog, Mahmoud Abbas, Inti Landauro, Ari Rabinovitch, Andrew Gray, Emma Pinedo, Charlie Devereux, William Maclean, Grant McCool Organizations: Arab League, Spain's, Belgium's, Hamas, REUTERS, Spanish, Belgian, Israel's, Palestinian, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Israel, Cairo, Egypt, Gaza, Rafah, Spain, Belgium, Spanish, Hamas, Ramallah, Belgian, Madrid, Jerusalem, Brussels

All have been hit by a boycott campaign over Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip since the deadly Hamas attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Western brands are feeling the impact in Egypt and Jordan, and there are signs the campaign is spreading in some other Arab countries including Kuwait and Morocco. Videos have circulated of what appear to be Israeli troops washing clothes with well-known detergent brands which viewers are urged to boycott. In Kuwait City on Tuesday evening, a tour of seven branches of Starbucks, McDonald's and KFC found them nearly empty. Previous boycott campaigns in Egypt, the Arab world's most populous nation, had less impact, including those advocated by the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Persons: Mohamed Abd, Reham Hamed, Ahmad al, McDonald's, Jordan, Hossam Mahmoud, Sameh El Sadat, executive's, Issam Abu Shalaby, Farah Saafan, Sarah El Safty, Mai ShamsElDin, Suleiman Al, Ahmed Hagagy, Jonathan Spicer, Aidan Lewis Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Gaza, U.S, Kuwait City, McDonald's, KFC, McDonald's Corp, Reuters, BDS, Starbucks, TBS Holding, Malaysian, Cola, Nestle, Turkish, Israel, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Kentucky, Egypt, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Cairo, CAIRO, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Amman, Rabat, BDS Egypt, Egyptian, Malaysia, Putrajaya, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Khalidi, Danial Azhar, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait City, Istanbul

The Gaza war on the border with Egypt's Sinai Peninsula comes after the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic exposed long-standing frailties in the Egyptian economy. "Foreign sentiment on Egypt is so weak, and now with this coming along it's last thing that Egypt needed. A foreign currency shortage has led to a $5 billion backlog of imports stuck at ports, and problems for foreign companies repatriating dividends, bankers say. So far, the Gaza war has affected the popular Sinai destinations of Taba, Nuweiba, Dahab and Sharm el-Sheikh but left the rest of the country relatively unscathed. Egypt's tourism minister told Reuters this week that the impact of the war was contained to under 10% of bookings.

Persons: Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Monica Malik, Moataz, Sharm, Karim ElMinabawy, Siamak Adibi, Egypt's, Olumide Ajayi, Malik, Patrick Werr, Sarah El Safty, Aidan Lewis, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, Abu, Tourism, Countrywide, Emeco, Middle East Gas, FGE, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Giza, Cairo, Egypt, CAIRO, Gaza, Ukraine, Dhabi, Taba, Dahab, Luxor, Aswan, Israel, Europe, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Gulf . Saudi

☆ Fitch downgrades Egypt one notch deeper into junk territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The downgrade reflects increased risks to Egypt's external financing, macroeconomic stability and the trajectory of already-high government debt, the rating agency said. The ratings agency said it expects Egypt to face a significant rise in external debt maturities in fiscal years ending June 2024 and June 2025, from that which ended in June 2023. The rating agency expects receipts from tourism, the Suez Canal and a recovery of remittances to help contain financing needs from larger imports. "Israel-Hamas war poses significant downside risks to tourism, although we build in some near-term hit," Fitch said. In October, fellow ratings agencies Moody's and Standard & Poor's (S&P) both downgraded Egypt's credit ratings by a notch.

