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7000 years and counting ...
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    A Cairo Criminal court put an end on Saturday for the infamous trial known in the media as “Rabaa Sit-in dispersal trial” after nearly 3 years in court and 2 years in pre-trial detention since August 2013
    The Criminal Court sentenced 75 defendants to death while 47 defendants toa life sentence in prison “25 years without the possibility of a parole” and 374 defendants to 15 years in prison.
    Shawkan
    Mahmoud Abu Zeid aka Shawkan in court
    "Reuters" 

    The court also sentenced 22 minor defendants and one defendant “adult” to 10 years in prison and215 defendants including photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid aka Shawkan were sentenced to 5 years while the lawsuit is expired for 5 defendants as they passed away.

    The defendants except 22 minors are to be isolated from other prisoners in prison, to be expelled of their government jobs if they have any, to be banned from managing their money and assets and to be put under police surveillance for 5 years when they are released.
    The prosecution had referred the 739 defendants to Criminal court in August 2015 for a number of charges above them attempting to change the main system of the state and organizing an assembly of more than 5 people at Rabaa Adawaya square in order to endanger the peace and general security as well to terrorize and scare the public and to endanger their lives.

    The defendants were also accused ofcommitting assault crimes against citizens who came near their assembly or their political opponents for penetrating their assembly as well resisting official authorities from policemen who were dispersing their sit-in.

    They were accused of murder, destroying and occupying public properties and building by force as well as obstructing and blocking traffic.

    Now there is good news in that case that Shawkan and the 214 other defendants are going to be released because they have spent 5 years in total in detention pending investigation at last.

    Award-winning Shawkan was arrested along two foreign reporters during Rabaa Sit-in dispersal in August 2013. The foreign reporters left detention on the same day according to news reports.

    But there is also bad news, Shawkan and the 214 defendants will spend the next 5 years since their release under police surveillance, which means half of their day “12 hours” will be spent at a police station.

    There is also an important fact: They have not been acquitted of the charges above.
    Shawkan will be a free technically but he has not been acquitted from those awful charges.

    Back to the rest of the defendants, this is a first-degree-sentences which they can be appealed within 60 days.

    The leading figures of the Muslim Brotherhood above them the current Supreme Guide of the Brotherhood Mohamed Badie who already was sentenced to death in several other cases to the level that I have lost counting honestly. I think most of his death sentences were reduced to life sentences.

    Former minister of supply and MB member Bassem Ouda {who is popular now} and leading Al-Wassat Party member and lawyer Essam Sultan got life sentences.

    The adult defendant that was sentenced to ten years in prison is Osama Mohamed Morsi, the son of ousted president Morsi.
    Osama Morsi was arrested in December 2016.
    The lawyer had been sentenced to 3 years in prison in October 2017 by Zagzig Misdemeanor Court for possessing a penknife without license originally but the sentence was reduced to 3 months in January 2018.

    Some of the defendants like Wagdy Ghonim and Tarek El-Zomor have been sentenced in absentia.
    Those who stand a trial in absentia in Egypt receive the maximum penalty according to the Panel Code for not showing up in the court usual.

    Radical and controversial Wagdy Ghonim got a couple of death sentences waiting for him in Egypt.
    I think he is currently staying in Turkey while Tarek El-Zomor is staying in Qatar.
    El-Zomor said after the court sentence on his official Twitter account that “Their sentences will not terrorize us and we will continue to defend our people”.

    Ghonim who is known for his racist hateful comments against Non-Muslims said on his official FB page that “however you try to kill witnesses or hide truth and to execute those who were absent and present [at Rabaa], the blood of the Egyptians on Rabaa dispersal day continues to be curse hunting down all those who committed it or support it or justify it.”

    Journalist Abdullah El-Shamy has been sentenced to 15 years in prison in absentia as well and he commented on Twitter in a threat about the trial.
    The lawyers of MB leading figures said that they would appeal the verdicts which are expected.

    Currently, it is really good news somehow for Shawkan and his family despite it is not full freedom yet.

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    Happy New Hijri year 1440 and Happy New Ancient Egyptian/Coptic Year 6260 from Egyptian Chronicles to the Whole World.
    On Tuesday Egypt celebrates the start of the Coptic new year or Nayrouz as well the Hijiri new year on the same day.
    It is a coincidence that has only occurred 66 times according to historians and experts.
    Tuesday is the first day of Muharram 1440 and is also the first day of Thout 6260
    Amazingly, Jews around the globe as well as in Egypt celebrated the beginning of the new Jewish year or Rosh Hashanah 5779 on Sunday.
    Interesting coincidence, I hope that those new years will be better than the previous ones for all of us.

    Now on that occasion especially having the start new Hijiri year and the new ancient Egyptian/Coptic year on the same day, I decided to share with you those very few photos I took in a very short trip to Luxor temple in February 2012.

    The famous Luxor temple or Luxor temples complex is not your usual ancient Egyptian temple or temples complex it is very unique ancient Egyptian temple complex or unique Egyptian religious complex.
    The Luxor temples complex contain the original ancient Egyptian religious temples dedicated to the coronation of Kings and Queens, a Christian chapel and a mosque dedicated to a Sufi Sheikh.

    When I saw Luxor temple, I felt that it represented Egypt religiously in a historic way.
    Egypt's Luxor Temple
    The Luxor Temple 
    We got that beautiful ancient Egyptian temple complex built during the New Kingdom era where it was dedicated to the Theban Triad of the Cult of Royal Ka, Amun, Mut and Khonsu. The Royal Ka refers to the Royal spirit of the King who is a demigod.
    It is sanctuary dedicated to the Kings and their coronation as well their achievements.

    Time goes on and Christianity spread in Egypt replacing that the Theban triad with the Holy Trinity and parts of Luxor temples complex began to disappear under rubble, sand, dust and mud.
    Other parts of were open and a new Church with its paintings replaced the ancient Egyptian inscriptions according to mainstream Egyptology.

    Part of a Church , Part of ancient Egyptian temple at Egypt's Luxor temple
    The Church was located at the hypostyle hall in the temples complex 

    Interestingly I have known that according to news studies and theories that chapel had been dedicated to the Cult of Royal Ka but in its Roman edition.
    Part of a Church , Part of ancient Egyptian temple at Egypt's Luxor temple
    One of the paintings, some believe they are early Christian paintings while others believe that they
    are roman paintings. Otherways they failed to cover ancient Egyptian inscriptions 

    One of the proofs that support that theory, the fact that there were no halos around the people depicted on those paintings that survived all those years.
    Back to our complex, one would think that time was not a friend to that ancient temples complex but actually, it was his best friend forever.
    As time went by, sand and rubble had accumulated to the level it had created an artificial hill covering it for centuries.
    During the era of the Ayyubid dynasty in the 13th century, an Iraqi-born Sufi Sheikh called Youssef Bin Abdel Raheem aka Abu Hagag arrived at the city of Luxor after receiving knowledge of religion and Sufism by its masters and Sheikhs above them Sheikh Abdel Rahim of Qena “Oh yes, the Sheikh Abdel Rahim El-Qenawy”.
    Legend says that Sheikh went to buy a small piece of land over that hill to build a small mosque and a shelter from a wealthy Coptic Christian woman called Theresa who agreed to sell for him that land.
    An old mosque in ancient Egypt's Luxor temple complex
    The Mosque of Sidi Abu El-Hagag
    The Sheikh became popular among the people of Luxor to the level that some said that Lady Theresa converted to Islam and was buried in his mosque.
    An old mosque in ancient Egypt's Luxor temple complex
    The ancient Mosque of Abu Hagag overlooking the Luxor temple inside-hall 
    I do not know about that but one thing for sure that this small mosque built on the columns of the ancient Egyptian temple became a shrine for the old man who died in his 90s.
    An old mosque in ancient Egypt's Luxor temple complex
    The Mosque of Abu Hagag is considered ancient as well 
    Every year since his death, the Muslims of Luxor hold a festival Moulid to honor Sheikh Abu Hagag.
    Fast forward to the 19th century and Gaston Maspero began to excavate Luxor temple complex and to bring back to the World.
    This is just a teaser for the rest of the photos from that beautiful temple. Wait for the rest of the photos.

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    The tenth of September has become a World day to raise awareness worldwide against suicide since 2003. It is the World Suicide Prevention Day “WSPD” and I think this year we feel its importance in Egypt, at least in Cairo.

    The World Health Organization “WHO” and the International Association For Suicide Prevention “IASP” aim from that day would provide worldwide an action to prevent suicide.
    Recently we were hit by a wave of suicide cases in Cairo and Giza. In the past month and a half , Egypt has recorded 7 cases of people’s suicide at Metro station.

    Young people throwing themselves in front of Metro trains to end their lives shockingly. Six of the cases was for young men while only one case was for a young girl who was only 20 years old.
    There is no official number of people who commit suicide in Egypt.
    It is another taboo like the number of Christians in the country I suppose.

    I found in WHO data that the suicide mortality rate in Egypt is 4 cases per 100,000 people in 2016.
    Yemen and Sudan had got the highest suicide mortality rate in the Eastern Mediterranean region according to the WHO with 8.5 and 8.1 per 100,000 people respectively.
    Suicide Mortality rate by WHO in 2016
    Suicide Mortality rate by WHO in 2016
    "Zoom in"
    I think you know why Yemen has had a very high suicide rate.
    That war does not only kill people but it also forces them to kill themselves !!

    According to the Egyptian Coordination for Human Rights NGO that from January to August 2018, 150 cases of suicide for young adults between 20-35 years old have been recorded.
    I found that number in a report about recent metro suicide cases in DW.
    I can’t find that study on the NGO’s FB as its website is down but it did publish annually about suicide cases in Egypt.
    The only official reaction we got from the government we got from the minister of transportation and not the minister of health interestingly.


    Minister Hisham Arafat said in an interview with Pro-regime TV host Ahmed Moussa that the social problems were the reason behind those suicide incidents and that the suicide cases in Metro lines.
    He added that those incidents were not that unique because “people around the globe commit suicide at the Metro stations”.
    He asked the people not to commit suicide regardless of the pressure they face.

    The only news related to the World Suicide Prevention Day that caught the people attention on social media, how belly dancer and attention seeker Sama El-Masry was filmed while presenting to the Metro authority a request to have those “happiness kiosks” in the metro stations in order to stop people from committing suicide.
    Those kiosks would provide psychiatric help to the people in trouble.
    It seems to me that El-Masry was the only celeb “even as D-List celeb” who remembered that day and despite it is just a media stunt but it is interesting and should be discussed as an attempt to stop this sad suicide race.

