No extra fees for omra EGYPT's Minister of Tourism Rania Al-Mashat has affirmed that her ministry will abide by Saturday's administrative court ruling overturning a government decision to impose extra fees on pilgrims travelling to Mecca for omra, the minor pilgrimage. The cabinet announced in February 2018 that the Tourism Ministry would ask pilgrims planning to go on omra to pay an extra 2,000 Saudi riyals if they had performed the pilgrimage during the past three years. Pilgrims were also to pay an extra 1,000 Saudi riyals if they perform omra more than once during the same year. The cabinet said the decision will provide extra funds for the state's development projects in Sinai and upgrade the level of services offered to residents there. The decree, which aimed to limit the number of omra visas to 500,000 every year, provoked widespread opposition from tourism operators who organise religious trips. 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‘Biased' coverage THE STATE Information Service (SIS) said on Sunday that it would summon the head of the BBC's Cairo office to its headquarters over what it said was biased coverage of a campaign launched by Muslim Brotherhood sources. The campaign, “Be assured you are not alone”, called for protests against President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi. The SIS demanded that the BBC formally apologise for an article posted on the BBC Arabic Website that “propagated false claims of a nationwide wave of demonstrations”. The SIS said the article did not include any comments from any Egyptian official to either verify the content or include the government's perspective. The statement added that the article “breaches the most basic codes of conduct and reached the level of fabricating events”. 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French-Egyptian naval training EGYPT's naval forces are taking part in a joint French-Egyptian maritime training drill called Cleopatra-Japian 2019. The training is part of efforts to enhance cooperation between the two naval forces. Several Egyptian naval vessels left for France from Ras Al-Tin naval base. Commander of Egypt's naval forces Ahmed Khaled stated that the training would help the navy deal with various marine doctrines and modern combat technologies. Several students in the military naval college will participate in the training to improve practical maritime performance and increase their fighting experience, Khaled said. In December last year, Egyptian and French naval forces held a naval exercise at an Egyptian Red Sea naval base, with the participation of the French warship Courbet and several Egyptian naval units. 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An Egyptian saviour ITALY will grant citizenship to a 14-year-old Egyptian who saved over 50 children on a hijacked school bus, the office of the Italian interior minister stated. The school bus driver, an Italian of Senegalese descent, hijacked the vehicle, which had 51 children on board, near Milan and set it on fire to protest the deaths of African migrants in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe. The Egyptian, Rami Shehata, managed to hide his cell phone, called police and asked for help. Police rushed to the scene and broke the bus windows to get passengers out. Shehata was born in Italy but has not been granted official citizenship. According to the UN, some 2297 migrants drowned or went missing in the Mediterranean in 2018. Italy closed its ports to charity search and rescue ships, something that observers say drove up deaths. 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Singing ban THE SYNDICATE of Musicians on 21 March decided to ban diva Sherine Abdel-Wahab from singing following comments she made at a concert in Bahrain. In addition, a disciplinary committee will meet on 27 March to investigate complaints filed against Abdel-Wahab. Controversial lawyer Samir Sabri, known for focusing on remarks and actions of celebrities, sued Abdel-Wahab for “insulting Egypt and spreading false news”. At a concert in Bahrain, Abdel-Wahab had said, “here I can say whatever I want. In Egypt, anyone who talks gets imprisoned.” Syndicate Chairman Hani Shaker noted that he had previously asked Abdel-Wahab to stop telling jokes on stage. Abdel-Wahab was previously handed a six-month prison sentence after making fun of the River Nile during a concert in the United Arab Emirates. A fan asked her to sing her hit “Have you ever drunk from the Nile”. She jokingly replied that drinking the Nile's water may lead to parasitic infections. “Drink Evian instead,” she said. Abdel-Wahab released a statement on Saturday, telling her fans that she will continue singing, voicing rejection of attempts to test her loyalty and love for Egypt.
