Egypt, through the ministries of finance and social solidarity, will support more than 15 million citizens in its new health insurance program, announced Saeed Rateb, chairman of the general authority for health insurance, as reported in the state-run Al-Ahram newspaper. Twenty percent of subscribers to the new program will be supported by the government because of their inability to assume the program’s costs. According to Al-Ahram, Rateb, at a press conference held yesterday, announced that the government has no intention of privatizing health insurance, saying the insurance authority will not become a holding company and that health insurance will be compulsory for all citizens.
In developments related to the drive-by shooting in Naga Hammadi this Coptic Christmas eve, the North Qena prosecutor’s office listened to the testimony of the witnesses noted in bishop Kyrillos’ earlier statement, Al-Akhbar reported. The witnesses confirmed that they saw Mohamed el-Kamouni, the chief suspect, firing his firearm from his car "haphazardly," according to Al-Akhbar, which also reported that Colonel Ahmed Higazy, who heads the criminal investigation unit, confirmed that el-Kamouni was the culprit. The prosecutor’s office also received technical reports relating to acts of vandalism, wrote Al-Akhbar, which amounted to LE142,000 in damages. Twenty eight suspects from Naga Hammadi and Bahgoura were charged with rioting and vandalism, all of whom pleaded not guilty.
Pro-government newspaper Al-Gomhorriya’s headline read: "Black gold flows from Aswan." The paper quoted Hany el-Sharkawy, head of Dana Gas company, as saying that a well had been discovered in Kom Ombo in Aswan in the Six Hills reservoir, producing more than five times the flow rate of any other well in the field. El-Sharkawy said, "the discovery opens up new horizons of oil discovery in Upper Egypt, and the flow rate and quality of the oil confirms that the Kom Ombo well will be more productive than previously expected," according to Al-Gomhouriya.
Independent Al-Shorouq reported that the Muslim Brotherhood has decided to postpone the announcement of its new Supreme Guide until Saturday. The announcement was expected tomorrow, since current Supreme Guide Mahdy Akef’s term ends today. Al-Shorouq wrote that, according to informed sources, the real reason for the delay was that the Brotherhood’s Shura council, which met in Beirut yesterday, refused to accept Egypt’s Brotherhood members’ nomination of Mohamed Badei as the Supreme Guide to succeed Akef. The sources noted that the Beirut meeting’s atmosphere was charged because of the exclusion of Mohamed Habib, deputy to the Supreme Guide, and Abd el-Moniem Abu El-Fotouh from the office of the Supreme Guide. Al-Shorouq reported that Badei had received the highest number of votes from the Brotherhood’s Egypt Shura Council–a total of 66 votes from 86 participants–but that it was not enough to get him appointed, since regulations stipulate the agreement of the Brotherhood’s International Shura Council.
Practically all the nation’s leading newspapers ran on their front pages the story of the national football team’s victory. The team beat Nigeria 3-1 in the first match of the third group in the African Cup of Nations held in Angola, in a victory which newspapers unanimously claimed was merited, as a result of coach Hassan Shehata’s tactics and mid-match changes. Independent Al-Shorouq, which opted for the dramatic headline "The Pharaohs are coming," reported that Shehata changed the line-up mid match from 2/5/3 to 2/4/4. This effectively blocked any side attacks and neutralized the Nigerians’ advantage in physical prowess, wrote reporter Sabry Ali, reporting from Benguela. Shehata utilized the capabilities of the players well, stated Al-Ahram, which noted that Ahmed Hassan, the team’s experienced captain, was one of the stars of the match, in addition to Mohamed Zidan, Emad Meteb, and "high dam" goalkeeper Essam el-Hadary.