    Some say that we are 100 millions and we should not be worried but personally I think we should be worried.
    Policemen trying to remove the dead body of a person who
    committed suicide earlier this month in Egypt "Akhbar Al-Youm" 

    Using social media and hashtags, both WHO and IASP hope to drew more attention to suicide and to prevent it but preventing suicide will need more than that.

    According to the WHO’s first-ever report released about suicide, more than 800,000 people commit suicide every year around one person every 40 seconds.
    Yes, it is extremely alarming.
    Most of the suicide cases “75%” occur in the low and middle-income countries aka developing and third countries. In those countries, young adult and elderly women have higher suicide rates than their counterparts in richer countries.
    I guess we do not need to discuss why in today’s world a person would his or her own life in these countries.

    The WHO said that it wanted the governments around the globe to be committed to fighting suicide according to coordinated plans.
    Only only 28 countries are known to have national suicide prevention strategies, I quote the press release of the WHO.

    Please if you have any suicide thoughts, seek help for real.
    If you fear that your friend or relative is going to commit suicide then help her or him but do not preach to him or her. They do not need preaching, they need someone to give them a hand in order to make them come out of that dark pit.
    Depression can kill easily and by the way, people who commit suicide sometimes hide their dark thoughts beneath a smiling mask.

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    The sphinx where it was found
    The sphinx where it was found 
    Egypt’s ministry of antiquities announced on Sunday that one of the Egyptian archeological missions had unearthed a new sphinx in Aswan’s beautiful Kom Ombo Temple complex and one thing for sure we know: That’s very unique sphinx that making many eyebrows rise.

    That sandstone sphinx was found while by accident while the archaeological mission was trying to reduce the groundwater at Ptolemaic-era-Kom Ombo Temple in Aswan governorate.

    Earlier two months ago, the mission found two sandstone reliefs of King Ptolemy V.
    I would like to hint out that Kom Ombo temple was built during the Ptolemaic era.

    you can go back in time and check my post about my quick visit to Kom Ombo temple in 2012 here.

    Some speculate that this newly-found sphinx is actually for King Ptolemy V “who was said to be a tyranny as Egypt has been always a magnet for tyrannical rulers”
    This speculation is supported by the fact that the facial features of that Sphinx do not look like your typical ancient Egyptian

    A close-up of the discovered sphinx
    The eyes and the eyebrows of that Sphinx 
    I can’t ignore those eyebrows, black eyebrows.
    This is the second interesting discovery from the Ptolemaic era in Ancient Egypt unearthed this summer following the big black Sarcophagus of Alexandria.

    Back to the Sphinx, as far as I know the ancient Egyptians used to make two sphinxes instead of one. They come in pairs according to many Egyptologists as far as I have read.

    One of the mysteries surrounding the Giza Sphinx is that many believe there should be another sphinx hiding under the sand. “I do not believe in that because it should have been found by now especially all that area around the pyramids plateau has been excavating day and night”

    So I wonder if we are going to find its identical sphinx twin soon and we will be able to know the story behind it.

    The archeologists are busy now searching for more clues in the Kom Ombo temple area. Here is a couple of photos of that temple.
    A scene from Egypt's Kom Ombo temple
    A scene from the Temple of Kom Ombo in Aswan, you can see color is still there

    Remains of columns at Egypt's Kom Ombo temple
    Remains of columns at Egypt's Kom Ombo temple
      In the end, I would like to clarify that this is not the first sphinx statue found in Egypt beside the big one in Giza because I felt so from the international media and press coverage about its discovery.
    Egypt has got tons of small sphinxes and big sphinxes statues.

    Here are few examples from the Egyptian Museum of Cairo which got two of them “duality” at its entrance.
    A Sphinx Outside the Egyptian Museum of Cairo
    One of the two sphinxes outside the Egyptian Museum of Cairo 

    The Egyptian Museum Facade
    One of the two sphinxes outside the Egyptian Museum of Cairo 
    The Sphinx inside the Egyptian Museum of Cairo
    A-modern-kingdom sphinx inside Egyptian Museum of Cairo 
    A granite sphinx at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo
    A-modern-kingdom sphinx inside
    Egyptian Museum of Cairo 

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    People are eating tree leaves in Yemen right now to survive hunger because of the ongoing war between the Saudi-led coalition and the Iranian backed-Houthi rebels.

    AP made this short shocking video from Yemen as part of its coverage that has had exposed war and torture crimes committed by the coalition countries (Saudi Arabia and UAE) on one side and the Houthi rebels on the other side.

    Needless to say, all parties involved are denying that they committing any kind of war or human rights crime in Yemen but reality says otherwise and that video above is a solid evidence.
    Numbers by United Nations organizations and humanitarian NGOs speak about this disaster. 


    Baby Nusair
    Meet Nusair, an 11-month baby, suffering from malnutrition.  I do not know what to say

    On Wednesday, London-based Save the Children issued a statement saying that at least 5 million Yemeni Children are at a risk of famine.
    The NGO says that more than two-thirds (64.5%) of Yemeni population do not know where their meal is coming from as the fight over Hodeidah port on the Red Sea goes on hand in hand with the Saudi-coalition blockade.
    In 2017, Save The Children says that it treated 65,000 children for malnutrition across Yemen.
    Till September 2018, Save The Children says that it has treated almost 400,000 under the age of five for severe malnutrition.
    The London-based NGO also warns that 36,000 children can die before the end of 2018.
    The UN’s children agency UNICEF says that 1.8 million children are starving in Yemen including at least 500,000 babies and toddlers who are severely malnourished.
    I think we can understand now why Yemen is currently having a very high suicide rate in the past few years.

    I just wish someone from those real decision makers in those war rooms watch this video above and read those shocking number to feel ashamed of himself
    People are eating tree leaves and more children are going to die especially the winter is close.
    I do not think that this ongoing war in war will create a generation that likes its neighbors from Gulf countries especially in Saudi Arabia.
    As an Arab, I fear on the people of the Gulf countries from that blood curse or rather blood karma that will follow them.

    By the way, those shocking videos and photos from Yemen are not shown in our mainstream media in Egypt.
    Already all those voices criticizing the war in Yemen are being hushed.
    I feel ashamed of the Arab leaders and the League of Arab states. I feel angry and sad that we are being dragged to this war even if the Egyptian contribution is considered symbolic and our role is only involved in “protecting Red Sea’s Bab el-Mandeb strait only.

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    From a month ago, the media map in Egypt has had a very interesting reshuffle that was significant.
    Egypt’s Media Empire The Egyptian Media Group“EMG” acquired 51% of Future Media and Telecommunications Group, the mother company of CBC Network, thus becoming the company that technically controls the media with the lion share for real in Egypt.

    On 5 September 2018, Egypt’s daily financial newspaper “Al Mal” quoted an anonymous TV host in the TV network speaking about the acquisition which to be announced later.
    The anonymous TV host also spoke about the suspension of famous TV host Lamis El-Hadidy who up till this moment has not returned back to her Saturday-Wednesday News Night talk show on CBC TV for no apparent reason after her summer vacation.

    News reports say that EMG wanted her to present her show on ONTV “which it owns” instead of CBC but she refused. The news was not confirmed or denied but it made many people wonder why EMG had had that power to stop her from appearing on CBC in the first despite her contract.

    The upcoming lines will explain why technically from a managerial point of view some executives in EMG thought they have the right to move her like that aside from all the political analysis said off the records then.
    According to Al Mal Daily, EMG had already owned 30% of shares in Future Media company so in the new deal it only would acquire 21% of the shares to have the controlling stake in the company that founded in July 2011.

    Five days later on 10September,, Egyptian Media Group announced officially that it acquired 51% of Future Media and photos showing EMG CEO Tamer Morsi shaking hands with Future Media CEO Mohamed El-Amin.

    The statement released to the media did not include how much EMG paid to acquire those addition 21% nor it mentioned either the rest of the shareholders or their identities or even when the talks started to change the ownership structure.

    Mohamed El-Amin and Tamer Morsi "Egyptian Media Group"
    Mohamed El-Amin and Tamer Morsi "Egyptian Media Group"
    In May, Al-Amin denied what he considered rumors about “an upcoming change the ownership structure of the group” claiming that those rumors were aiming to the fact the advertising market before the start of the Holy Season Ramadan. “The highest TV season for viewership, it is like Super bowel but 24/7 for 30 days”


    In that statement released to the media then, the media tycoon expressed his astonishment about how some were spreading those rumors rejecting at the same time  how some claim that the “state” was acquiring the group which “was completely untrue” according to him.

    Those rumors target the Egyptian State claiming that it wants to control the media turning it to one - voice media and stopping reporters and media figures from transferring the truth and facing rumors; those rumors are untrue

    That’s what he said earlier this month concerning that *rumor*
    This has been always the case with Future Media Group since its launch in summer 2011.
    Future Media and Telecommunications Company owns CBC Network , Cairo Media school , Arab News Agency “ANA”, Al-Watan Newspaper.
    In its old good days , this company used to own 14 TV channels which mostly acquired in the year 2012 like Modern Sports.

    Now I have been searching a lot to know when EMG acquired 30% of Future Media and I have failed but instead, I found more interesting news starting from the year 2016.

    Just as steel tycoon Ahmed Abu Hashima announced in May 2016 that his Egyptian Media group “then” acquired ONTV to start officially that media empire ,  Future Media declared that it merged with Al-Nahar TV network to expand the reach of their channels beyond Egypt.
    The merger press
    The merger press on 25 May 2016
    According to the statements of Al-Nahar Co-owner and head Amr Al-Kahky , the merger negotiations lasted for nine months earlier.

    In October 2016 , Cairo-basedUnited Printing, Publishing and Information Technology CO. aka “UPPITCO” acquired 51% of Future Media and Al-Nahar Network.
    Al-Masry Al-Youm Daily “AMAY” quoted an anonymous source in the Media Industry Chamber saying UPPITCO which is owned by one of the State’s institutionsacquired 51% of the shares for LE 1,100,000,000. “You read the number right, it is one billion and one hundred million Egyptian pounds”
    The anonymous sources also added that UPPIT CO had already acquired 75% of Abu Hashima’s Egyptian Media Group while he owned only 25%.
    I have been searching for any news about how UPPIT Co acquired 75% of Egyptian Media Group in 2016 but I could not find anything about that deal.

