The clashes between supporters of the Tunisian Esperance football team and Egyptian security receives front-page coverage in both state-run and private newspapers on Tuesday. State-run newspapers, however, reserve their top leads for President’s Mubarak commemorations of the October 1973 Egypt-Israeli war, known internationally as Yom Kippur war.
State-run Al-Ahram leads with reports on Mubarak attendance of the Armed Forces celebrations. “A military performance shows the high fighting ability of soldiers,” reads the headline.
All state-run media quotes Mubarak in an interview with the Armed Forces Journal. “I told Netanyahu that resuming the settlement building constrains the peace process,” Mubarak said, according to Al-Ahram.
State-run outlets Al-Akhbar and Rose al-Youssef publish different statements. The “October victory achieved its objectives and returned the land to Egypt and opened a way for peace in the Middle East,” reads Al-Akhbar. “Just and conclusive peace is a condition of necessity to the security and stability of the region.”
All newspapers focus on the rioting that took place in Cairo Stadium during the African Football League between Egyptian Ahly and its Tunisian counterpart Taragi. Eleven Tunisian club supporters have been accused of assaulting riot police and damaging public property. Reports say three riot police suffer severe injuries as a result. “11 Tunisian supporters are jailed after being accused of assaulting police men and destroying properties,” reads Al-Ahram.
“Tunisia condemns violence in the football match ..and the (Tunisian) embassy hails (Egypt’s) security-men,” reads al-Akhbar.
The private-owned Al-Shorouk leads with the apology of Tunisian ambassador in Cairo. “The Tunisian ambassador apologizes condemning the Taragi supporters acts,” says the report. “The injury of 10 policemen of whom one is a critical case…and investigations with 11 accused.”
Privately-owned Al-Dostour posts bolder headlines on the match and its ensuing violence in addition to three inner pages. “The drunkard Taragi supporters hit our soldiers,” reads the headline. The paper also had prepared a full file on the match and the clashes with the title: “An insult that will not be taken away accept by law”.
On a top heading, Al-Dostour quotes Egypt’s Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni as saying no one supports inheritance succession. “The president himself told artists about his refusal to the idea (of passing down the presidency to his son) and that Gamal didn’t mention it,” Hosni said in reference to a meeting Mubarak held with actors that support his regime.
Al-Akhbar's front-page coverage also reports that Mubarak is following up with the National Democratic Party’s (NDP) nominations of candidates that will run in November's parliamentary elections. The general secretary of the NDP Safwat al-Sherif pledged transparency, clearance and equality among all candidates.
Al-Shorouk also reports on “the NDP’s starting hit” in 2010 parliamentary elections. The party forms an operation unit to manage the elections process lead by the MP businessman Ahmed Ezz, the report adds. The ruling party will be the first to officially announce its candidates for the upcoming elections. Most opposition groups have already declared their intentions to participate in Egypt’s parliamentary elections but have yet to decide on candidate slates.
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-Gomhorriya: Daily, state-run
Rose el-Youssef: Daily, state-run, close to the National Democratic Party's Policies Secretariat
Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned
Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned
Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party
Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Arab Nasserist party
Youm7: Weekly, privately owned
Sawt el-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
