Dailynewsegypt

Author: DNE

  • China replaces Iran oil with Mideast, Africa, Russia

    BEIJING/SINGAPORE: China has bought enough spot crude from the Middle East, Africa and Russia in January to replace lost Iranian oil supply, trade sources said on Friday, putting it in a strong position as it tussles with the Islamic Republic over payment terms for 2012 contracts.

    China will load an additional 12.43 million barrels of crude from Iraq, Russia and West Africa in January, more than covering 285,000 barrels per day (bpd) supply cut from Iran, according to trade sources and shipping data.

    Sinopec Corp, the country’s top refiner, cut its crude shipments from Iran for January as the two haggle over terms for next year’s supplies.

    A long-term decline in exports to the world’s second-largest oil consumer would be a major blow for Iran, as China is the largest customer for its crude sales, which are under increasing threat from growing US and EU sanctions.

    "The last OPEC meeting basically went the way of the Saudis so the market is less tight at a time when Iran is getting squeezed by sanctions," Alex Yap, an analyst at FACTS Global Energy, said.

    OPEC oil producers on Dec. 14 agreed to an output target of 30 million barrels daily, ratifying current production at near 3-year highs as the world’s top exporter Saudi Arabia ramped up output in November to the highest in three decades.

    More spot crude

    To replace part of the lost Iranian supply, Sinopec’s trading arm Unipec bought two more VLCCs of Iraqi Basra Light for January, doubling the volume it typically buys each month, trade sources said.

    China is also importing more oil from Saudi Arabia, with the November volume hitting 1.17 million barrels per day (bpd), the second highest rate on record.

    Grades for Middle East crude such as Al-Shaheen and Oman hit record differentials for January, while Iraqi Basra Light stayed at a premium, which traders said could be down to the additional Chinese spot demand. Strong Asia demand has also helped support prices for West African crude.

    An open West-to-East crude arbitrage and a resumption in exports from Libya made it easier for China to buy more oil from Africa and Russia.

    China bought 2.85 million barrels for October loading, after a months-long civil war ended in the North African nation cut off supplies. Unipec has booked another three vessels to load the same volume of oil in December, shipping fixtures showed.

    China will import 184,000 bpd more in January 2012 from West Africa than the previous month as European marker Brent’s premium over Dubai narrowed, making Western grades more attractive.

    The open arbitrage also enabled Unipec to send a VLCC of its term Russian Urals for China in January. It stepped up purchase of another Russian grade, ESPO, buying four 730,000-barrel cargoes for January, up from the usual 2-3 parcels each month, trade sources said.

    "I don’t think China will give up buying Iranian crude because it will hurt the relationship between the two countries," a crude trader with a Chinese firm said.

    The matter is likely to be resolved by March, a second trader said. –Additional reporting by Aizhu Chen

     

     

  • Buttered Up: Sugar Cookies for cookie-cutter Women

    On the 10th day of the 10th month of 2010, I broke my finger and made an unexpected friend.

    Irrespective of the pressing need to operate, it was not until a week later, after the kids were cured of their cold, that I would have to submit to surgery. This friend who stood by me and cooked fragrant Iranian food for our household while I was incapable, whose own little girl attended the same school as my stepchildren, would link some awful truths to the picture I drew of Iran in my mind.

    She would come and keep me company, refilling my white bowl with steaming spoonfuls of Iranian biryani and my ears with the warm drawl of her accent. It was easier to sit on our balcony on the 21st floor. It was easier to stare into the distance when words failed you, the adult that you are, responsible for children and a home.

    With a casual laugh and a toss of her hair, she talks about her country’s past and my country’s future, about the ways of oppression and alienation, forgiveness and trust and most importantly, the price of being a woman.

    Stories of ladies beaten in the streets for wearing nail polish – “You cannot pray like this,” of ladies who could only show their fringe if it was brown – “Blond hair is for your husband at home,” of men who had enforced haircuts deemed acceptable by the government and a vast majority drinking themselves into oblivion to avoid the reality of day-to-day living.
    As I cracked the delicate crust of sholeh-zard, a sweet saffron-infused almond rice dessert tinged with turmeric and aromatic spices, I felt blessed that we had not become what she was so bitterly describing.

