Athletic unity After news of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi winning a 20 km race that set out from the Military Academy spread, the president stressed alternative transport, which could save the average Egyptian LE 4 ($0.56) and the government LE8 ($1.12) per 20 km. He explained, “Our objective is not just to promote exercise and activities, but to symbolise our unity as a nation.” Some of the ministers that took part in the athletic event were Minister of Defence Sobhi Sedki, Minister of Interior Mohamed Ibrahim, Minister of Youth and Sports Khaled Abdel-Aziz and Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Wali. Several artists, public figures, journalists, university, Military and Police Academy students also took part, together with actors such as Hussein Fahmi, Ezzat Al-Alayli, Sherif Mounir, Laila Elwie and Ghada Abdel-Razek. Swedish Ambassador to Egypt Charlotta Sparre gave a reception at her residence in Zamalek marking Swedish National Day. She spoke about the social and economic challenges facing Egypt. Present were the former minister of administrative development Ahmed Darwish, former minister of state for family and population Moushira Khattab, Polish Ambassador Michal Murkociński, spouse of the Canadian Ambassador David Drake, Albanian Ambassador Nuri Domi and spouse of the Lithuanian Ambassador Dainius Junevicius. Russian Ambassador to Egypt Serge Kirpichenko gave a reception at his residence on Russian National Day, and the event was packed with diplomats including Lebanese Ambassador Khaled Ziyada, Iraqi Ambassador Diaa Al-Dabbas, Bahraini Ambassador Sheikh Rashid Al-Khalifa, Kuwaiti Ambassador Salem Al-Zamanan, Singaporean Ambassador Premjith Peerasak, French Ambassador Nicolas Galey, British Ambassador James Watt, Italian Ambassador Maurizio Massari, Hungarian Ambassador Peter Kveck, Austrian Ambassador Ferdinand Maultasch, Ecuador Ambassador Edwin Johnson, Chinese Ambassador Song Aiguo, Greek Ambassador Chris Lazaris, Indian Ambassador Navdeep Suri, Serbian Ambassador Dragon Bisenic, Iranian Affairs Mission head Mujtaba Amani, Azerbaijani Ambassador Shahin Abdullayev and Armenian Ambassador Armen Melkonianwas as well as Minister of Health Adel Adawi, Minister of Trade and Industry Mounir Fakhri Abdel-Nour and Chairman of the General Authority of Investment and Free Zones Hassan Fahmi. “The Japanese Dolls: Cultural Crossovers” exhibition organised by the Japan Foundation Cairo Office was opened at El-Sawy Culturewheel by Director of the Japan Foundation in Cairo Masakazu Takahashi, and the Culturewheel founder Mohamed El-Sawy who cut the ribbon together with Rania Fouad, the Egyptian artist participating in the exhibition. Fouad studied in Japan at Tsukuba University for 2 years and was greatly fascinated and enchanted by the Japanese dolls in the Japanese mythology (see Listings p.20).
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina honoured the name of the late announcer Tarek Habib for his valuable contribution to Egypt's cultural and political heritage, Nesmahar Sayed reports. To coincide with the first anniversary of his death, Habib's 40-year-long legacy is being digitalised by the Bibliotheca for the benefit of posterity. The event, which took place at the legendary Beit El Sennary, built in 1794 in Sayyeda Zeinab, an old neighbourhood of Cairo, marks the launch of the project, to be concluded in one year's time. The memorial included a display of Habib's personal photos with celebrities from all over the world, hand-written notes, special awards and a documentary screening. All of which gave the large audience an idea of the volume and value of his work. While Habib's wife Seheir Kansouh, his daughter Rasha Habib, and family friend Akila Ghorbal co-hosted the memorial, public figures spotted among the audience included Prince Abbas Hilmi, their excellencies Ghada Waly, Mervat Tallawy, Haifa Abughazaleh, Counsellor Adel Abdelbakki, Ambassador Mohamed Shaker, Fouad Riad and Farkhonda Hassan. Last but not leastwere President of AUC, Lisa Anderson and her husband Marc Rauch. “Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school” Albert Einstein