    Back to CBC Network , its founder Mohamed Al-Amin who graduated from the University of Alexandria said during then that that deal would enable the TV networks to expand regionally.

    “UPPIT Co.” is as its name implies , a Printing , Publishing and IT Company but it is keeping a very low profile despite it seems to be one of the main providers of traffic CCTV systems to different governorates in the country like in Qalyubia or in Damietta.

    Its official website does not include any information on who heads it currently or previously or anything.
    The official website only says among its clients ministries and governorates.
    One could not find news or details about that company online except very few when it hits the Google search for the first time.

    According to that source that spoke with AMAY, it is owned by one of the state’s apparatuses and “apparatuses” in our Egyptian societal diction refers to security agencies.

    A couple of news reports like in Mada Masr about the recent acquisitions in the media market says that “UPPIT Co.” is actually a company owned by or a front of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate or as commonly known General Intelligence.
    There is noting on its website says so but also there is nothing on its website in the first place about when or who founded it.

    The only connection I found it between it and the General Intelligence is the fact that its current head Mr. Samy El-Gerf , the former assistant director of the General Intelligence  who retired from service in June 2015 according to the official state gazette.

    “UPPIT” was also mentioned recently in the media in the same paragraph sometimes with the General Intelligence during the trial of former Mounfia governor who was arrested in January for corruption charges.
    Former governor Hesham Abdel Baset is accused of receiving LE 2 million bribe from a businessman “ a second defendant in the case” for illegally allocating construction contracts of governmental buildings to his company.
    According to the prosecution , the former governor claimed that the businessman was a subcontractor for UPPIT Co. on papers only while he was not.
    On the first day of his trial, Abdel Baset denied those charges saying that UPPIT did not have any business in the Nile Delta governorate adding all the works involved in the investigation were done by the General Intelligence. Needless to say , all parties involved say that the former governor was lying.
    Sorry for this short interruption back to the media , UPPIT and its acquisition.

    That merger between Al-Nahar and CBC did not last too long, it only worked for one year.
    In May 2017 , the two TV networks declared that they terminated the merger deal due to “their managerial different views and visions” .

    At the same time,  CBC or rather Future Media Group announced it would go on with UPPIT acquisition which had already been forgotten.
    In June 2017 , the Egyptian Stock exchange “EGX” announced that it opened an OPR market to sell 25 million shares in Future Media group for LE 10 million in two deals , the first amounting 5 million shares at LE 1 per share while the second involved 20 million shares at LE 0.40 per share.
    The news ended there without further details once again including how much those shares actually represent in the stakes of the group or how many of those shares were sold in the first place.

    Fast forward to our day, EMG owns now the 51% controlling shares in Future media Group.
    It is unclear from news archives if it bought UPPIT shares or not it or that it acquired first the 21% of the shares through that June 2017 EGX deal or not exactly.
    Some are amazed that EMG would go and acquire such controlling stake in FMG when its other media networks like ONTV are suffering financially for real.
    Interestingly according to Kuwaiti Al-Jarida , Mohamed Al-Amin still owns 49% of the shares in FMG and his daughter Mona Al-Amin is still the deputy CEO of FMG.
    This means that EMG did not acquire those 21% from Al-Amin. Personally , I believe that it acquired from UPPIT.

    Mohamed Al-Amin , the original CBC Face

    I can’t speak about CBC Network without mentioning Al-Amin.
    Before mid 2011 , Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Amin was from the shadow businessmen whom you do not hear his name usually at all let alone in the media.

    All what is known publicly about Al-Amin that he left Egypt after graduating from the faculty of engineering  in the 1980s to start working in Kuwait as a civil engineer along with his brother.
    Sooner , he would own a factory for toilets and toilet seats in Cairo and Kuwait.
    Mohamed Al-Amin of CBC "Youm7"
    Mohamed Al-Amin of CBC "Youm7" 
    In the last decade of Mubarak’s rule and the rise of businessmen and tycoons , Mohamed Al-Amin expanded his activity in Cairo and became a partner of businessman Mansour Amer and his Porto-tourism Amer Group Empire.
    El-Amin is a non-executive board member of Amer Group along with Amer family and other businessmen.
    Then 25 January revolution erupted and suddenly in May 2011 , Mohamed Al-Amin was re-introduced to the society as a newspaper publisher with his new so-called independent “Al-Watan” newspaper that had unprecedented high salaries unseen in Egyptian Journalism market.
    But that was not his only newspaper he published.
    Al-Amin were among the owners of Youm 7 newspaper and website along with his old partner Mansour Amer till January 2013.

    Backward to July 2011, Mohamed Al-Amin launched from Cairo Capital Broadcasting Center or CBC TV network with reportedly USD 15 million first year budget.
    For years , the word was in the Media City that Al-Amin had funding from the Gulf , to be particular from Kuwait where he worked most of his life and his family still lives there.
    It was said that Pro-Mubarak Kuwaiti supporters were behind that huge funding and the aim was to control the popular opinion in the country but somehow I feel that they failed miserably.

    In September from the same year , Al-Amin began to acquire other TV networks and channels to the level that made all people wonder from where he got all that money.
    He started with Al-Nahar TV channel “It was still channel” acquiring 85% of its shares from businessman and media industry figure Samir Youssef “TV host Mona El-Shazly’s husband” as well other businessmen for an undisclosed amount of money.

    Al-Amin announced  on 23 September he acquired 85% of Sports-focused Modern TV network “Founded in 2007”. Its founder famous NDPian figure Nabil Daabas already was saved from bankruptcy because of that deal.
    In the same month , he declared his intention to acquire Drama-Film focused Panorama TV network but its owned founder and owner Mahdy Ewis said he wouldn't sell his channels because he did not want a media monopoly in Egypt.

    Moving to press, he acquired too Arab News Agency “ANA” from its Kuwaiti owners than he declared that he acquired tabloid Al-Fagr weekly newspaper and its publishing house. “No wonder the newspaper does not speak about him at all”
    To maintain that media empire is not easy especially in political risky times when you do not have real media background.

    In July 2012, Amr El-Khaky of Media Line Group acquired the 85% shares of Al-Amin in the channel that was struggling financially.
    In January 2013, Both Al-Amin and his old partner Mansour Amar sold their shares in Youm 7 Newspaper and website to Amr El-Khaky of Media Line group “Al-Nahar Group” and Ahmed Abu Hashima became the owners of most shares in that newspaper.
    Again we do not know who owned the rest few shares.
    Since its launch in 2008 , Youm 7 is said to be owned allegedly by corrupted hardcore National Democratic Party member tycoons Mamdouh Ismail and Ashraf Safwat Al Sherif “both runaways in the UK up till now” despite the constant denials of the Pro-regime news website.
    Despite their popularity , Modern TV network channels were closed by CBC in July 2013 due to the financial crisis that hit the channels then.

    Channels were launched then closed down and it seems that there are huge financial losses as people are no longer watching TV thanks to the internet.
    In August 2018 , Al-Amin sold 658,000 shares “ total of LE 158,000” from his stakes in Amer Group reducing his stake to %5.991 in the company.
    The timing is interesting indeed.

    Now if you reach this line in the post then I must say that you are a truly great reader.

    One thing to notice here: the same names here from media tycoons and businessmen were like shifting places from 2011 to 2013. We had businessmen and Gulf-sponsored channels with God knows what kind of agenda in that short period.
    After 2013, the state began to enter the arena of the privately-owned network after giving up in fixing the Egyptian state TV and radio.
    Now as EMG acquires Future Media Group and its strong arm CBC TV network , it is safely to say the Kuwaiti-Sponsorship is no longer there.  

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    Probably this is the quietest Six of October war anniversary I have ever seen in my life in Egypt. No fireworks at night or airshows in the morning.
    The only main event of the day was the very short visit of Melania Trump to Egypt, its last stop in its very quick fashionable African tour.
    Melania Trump at the Sphinx
    Melania Trump at the Sphinx "Masrawy"
    The First Lady of the United States “FLOTUS” arrived Cairo earlier Morning where she was received by Egypt’s First Entasser Amer“I like the fact that officially she is using her family surname instead of her husband’s surname” at Cairo International Airport.

    They went to the Presidential Palace where they were joined by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi who spoke about the importance of cooperation between the United States and Egypt in their talks.
    Entasser Amer held bilateral talks with FLOTUS where they discussed also bilateral relations and cooperation to the end of that talk.

    Entasser Amer with Melania Trump
    Entasser Amer with Melania Trump at the Presidential Palace in Heliopolis
     "Egyptian Presidency"
    After the talks, she went from Cairo to Giza turning traffic upside down on a National Day with hundreds from security men securing her trip from Heliopolis to Giza pyramids plateau.
    Visitors and tourists were not allowed to visit the pyramids Plateau for security reason.

    At the pyramids, Melania Trump had one of those photo shots with her White Suit and hat.
    Needless to say to the only interesting or rather important things we got from Melania’s visit to Cairo were her statement about her husband’s addiction to Twitter and her support to Brett Kavanaugh while speaking politely about his accuser Dr.Christine Blasey Ford.

    It is like that she is trying to clean the shit her hubby said on twitter about Kavanaugh affair.
    The media did not care much about her talks with Egyptian officials as much they cared about her outfit or her suit.
    Some say it was inspired by Nazi Bolloq of Raiders of the lost arc.



    Others say that she reminded them of Michael Jackson’s suit in Smooth Criminal if you remember it.

    Melania Trump Vs. Micheal Jackson
    The Daily show published this on twitter then they
    removed it later !! 
    In Egypt, many compared Melania Trump’s suit to late Egyptian cinema icon Stephan Rosti’s unforgettable appearance in the-1950-Comedy “The Millionaire”.
    Rosti and Melania
    Stephan Rosti as Zaki Bashta on the left and Melania Trumpshta
    on the right 

    Of course, it seems for CNN’s correspondent for FLOTUS’ activities, that man-inspired suit had a strong message to Cairo.
    I do not know how I can answer but the only thing I can say, Melania should care for women’s rights in her country then liberating us, the women of Egypt.
    I still feel angry at that tweet which is full ugly orientalism.
    Now aside from all the jokes and talk about Melania Trump and her man-inspired suit, I have one question in my mind.
    Why did not Melania Trump pay her respect at the Unknown Soldier Memorial or even put flowers on the tomb of late President Sadat whose assassination’s anniversary was on 6 October as well?