    Today as we approach the end of 2011, I do not feel as secure because I cannot yet determine what to expect and I wonder what I will have to adapt to or become. I fear that I might not be able to take part in a male-dominated kitchen because I am a woman or that an ultra-conservative man will one day come and accuse me of being a gastronomic pimp caught up in the dirty business of food pornography.

    I cannot lie – Egyptians on all levels are still afraid; the barrier of fear has not been broken.

    Scraping the bottom of my small cut-glass bowl, my friend’s nonchalant attitude begins to shift. With a wavering voice, she remembers her daughter asking her, upon leaving Iran, why she wasn’t wearing her “uniform” anymore, and how she noticed that people smiled in the street, questioning why they were happy – a detail most adults would not take note of.

    This beautiful lady with a constant bounce in her step, a hair color that changed with the month and a broad and cheeky grin had left her country in search of a better life for her daughter. I cannot bear to see this happening to our daughters, to our children; it is unfortunate to say that I currently consider it a blessing that I do not have any of my own.

    With Christmas literally around the corner, the only thing I truly pray for is a little more forgiveness in this country and a lot more compassion because Egypt is tired and needs a pick-me-up, a sugar rush, some good news, an attempt at positivity and a more united spirit.

    Sugar Cookies:
    1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour
    1/8 teaspoon salt
    ½ teaspoon baking powder
    ½ cup unsalted butter
    ¾ cup granulated sugar
    1 large egg
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Royal Icing:
    1 large egg white
    1 teaspoon lemon juice
    2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

    Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. With an electric mix, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Add the vanilla and egg. Mix for a minute then add the flour mixture. Beat until it looks smooth. Split the dough in half. Wrap each half in cling film and refrigerate for an hour.

    Preheat oven to 177 degrees Celsius. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out one half of the dough to a 1 cm thickness on a floured surface. Make sure the dough does not stick by rotating while you roll. Cut out the cookies using a floured cookie cutter. Place the cookies on a baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes. Bake cookies for 10 minutes or until they begin to slightly brown around the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them. Frost with royal icing. Royal icing must dry entirely before storing. This can take hours. Store cookies in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper.

    Royal Icing:
    Beat the egg whites with lemon juice with an electric mixer. Add the powdered sugar. Mix on low until smooth. Increase speed to medium and beat for 7-10 minutes until stiff and shiny. Royal icing has to be used or covered immediately so as not to harden. Split into different bowls if you wish to color it. Put the icing in a piping bag with a plain tip. Pipe a border around the cookie. This recipe is to create the hard border before “flooding” the cookie. To flood the cookie, add teaspoon by teaspoon of water to the remaining icing until it reaches a thinner consistency to fill the cookie border. Remember to allow the border to dry before flooding then rest it until it dries completely before storing.

    Blog: http://www.buttered-up.com
    Twitter: @butteredupblog
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    Email: [email protected]

     

     

     

  • Vatican fits sensors to preserve priceless Sistine Chapel

    The Sistine Chapel has been fitted with detectors to check for pollution from its millions of visitors every year that could harm priceless frescoes by Michelangelo and Botticelli.

    Vatican Museums director Antonio Paolucci explained in the Holy See’s official daily, Osservatore Romano, on Thursday that the initiative was in order to update the building’s air conditioning and ventilating system.

    "We will make every effort to keep it open, with the conviction that it is possible to do so without creating a risk for the frescoes," Paolucci said.

    Paolucci explained that the unsightly detectors put in place this summer measure temperature, humidity, chemicals as well as currents of air.

    "It was necessary to understand the dynamics of the pollution," he said.

    Thirty-six of the detectors are suspended and 14 others are fitted in other parts of the chapel, which is covered in paintings on the walls and ceiling.

