In state-owned Al-Ahram, headlines talk of steps by Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity to establish Egypt’s first nuclear energy station. President Mubarak assures that the station will pose no risk of danger to its surrounding tourist resorts, says the report.
The paper adds that recent electricity cuts are a result of over consumption during peak hours, and citizens’ cooperation in saving electricity could lessen the power cuts.
Al-Ahly’s football loss to the Algerian “Shabibat el-Kaba’el,” with a score of 0-1, is given a spotlight in state-owned media. The match witnessed violent outbursts, confirmed by both state-owned and independent newspapers.
Al-Ahly submited an official complaint to the African federation after the game’s arbiter canceled a goal, reports Al-Akhbar. The goal was cancelled three minutes after Al-Ahly players scored. The Egyptian team had to wait two hours after the game ended, in fear of football riots, however their bus was attacked on route to the airport in the Algerian city of Tezy Wazo.
Egypt and Algeria’s football teams faced attacks from the opposing supporters at the time of qualifying matches for the World Cup that took place in South-Africa earlier this summer. In 2009, the Algerian team was attacked in Cairo, whereas the Egyptian team and supporters were attacked in Sudan’s Om Durman, followed by an outpouring of national anger between the two North African states.
In independent Al-Dostour, the front page reports that the former head of the Medical Council has announced he will "not be accused alone," claiming that the exploitation of medical funds happened with the knowledge of the Ministry of Health’s deputy.
“Surprise: Public funds intelligence agrees to call the minister of health for a hearing,” reads the headline. Many officials at the Ministry of Health as well as members of parliament are accused of misusing state funds allocated for Egyptian citizens in medical need, who lack financial resources. Some MPs used such funds for family members’ cosmetic surgery operations.
Independent Al-Shorouq reports that, based upon the kind of investigations taking place, the Minister of Health might have been summoned either as a witness or as an accused party. Al-Shorouq also runs another piece on the Minister of Health, saying the minister has decided on price reductions for 44 critical medications starting November.
State-owned press opted not to report on the health ministry's investigations at all. Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar and Rose al-Youssef do however report on the promised medicine price reductions.
Al-Dostour also reports that 750,000 have now signed onto the ElBaradei “reform statement.” A door-knocking campaign has contributed to the latest hype in the number of signatures, adds the paper.
After his arrival earlier in February 2010, ElBaradei, former head of the international atomic watchdog agency, called for a list of seven reforms to guarantee transparent elections and to end the 29-year-old emergency law.
In opposition paper Al-Wafd, headlines say that Russia has begun its temporary ban on exporting wheat. The report also adds that the ban will end on 31 December, whereas monitors expect the ban to be extended until next year. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced that 25 percent of wheat crops were burnt in fires in Russia last week.
Al-Wafd also reports a new increase in the prices of food commodities, reaching ten percent. Also on its front page, Al-Wafd quotes from a Los Angeles Times report that says Egypt is among the fastest growing advertising markets in the world.
Egypt's papers:
Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt
Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size
Al-Gomhorriya: Daily, state-run
Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run, close to the National Democratic Party's Policies Secretariat
Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned
Al-Shorouq: Daily, privately owned
Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party
Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Arab Nasserist party
Youm7: Weekly, privately owned
Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
