News of the arrest of members of a jihadi group in Sinai, the bombing of three alleged terrorist cells in the border city of Rafah, and the water poisoining in Monufiya fill the front pages of Wednesday's newspapers.
State-owned Rose al-Youssef reports on the arrest of 14 "extremists" in Operation Eagle, which is being conducted by the Egyptian army in Sinai. The paper adopts a harsh tone against terrorist groups in Sinai, apparently supporting the Egyptian army as the defender of the country's national security in the troubled area.
The privately owned Al-Shorouk says that authorities are investigating the terrorist group's sources of funding after army forces confiscated arms and weapons worth LE2 million.
Most of the papers also highlight Salafi Nour Party members' attempts to hold conferences and meetings in Sinai in a bid to counter religious extremism.
Newspapers also slammed the absence of state institutions in the water poisoning case in a Monufiya village. Al-Shorouk reported that the state does not know the number of those poisoned, adding that there is a huge contradiction of the numbers as dozens of cases are transferred to hospitals.
The state-owned Al-Akhbar says that 470 were injured as a result of the poisoning, deeming the issue a "human massacre." Preliminary results of water tests said that there was no chloride in the water, meaning that the water was extremely polluted.
The news of anti-Brotherhood 24 August protests also overshadows the front pages of Wednesday's papers. The privately owned Al-Dostour reports on an inclination towards postponing the protests due to the critical conditions the country is witnessing, in contrast to former MP Mohammed Abou Hamed who is insisting that the protests will take place on time. The paper quotes Abou Hamed condemning rumors of violence during the day, deeming them as attempts to "ruin the 24 August revolution."
The state-owned Al-Akhbar quoted the Minister of Interior as saying that the authorities will secure the protests, and will confront any attempts at "vandalism." Al-Shorouk reported that the Brotherhood will be coordinating with the Jama'a al-Islamiya and the Nour Party to organize counter-protests the same day, describing the atmosphere as filled with arguments and anticipation.
The party daily Al-Wafd says that the protests are a source of serious division among political forces, reporting on some Coptic coalitions who support the call for the protests.
Al-Shorouk publishes a two-page investigative report about Prime Minister Hesham Qandil's Cabinet titled "Qandil, his men, and the revolution." The report shows the composition of Egypt's newly appointed Cabinet members, describing it as a mix of political Islam, technocrats and members of the ousted regime.
The report exposes "ministers against change" inside the Cabinet, like Finance Minister Momtaz El-Saeed, who is described as the minister who drafted the budget when he was a member Kamal El-Ganzouri's cabinet. The report also features in the same category Sports Minister Al-Emary Farouq, Tourism Minister Hesham Zaazou and Investment Minister Osama Saleh.
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-Gomhurriya: Daily, state-run
Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run
Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned
Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned
Al-Watan: Daily, privately owned
Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party
Youm7: Daily, privately owned
Al-Tahrir: Daily, privately owned
Freedom and Justice: Daily, published by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party
Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Nasserist Party
Al-Nour: Official paper of the Salafi Nour Party