    The sensor data is then matched with statistics on the number of visitors at any one time obtained through thermal cameras fitted on the doors.

    The Sistine Chapel is an artistic masterpiece and a central place for Roman Catholicism as it is there that cardinals meet in conclave to elect a new pope.

    The chapel receives more than four million visitors every year.

    Last year, scientists discovered a high quantity of particles on the walls that could cause chemical reactions that would harm the paintings.

    The ventilation system by a company called Carrier was installed after the completion of the last major restoration project on the chapel in 1993.

     

     

  • Hollywood still struggling to focus 3D technology

    Two years after breakthrough 3D megahit "Avatar," Hollywood is still struggling to decide how best to use the new technology, as filmgoers tire of the novelty and say no to annoying glasses.

    While 2011 ends with a couple of well-received 3D movies – including Steven Spielberg’s holiday smash "Tintin" and Martin Scorsese’s "Hugo" – filmmakers need to focus on what works in three dimensions and what doesn’t, say experts.

    Following a series of 3D flops over the last 12 months, the coming year will see a new crop of releases, including a suped-up version of "Avatar" director James Cameron’s record-breaking "Titanic" in April.

    But experts say filmmakers can no longer count on the simple fact of putting "Now playing in 3D" on the posters to attract cinema-goers wary of paying a few extra bucks for a questionably improved experience.

    "3D film distribution in 2011 has been a lesson in learning for studios and theaters alike," Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at industry data provider Exhibitor Relations told AFP.

    "While there were nearly 40 (3D) films released this year, studios have been scaling back in terms of the type of films released in this new format. The reason? Audiences won’t pay for a 3D engagement that isn’t a premium picture."

    The 3D revolution – or the latest attempt to bring 3D to cinema, following earlier failed efforts – comes as the film industry is struggling to reinvent itself as the ways of watching movies multiply.

    Hollywood could arguably be said to be seeking its "iTunes moment," like the arrival of the Apple song purchasing site for the music industry, as pirate copies of films proliferated from DVDs to illegal downloads and online streaming.

    But signs that 3D has struggled came this year not only from summer box office flops – "Fright Night," "Conan the Barbarian," "Glee," and "Spy Kids – but also from flagging sales of 3D televisions.

    "Two of the major pain points for consumers are still the price of the TV and the need to wear glasses," market research company NPD said in April, although sales figures later in the year looked better.

    Japanese games giant Nintendo was forced to slash the price of its new 3DS console by up to 40 percent in July, following disappointing sales of the new version of its popular console.

    Nevertheless filmmakers keep embracing the new technology: at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea in October, low-budget 3D productions were keen to take on the big studios at their own game.

    "Budget doesn’t matter, it is story that matters in cinema and it’s the same when you are using 3D," said South Korean Choo Sang-rok, director of the 3D feature "Persimmon."

    Back in Hollywood, Spielberg says that 3D should be used only when appropriate. "I disagree with my colleagues who believe that every film should be in 3D. It’s another tool in a very large tool chest," he told the industry daily Variety.

    "I think 3D should be used when there is something to be achieved from it, not just to be able to slam the 3D brand on a movie ad," he said.

    There have been reports that Spielberg is contemplating making a 3D version of his iconic movie "Jurassic Park" by converting it – a process which critics say is purely a money-making ploy.

    Proper 3D movies are filmed using two slightly off-set cameras, the images from which are fed into a moviegoer’s left and right eyes by the glasses handed out to watch the film.

    Converted 3D movies – or "fake 3D" – are films made with normal cameras, but then processed using computers in post-production to give the impression of multiple layers of depth.

    A number other classic films are also set to be revived in three dimensions, including "Star Wars," said Exhibitor Relations expert Bock. Others, like "The Lion King," have already appeared in 3D.

    Scorsese meanwhile said he was apprehensive after deciding to make "Hugo" in 3D. "We were scared," he told the BBC. "It was like walking a tightrope, the whole picture."