Persons: Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Fitch, Vaibhav, Shailesh Organizations: REUTERS, Monetary Fund, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Cairo, Egypt, Egypt's, Suez, Gaza, Israel, Bengaluru

The January contract of frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) hit an all-time high of $4.17 per pound during the session, before falling back to $3.83 per pound. Did anyone predict $4.00 orange juice? As a comparison, the most traded contract among the soft commodities, ICE's raw sugar, had over 435,000 lots in open interest. Ibiapaba Netto, executive director at CitrusBR, the association representing Brazilian juice producers, said that a reversal of the current tight supply situation would take time, and is not certain to happen. Brazil has a 75% share of the global orange juice trade.

Persons: Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Dave Reiter, OJ, Darin Fessler, Ibiapaba Netto, Netto, greening, Marcelo Teixeira, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, Intercontinental Exchange, Reiter Capital Investments, CitrusBR, Thomson Locations: El Nobaria, Cairo, Egypt, New York, United States, Brazil, Mexico, U.S

☆ More than 100 detained in Egypt after pro-Palestinian protests- lawyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People take part in a protest in support of Palestinians, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at al-Azhar Mosque in Old Cairo, Egypt, October 20, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCAIRO, Oct 24 (Reuters) - At least 100 people were arrested in Egypt after taking part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations late last week, though some have subsequently been released, lawyers working on the cases said on Tuesday. State-approved protests against Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip were held at several locations in Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt on Friday. However, some protesters in Cairo walked to Tahrir Square - the centre of Egypt's 2011 uprising - which was not among the sites approved for the pro-Palestinian demonstration. Unauthorised public protests are banned in Egypt, and Tahrir Square, which was redesigned several years ago, is heavily monitored by security services because of its symbolic status.

Persons: Azhar, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Nabeh Elganadi, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Ahmed Tantawy, Elganadi, Belal Habib, Tantawy, Adam Makary, Farah Saafan, Aidan Lewis, Emelia Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, ., Judicial, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, al, Old Cairo, Egypt, Rights CAIRO, Gaza, Cairo, Tahrir, Alexandria

☆ Cairo Peace Summit on Gaza conflict: who will attend?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Members of the military stand guard as people take part in a protest in support of Palestinians, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Old Cairo, Egypt, October 20, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany Acquire Licensing RightsOct 20 (Reuters) - Egypt is planning to host an international conference on Saturday to discuss the escalating war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza. The list of attendees expected so far at the Cairo Peace Summit include:Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-SisiPalestinian President Mahmoud AbbasJordanian King AbdullahBahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al KhalifaKuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-SabahItalian Prime Minister Giorgia MeloniSpanish Prime Minister Pedro SanchezGreek Prime Minister Kyriakos MitsotakisCypriot President Nikos ChristodoulidesSouth African President Cyril RamaphosaGerman Foreign Minister Annalena BaerbockFrench Foreign Minister Catherine ColonnaJapanese Foreign Minister Yoko KamikawaBritish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs James CleverlyNorwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth EideUnited Nations Secretary-General Antonio GuterresEuropean Council President Charles MichelEuropean Union foreign policy chief Josep BorrellReporting by Reuters bureaus; Editing by Edmund Blair, Gareth Jones and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Abdel Fattah al, Mahmoud Abbas, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al, Ahmad al, Giorgia, Pedro Sanchez, Kyriakos, Nikos Christodoulides, Cyril Ramaphosa, Annalena Baerbock, Catherine Colonna Japanese, Yoko Kamikawa, Foreign Affairs James, Espen Barth Eide, Antonio, Charles Michel, Josep Borrell, Edmund Blair, Gareth Jones, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Palestinian, Cairo Peace, Pedro Sanchez Greek, State, Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide United Nations, Charles Michel European Union, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Old Cairo, Egypt, Gaza, Cairo, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah Bahraini, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Kuwaiti Crown, Sabah Italian, Spanish, Norwegian