    Paying respect to the Unknown soldier memorial is a good sign that Melania and her team respect the country for real.

    Aside mark: This is the most under-the-spotlight for activity-shy Amer. She waited for four years to have more noticeable activity.
    Happy 6th October anniversary to everybody before I forget. 

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    This is one of the true happy news that made me proud as well optimistic about the future.
    In April 2011,
    I wrote about this 15-years-old mathematics genius who was doing his master’s degree in the American University in Cairo " AUC" during then and that genius’ name was Omar Othman or as he is known now as Omar Mohsen. "Yes, Masters degree"
    Omar Mohsen
    Dr. Omar Mohsen right now in
    Parsi 

    Now, the boy has grown and became a young man.

    The 22-years old mathematician has got his Ph.D. degree from Universite Paris Diderot or Paris Diderot University on Thursday according to his father.

    According to his professor of Mathematics in Cairo University Hany El-Hosseini,  Mohsen's thesis was examined before a panel of 7- internationally renowned Mathematicians including Professor Alain Connes, who received Fields Medal  "It is like Nobel Price for Mathematicians."
    El-Hosseini also explained what Mohsen was doing in Cairo University's Faculty of Sciences.

    It turned out that he was studying unofficially mathematics in CU's Faculty of Sciences from 2009 and 2012 in parallel of his study in the AUC as well as studying for the preparatory degree in the Egyptian basic education system.
    Among his professors and teachers besides Dr. Hany El-Hosseini is Dr. Laila Soueif  "Yes, the famous political activist".

     In 2012, a French professor met Omar Mohsen while he was attended one of the summer camps for students like him, something like a camp for brilliant students and was impressed with his talent and thinking.
    In the same year, she managed to get him a grant in L'Ecole Normale Superieure and that was a big leap to the other part of the world where Mohsen would achieve his dreams.
    I think that Dr. Mohsen is the youngest Egyptian ever to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics. "Big Mashallah"

    Officially, Omar Mohsen has got only the Preparatory degree in Egypt in the CV and the rest is an excellent French education system that supports genius students.

    I must say that according to what I have read, the teachers of Omar Mohsen noticed that he was a genius in mathematics in the fifth grade and told his family to support him.
    Mohsen got his basic education in Egypt in a public school as far as I read.

    Honestly, I do not know why we do not have a special system for truly genius children who can advance and leap in education comparing to their other students.

    Lately, I have not written cheerful news about Egypt in the blog but here is a good start.
    Inshallah, the next time I will write about Omar Mohsen when he receives the Fields award,

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    Egypt has officially demanded Libya to extradite the country’s most wanted man Hisham Ashmawy after his surprising arrest earlier in Libya.
    I think within hours the man who was sentenced to death in Egypt in at least two military trials, will be transferred back home.

    Hisham Al-Ashmawy
    Hisham Al-Ashmawy after his arrest
    in Derna 
    According to Libya’s National army aka “Hafter’s forces”, Al-Ashmaway was arrested in the city of Derna that was once a stronghold of Al-Qaeda fighters in the Eastern city earlier Monday. “About 3.30 am Libya local time”. 

    He was found along a group of his men in El-Maghar district in the city, which was the last part of it that was not liberated yet from Islamist militants’ control.

    What I have read so far, the Libyan forces got intel information from Cairo about Ashmawy.
    The spokesperson of Libyan national armed forces said on social media that the 1980-born was wearing an explosive belt when he was busted.

    The spokesperson added that due to the surprise and shock, he could not use it.
    Some say that Al-Ashmawy did not use it and resist the Libyan army because he was accompanied by women and children.
    To be specific the widow of Omar Rifai Sorour and her four children.
    Egyptian Omar Rifai Sorour was a prominent member of Al-Qaeda in Libya who was killed in June 2018.
    Omar Sorour was the militant group’s Islamic jurist.
    He is also the son of Rifai Sorour, who was among the first generation of Salafi Jihadist clerics in Egypt and the Arab world.
    Mohamed Rifai Sorour, Omar’s brother was killed earlier Monday during the raid.

    So far there have been no reports about Hisham Al-Ashmawy’s wife or his children.
    The last time I read something about his wife was in 2017 as far as I recall and it was about how she managed to flee Egypt arriving Libya through Sudan.

    Back to her husband who planned the worst terrorist attacks Egypt have seen in 2013 and 2014, I think that arresting him alive is a huge achievement for Libyan forces. This is a big deal. Just imagine , the amount of information he has got.

    Interestingly Libyan authorities found with him his Egyptian Armed Forces ID Card which identifies him as a retired major.
    Al-Ashmawy's army id !!
    Al-Ashmawy's army id !!
    I wonder why he would carry with him that ID card after all those years.
    There are many questions to be asked about Al-Ashmawy.
    The most important one I guess now is how many new Hisham Ashmawys are hidden there in Egypt waiting for their moment to come with all that polarization and radicalism surrounding us in the world?

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    The bronze lion of Kasr Al Nil bridge
    Kasr Al Nil Lion surrounded by spikes 
    Seen in Cairo: Kasr Al-Nil bridge's lion is protected by sharp spikes.
    To stop vandals and teenagers from climbing and sitting on the statue after its recent renovation, the government installed sharp spikes and it has worked so far.

    The 406-meter bridge was renovated in 2016 with the cost of LE 8 million.
    To be honest it is the first time I would notice the spikes. Maybe, they were installed later.

    They may stop vandals but I think they may not stop angry protesters if they are determinant to occupy the bridge like in 2011.


    Over the lion of Kasr Al Nil bridge
    Down with Mubarak, long live Egypt, Mubarak degage "February 2011"
    A*A Step down
    A7A degage Mubarak , down with Mubarak "February 2011"

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    A Cairo downtown building
    Another Downtown Cairo beauty 
    Seen in Cairo: Downtown Cairo always amazes you every time you go there with its beautiful buildings and distinguished architectural styles.
    That building near Opera square caught my attention with its windows.
    I do not know what exact style it is but I feel it is a mix of gothic and Venetian architectural style.
    I bet its designer was Italian. 

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    I know I have not been blogging actively as I am currently torn between work, flu and cold and following the Jamal Khashoggi’s sad saga and its developments. I find extreme angry and depressed.
    Nevertheless here I am trying to blog what annoys me and what cheers me nowadays in my country Egypt.
    From a couple of days ago, I read a news that bothered me a lot.
    Some local Facebook news page in Alexandria spoke about how people spotted the army’s military police inside the perimeter of the historical and famous Aziza Fahmy palace.
    The page showed photos for the army’s vehicles outside the palace claiming that its fences were being demolished.
    It was said that the Armed Forces Engineering authority was allegedly building a huge hotel complex on the land of the palace.
    Some concerned citizens include myself fear that the palace which was built in 1905 for Egyptian socialite Aziza Fahmy of the Fahmy clan is going to be demolished.
    Journalist Nabil Abu Shal says that the Palace won’t be demolished and that it will be “embraced” by the armed forces owned-Tolip hotel“yes, this is its correct spelling, there is a hotel chain owned by army called Tolip”
    The alleged design of Aziza Fahmy palace hotel complex
    The alleged design 
    He even posted an alleged design for that hotel.
    Now judging from that photo I took in May 2016, I do not know how the army’s engineering corps will build that hotel considering the space around the hotel !?
    An overview for public beach in Alexandria
    Aziza Fahmy palace in real life

    It is not that big !! Yes, it is the third biggest historical palace in Alexandria if you take into consideration its garden but still, it is not that big to host such hotel as it appears in that alleged design.


    Also, what is in the future for that free public beach in front of the palace and its garden?

    I do not know why the government does not use its brain and turns that Aziza Fahmy’s Palace into a national museum like her sister’s palace which is a successful museum hosting the Egyptian Royal Family’s jewelry.
    We got hundreds of thousands of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the warehouses. We can host a collection of them in that palace and turn it into a cultural venue.

    It seems that the Armed Forces Engineering Authority has replaced The Egyptian General Co. for Tourism&Hotel“EGOTH” in the battle with the 40 heirs of the palace who had a 50-years-old fight with the state over the 15 thousand m2 property “The Palace is only 650 m2” in November 2017 according to EGOTH CEO.
    The Engineering authority has got several development projects in Alex.

    Moving to another disturbing news, current Alexandria governorate officials have demolished part the old Alexandria Corniche in Al-Mansheya to build parking lot !!
    Old Alexandria corniche demolished
    The old corniche after it was demolished !! 
    According to my humble historical info, that specific part of corniche was built during the rule of Abbas Helmi II“reign from 1892-1921” and the rocks used to build it were imported from Europe.
    Old Alexandria corniche built
    The old corniche while being built in the 1920s in El-Shatby area
    "@Just_C4se"


    What the hell is happening in Alexandria for the love of God !!

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    Now after 19 days of denying and manipulating, Saudi Arabia admits that renowned journalist Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and never came out of it alive.

    Early Friday “Midnight actually”, Saudi News agency “SPA” and the official state-owned news channel “Al-ekhbariya TV” announced suddenly that Saudi public prosecutor has issued a statement about the case of “Citizen Jamal Khashoggi”
    The very short and vague statement of Saudi public prosecutor stated that preliminary investigations into the case of “Citizen Jamal Khashoggi showed his death.
    The statement adding that there are 18 suspects involved in that case who are all Saudi nationals.
    Preliminary investigations carried out by the Public Prosecution into the disappearance case of the citizen Jamal bin Ahmad Khashoggi revealed that the discussions that took place between him and the persons who met him during his attendance in the Kingdom's consulate in Istanbul led to a quarrel and a brawl with the citizen /Jamal Khashoggi, resulted in his death !!
    The statement did not share any more details about the identity of those suspects nor more importantly, it did not answer one logic question: Where is Jamal Khashoggi’s body?
    It is unclear if those 18 suspects included the 15 alleged suspects Turkish and US press spoke about in their leaks in the past 17 days or not. The only thing we know that those 18 suspects were being investigated.
    Farewell Jamal Khashoggi
    Farewell Jamal, he said his word and walked away graphic
    A popular one in the Arab world
    The statement is also an insult to human intelligence as it belittles the murder of a Saudi citizen , a human being describing it in a cold bold as a “fist fight” !!
    18 suspects or 15 one of them having a fist fight with a man in his late 50s inside the consulate and nobody is stopping them from the guards or officials !! This is a consulate not an alley in Istanbul !!
    Anyhow that statement was just the beginning of more mid-night royal orders issued from the Kingdom made at Washington local time if I may say.
    King Salman issued a royal decree to found a committee headed by his son, Crown prince Mohamed Bin Salman aka MBS to restructure the General intelligence presidency.
    That Royal decree issued in the Midnight comes as King Salman who has got a comeback relieved deputy president of General intelligence and former Saudi armed spokesperson Ahmed Assiri of his post along with three other top Saudi General intelligence officials.
    Needless to say, you do not need to be a Saudi internal affairs experts to know that we are in front a scapegoating process where big names in the General intelligence service as well MBS’ close advisers sacrifice themselves so MBS can get away from that crime.
    Ironically, back in the Mideast, thanks to Saudi Whistleblowers like Mujtahidd gave very close details on how MBS will get away with it.
    They even mentioned the name of Assiri especially too.
    Sadly enough, I remember how MBS sat with Bloomberg reporters and told them in Riyadh that Gamal Khashoggi left the consulate.