    "People start to have rules: You can’t do this, don’t do that," he recalled. "I said, ‘I don’t want to hear what can’t be done." "I’m not usually that intrepid but I wouldn’t let people confuse me," he said.

    Analysts say Hollywood is not going to turn its back on 3D, but will learn from its mistakes.

    "Studios are going to be much more savvy as to what they choose to release in 3D in the years to come. Make no mistake – 3D is not going anywhere, it’s just adapting, as long as the audience responds," said Bock.

    Hollywood 3D movies expected out in 2012 include "Men in Black III," "The Amazing Spider Man," "The Avengers" and "The Hobbit," he said, but added that one of the biggest films of the year will only be available in 2D.

    "The one that won’t be: ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’ Which will probably be the highest grossing film of the year. So, what does that tell you? It still comes down to story," said the Exhibitor Relations expert.

    "Always does. Always will," he said.

     

     

  • Grammys to honor late Steve Jobs for contribution to music

    The Grammys will pay special tribute to late Apple founder Steve Jobs, Brazil’s Tom Jobim – of "Girl from Ipanema" fame – and US singer Diana Ross at the upcoming awards show, the organization announced Wednesday.

    The Apple co-founder and mind behind the wildly popular iPod, iPad and iPhone died in October after battling pancreatic cancer.

    Jobs, a Trustees Award honoree, will be remembered as having helped "create products and technology that transformed the way we consume music, TV, movies, and books," a statement from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences said.

    Lifetime Achievement Awards will be given to the Allman Brothers Band, country crooner Glen Campbell, Antonio Carlos Jobim, country star George Jones, soul stars the Memphis Horns, Ross and rap trailblazer Gil Scott-Heron, at the 54th edition of the awards fete.

    Jobim, who died in 1994 at 67, is considered one of Brazil’s most influential musicians, helping earn world renown for the bossa nova.

    Diva Diana Ross, 67, won an Academy Award nomination for her turn as Billie Holiday in "Lady Sings the Blues" (1972), and will be honored for her musical career that has spanned decades. Though she has been nominated for Grammys on many occasions, the Lifetime Achievement honor will be her first Grammy.

    "This year’s honorees offer a variety of brilliance, contributions and lasting impressions on our culture," said Neil Portnow, president and CEO of The Recording Academy. "It is an honor to recognize such a diverse group of individuals whose talents and achievements have had an indelible impact on our industry."

    Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim wrote the legendary "Garota de Ipanema" (Girl from Ipanema) in 1962, and it became a sort of anthem of Brazilian culture, with covers done by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Nat King Cole and Madonna.

     

     

  • Hamas moves to join PLO umbrella

    CAIRO: The rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas took an important step toward reconciliation on Thursday, announcing plans for the Islamist group to join the umbrella group that has overseen two decades of on-and-off peace talks with Israel.

    The deal to admit Hamas into the Fatah-dominated Palestine Liberation Organization could have deep repercussions. Hamas has opposed the peace talks and rejects Israel’s right to exist. A strong Hamas voice in the group would further complicate the already troubled Mideast diplomatic process.

    Israeli officials reacted with alarm to the emerging agreement.

    Hamas overran Gaza in 2007, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is also the head of Fatah, has ruled only the West Bank since then. The division has been an obstacle in peacemaking efforts with Israel, since Abbas does not speak for all the Palestinians.

    A full reconciliation could solve that — or it could put Hamas in charge. The Islamist group won a parliamentary election in 2006, and a short-lived government Hamas formed with Fatah was shunned by Israel and the West, freezing peace efforts.

    Under the agreement, Hamas’ supreme leader, Khaled Mashaal, joined a committee that will prepare for elections of the PLO’s parliament in exile. He will serve alongside Abbas.

    "The reconciliation has taken off. It might take time, but we have started," said Azzam al-Ahmed, a top Fatah negotiator, after the talks in Cairo.

    The election would clear the way for Hamas to become a full member of the body and gain an important voice in its decision making.

