Haaretz Egypt strangles Gaza, but Israel gets the flack The Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" mentioned Wednesday that this summer's war on Gaza had two achievements for Israel. First, that Hamas emerged from the campaign with no strategic achievement. The second achievement was strengthening the strategic alliance between Israel and Egypt. The Cairo generals loathe Hamas leaders even more than the Israeli leadership does. Since the war merely demonstrated Hamas' malicious intents, Israel can continue to coordinate its regional moves with the Egyptian military regime. Now the combination of these two achievements is threatening the quiet in the south, almost four months after the fighting has ended. The Strip is still under siege, traffic through the Rafah crossing to Sinai is closed for the most part and the money transfers intended to bankroll the repair and rebuilding of Gaza are all but stuck. The main reason for the standstill is Egypt's conduct. Cairo has no interest in making things easier for Hamas. The international community hardly complains about Egypt's treatment of the Palestinians in Gaza. Also, Hamas isn't likely to engage Egypt directly with a military confrontation. The Egyptians also suspect Hamas of training Jihadist organizations that operate against Egypt in Sinai and supplying them with weapons. Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.633613 World Bulletin Egypt, Somalia leaders to meet next week Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is expected to meet with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud in Cairo next week, an Egyptian official has said. The Somali President is expected to arrive in Egypt on December 29 for a two-day visit for talks with his Egyptian counterpart on the situation in Somalia and Egyptian efforts to boost stability and development in the Horn of Africa country, Egypt's permanent delegate to the Arab League Tarek Adel said. Mohamoud will also meet with the Arab League Council to update it on the situation in the war-torn country, Adel said. Read more: http://www.worldbulletin.net/world/151572/egypt-somalia-leaders-to-meet-next-week The Economic Times Russia may fail to supply wheat to Egypt's GASC in January Russia may fail to supply wheat to Egypt's GASC, the state buyer of the world's largest wheat importer, in January due to export curbs, Russia's Grain Union head Arkady Zlochevsky told reporters on Wednesday. Russia, expected to be the world's fourth-largest exporter this year with the largest buyers in Turkey and Egypt, had been exporting record volumes of a big grain crop of 104 million tons. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said this week that it was "time to think about imposing administrative restrictions on (grain) exports." Read more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/russia-may-fail-to-supply-wheat-to-egypts-gasc-in-january/articleshow/45627851.cms The National UAE-funded orphanage in Egypt ‘helps build future' A UAE-funded orphanage in Ismailia, north-eastern Egypt, which opened on Tuesday, will support more than 100 youngsters until they graduate from university. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, the Minister of State, launched the Deir Mar Mina Orphanage accompanied by Bishop Seraphim of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Ismailia. "We are delighted to open this orphanage after it has been modernized to deliver social services and create circumstances that are conducive to enabling the orphans build their future and face the challenges of life," said Dr Al Jaber. Officials from the UAE, along with Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St Mark, recently agreed to launch a series of projects that advance the Coptic Orthodox Church's social mission, said Dr Al Jaber. These include construction of a school, set for completion in May next year, medical centres, to open in June, and a Coptic heritage centre, to open in August. Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/uae/uae-funded-orphanage-in-egypt-helps-build-future
