The Independent Egypt in crowd-funding campaign to save ancient statue sold by UK museum It is a prized treasure from ancient Egypt, spirited away from its home country in the 19th century to grace the stately home of a British aristocrat and recently acquired by a mystery buyer in controversial circumstances. The 4,500-year-old statue of a scribe called Sekhemka – sold at auction by Northampton Museum for nearly £16m in July last year – could disappear for good into a wealthy collector's private museum when an export ban imposed on it expires at the end of this month. However Egypt's government has now appealed to Egyptians to help raise the money to return the "irreplaceable masterpiece" to its native country. Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/egypt-in-crowdfunding-campaign-to-save-ancient-statue-sold-by-uk-museum-10468376.html ABC News Egypt Stock Market Falls to Lowest Level in Almost 2 Years Egypt's stock market fell to its lowest level in almost two years on Sunday, as global markets sag and investors sober up from a buying binge surrounding a much-hyped economic conference last spring, analysts said. The main EGX 30 stock index kicked off the trading week by closing at 6784.09, its lowest level since December 2013. The 5.43-percent drop came after a steady fall last week, and as other Middle Eastern markets also tumbled, and it follows an overall global slowdown. Dubai's stock market closed nearly seven percent lower after a further slide in oil prices. Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/egypt-stock-market-falls-lowest-level-years-33261803 Reuters Egypt's Sisi lowers top tax rate and freezes capital gains tax -decree Aug 23 Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a decree on Sunday lowering the tax ceiling for companies and individuals in high income brackets from 25 percent to 22.5 percent. The decree also froze a 10 percent tax on capital gains for two years. Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/23/egypt-tax-idUSL5N10Y0M220150823 The Daily Star Egypt arrests three for spreading ISIS ideology Egyptian police have arrested three individuals under a new anti-terrorism law who are accused of spreading ISIS propaganda through Facebook. The police directorate in the southern Sohag province said Sunday the three had two laptops containing ISIS videos. President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi approved a draconian law last week that sets a wide-ranging definition of terrorism and prescribes harsh punishments. Read more: https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2015/Aug-24/312462-egypt-arrests-three-for-spreading-isis-ideology.ashx