    Any PLO election is likely years away because of logistics alone. The PLO represents all Palestinians, so the vote would have to include people spread throughout the world, including residents of refugee camps in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. In addition, political battles are likely to hinder the process.

    In a separate step toward reconciliation, the sides have tentatively agreed to hold separate elections next year in the West Bank and Gaza. That vote is meant to end the division and choose a single government for both territories, where Abbas hopes to establish an independent state.

    On Thursday, Abbas issued a presidential decree naming a committee to oversee preparations for the local elections. Huge obstacles remain, most critically how to unify rival security forces that just a few years ago were battling each other.

    Jibril Rajoub, a Fatah official and former West Bank security chief, said he was confident.

    "There are difficulties ahead, but the train has left the station and no one can stop it," he said.

    Israel objects to any Palestinian government that includes Hamas, a group that is committed to Israel’s destruction and has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings, rocket strikes and other attacks.

    Hamas has sent some signals that it might be willing to reach some sort of accommodation with Israel. The group has largely adhered to a cease-fire with Israel since a brief war three years ago, and Mashaal has said he would not stand in the way if Abbas decides to resume negotiations with Israel. It also has indicated willingness to accept a state in the West Bank and Gaza as a first step toward replacing Israel with an Islamic entity.

    Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev rejected any suggestions that Hamas is becoming more moderate. He noted that the group reiterated its calls for Israel’s destruction at its anniversary celebrations early this month.

    "No one in the international community should have illusions as to Hamas," Regev said. "This is a movement that is terrorist to the core. When Abu Mazen walks toward Hamas, he’s walking away from peace," he said, using Abbas’ widely known nickname.

    Both Hamas and Fatah officials said the long-stalled reconciliation efforts got a boost from the Arab Spring protests that have shaken up the Middle East.

    Hamas is feeling emboldened by the strong showing by Islamic parties in elections in Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt. "The Arab awakening is shaping the entire region," said Mohammed Nasr, a senior Hamas official.

    At the same time, Hamas also may feel under pressure as it watches its key allies in the region, Syria and Iran, run into trouble internationally. Syrian President Bashar Assad has been battling a domestic uprising for months, while Iran faces sanctions and isolation because of its nuclear program.

    A Hamas official confirmed to The Associated Press that relations with Syria are "cool," and his group is debating whether to move its headquarters out of the Syrian capital Damascus.

    The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said dozens of Hamas officials already have left Syria in recent weeks due to security concerns and moved to Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen and Jordan. –Ibrahim Barzak in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, contributed to this report.

  • Advisory council resumes meetings as SCAF intensifies tone against youth

    CAIRO: The Advisory Council, recently formed by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, resumed Wednesday its regular meetings which were suspended in protest of the violence in downtown Cairo.

    The council demanded that the military council respond to their demands by putting an end to clashes that started when military forces cracked down on a sit-in in front of the Cabinet.

    The council announced that it had set four main demands, and that it would reconsider its duties should SCAF fail to respond to them.

    "Members of the advisory council want to serve the country through their position and they are not paid for that. Therefore, if SCAF showed that it is not serious in taking our advice and wants to use us as a cover to pass unacceptable policies, then we will take a collective decision to withhold our activities," said Hassan Nafea, outspoken politics professor and member of the advisory council.

    The demands as stated by Mohamed Nour Farahat, constitutional expert and the general secretary of the advisory council, are upholding the right to peaceful protest, putting an end to the violence against protesters, and ensuring that the protests do not lead to vandalism of public property and do not obstruct people’s interests, according to egynews.net.

    The SCAF issued Wednesday statement No. 92 stressing that it supports the right to peacefully protest without vandalizing public or private property or obstructing people’s interests.

    According to Sameh Ashour, head of the Lawyers’ Syndicate and deputy head of the advisory council, SCAF’s statement is a positive one that is in line with the demands of the advisory council.

    A number of members of the council had resigned in protest of the military crackdown on the Cabinet sit-in.