    His brother and current ambassador to the US Khaled Bin Salman “currently there are rumors he may be the upcoming crown prince if world pressure increases against his brother” told the same to Axios reporter Johnathan Swan via Whatsapp message allegedly.

    Now it seems that the world is not convinced with the official statement or rather version of what happened at the consulate.
    Angela Merkel was the first to slam that Saudi version publicly.
    U.S President Donald Trump changed his mind too and said that he was not satisfied with the Saudi official account, not for sake Jamal Khashoggi but for sake of milking Saudi Arabia more and more.
    It is a common belief in Egypt for real that Trump would even collaborate with MBS to get him out of trouble. Time will only say.

    As the world seems unconvinced that vague Saudi’s official account, the Saudi regime came with unofficial one and shared it with Reuters.
    Needless to say, it is even more outrageous. !!
    "The team of 15 Saudi nationals sent to confront Khashoggi on Oct. 2 had threatened him with being drugged and kidnapped and then killed him in a chokehold when he resisted.”
    The anonymous source in Saudi government told Reuters. He also added late Khashoggi’s body was rolled up in a rug and given to a “local cooperator” denying all horrifying reports speaking about cutting the body in a bloody night to dispose of it.
    I do not know but I am not convinced either with that account.

    It seems that Angela Merkel was not convinced too this time and thus decided to take that decision and suspend arm sales  to the Kingdom till the truth is revealed in Khashoggi’s murder.
    Yes , it is called Khashoggi’s murder and nothing else.
    Saudi media and official about Khashoggi’s death in order to sugarcoat the heavy bloody affair.
    On Sunday, Saudi FM Adel Al-Jubeir made an appearance after radio silence for over 15 days telling Fox News “what a choice” that the incident was “huge and grave mistake” !! Mistake !! It is a murder, not a mistake !!
    This is the first time I wrote about Khashoggi since he entered that his country’s consulate to get that document that proves he divorced his Saudi wife to marry his Turkish finance Khadija Ganghis or Hatice Cengiz and had never come out.
    Needless to say, after 19 days the pro-Saudi regime media and trolls in the Arab countries smeared and attacked Cengiz in a disgusting way.
    Some accused her of being an accomplice in the famous Saudi writer’s disappearance while others accused her of being a liar saying that she was not his fiancé. Others mocked how she looks while some including some women did not have a problem in trashing her honor.
    I have not seen any apologizing for all those insults and mockery she endured in those 18 days.
    I have not seen either an apology to Cengiz or the Khashoggis, his family became in the kingdom that had to endure rudeness and mockery from whether on the media or the social media in Saudi Arabia or outside.
    You want to see how much the Saudi regime got influence in the Egyptian media, then you should check the videos of TV hosts like Ahmed Moussa or Amr Adeeb in the past two weeks. It has not stopped even after the Saudi statements.
    Needless to say, that Pro-regime supporters in Egypt believe that it a global conspiracy led by none other than Qatar and Turkey.
    I got many thoughts to share but may be tonight is the time. 

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    Liberty and freedom are the true meaning of this week’s best photos from my humble simple point of view.
    The first photo of the week is that photo taken by Palestinian photographer Mustafa Hassouna of Anadolu News agency on Monday 22, October at the Mediterranean Sea as protesters tried to end Gaza blockade by sea for the 13th time.
    Anger and liberty lead the people in Gaza
    Anger and liberty lead the people in Gaza 
    In the first glance, you will be amazed by how beautiful this photo capturing that moment of defiance and dignity at that Gaza seashore.
    In the second glance, that photo will remind with none other than that famous painting representing the French revolution
    That one
    This is 1830-“Liberty leading people” by Eugene Delacroix.
    That’s a Delacroix’ living photo with doubt and it is about liberty.
    The hero of that photo that looks like a modern day David standing against Israeli Goliath is named A’ed Abu Amr and he goes to protests with that same flag he was carrying in the photo.

    “If I get killed, I want to be wrapped by the same flag,” He said as there is a fear that he will be identified and killed by Israeli snipers. I fear that but I think his world fame now can give him some protection, hopefully, it will.
    In statements about his new fame, the young man from Gaza said that he and other Palestinians were demanding the right of return and the dignity of the future generation.
    The Palestinians want to be free, want liberty for real.
    They want to break that inhuman blockade that stripped them from all the basic needs in the world. They will break that blockade sooner and later.

    The second photo is sad and I believe if Eugene Delacroix or any of those romantic lithography painters saw it, it would inspire them as some Arabian tragedy.
    That photo is the photo of Salah Khashoggi, the son of late slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi while receiving condolences from Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman “MBS” and King Salman Bin Abdel Aziz on 23 October in Riyadh.

    Salah El-Khashoggi shaking hands with Prince Mohamed Bin Salman in Riyadh If looks can kill indeed.
    Salah El-Khashoggi shaking hands with Prince Mohamed Bin Salman in Riyadh 
    If you know the background well of this photo, you will find it chilling on my levels.

    If you do not, then let me introduce to you to the man on the left Salah El-Khashoggi, the second son of late Saudi journalist Jamal El-Khashoggi who was killed earlier this month reportedly at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and the man on the right aka MBS is believed to be the man standing allegedly behind the murder.

    Journalist El-Khashoggi did not like the policies adopted by MBS recently and demanded liberty for his follow Saudi critics and activists currently in prison.

     The leaks released by Turkish investigators to the Turkish local media on October 10, the late journalist who openly criticized MBS worldwide was brutely tortured and killed by a group of 15 men mostly from Saudi police and military.

    According to investigative news reports, one of the main suspects in the murder whose name is Abdel Aziz Muterb was like a frequent bodyguard and companion to MBS in several trips who made abroad earlier this year. 

    Two close aids to MSB were relieved from their duty last Friday by royal decrees: Major General Ahmed Al-Asseri, the former deputy chief of Saudi intelligence and Saud Al-Qahanti, the man who controlled mainstream media and social media. Despite Saudi Arabia has not declared the relation between Khashoggi's murder and those two men officially but most people say they are connected.

    Back to the photo, can you please attention to its most important moment?

    A mutual look between Salah Khashoggi and MBS
    A mutual look between Salah Khashoggi and MBS 
    If looks can kill indeed.
    The look of Salah to MBS says a lot.

    The one good thing that came from that failed PR photo which fired back at MBS is the fact that it put a spotlight on Salah and Jamal Khashoggi’s family that could not leave the country for a year.

    Salah got an American passport as he was born in the States and thus when it was known he could not travel allegedly it created an uproar among US journalists and human rights activists.

    After two days, we heard the good news that Salah Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia to the United States as US secretary of state Mike Pompeo told Saudis to let him go !!

    Back to that awkward meeting, here is its video and it is quite interesting.
    I do not know about the royal court manners and traditions in Saudi Arabia but in Arab culture when you present your condolences to a family of such renowned journalist from a renowned family that was loyal to the Kingdom since Abdel Aziz Al Saud declared it then the meeting must be warmer.
    They only shook hands and that’s it.
    Even MBS did not hug the young man who is younger than him with a couple of years.
    It is so “Western” condolence.
    I saw photos and videos of King Abdullah of Jordan and how he treated families of fallen soldiers or officers and it is warmer than that.

    Aside from how warm that meeting is, social media users from the Gulf as well Egyptians living there raised the attention that the Jellabiya or it is called in Gulf Thawb which Salah Khashoggi wore in the meeting with the King was not ironed.

    According to them, if a member of the tribe or the community is going to meet another member who is higher and senior in the social status then his Thawb must be cleaned and ironed to show respect.
    Some say Salah Khashoggi’s appearance was an evidence that he brought abruptly to the Palace while I personally I think it could be Salah sending a true rebel anger message himself.

    Personally, I believe King Salman did not know about the alleged plan to kill or even kidnap late Jamal Khashoggi because of his health condition and the fact that he was pushed back to the backstage in the past months by his son and his cronies.

    Now the old king is facing a challenge he and his son have never anticipated.

    An old follower to late Jamal Khashoggi, I believe that he would have posted the Liberty leading people in Gaza photo on his twitter account. 

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    It is early Saturday morning and Gaza is currently being shelled by Israeli forces and deep night turned into a familiar apocalypse scene from hell the people there know it very well.
    Gaza on Saturday
    Gaza early Saturday as Israel began to target Hamas spots 
    In response, Palestinian resistance factions began to shell the illegal Israeli settlements with its rockets in retaliation and it goes on.

    Early Friday morning, Oman made a rare major unfortunate news appearance when its reluctant Sultan Qaboos received none other than Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife as well the director of Israeli intelligence service aka Mossad Yossi Cohen in an unannounced visit.
    Bibi and the rest of the goons at Muscat
    Bibi and the rest of the goons at Muscat 
    Despite Oman does not have any official relations with Israel “I do not know why”, its relations with the Zionist state goes back to 1970s along with Morocco.

    Israeli PM Netanyahu and Sultan Qaboos on the right on Friday in Muscat
    Israeli PM Netanyahu and Sultan Qaboos on the right on Friday in Muscat
    Both countries played role in the Egyptian-Israeli peace agreements and they also rejected to boycott Egypt when all Arab countries decided to boycott it and transfer the League of Arab states from Cairo to Tunis following Camp David.

    This is not the first visit for a high Israeli official to the Gulf state nor the first visit to be highlighted in the Omani media like that.

