Reuters Egypt says lower oil prices to slash energy subsidies bill by 30 pct Egypt expects to slash its energy subsidies bill by 30 percent in the 2014-15 fiscal year if global oil prices remain low, the oil ministry said on Monday, potentially lightening the burden on the cash-strapped country's finances. Global oil prices have dropped dramatically over the past six months. Benchmark Brent crude, was trading at $60.66 per barrel on Monday, down more than 46 percent from the year's peak in June above $115. "If low world oil prices continue during the second half (of the fiscal year) it is estimated that the year's total petroleum subsidies bill will decrease by about 30 billion Egyptian pounds ($4.2 billion)," the ministry said in a statement on Monday. Read more: http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFKBN0K10BX20141223 Arutz Sheva Al-Jazeera Shuts Down Egypt Channel The Qatari-owned Al-Jazeera news network on Monday shut down its Egypt channel, quieting a major source of tension between the two countries at a time when regional efforts are underway to reconcile between the two countries over the Gulf nation's support for Islamists, reports The Associated Press (AP). Qatar has been the main supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood and was a powerful backer of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Read more: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/188999#.VJkYAF4AA Deutsche Welle Governments and religious institutions in the Middle East consider atheism a threat There are exactly 866 atheists living along the Nile - at least according to a recent survey by the government-run Egyptian institution "Dar al-Ifta," which keeps tabs on religious issues in the country. How exactly that number was determined is unclear, but the institution's verdict on the threat is surprising: according Dar al-Ifta, the fact that 0.001 percent of the Egyptian population does not believe in God is a reason to sound the alarm bells. After all, no country in the Arab world apparently has a higher number of "godless" people - Morocco being the runner-up with a purported 325 atheists. The Dar al-Ifta figures contrast sharply with a poll conducted in 2014 by the Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Having canvassed 6,000 young people, the university - which has a formidable reputation in Sunni Islam - came up with an atheist proportion of some 12.3 percent of the Egyptian population. That would amount to 10.7 million of 87 million Egyptians. Read more: http://www.dw.de/governments-and-religious-institutions-in-the-middle-east-consider-atheism-a-threat/a-18145109 Middle East Eye Morsi-era Egypt parliamentarians 'resume' sessions in Istanbul Forty-four parliamentarians that served in the government of Egypt's former President Mohamed Morsi have convened in Istanbul in what was their first official session since the Egyptian military deposed Morsi in July 2013. The MPs, who form the so-called Egyptian Revolutionary Council, met over the weekend at Istanbul's Titanic Hotel, and elected Tharwat Nafi, the former leader of Egypt's Ghad Party who now lives in Switzerland, as head of the assembly. Read more: http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/morsi-parliamentarians-resume-sessions-istanbul-1197458234#sthash.jYmimCYt.dpuf World Bulletin Egypt to reopen Gaza crossing for 3rd day Egyptian authorities have decided to keep the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip open for a third consecutive day until Tuesday, a Palestinian official has said. "The Egyptian authorities decided to keep the terminal open for three days instead of two in order to allow more humanitarian cases to leave the strip," Maher Abu Sabha, the head of the Palestinian border authority, told The Anadolu Agency. Read more: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/151448/egypt-to-reopen-gaza-crossing-for-3rd-day