    "Individual actions don’t have an effect, while when the entire council decided to freeze its activities SCAF responded quickly," Nafea said.

    "We need to take collective decisions because as long as we are pushing SCAF collectively it will respond and that’s why we are trying to convince those who resigned to reconsider their decision. We are also trying to add new members to the council," Nafea added.

    The council, according to Ashour, discussed some suggestions to recruit new members to the council’s board. This is yet to be studied, he said.

    Ashour said that during the meeting the council discussed the procedures of the selection of the constituent assembly that would draft the new constitution and the law of electing the new president.

    "We also discussed the ability to set a new constitutional timetable for the current transitional phase," he added.

    Meanwhile, SCAF said it had information of a conspiracy to destroy the country by escalating protests in Tahrir Square.

    SCAF added that it publicized this information for honorable citizens to avert this plot.

    "These developments require the revolutionary youth and those who organize demonstrations to take all necessary precautionary measures and to prevent any suspicious people from infiltrating them," the statement read, stressing that the security forces, either police or army, will not be present in the areas surrounding the protests.

    On the same token, a high ranking official told the Middle East News Agency (MENA) that there is a conspiracy to start fires and cause chaos in the streets of Egypt on Jan. 25, 2012, the first anniversary of Egypt’s revolution.

    Although the source did not identify the culprits, he said that there are contacts between local and foreign elements to start a new revolution by engaging the armed forces in bloody clashes with protesters after attacking vital facilities in the country.

    "The only reason these statements were made is that SCAF will be the one to start those fires and clashes just to justify a crackdown on all revolutionary youth and activists," said Sally Toma, from the Revolution Youth Coalition, claiming that SCAF and its armed forces are the ones who burned the Scientific Complex for the same reason.

    Nafea denied these allegations saying that the situation turned into an exchange of claims and accusations between SCAF and the youth.

    "I believe there is a counter revolution that aims at widening the gap between the armed forces and the people," he said.

    He stressed that SCAF cannot destroy public facilities or instigate violence so as not to tarnish its reputation or destroy the country.

    Toma said that young activists decided to secure the public institutes themselves in response to SCAF’s claims.

    According to MENA, the anonymous source stressed that the aim of this scheme is to impede the democratic process, bring down the army and destroy the state.

    "Security authorities exposed the involvement of foreign parties seeking to infiltrate local elements to implement this scenario and that this is the first part of the plot," the source said, adding that the second part involves these foreign bodies interfering in Egypt and imposing international guardianship over the country.

    Nafea called upon SCAF to expose those conspirators and arrest them if it has confirmed information.

     

  • UNIC hosts discussion between rights activists and bloggers

    CAIRO: The United Nations Information Center hosted on Tuesday and Wednesday a regional panel discussion between human rights defenders and social media activists in observance of International Human Rights Day.

    “The role of this meeting was to introduce the defenders to the bloggers, between whom we felt a rift growing apart,” said Khawla Mattar, Cairo Director of the UN Information center.

    The panel was also organized in cooperation between the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) and the Arab Organization for Human rights (AOHR), and presented the experiences of human rights defenders and social media activists “with the movement for democracy, liberties and human rights” throughout examples from the Arab region.

    Among the debates featured were ones that presented the experiences of bloggers and activists in Egypt and Libya throughout the uprisings, in which the role of the alternative media was highlighted.

    “Until this day the alternative media is playing a role to present the truth and counter the official media,” said Egyptian blogger Basma Abdel-Aziz, who then vowed that “[the official media’s] forgery was destined to end.”

    Abdullah Al-Jerbi from Libya also agreed, “The Feb. 17 revolution showed the power of bloggers and their ability to effect change,” he then cited the example of Mohamed Nabbous who was killed on Mar. 19 when trying to take photos of crimes committed.

    “The concept of the sovereignty of the state over its domain is gradually disappearing through the use of the internet,” explained then Abdel-Moneim Al-Hour, also from Libya.