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 26, 2023. "Egypt rejects any attempt to resolve the Palestinian issue by military means or through the forced displacement of Palestinians from their land, which would come at the expense of the countries of the region," he said. Sisi said the Egyptian people would "go out and protest in their millions ... if called upon to do so" against any displacement of Gaza's residents to Sinai. Egypt is wary of insecurity near its border with Gaza in northeastern Sinai, where an Islamist insurgency intensified a decade ago. Any transfer of Palestinians to Sinai would mean "that we move the idea of resistance, of combat, from the Gaza Strip to Sinai, and so Sinai would become the base for launching operations against Israel", Sisi said.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Danichev, Olaf Scholz, Osama Hamdan, Jordan, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Israel, John Kirby, Biden, Nayera Abdallah, Nadine Awadalla, Amr Abdallah Dalsh, Sherif Fahmy, Mohamed Abdel, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Aidan Lewis, Gareth Jones, Philippa Fletcher, Alistair Bell, Grant McCool Organizations: Sputnik, Rights, West Bank, U.S, Israeli, United, Volunteers, Cairo University, State, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Rights CAIRO, Sinai, Gaza, Cairo, Israel, Egypt, Beirut, Rafah, United States, Dubai, Ghany

☆ Egypt facilitating deliveries of aid to Sinai for Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks as he attends a press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (not pictured), in Cairo, Egypt, October 11, 2023. The Rafah crossing between Sinai and Gaza remained open, the Egyptian foreign ministry said, adding that Egypt had asked Israel to avoid targeting the Palestinian side of the crossing after strikes that prevented normal operations there. Al Arish airport in northern Sinai, about 45 km (28 miles) from the Gaza border, was preparing to receive three aid flights from Qatar and Jordan, but these would not leave the airport until humanitarian corridors had been established, two Egyptian security sources said. They said Egypt and Jordan had received assurances from the United States that aid would be delivered to Gaza, without giving details. Since Palestinian Islamist group Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, Israel and Egypt have imposed a blockade, restricting the passage of people and goods in and out of the territory.

Persons: Antonio Tajani, Sameh Shoukry, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Israel, Jordan, retaliating, Rishi Sunak, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Sunak, Ahmed Elimam, Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Nadine Awadalla, Aidan Lewis, Alex Richardson, Andrew Heavens, Angus MacSwan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Italian, Egyptian Foreign, REUTERS, Rights, Lithuanian, Hamas, British, Thomson Locations: Cairo, Egypt, Rights CAIRO, Gaza, Sinai, Rafah, Israel, Al Arish, Qatar, Jordan, United States, Palestinian

☆ Morocco and East African co-bid to host future Africa Cup of Nations finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Morocco won by default after Algeria, Zambia and a joint bid from Benin and Nigeria all withdrew before the vote of the Confederation of African Football's executive committee in Cairo on Wednesday. The north African country was a runaway favourite and will see the decision as a boost to their hopes of co-hosting the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain. It is only the second time that Morocco will host Africa's most popular sporting event, almost four decades after the previous time in 1988. The joint East African bid for 2027 returns the finals to the region for the first time since 1976. Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Christian Radnedge and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Mark Gleeson, Christian Radnedge, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Soccer Football, Africa, of Nations, Olembe, Nations, REUTERS, Rights, Portugal, CAF, Thomson Locations: Senegal, Egypt, Yaounde, Cameroon, Rights CAIRO, Morocco, Guinea, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Algeria, Zambia, Benin, Nigeria, Cairo, Spain, Botswana, Cape Town

☆ 20,000 people feared dead in Libyan city destroyed by floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Patrick Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"The situation is very large and surprising for the city of Derna. A view shows a damaged car, following a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hitting the country, in Derna, Libya September 13, 2023. A government official estimated Wednesday that 25% of the city was completely destroyed or washed away. People look at the dead bodies outside the hospital, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya, in Derna, Libya September 12, 2023. A view of devastation in disaster zones after the floods caused by the Storm Daniel ravaged the region, on September 11, 2023, in Derna, Libya.

