State and independent papers lead with coverage of President Hosni Mubarak's series of meetings yesterday with the Kenyan prime minister and Congolese president, as well as the foreign ministers of Germany, Spain and Pakistan. Al-Ahram reports that Congolese President Joseph Kabila assured Mubarak that he believes Nile basin countries need to hold common opinions on how to resolve contentious issues regarding the Nile. Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga reportedly said that no upstream Nile country could consider harming Egypt's interests in Nile water. Al-Gomhurriya leads with a quote from President Mubarak during his discussions: “Nile Water is for cooperating, not competing, over.” State-owned papers also lead with news that Mohamed Tantawi, field marshal and minister of defense and military production, has called for the continued military training under various conditions. The field marshal noted the importance of the preparation of the individual combatant, as well as the need to focus on night training, in keeping with technological developments of modern warfare. Tantawi's statements came after watching the central execution of a weeklong training program called “Badr 2010.” Al-Wafd and Al-Shorouq lead with developments in the ongoing sit in by workers from the now-defunct Amonsito textile company. Al-Shorouq's title states: “Amonsito workers attempt breaking into People's Assembly.” The paper says that the endeavour came after hearing of the agreement reached by the parliament's Manpower Committee, which concluded that the National Egyptian Bank will pay LE50 million in early retirement to the workers--far lower than they had requested. According Al-Shorouq, the workers attacked the gate in front of the People's Assembly, pounding drums and whistling while shaking the gates violently. Some workers took their clothes off in anger. Chants were directed against Minister of Manpower and Migration Aisha Abdel Hady, as well as Hussein Magawar, the head of the state-run trade union. Al-Shorouq reports that Abdel Hady, who thought the agreement “exemplary,” exited the parliament through a side gate. The story received no apparent coverage in Al-Dostour, and made for brief news items in the inner pages of Al-Ahram and Al-Akhbar. Egypt's newspapers: Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size Al-Gomhorriya: Daily, state-run Rose el-Youssef: Daily, state-run, close to the National Democratic Party's Policies Secretariat Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned Al-Shorouq:Daily, privately owned Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Arab Nasserist party Youm7: Weekly, privately owned Sawt el-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
