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Monday, 13 November 2017

With the airwaves devoid of business news, talking heads are preoccupied with regional politics

On a night completely devoid of business and econ stories of note on the airwaves, the nation’s talking heads were still largely concerned with regional politics.

Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid told Hona Al Asema’s Lamees Al Hadidi that Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry’s regional tour is aimed at relaying President Abdel Fattah El Sisi message that Egypt isn’t down with a new war. Shoukry’s discussions with Arab leaders will focus on recent developments including the missiles reportedly launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen and an explosion at a Bahraini oil pipeline. Both countries have blamed Iran for the events (watch, runtime: 4:42).

Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Saad Al Hariri will only be able to dispel rumors thatRiyadh forced him to resign once he returns to Beirut, Cairo University political science professor Moataz Abdel Fattah told Lamees. Abdel Fattah said he doesn’t see any reason why Al Hariri would have made his resignation announcement from Saudi Arabia unless he was coerced (watch, runtime: 6:00).

Over on Kol Youm, Lamees’ lesser half spoke to Riyadh’s ambassador to Cairo, Ahmed Qattan. The Saudi envoy vehemently denied that Al Hariri is under arrest and said the former PM visited the UAE a few days ago and will be back in Lebanon “within days” (watch, runtime: 1:40).

With the approach of winter, state reassuring consumers on availability of LPG cylinders:Meanwhile on the domestic front, Petrogas Chairman Adel Al Shuwaikh told Al Hayah Al Youm host Tamer Amin that the oil ministry has upgraded port infrastructure to increase their maximum capacity for receiving butane shipments to 45,000 tonnes per day. Al Shuwaikh also said that the Oil Ministry will supply 1.2 mn liquefied petroleum gas cylinders during the winter season, and that the combined production capacity of state-owned and private-sector factories is approximately 1.5 mn cylinders (watch, runtime: 4:30).

Masaa DMC’s Eman El Hosary covered reports that citizens in Sharqiya’s Minya El Qamh are looking to oust their elected representatives from Parliament through a vote of no confidence. Minya El Qamh Rep. Mohamed Salah Abdel Badie counters that he does, indeed, attend sessions (watch, runtime: 5:11). Mechanism to allow this to happen or not: God bless the citizens of Minya El Qamh.

Pardons coming for some with protest convictions? Meanwhile on Yahduth fi Masr, MP and presidential pardons committee member Tarek El Khouly told Sherif that the committee is currently drafting a list of detainees who were convicted on charges of illegal protest, but noted that individuals who are still in pretrial detention are not eligible for the pardon.

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