Persons: Hassan El Salheen, Aly, Storm Daniel, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Daniel, Abdel Moneim Al, Ghaithi, Esam Omran, Hunter Biden, Elie Abouaoun, Reuters Othman Abduljaleel Organizations: Reuters, Sky News Arabia, fetori, United Nations, World Meteorological Organization, AFP, WMO, NBC, FBI, Social Security, International Rescue, International Organization for Migration, United Arab, Fetori, Tripoli Public Services Company, Libyan News Agency, Storm, Anadolu Agency, Getty Locations: Libya, Al Sharief, Bani Swief, Egypt, Derna, Geneva, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Tripoli, Derna's

Thousands of people are confirmed dead and thousands more missing, with the mayor saying the toll could reach 20,000. Usama Al Husadi, a 52-year-old driver, had been searching for his wife and five children since the disaster. Husadi, who had been working the night of the storm, dialled his wife's phone number once again. "We lost at least 50 members from my father’s family, between missing and dead," he said. Confirmed death tolls given by officials so far have varied, but all are in the thousands, with thousands more on lists of the missing.

Persons: Hassan El Salheen, Aly, Storm Daniel, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Usama Al Husadi, Husadi, Wali Eddin Mohamed Adam, Abdulmenam, Ghaithi, Mohamed Mohsen Bujmila, Khadija, Bujmila, Muammar Gaddafi, Peter Graff, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Derna, Saudi, Al, Rescue, United Arab, NATO, of National Unity, Thomson Locations: Libya, Al Sharief, Bani Swief, Egypt, DERNA, Libyan, Al Arabiya, Derna, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, Tripoli

☆ Japan foreign minister Hayashi to meet Ukraine counterpart - ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi speaks during a press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (not pictured) in Cairo, Egypt September 5, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will meet his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv on Saturday, the Japanese foreign ministry said. In his talks with Kuleba, Hayashi will reiterate Japan's firm support of Ukraine and address its involvement in the international community to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine as soon as possible, the ministry said in a statement. Hayashi is accompanied by executives of Japanese firms, including Hiroshi Mikitani, founder and chief executive Rakuten Group (4755.T), the ministry said. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a surprise visit to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy in March.

Persons: Yoshimasa Hayashi, Sameh Shoukry, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Dmytro Kuleba, Kuleba, Hayashi, Hiroshi Mikitani, Fumio Kishida, Volodomyr Zelenskiy, Junko Fujita, Nobuhiro Kubo, Michael Perry Organizations: Japan's, Egyptian Foreign, REUTERS, Rights, Ukrainian, Rakuten Group, Thomson Locations: Cairo, Egypt, Kyiv, Ukraine

Traders have told Reuters the price could possibly be below an unofficial floor set by Russia's government to control domestic wheat prices. Other Russian wheat suppliers submitted offers on Friday at a free-on-board price of $265 per metric ton, believing it to be the set price floor, and a C&F price that exceeded $270 per ton. Traders told Reuters the price floor was not legally binding but that suppliers were expected to follow instructions from Russia's agriculture ministry. There is a lack of clarity in the market about the level of the Russian minimum floor price. GASC had also privately bought one cargo of Bulgarian wheat at $270 per ton C&F on Friday.

Persons: Mohamed Abd El Ghany, GASC, Sarah El Safty, Michael Hogan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, General Authority for Supply Commodities, Solaris, Reuters, Traders, Abu, Abu Dhabi Exports Office, Thomson Locations: Al Qalyubia Governorate, Egypt, Rights CAIRO, Ukraine, Abu Dhabi, UAE

☆ Rights groups appeal for justice over 2013 Egypt sit-in killings
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A general view of Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, the site of a sit-in ending in clashes in 2013, in Cairo August 10, 2014. The clearing of the Rabaa al-Adawiya sit-in in Cairo on Aug. 14, 2013 marked the escalation of a crackdown against supporters of overthrown Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Mursi. Rights groups say more than 800 people were killed as security forces stormed Rabaa al-Adawiya, one of two squares in the capital where protesters had been camped out for weeks. Amnesty International said: "States with influence on Egypt must echo the demands of survivors, victims' families and human rights defenders for truth, justice and reparation." Supporters of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who led Mursi's ouster as army chief and became president in 2014, say security measures taken at the time were needed to stabilise Egypt.