    Late Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin visited Muscat in 1994 followed by PM Shimon Peres in 1996 where he was received in a very warm reception. In 2008, Israel's former foreign minister Tzipi Livni visited Oman too.

    Perez and Qaboos
    Former Israeli PM Shimon Perez and reluctant Sultan Qaboos
    It is interesting timing that Sultan Qaboos highlight the visit in the media like this.
    The official Twitter account of the News section Oman's state TV pinned the tweet showing the reception in the video !!

    Some say that Bibi’s visit is related to the visit of the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas “Abu Mazen” to Muscat last week.
    Abu Mazen and Qaboos
    Abu Mazen and Qaboos 
    I think this visit is interesting on another level if Qaboos and Oman mediating between Israel and the Palestinian authority “PA”.

    It means that Sisi and Cairo are no longer doing that.
    Some say that Cairo lost the PA because President El-Sisi and his regional partners aka UAE want Mohamed Dahlan “ probably the evilest person in the Middle East” to replace Abu Mazen.

    It is no doubt that Cairo still owns cards and those cards are the Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza especially Hamas which rules the besieged sector.

    Ironically on Friday, I read from Haaretz that Egypt through its General Intelligence service managed to find a truce between Hamas and Israel.
    I think it is another short failed truce.

    Back to that visit of Bibi to Oman, it seems that there a wave of neutralizing relations with Israel that taking the Gulf by storm this week.

    Earlier Boycott Divest Sanctions “BDS” activists in Gulf as well the Arab world were angry on how Israeli athletes were received officially warmly in both Qatar and UAE in different sports championships.

    Both Qatar and UAE do not have official relations with Israel and yet they got very warm relations with the Zionist apartheid country that does not respect any international laws or human rights when it comes to the Palestinians.

    Needless to say, Oman is not an oasis of democracy or human rights and its mainstream media is controlled by the Sultan’s loyal man yet a group of BDS activists expressed their rejection online in a hashtag.

    We got two opposing hashtags active in Oman right now. The first is #Oman_the_gate_of_peace in Arabic praising Qaboos' efforts for peace in the Middle East while the other one is #Omanians_against_neutralization "with Israel" as well a twin hashtag #Omanian_against_neutralization and both are in Arabic.

    In Egypt, as usually political satire and mockery were the best reactions.
    Memes were shared madly about Sultan Qaboos and his meeting with that corrupted Israeli goon.
    Bibi and Qaboos
    “Who are you my son? Where is prophet Jacob?”
    Nevertheless, I believe some folks in Riyadh are happy that they are no longer the focus of the news

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    This photo is another indication that Sykes-Picot agreement is still alive and kicking and Arab as well Non Arab people who live in Syria still have no power over their own destiny.
    Where are the Syrians? "France 24"
    Where are the Syrians? "France 24"

    Leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Turkey met on Saturday in Istanbul where they called for a ceasefire and the formation of a committee to write down a new constitution.
    There is no direct representative of Syrian people here in that photo.


    Erdogan is in the photo representing his own government’s agenda whatever it is. He always speaks about defending the Syrian people’s rights but actually for PR purposes mostly.
    Just remember how many times he said he would not allow any chemical attack to occur or how he would not allow Al-Assad to enter Aleppo bla bla bla bla….

    Putin is in the photo representing Bashar Al-Assad regime which tortures and kills Syrian people and wants to rule forever after.

    Angela Merkel is in the photo because she does not want any more refugees in Europe.
    For me, Macron is standing because he or rather France considers the Levant aka “Syria and Lebanon” part of its colonial empire.

    By the way, those leaders can find and bring Syrians to represent truly Syrian people to their meeting if they want. But it seems that they are not interested in that.

    By there is an important question I can’t find a logical answer to since I have read the news: How can Syrian people sit with members of the Al-Assad regime to write down a constitution?
    How can Syrian people who call for the unity of the country sit with Syrian Kurds who want to join the future Kurdistan area?
    Constitutions are written by people who want truly to live together and build a future, by people who respect laws and human rights. I do not see Al-Assad regime is ready for this.

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    I am sorry for being rude, so rude to choose this headline. I know it is but it is the only suitable thing I can see.
    Algeria’s ruling party National Liberation Front “FLN” declared on Sunday that President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika was going to run for the presidency in the upcoming Presidential elections in April 2019 according to official Algeria Press Service “APS” news agency !!
    Algerian president Bouteflika casting his vote
    Algerian president Bouteflika casting his vote in the last presidential elections
    Algeria has seen "Reuters"
    I could not find the exact news on the official APS website but I found news reports like Former elected MPs called Bouteflika to run for the fifth time and the National Rally For Democracy Party calls President Bouteflika to continue that building the nation process and to run for the office again !!
    It is on France 24 and the Algerians have not denied so the news is true.

    Back to APS news reports, well I am familiar with that crap of supporting the great president for life. I am Egyptian and I see and hear that talk 24/7.

    Abdel Aziz Bouteflika who is currently 81-years-old suffered a stroke in 2013 and has been confined to a wheelchair since then.

    The man who has been in rule since 1999 in Algeria does not look healthier or better now.

    He does not attend any events except meeting foreign guests. The hypocrite officials in Algeria put a big photo for him like a cutout in public events he can’t attend due to his heath !!
    In fact, he needs to resign and rest in his house.
    Bouteflika and his bodyguards "Reuters"
    I do not understand why the Algerian army generals who run the show actually insist that the man who unfortunately became a joke among new generations in the Arab world when they can find someone else corrupted enough to keep their interests what so ever !!

    According to YouthPolicy.org, 30% of total Algerian population is between 15-29 years old and 70% of the population is under the age of 30.  Young people below 30 years old represent 72% of all unemployed people in the country.

    As we are in the Halloween season, it seems that we are in front of old strongmen coming out of the crypt to remind us that they are still ALIVE in the worst way ever.

    First, we saw Sultan Qaboos receiving Israeli Prime minister in an unannounced visit on Friday and it was just the start as we find Bouteflika telling him to hold “his beer” because he is going to run for the fifth time for presidency !!

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    Happy Halloween from Cairo’s Khan El-Khalili.

    Those creepy Egyptian puppets I found in Khan El-Khalili market are found all year but they always remind me of Halloween with their dark circle eyes around their eyes.

    Egyptian Puppets at Cairo's Khan El-Khalili
    Creepy puppets indeed 

    Certain gated communities and compounds in the upscale Cairo upscales like in Sheikh Ziyad or 5th Settlement began to organize Halloween trick and treats rounds for the children.
    Needless to say for conservatives, this angers them which is something expected.
    Personally, I like kids to dress up and take candy.
    Having fun in those hard times is not a bad thing.

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    At least 7 Egyptian Christians were killed and 14 others were injured Friday afternoon in a terrorist attack near a desert monastery in Upper Egypt’s Minya Governorate Friday afternoon in one of the desert roads.

    In the first early reports that unknown gunmen opened their fire on a bus carrying people coming from Minya to visit a monastery in the desert.
    A child survivor
    A child that survived the attack
    and his face says everything
    "Orthodox Church"
    The Coptic Orthodox Church issued a more detailed statement about what happened.
    Gunmen opened their fire on three buses heading back from Saint Samuel the confessor monastery in the desert of Minya using a back route.

    At least Seven people on one micro-bus from Minya city were all killed whereas at least 13 people of another microbus from Minya also were all injured and currently being treated in hospitals.
    A bus carrying 28 passengers from one family coming from Sohag to attend the baptizing of a baby from the family was also attacked but only 6 passengers were injured.
    According to the list of victims killed in the attack released by the church, May God bless their souls, six of them were from the same family.
    Many of the injured victims were women and children.

    As you can see the Church is the one that issuing statements by names and details not the government as supposed because we are speaking about Egyptian citizens.
    This attack is a copycat of the attack that targeted also a group of Christians heading to St. Samuel the Confessor also in May 2017 if you remember it.

    You may ask where the security was and why this would happen again after a year and a couple of months. Well, security officials say that that convoy used a back unguarded route because the main guarded rout was closed down.

    With my all due respect, I find that excuse is insulting because I thought along with many Egyptians that such convoys were accompanied with security vehicles. My aunt asked me that direct question as she heard the incident "Where are those security vehicles that follow them? It seems that we assumed wrong after all.

    The response of the officials is always too late when it comes to the media.

    The first source that spoke before anyone, as usual, is Father Makarios, the Bishop of Minya and Abu Qirqas who spoke to the media first before the Coptic Orthodox Church issued its official report or even the government officials.

    Currently attending the World Youth Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi tweeted from there sending his condolences to the families of the victims asserting the intention of the Egyptian government to continue its efforts against terrorism.


    He also spoke with Pope Tawadros II, the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
    No national mourning has been declared so far.

    It seems that the focus of the Egyptian state-owned and mainstream media are focusing alone on the second edition of the World Youth Forum “WYF” in Sharm El-Sheikh.
    Some Pro-regime media figures and supporters say that that the attempt of the “black terrorism to spoil the WYF”, Well I think the terrorists who did that do not care much about WYF in its second edition.
    Blood on the buses
    Blood in one of the buses
    You can see blood everywhere
    "Orthodox Church"

    They want to send a message that they are still here to both the regime and the world.
    Publicly, the Egyptian people were caught off guards on Friday as millions of Egyptians are following the final CAF Champions leagues football match between Ahly SC and Tunisia’s Esperance in Egypt.

    Personally, knowing how the Egyptian authorities react based on past experience, the trips to desert Christian monasteries will be suspended until further notice.

    Within hours at most 48 hours or less, a some-Daesh-affiliated group will declare its responsibility.

    Updated: 

    Daesh has claimed its responsibility on social media for the attack claiming that 13 people were killed instead of 7.
     It claimed that the attack came as retaliation for the arrest of "pious sisters" earlier this week by the " Egyptian apostate" government. 

    On Thursday, the Egyptian authorities arrested a number of 19 human rights, activists and people, mostly related to the Muslim Brotherhood. 

    That's a very quick alleged reaction in less than 24 hours considering the fact that the attack was at a back route in the desert of Minya. I think that cell in Minya is too active to the level of planning and executing an operation like this in 24 hours. 

    Many of them are women according to what I read including prominent lawyer Huda Abdel Moneim and Aisha Khairat El-Shater, the daughter of the MB deputy Khairat El-Shater who is currently in prison. 

    Personally, I think Daesh is seeking new supporters among the MB young members and supporters who are angry currently because of the current raid against the MB sisters. 

