Courting China A SERIES of financing, manufacturing and communications agreements between Egyptian and Chinese companies was signed last week during President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi's visit to Beijing to attend the three-day Belt and Road Forum. Al-Sisi used the forum to draw international attention to Egypt's economic reform programme and highlight its drive to become a regional energy hub. Housing Minister Assem Al-Gazzar announced that $3 billion in Chinese financing for the New Administrative Capital's central business district, which includes two administrative and five residential skyscrapers, had been agreed; the Ministry of Military Production signed an agreement with China's Foton Motors to build 2,000 electric buses in Egypt over the next four years and the Trade Ministry announced that Hong Kong-based global clothing manufacturer Handa is planning a ready-made garment and fabric dye factory in Egypt. Telecom Egypt signed two MoUs with Chinese tech giant Huawei to develop Egypt's mobile Onternet infrastructure. 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Temporary car licences THE INTERIOR Ministry will grant owners of electric cars temporary licence plates and permits until licensing procedures for their vehicles are regularised. In a statement issued on Monday the ministry said the move reflected keenness to facilitate procedures for citizens who have imported electric cars from abroad. Egypt opened its first electric vehicle charging unit in February 2018 on the Cairo-Suez highway. The unit is owned by Revolta Egypt, a company founded in 2016 to develop an electric charging infrastructure. Egypt is focusing on sustainable transport as a key component of its efforts to reduce emission levels and boost renewable sources of energy to 22 per cent of overall consumption by 2020. 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Jail terms ON SUNDAY Giza Criminal Court sentenced a defendant to life imprisonment, 52 defendants to 15 years in prison, one to three years and two others to one-year jail terms. The case relates to the forcible dispersal of the Nahda sit-in in 2013 when supporters of Mohamed Morsi occupied Giza's Nahda Square. Ten suspects were acquitted. The court ordered the convicted to compensate Giza governorate for the damage the sit-in had caused to Giza Zoo and the Orman Gardens. The defendants were accused of participating in an unauthorised gathering, resisting police officers ordered to disperse the sit-in, attempted murder, sabotage and unlawfully blocking traffic. 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Abu Ismail appeal dismissed THE COURT of Cassation has rejected an appeal by Salah Abu Ismail, founder of the Salafist Raya Party, against the five-year sentence passed against him by a north Cairo criminal court. Saturday's judgement upheld January's sentences against Abu Ismail and five co-defendants who had been charged with rioting outside the Nasr City Court in December 2012. Twelve other suspects in the case were handed 10-year jail terms. The accused were found guilty of inciting a riot, threatening members of the prosecution and attempting to intimidate them into ordering the release of Ahmed Mohamed Arafa, founder of the Hazemoun campaign and a member of the Ahrar movement. The incidents occurred in December 2012 when security forces arrested Arafa who is currently serving a life sentence. 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Underground rumours AHMED Abdel-Hadi, the official spokesperson of the Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation, refuted rumours the company intended to impose fines of LE500 on passengers playing audios of the Quran and religious sermons on the metro during the holy month of Ramadan. Abdel-Hadi said the rumours were baseless and called on the media to report responsibly on issues pertaining to the metro, a vital facility that serves millions of commuters daily.