Persons: Rabaa, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Mohamed Mursi, Abdel Fattah al, Mursi's, EIPR, Hossam Bahgat, Aidan Lewis, Sharon Singleton, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Muslim, Rights Watch, Amnesty, Egyptian, Personal Rights, Thomson Locations: Cairo, CAIRO, Egypt

☆ China replaces foreign minister Qin after brief stint and weeks of speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang looks on during his meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, Egypt, January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File PhotoBEIJING, July 25 (Reuters) - China removed Foreign Minister Qin Gang from his post on Tuesday after a one-month absence from public duties, replacing him with his predecessor Wang Yi, state media said, after weeks of speculation about what had happened to him. Qin, 57, who only took up the job in December after a brief stint as envoy to the United States, had not been seen in public since June 25 when he met visiting diplomats in Beijing. Wang, 69, who filled in for Qin during his absence, retakes the role he held between 2018 and 2022. China's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment about reasons behind the switch.

Persons: Qin Gang, Sameh Shoukry, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Wang Yi, Qin, Wang, Andrew Heavens, Nick Macfie Organizations: Foreign, REUTERS, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Cairo, Egypt, BEIJING, China, United States, Beijing, Indonesia, Ukraine, Moscow, Taiwan

☆ Defying high prices, Muslim pilgrims head to Mecca for haj
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Arafat Barbakh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The 65-year-old struggled to pay the bill despite choosing the cheapest-offered package, which included travelling to Saudi Arabia by land and sharing hotel rooms with other pilgrims. "For the sake of the holy mosque and seeing the Kaaba... everything is worth it, but the economic conditions are really tough," he added. Abu Rahal was one of more than 2 million haj pilgrims expected to attend the 2023 pilgrimage season this week in Mecca and Medina, defying global inflation and higher prices for haj services. Authorities in the kingdom said more than 1.6 million pilgrims had already arrived for the pilgrimage as of Sunday. Many pilgrims said they were happy to take the spiritual journey and buy gifts for their family members despite high prices.

Persons: Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Anas Abu Rahal, haj, Abu Rahal, Haj, Eid Al, Omar, Abdullah Abbas, Aziz El Yaakoubi, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, Authorities, haj, Thomson Locations: El, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Mohamed Abd El Ghany MECCA, Medina, Saudi, Mecca's, haj, Egypt

☆ Sudanese forces clash in Khartoum after talks break down
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

AID SUPPLIES LOOTEDOutside Khartoum, the worst fighting has been in the Darfur region, where a civil war has simmered since 2003, killing around 300,000 people. The U.N.'s World Food Programme and its refugee agency UNHCR said continued looting was disrupting their efforts to help Sudanese, calling on all parties to respect humanitarian work. The UNHCR said two of its offices in Khartoum were pillaged and its warehouse in El Obeid was targeted on Thursday. With the ceasefire talks off, Khartoum residents are bracing for further problems. It's like they're alternating forms of torture," said Omer Ibrahim, who lives in a district of Omdurman that has seen little fighting.

Persons: Din Abdalrahman, Mohamed Abdallah Idris, Omar al, Bashir, Abdel, Fattah, Burhan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Hemdti, El Obeid, Omer Ibrahim, Nafisa Eltahir, Khalid Abdelaziz, Angus McDowall, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Rapid Support Forces, UNHCR, Thomson Locations: KHARTOUM, U.S, Khartoum, Omdurman, Sudan, The U.S, Saudi Arabia, Washington, Darfur, West Darfur, Chad, El, Cairo, Dubai

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