    Either way, that statement is technically throwing those women under the bus as publicly it gives the Egyptian government a solid evidence to present to the world and the Egyptians on the connection of Daesh and MB, which MB leading figures deny. "Those abroad outside jail of course" 

    Needless to say the MB or whatever branch of it that still runs Freedom and Justice Gate in Arabic ran a piece saying that the attack with false flag operation. 

    Days later, Egypt’s ministry of interior will declare the liquidation of some terrorist suspects liquidating in Minya desert and people will forget till I am afraid the next terrorist attack.

    It is like a freaking Deja vu that does not want to stop. I feel that I have already known what certain people in Egypt will say and do.

    The attack this time came before Christmas, which means there is enough time to secure Christian Churches and gatherings as well.

    May God have mercy on all of us. May God bless the souls of the dead and bring patience to the living.

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    There is a big distance for real between the city of Sharm El-Sheikh in Sinai and the city of Minya in Upper Egypt. According to google maps, it is 557.1 km by car but earlier Saturday it seemed that there are 557.1 light years between there.

    In one city, hundreds attending a mass-funeral in a Coptic Orthodox church to mourn the victims of the latest terrorist attack in Egypt while in another city thousands attend a glitzy forum on the same day.

    On Saturday, Hundreds of Egyptian Christians attended in a Minya-City-Church the mass-funeral of seven Egyptians who were killed on Friday near Saint Samuel the confessor in the desert of the Upper Egyptian governorate in the second attack of its kind in two years.

    Mourners at the Church by Mohamed El-Hakim
    Mourners at the Church by Mohamed El-Hakim 
    Angry and grieving at the same, the mourners could not stop themselves to express their anger publicly when Churchmen began the usual “Thank you Egyptian government officials”.





    I totally understand the anger of those grieving mourners.
    Once again the current Egyptian regime let them down and they express their anger in the only possible safe way.

    On the other hand, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated on Saturday the second edition of the World Youth Forum in the city of Sharm El-Sheikh with thousands of attendees.

    Those who were killed on Friday were not there, they were not remembered much from the speakers except Nadia Mourad, the Nobel Peace Prize 2018 recipient as I understood from the news as she tasted the same kind of poison in her own land.

    The Egyptian mainstream media whether TV channels or newspapers have focused only on the WYF, the big event that is sending an important message to the World.
    The show must go on so the terrorists won’t win !!
    Mourners at Minya desert on Saturday "Alaa el-Kamhawi"
    Mourners at Minya desert on Saturday "Alaa el-Kamhawi" 

    The news and photos of Sisi riding a bicycle in Sharm El-Sheikh and attending Pre-opening discussions and sessions on Friday made the front page on Saturday in the State-owned newspapers in the center while the news of the massacre was a side news.
    State-owned newspapers on Saturday
    "President Mourns the victims of the terrorist attack"
    I have been following international media and it seems to me that the only news that captured the attention of the world in the past 48 hours is that horrifying massacre in Minya desert not that forum in Sharm El-Sheikh despite all the money spent on its publicity.

    I am afraid that I am from the generation that was raised to stop any sort of festivities or celebrations for three days if a neighbor loses someone in his or her house. Egyptians have old traditions when it comes to mourning and grief.
    Mourners at the Church on Saturday included Muslim women too in Minya
    Mourners at the Church on Saturday included Muslim women too in Minya
    "Roger Anis" 
    The families of those seven people along many others do not ask the cancellation of such a big event sponsored by at least two state-owned banks but a little consideration and a little respect to their grief would be nice.

    The conference will be over by Tuesday yet the sadness and anger will continue among the families of the victims and other concerned Egyptians.

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    King Tutankhamun was brought to life again literality when Howard Carter discovered the first step of his famous untouched tomb at the Valley of the Kings on 4th November from 96 years ago in Luxor.
    King Tutankhamen's mask at Cairo's Egyptian Museum
    The famous Tutankhamun mask 
    For that occasion, I share a bunch of photos of famous Tutankhamun collection at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo.


    The Young King and his controversial family “his father is king Akhenaten in case you do not know” were meant to be forgotten in a plan by Amun priests and the army generals who had the eye on the throne as well restoring the power of Amun in the country.

    King Tut's Golden sarcophagus at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo
    King Tut's Golden sarcophagus at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo

    Well, history has another saying or as I believe “The Lord acts in a mysterious way” because now the King and his father they conspired against and removed their names of all records, became the most famous Egyptian pharaoh.
    King Tut's Large Scarab of stone at Cairo's Egyptian Museum
    King Tut's Large Scarab of stone at Cairo's Egyptian Museum

    He was not the greatest nor the best or anything as far as we know but he became Egypt’s ancient Egyptian icon worldwide.
    By the way, those photos were taken in Winter 2015-2016 during my visit to the Egyptian Museum of Cairo in Tahrir.
    King Tutankhamun collection is going to be transferred to the Grand Museum in Giza.
    Part of King Tut's collection
    Part of King Tut's collection

    I wish it remains for another 100 years in the Tahrir museum.

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    Earlier Monday, Egypt’s interior minister Mahmoud Tawfik visited in Cairo Pope Tawadros II, the head of Coptic Orthodox to present his condolence officially for the tragic death of seven Christian citizens in the terrorist attack on Friday.

    Now why minister Tawfik visits the Pope on Monday to present his condolences after three days, well he is acting according to an authentic Upper tradition: Not mourning, no condolences except after getting the revenge.

    From the funeral of the victims on Saturday Roger Anis for Masrawy
    From the funeral of the victims on Saturday Roger Anis for Masrawy 
    On Sunday, the Egyptian ministry of interior announced that it killed 19 suspected militants allegedly involved in the terrorist attack in the desert of Minya near Samuel the Confessor Monastery with no further details on who they were.

    The MOI published graphic photos showing some dead bodies.
    No one was caught alive to be interrogated or to stand a trial.
    The MOI says that it had no choice to shoot them down because they opened their fire first.
    Thus after avenging for the attacking of those citizens on Saturday, the minister can present his condolences !! "According to the traditions, the families of the victims should take their own revenge not the government if we are speaking per the Upper Egyptian book of revenge !!"

     The words “Avenge” and “Revenge” were used repeatedly in the mainstream media.
    I am sorry but fighting terrorism according to the law books is something and taking revenge for the victims is another thing that it is opposite to the state of law.
    Needless to say many have their doubts about that revenge operation and their doubts raise questions.
    Tahrir Institute Research director Allison McManus also hinted out that those suspects had the same set of “Jihadi literature” that was found in a similar raid in 2017.

    Anyhow, I do not know if those guys were involved or not but I know that MOI should be a symbol of the state of law not an enforcer of the jungle law !!
    Back to Minya city, it turned out that there are small protests by Christian youth in the past two days and the security forces dispersed them.
    Those people are angry because they believe that it could have been stopped if there was more security as it should.

    I am not surprised that there are angry protests by angry young Christians but I am surprised to know that the Egyptian mainstream media ignores all that is happening.
    So far the World Youth Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh is the main event in town.
    The people’s source of news so far was the news websites and Facebook.
    This is so frustrating on many levels.

    Back to the meeting between the Pope and the minister of interior.
    I wonder if Minister Tawfik apologized for the mistakes of the security that led to that incident. People from Minya say that there was not enough security on both roads whether the formal or informal to the monastery despite the 2017 attack.

    Survivors say that security came late at about 4.30 PM when the attack happened at 1.30 PM which actually explains why the Churchmen in Minya issued statements first before any other official in the country.

    The Egyptian Christians do not need avenging reactions, they need proper protection till those horrifying attacks are stopped.
    Fighting terrorism should not be done according to the book of the jungle but rather according to the book of law.  

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    Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

    Ancient mummies of animals at the Egyptian museum of Cairo


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    Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

    Ancient mummies of animals at the Egyptian museum of Cairo


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    Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

    Ancient mummies of animals at the Egyptian museum of Cairo


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    Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

    Ancient mummies of animals at the Egyptian museum of Cairo


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    Kodak Agfa posted a photo:

    Ancient mummies of animals at the Egyptian museum of Cairo


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    Some think that the World is over with Jamal Khashoggi’s murder as suddenly the media pressure on Saudi Arabia began to loose a bit.
    Yes, the media pressure on the Kingdom began to a bit because it is busy in covering the US midterms but I believe that this murder, this crime will be an important catalyst for major changes in the Middle East, especially in the Gulf.

    Jamal Khashoggi
    A file photo dated May 6, 2018, shows prominent
    Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, Turkey. "Anadolu"
    It is not the end yet.
    I have been working on a timeline for the murder compiling all important details as well and its planning as revealed by Turkish authorities and press in addition to a timeline to the Saudi officials’ too many statements.

    I mainly complied timelines made by France 24, AP, New York Times, CNN and Washington Post as well as Turkish newspapers. I could not do it alone with the efforts of tens of journalists.

    Some of the information has not been confirmed officially and they won’t be confirmed officially anytime soon like for the instance the fact that Turkish authorities knew what happened on that night in the Saudi consulate because they were spying on it or why he was killed like that.
    I was planning to post this timeline after one month of late Khashoggi’s murder but I could not as at the same time we had the tragic Minya attack in Egypt.
    Tonight marks the 40th day of his disappearance and murder, it is an old important day in mourning traditions in Egypt. It is a strange coincidence.
    I post the first part of that timeline today and I will post other parts throughout the upcoming days.

    Jamal Khashoggi’s murder Timeline “From 5 June to 10 October 2018”

    The start of this timeline did not start in October 2018 but rather18 September 2017 when Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi published his first op-ed in both Arabic and English declaring to the world that he became self-exiled citizen criticizing the policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman aka MBS in the Washington Post.
    Since that date, Khashoggi became a regular columnist in Op-ed section of the Post. In a year, Jamal Khashoggi became one of the most famous Saudi dissident vocal voices against MBS and his men keeping his stance at the same time to support Al Saud as well the monarchy.
    • On 5 June 2018, Jamal Khashoggi speaks with Canada’s Global News about granting the right to drive to women expressing his fears of what might happen to him if he stayed in the Kingdom. The interview was released by Global News on 24 October 2018.
    • On 7 September 2018, the British intelligence allegedly knows according to London-based Express Daily that there was something sinister being planned by Saudi regime for Jamal Khashoggi because he allegedly wanted to expose the use of chemical weapons in Yemen by his country.
    The screenshot
    The screenshot Dehghan posted it last before he
    deletes it.



