Women are permitted under Islam to hold senior positions in the judiciary and Dar Al Iftaa, Al Azhar’s Grand Imam Ahmed El Tayeb said (watch, runtime 12:51). Any attempt to curtail that right, which he said is granted by Sharia, is a “grave sin.” Women are also allowed to travel without a guardian “when it is safe to do so,” he added. The statement caused controversy among scholars over the weekend.

Other things we’re keeping an eye on this morning:

• GB Auto subsidiary Itamco has denied (pdf) reports in the press last week that GB Auto Chairman Raouf Ghabbour was sentenced to one year in prison, saying the case was closed last November.
• Italian contractor Webuild has been awarded a contract to work on a 1.7k km highway in Libya that will connect Egypt and Tunisia through the north African country.
• The National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has granted UK telecom giant BT a license to provide transmission and connectivity services to companies that will connect their Egyptian branches to their overseas operations.
• A new ins. company dedicated to providing travel cover to Egyptians traveling outside of the country has been green-lit by the Financial Regulatory Authority.
• Rice farmers in violation of water conservation measures will be subject to immediate fines as part of a government strategy to moderate Egypt’s agricultural water consumption.