    Al-Hour then told of how Libyans in Egypt contacted mobile service provider Vodafone to extend their network range into Libyan territory as far as Tobruk after Qaddafi cut off communications in Eastern Libya.

    “We even then sent them recharge packages to maintain their access,” said Al-Hour, “[the bloggers] allowed us to monitor and report crimes committed by the Qaddafi regime.”

    The role of bloggers wasn’t well received throughout the Arab world however, as Mohamed Salem Al-Ka’by, a human rights activist from the UAE explained.

    “In the Emirates we had a case of five bloggers who were detained earlier in 2011 … they were not only criticized as dissenters by 95 percent of the community, but even by their own parents.”

    Al-Ka’by then told a long tale of how rights activists had tried to release the bloggers after being referred from one official to another, until finally being pardoned by the ruler of Sharjah on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the declaration of the Emarati federation.

    The session also included a small argument in the question and answer session between Egyptian rights activist Hafez Abu Seada and Palestinian blogger Asmaa Al-Ghoul, who had accused the former and the civil society in general of taking advantage of the revolutionary momentum created by the bloggers and attributing it to themselves.

    “That’s not true,” said Abu Seada, “and the proof is the arrests of rights activists on Jan. 26 by the authorities … Even right now, a prime activist, Alaa Abdel-Fattah is under arrest.”

    Abu Seada then said that “civil society didn’t accomplish the entire revolution but it jumpstarted it.”

    “We defended bloggers, led activists, spread information, and so on,” he said, “Yesterday there was a SCAF press conference, it was denounced immediately on Twitter and criticized with evidence collected by civil society.”

    In the closing session, AOHR officials noted their observances regarding the past and future, as Raji Sourani, chairman of the AOHR, recounted the first meeting of the organization in 1983.

    “We weren’t allowed by any of the 22 Arab League countries to host the first conference, which forced us to go, ironically, to Limassol, Cyprus, well outside the Arab world,” although now there are branches in all 22 Arab states.

    He noted however that the ordeal wasn’t without risk, and some members were even sentenced in their countries to death throughout the years’ struggle, but in the end the founders were happy to see their slogans adopted by the revolutions of the Arab Spring.

    Sourani said that although some revolutions passed the first phase, they still have lots to do to fulfill the primary goals and need assistance, “Our hopes are not just about the revolution succeeding, but also holding those who committed crimes accountable.”

    On the other hand, Alaa Shalabi, secretary general of AOHR, warned of possible ‘hunger revolutions’ if the demands for social justice were not achieved.

    “Here in Cairo, the city has over 20 million inhabitants, of those, 13 million live in the slums,” he said, “we fear if they break out, there’ll be a ‘Cairo fire’ much worse than that of 1952,” also warning that the scenario wasn’t only endemic to Egypt possible to occur in 12 other Arab states.

    Shalabi remarked on the role of the media, “channels like Aljazeera or Alaribya played different roles in different regions, but we certainly can’t deny their contributions … No one has absolute neutrality.”

    However, he warned of what he described as ‘GNGOs’ (government-controlled NGOs), which appear to be defending human rights but “in fact are run behind the scenes by intelligence agencies,” often working against activists.

    Frej Fenniche, UNHCR senior human rights officer, finally noted that the 2011 events were the results of accumulations.

    “Everyone was surprised and no one was prepared, neither the revolutionaries, nor the governments, nor the world, nor even the UN,” he said.

     

     

  • FJP wants more reps at vote counting, other parties satisfied

    CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) said Thursday that not enough representatives from the party were allowed to attend the vote counting process for the run-offs.

    The run-offs for round two of parliamentary elections began Wednesday and the vote counting process began Thursday night after the polling stations closed at 7 pm.

    Judges monitoring the elections justified this by saying there were too many representatives present; however, the FJP statement said “run-offs are never crowded with representatives because of the low number of candidates.”

    FJP said there are around 700 ballot boxes in each constituency that need to be counted, calling on the Supreme Electoral Comission (SEC) to intervene and talk to the monitoring judges in order to avoid any problems that may occur during the vote counting process.