    • On 28 September 2018 at 11:50 AM Istanbul local time, Khashoggi visits Saudi Consulate in Istanbul asking for documents to prove his divorce from Saudi wife earlier to marry his Turkish fiancée political researcher Hatice Cengiz per Turkish laws. The consulate tells him to come for another appointment. This information was revealed by Turkish President Erdogan in his speech later.

    29 September 2018



    • On 29 September 2018 at 2:31 PM: Saudi Military attache in Istanbul Ahmed Al-Mozaini leaves Istanbul to Riyadh on a flight from Sabiha Gökçen International Airport.
    Saudi Military attache at Saudi consulate
    in Istanbul Ahmed Al-Moazini 


    1 October 2018

    • On 1 October 2018 at 4 PM, Saudi military attache Ahmed Al-Mozaini returns back to Istanbul. Later that day, Al-Mozaini scouts Belgrade forest in the outskirts of Istanbul
      A screen capture from Turkish CCTV showing Al-Mozanini after his return from Riyadh on 1 October "Sabah Daily"
      A screen capture from Turkish CCTV showing Al-Mozanini
      after his return from Riyadh on 1 October "Sabah Daily" 
    • On 1 October 2018 Later that day at 5:08 GMT he tweets that he would leave London to Turkey after participating in a forum about Palestine where he met researchers and activists who believed in the just cause of Palestine regardless of how powerful the Israeli lobby was. This would be his last tweet written by himself. He returns back To Turkey.

    2 October 2018

    • 3:28 AM Istanbul local time,a Saudi private charter jet owned by Riyadh-based Sky Prime  Aviation arrives Ataturk airport carrying on board15 Saudi National men “suspects” who are Saudi security and Royal court as well intelligence officers. Some of those men had diplomatic passports. Booking rooms for three days, they checked in to two hotels including Movenpick near the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul’s financial district.
    The photos of the suspects as published by Turkish Daily Sabah on 10 October
    "Daily Sabah"
    • 11:03 AM: Turkish CCTV footage shows a number of those Saudi men including civilian Mustafa Al-Madani entering the consulate from its front door. Al-Madani is wearing a blue checkered shirt, dark blue trousers and dark sneakers
    Mustada Al-Madani and another suspect
    Mustafa Al-Madani and another suspect
    "CNN"
    • 1:14 PM leaving his two mobile phones with his fiancée Cengiz, Jamal Khashoggi enters the Saudi consulate from its front door. He never comes out. 
    That moment Khashoggi entered the consulate in Istanbul "Turkish press"
    That moment Khashoggi entered the consulate in Istanbul "Turkish press"
    Madani leaving Saudi Consulate from a backdoor wearing khashoggi's clothes "CNN"
    Madani leaving Saudi Consulate from a backdoor wearing khashoggi's
    clothes "CNN"
    • 3:07 PM, Turkish CCTV footage shows Saudi diplomatic vehicles leaving the consulate heading to the Saudi Consul residence, which is 1.2 km away reportedly carrying on board Jamal Khashoggi’s body to get rid of it
      A screenshot from CCTV showing the diplomatic vehicles leaving the Saudi consulate in Istanbul
      A screenshot from CCTV showing the diplomatic vehicles leaving
      the Saudi consulate in Istanbul
    •  4:06 PM, Madani and another suspect appear walking at the Blue Mosque in Istanbul to create a false trail.
    Madani and the other suspect carrying a plastic bag near the Blue Mosque in Istanbul according to CCTV "CNN"
    Madani and the other suspect carrying a plastic bag near
    the Blue Mosque in Istanbul according to CCTV "CNN"
    • 4:29 PM, Madani reappears in the CCTV footage wearing his clothes he wore when he entered the consulate after changing his clothes at W.C of the popular destination. The other suspect carries a white plastic bag believed allegedly to contain Khashoggi’s clothes.
      • Madani wearing his original clothes with the other suspect at
      the Blue Mosque "CNN"
    • Time unknown, Madani and the other suspect get rid of the white plastic bag in a dumpster near Movenpick hotel where they are staying.
    • 5:15 PM, another Sky Prime Aviation private jet carrying Six Saudi officials landed at Ataturk airport
    • 6:2 PM, that Saudi private jet arrived at 5:15 PM takes 6 suspects and heads to Cairo, Egypt.
    • 9:31 PM, Saudi military attache Ahmed Al-Mozaini leaves Istanbul to Riyadh from Ataturk airport.
      Saudi military attache at Ataturk airport "Sabah Daily"
      Saudi military attache at Ataturk airport "Sabah Daily" 
    • 10: 25 PM, Madani checks out of Movenpick.
    • 10:46 PM, the private jet arrived earlier on that day departed Istanbul for Dubai carrying 7 suspects from that team of Saudi officials
    • At 11 PM, Two another suspects take commercial flights directly from Istanbul to Riyadh.
    • When Jamal Khashoggi does not show up, Hatice Gengiz reports his absence to the Turkish police. Word spread online that he has been kidnapped inside the consulate.

    3 October 2018

    4 October 2018

    • For the first time, the Saudi consulate speaks officially and says that it follows the case of Khashoggi and his disappearance after leaving it. The news is published on KSA's official news agency SPA.

    5 October 2018

    • The Bloomberg’s interview with MBS is published where he claims that Khashoggi left the consulate according to what he understood and nobody buys what the crown prince said.
    • Washington Post publishes a blank page dedicated for Jamal Khashoggi saying that he is a missing voice

    6 October 2018

    Saudi Consul showing reporters that there is no Khashoggi in that cabinet !! "Reuters"
    Saudi Consul showing reporters that there is no Khashoggi in that cabinet !!
    "Reuters"

    7 October 2018

    9 October 2018

    • The Turkish CC TV leaks began to find its way to the Turkish press showing Khashoggi entering the embassy.
    • Turkish public prosecutor starts an official investigation into Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance. On the same day, it announces that it will search the consulate.
    As you can see only after 5 days the Turkish authorities decided to investigate into Khashoggi’s disappearance.
    Jamal Khashoggi’s murder has become like the murder of late Khaled Said in Egypt and the tragic death of Bou Azizi in Tunisia in its own unique way.
    It is like some sort of poetic irony that Jamal Khashoggi was from the very few journalists and commenters that supported publicly the Arab Spring till the end.

    It won’t bring revolutionary changes to the conservative monarchy but it may bring political reforms to the Kingdom if I may say.
    After the murder of Khashoggi, the world began to pay attention to the war in Yemen and suddenly we find the Americans want it to end.
    After the murder of Khashoggi, the human rights’ file of Saudi activists detained in jails is being discussed openly in the media.
    Last week, news came from the Kingdom that some Al-Saud princes who were allegedly detained because of their criticism to MBS were released including Prince Abdel Aziz Bin Fahd and Prince Khaled Bin Talal based on photos posted by their relatives from the Saudi Royal Family. “Bin Talal allegedly was released in the same week of his brother Al-Waleed’s bizarre interview with Fox”
    I hope the next move will be releasing the Saudi activists currently detained especially women activists whose efforts for years to get a simple right like driving, were ripped off so MBS can sell his image as a social reformer in the West.

    This is not the end and I think I will keep updating this timeline for some time in the future because it is uneasy to get justice in our part of the world.

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    Last Saturday, Egypt’s ministry of antiquities announced seven new tomb discoveries at Saqqara area. It is a huge announcement.
    Three of the tombs belong to the New Kingdom era while the rest four tombs belong to the Old Kingdom.
    Very beautiful artifacts were found at those tombs.
    Now interestingly those three New Kingdom tombs were used at cat necropolis.
    The people are amazed by this fact but I am not surprised because in the end ancient Egyptians worshiped cats and they buried them in groups in tombs like those which were discovered in Saqqara.
    Now I seize this opportunity and share bunch photos I took in December 2015 from the animal's section at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo.
    Ancient mummies of animals at the Egyptian museum of Cairo
    There is a whole small section dedicated to animal mummies including cats as you can see at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo.


    Ancient mummies of animals at the Egyptian museum of Cairo

    There are mummies and skeletons of cats and other types of animals like monkeys and crocodiles in that small section.
    Ancient mummies of animals at the Egyptian museum of Cairo
    There are mummies of birds as well in that section.
    Yes, I am the one in that reflection.
    Ancient mummies of animals at the Egyptian museum of Cairo
    That small section is located on the second floor of the Egyptian museum in Cairo.

    I apologize for their quality because I took them with my iPhone 5S as my camera battery died during that day which was total as I had a very fine company accompanying me in that old beautiful museum.

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    Right now things are escalating between Gaza and Israel after the Israeli decision to end the Egyptian-sponsored cease-fire and truce that took nearly a month to reach if I am not mistaken.
    The airstrike on Al-Aqsa TV station tonight in Gaza
    Another familiar brutal scene in Gaza tonight from the airstrike on Al-Aqsa TV channel 
    It all started when at least seven Palestinian people including a leading military El-Kassem figure were killed earlier Monday in a failed Israeli special military operation in Khan Younis.

    The Palestinian fighters killed a high-ranking Israeli officer during the failed Israeli military operation that made Bibi return from France ASAP.

     Israel was showered by nearly 200 rockets or something targeting the illegal Zionist settlements on its borders as a retaliation after that failed Israeli military operation so Israel fired back with airstrikes

     It bombed the building of Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV station studios in Gaza but once again the broadcast of the TV channel is back. Four civilian buildings in Gaza were turned in to rubble.It also bombed a very famous hotel there called Al-Amal.
    The airstrike on Al-Aqsa TV station tonight in Gaza
    The airstrike on Al-Aqsa TV station tonight in Gaza
    Gaza government declared that it suspended study in all the schools in the besieged sector while Israel is going on more air strikes.

    An Israeli bus carrying IDF conscripts was hit and one person was severely wounded according to Israeli and Palestinian media.

    It will be another long sleepless night, familiar to both sides and to us. Israelis are luckier than those besieged Palestinians as they got bunkers.

    Now I have got two question to ask because what happened several times before to the level that I have lost counting :

    How many truces sponsored and brokered by Egypt in the past two decades between Israel and Gaza were ended in less than a week or two weeks maximum because Israel decided to kill some big Hamas or Kassam leadership?

    Till when Egypt will take the word of Israel that it won’t escalate matters then hell breaks loose?

    Already Israeli leadership is making Egypt and the General intelligence officers look bad in the region seriously speaking.