World Youth Forum coverage tapers off as the event comes to a close
The talking heads slowly weaned themselves off covering the World Youth Forum as the event came to a close yesterday.
El Sisi’s speech in the spotlight again: Yahduth fi Masr’s Sherif Amer ran through the most important issues President Abdel Fattah El Sisi discussed during the last day of the forum (more on that in Diplomacy + Foreign Trade, below) (watch, runtime: 4:27). El Sisi’s interview with American filmmaker and education advocate Zuriel Oduwole was also of particular interest to Masaa DMC’s Osama Kamal (watch, runtime: 7:24 and runtime: 5:56). Al Hayah Al Youm once again forfeited its airtime to make space for wall-to-wall coverage of the forum.
Amending the controversial NGO Act will be in the country’s favor, particularly since the law, in its current form, severely restricts civil society, National Council for Human Rights head Hafez Abu Saada said on Hona Al Asema. He stressed that civil society includes NGOs whose work is important in furthering the country’s development, and that these entities are suffering as a result of restrictions aimed at rights organizations. Lawyer Essam Shiha was of the same mind, and called on the media to stop painting NGOs in a negative light (watch, runtime: 3:39 and runtime: 4:49).
Tiered system coming for garbage collection fees? The House of Representatives is mulling an “adjustment” to garbage collection fees by introducing a tiered system that would impose higher fees on middle- and high-income earners while keeping low-income earners’ fees unchanged, Rep. Ahmed El Segini told Masaa DMC. According to El Segini, the move would only be one element of a more comprehensive strategy to address the country’s garbage woes (watch, runtime: 13:00).
The Electricity Ministry’s plans to install more prepaid and smart electricity meters to help citizens rationalize their consumption was the main talking point for ministry spokesman Ayman Hamza on Hona Al Asema. Hamza noted that the ministry expects to install 40 mn meters within 10 years (watch, runtime: 2:26 and runtime: 2:41).
Elsewhere, UN Global Compact Network Egypt Executive Director Muhammad Al Fouly had a chat with Masaa DMC’s Osama Kamal about the initiative’s work and goals (watch, runtime: 43:51).