Syndicate polls THE DEADLINE to register for those seeking to run in the Press Syndicate poll, due to be staged on 1 March, is Thursday 14 February. Former syndicate chairman Diaa Rashwan has announced his intention to run for the chair. Together with Rashwan, five other candidates are in the race. Thirty journalists, including former syndicate chairman deputy Khaled Al-Balshi, have so far decided to run for half of the syndicate council's 12 seats. Current Syndicate Chairman Abdel-Mohsen Salama announced last week that he will not run for another two-year term. Salama, who also heads the Al-Ahram Press Establishment, said he needs to focus on his duties as Al-Ahram board chairman. Salama stressed that he looks forward to cooperating with his successor, wishing him success. 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Policemen jailed THREE police officers have been sentenced to three years in prison for beating to death a civilian inside a police station in Sohag governorate in 2016. A criminal court sentenced the head of the Tahta Police Station investigations unit, the unit's deputy and the chief of the inspection unit of northern Sohag. The court also sentenced a Sohag health department employee to one year in prison and relieved him of his duties for two years for forging the victim's medical report. The verdict can be appealed before a higher court. The case dates back to 2016 when the defendants were referred to criminal court over charges of beating the victim to death in an attempt to coerce a confession in a murder case. 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Appeal accepted CAIRO Criminal Court on Monday accepted an appeal filed the day before by the Supreme State Security Prosecution contesting a recent court ruling releasing on probation video blogger and satirist Shadi Abu Zeid. Monday's ruling means Abu Zeid will remain in jail for another 45 days over charges related to case 621/2018, one which has gained national attention to bloggers and rights activists. The case has not been referred to trial. Abu Zeid was arrested in May 2018 and has been held in custody since on charges of joining a terrorist organisation and spreading false news. Abu Zeid began posting satirical videos in mid-2015 on a YouTube news show called “The Rich Content”. In 2016, he sparked criticism after releasing a video showing him and young actor Ahmed Malek handing out balloons made of inflated condoms to police officers in Tahrir Square during the fifth anniversary of the 2011 January Revolution. 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Just for fun FOUR students have been arrested after they posted a video on YouTube mocking Christian hymns and prayers, according to an official statement by the Interior Ministry. The clip was filmed at the home of one of the students in the 6th of October City. The ministry said it observed the circulation of the video and managed to identify the location of the students. During investigations, the four men who included a student from Al-Azhar University confessed to filming the video “just for fun” and denied any intention to insult the Christian faith or its practices. They said they removed the clip following harsh criticism and recorded another clip to apologise. Al-Azhar University decided to refer its student to a disciplinary board. The students were arrested in Abu Hammad, Sharqiya governorate. 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Bad weather wave A FOUR-DAY cold snap is expected as strong winds whip up sand and dust across northern Egypt, Cairo and north of Upper Egypt, culminating in a possible storm on Thursday 14 February and Friday. Calmer weather is expected on Saturday. Chairman of the Egyptian Meteorologist Authority Ahmed Abdel-Aal said the storm would decrease temperatures by four to five degrees, affecting visibility on the roads and disturbing maritime navigation in the Mediterranean Sea. Rainfall is expected in the northern coasts, Lower Egypt and Cairo on Saturday, with the weather getting cold during the day and very cold at night through the entire country. Abdel-Aal advised the public to wear masks and winter garments, avoid standing under trees and drive as slowly as possible. 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Another road accident FOUR people were killed and nine others injured on Monday in a collision between a truck and a microbus on the Alexandria-Cairo desert road in front of Borg Al-Arab Stadium. Five ambulances rushed to the scene. The bodies were transferred to Kom Al-Dekka morgue, while the injured were taken to Al-Amereya General Hospital for treatment. Injuries ranged from bruises to the chest, head and fractures in the face. Traffic accidents in Egypt kill 12,000 people a year. The main cause is negligence, followed by vehicle defects and road conditions.