    On the other hand, the more liberal Egyptian Bloc and the Salafi Al-Nour Party denied facing such a challenge.

    Sherif Samir, media coordinator of the Free Egyptians Party, which spearheads the Bloc, told Daily News Egypt there were no reports of any violations or maltreatment of the Bloc’s representatives.

    Gamal Hassan, who tops Al-Nour’s party list in Ismailia, said he had no supicions that there would be any foul play during the vote counting process.

    "Our representatives will follow the ballot boxes as they head towards the general stations where the vote counting will take place and we will also be waiting at the stations to monitor the process," Hassan told DNE.

    The turnout in some governorates was markedly less than Wednesday, which observers put at around 20 percent.

    However, in constituencies where voting on the party lists was held along with the run-offs, including the first constituency of Menufiya and the second constituencies in Beheira and Sohag, the turnout was higher.

    Elections for the party lists in these districts were postponed in the first stage of elections, which took place on Dec. 14-15, by a court order to include candidates previously disqualified and correct symbols.

    The run-offs are being held in nine governorates including Giza, Beni Suef, Menufiya, Sharqiya, Ismailia, Suez, Beheira, Sohag and Aswan.

    Hassan said the turnout in Ismailia was higher on day two of the run-offs, at around 35 percent.

    Sheikh Abdel Khaleq Mohamed, the candidate who heads Al-Nour’s party list in Suez, maintained that the turnout was very low.

    No flagrant violations were reported on Thursday except in Ismailia, where Ali Abdallah, leading member of the FJP, said human rights observers were kicked out of polling stations in Fath and El-Hay El-Abbasy schools because their clearences were not signed by SEC.

    In Sohag, Mohamed Abdel Rehim, an elections monitor with the Egyptian Association for Social Participation, said that one of the supporters of Democratic Salam Party presented a forged document proving that he was their representative in Gerga district.

    There are 59 seats up for grabs in the run-offs. The FJP is fielding 49 candidates, while Al-Nour Party is fielding 36. The Free Egyptians Party is fielding two candidates, one in Menufiya and the other in Boulaq in the Giza governorate.

    In Menufiya, Mohamed Anwar Ahmed Esmat El-Sadat is the only candidate who won an absolute majority for the professional seat in the governorate’s second constituency Tala.

    The Islamists swept the polls in the first two rounds, winning almost 70 percent of the party list votes in each phase.

    The next round, slated for Jan. 3-4, will be the final phase of the People’s Assembly elections. It will include the remaining nine governorates: Minya, Qaliubiya, Gharbiya, Daqahliya, South Sinai, North Sinai, Matrouh, Qena and El-Wadi El-Gadid.

     

  • Judge interrogates 39 protesters in Cabinet investigation

    CAIRO: An investigations judge began Thursday interrogating 39 of 123 protesters arrested during the deadly clashes between protesters and army forces in front of the Cabinet building this week.

    The 39 detainees include two women, Hend Nafie and Yousra Salah, both now hospitalized in Sayed Galal Hospital. They claim to have been tortured inside the parliament building with other girls, according to head of Egyptian Center for Social and Economic Rights lawyer Khaled Ali.

    Ali also said that 120 protesters are being examined by forensic doctors to identify signs of torture they were subjected to when they were arrested by army forces.

    Nafie was arrested during the clashes and was missing for a couple of days before lawyers found out she was hospitalized at El-Kobba military hospital for medical treatment.

    According to Ali, Nafie had refused to accept a hospital visit by the head of the ruling military council Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and chanted against military rule as he approached. This resulted in the bad treatment she received by the hospital administration, he said.

    Lawyers filed a complaint to transfer her from El-Kobba Hospital to Sayed Galal Hospital where, she complains, the maltreatment continued.

    "The hospital staff rejects Nafie and other protesters because they believe protesting is wrong in the first place," Ali said, adding that the center filed a complaint against the hospital.