Grabbing hold of a little good news, most papers Thursday highlight a $3 billion injection of economic aid from Qatar announced during an Egyptian delegation's visit to Doha Wednesday.
Independent newspaper Al-Shorouk reports that Doha intends to buy dollar T-bonds with 4.25 percent interest for 18 months to support Egypt’s economy and loan negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
A detailed report on page 9 says Central Bank of Egypt Governor Hesham Ramez has traveled to Qatar to negotiate the T-bond sale. The money will reportedly be deposited in the CBE account at Qatar National Bank and be calculated as part of Egypt’s foreign reserves.
While some independent newspapers were skeptical about the aid, state-owned Al-Ahram focused on Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani's pledge to provide Egypt with natural gas to prevent a shortfall this summer, as well as other forms of assistance the Gulf kingdom has offered.
Qandil indicated that Qatar is not requesting any preferential treatment in return for its friendly investment, and added that the country ranked 18th among Egypt's investors, state-owned Al-Akhbar newspaper wrote.
On the home front, Al-Shorouk reports that “Quiet prevails at Khosous … The church and the shops re-opened,” referring to sectarian violence over the weekend that claimed at least seven lives. The paper writes that several parties are participating in a reconciliation meeting, including the Cairo governor and security director, Coptic Orthodox Church leaders and sheikhs from Al-Azhar. The Mar Girgis church partially reopened its doors to worshippers and streets in the Delta town were reopened.
On its front page, however, Al-Akhbar gives a different account, saying the Church has refused the customary reconciliation meetings and is demanding legal measures be taken.
Al-Ahram reports that prosecutors have ordered the detention of 20 additional suspects. The prosecution has also ordered the release of the 12 and 13-year-old boys believed to have sparked the fighting with a drawing of a swastika on an Islamic institute.
“Morsy drops complaints against journalists," writes privately owned daily Al-Watan, explaining that President Mohamed Morsy has ordered the withdrawal of legal complaints filed by the presidency against members of the press. Morsy withdrew the complaints out of respect for freedom of expression, according to presidential spokesperson Ehab Fahmy.
Responding to recent media reports, Al-Akhbar refutes a rumor that Morsy has been poisoned or that he intends to shake up the Cabinet. The paper also asserts there is no dispute between the presidency and the military.
Al-Akhbar also covers a UN weapons report with the headline “United Nations: Flow of arms from Libya to Egypt feeds conflicts Syria”. The report says a significant increase in arms has traveled from Libya to Egypt over the past year.
Egypt’s papers:
Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt
Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size
Al-Gomhurriya: Daily, state-run
Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run
Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned
Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned
Al-Watan: Daily, privately owned
Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party
Youm7: Daily, privately owned
Al-Tahrir: Daily, privately owned
Al-Sabah: Daily, privately owned
Freedom and Justice: Daily, published by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party
Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Nasserist Party
Al-Nour: Official paper of the Salafi Nour Party
