On Thursday, the Cairo Film Festival will screen Martin Scorsese s “The Irishman” (2019) to the public for free at the Grand Theater of the Cairo Opera House. Produced by Netflix, the films events are inspired by the Charles Brandt s book “I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank The Irishman Sheeran and Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa” (2004). The movie stars Oscar-winning actors Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro, and marks De Niro s ninth collaboration with Scorsese. The story revolves around the rise of organized crime in the US in the period following World War II, telling a multi-generational tale of one of the most mysterious crimes in contemporary American history: the disappearance of legendary trade union leader Jimmy Hoffa, played by Al Pacino in the film. Revealing the undercover world of organized crime, their internal conflicts, and their relations with men of power and politicians. De Niro portrays retired veteran Frank Sheeran, a fraudster and professional killer who worked with the most dangerous gangs of the twentieth century. Pesci plays the ringleader Russell Buffalino, alongside a cast of stars including Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Bobby Canaval, Anna Paquin and Stephen Graham. The movie is anticipated to contest the Oscars later.

The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri announced on Saturday that a new museum in Hurghada will be launched by the end of December. The project comes to light over 10 years since it was announced — and is set to be the first of its kind in the Red Sea. It was among several projects that were put on hold due to the January 25th revolution. The museum also comes as amongst the first projects to be launched by the Antiquities Ministry in cooperation with the private sector, Waziri said. This highly-anticipated museum will feature luxurious glimpses into Egyptian civilization, from the Pharaonic era to the modern decades, according to Waziri. The museum displays remarkable examples from diverse areas, including sports, music, hunting and more It also features jewelry, perfumes, furniture, wigs and other artifacts from Ancient Egyptian royalty and priests, alongside items from Mohamed Ali s royal family. The director of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir also revealed in a press statement that the upper part of the statue of Queen Merritt Amon, recovered from her temple in Ramessium, will be transferred from the Egyptian museum to the upcoming museum in Hurghada. The head of the Museums Sector at the Ministry of Antiquities, Elham Salah, previously told Al-Ahram that the ministry will be the only managing authority of the museum. She added that it will house artifacts from various destinations inside and outside Hurghada. In the same interview Salah said that the private investors responsible for the museum s services provided the building for the museum, which was later transformed into an archeological entity. The Ministry of Antiquities plans for the museum to become one of Egypt s most remarkable touristic sites, promoting Egyptian artifacts and attracting holidaymakers to the Red Sea.

Egypt has recently been ranked second among the world s 10 best diving destinations of 2019 through a global voting process run by the world s leading scuba diving magazine, “DIVE Travel.” The magazine awarded Egypt second place in the 2019 DIVE Travel awards, with the country receiving nearly double the number of votes secured in 2018 when Egypt was ranked the third-best diving destination in the world. The magazine said that Egyptian scuba diving centers would witness a significant boost after the country was listed among the top three international diving hotspots, adding that various divers around the globe recognize that Egypt s diving spots are considered among the finest in the world. Egypt s Red Sea is home to over 400 species of coral, in addition to hundreds of astonishing fish species, reefs and more. The magazine highlighted the beauty of Egypt s breathtaking diving spots, which include Ras Mohammed, located east of the Gulf of Aqaba, drawing attention as well to “Bella 1,” based in Sharm El Sheikh and considered one of the world s best liveaboards. St John s Reef in the Red Sea was also among the highlighted tourist hotspots. The magazine also noted the significant decline witnessed by the tourism sector in Egypt following the explosion of a bomb on a Russian plane flying over Egypt s Sinai in 2015, killing all 224 passengers on board. The UK s suspension of flights to Sharm el-Sheikh for four consecutive years in response to the incident certainly had an impact on tourism in Egypt. However, a number of international companies have recently resumed flights to various destinations in Egypt, and although it should be difficult to top numbers in 2010, during which 15 million tourists visited the country, DIVE Travel says another boost to the tourism sector is already underway. Indonesia topped the DIVE Travel list for the third year in a row, with Mexico placing third after Egypt, followed by Papua New Guinea, Curacao, Palau, Maldives, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Galapagos. “The 2019 DIVE Travel Awards saw more than 4,500 individual nominations made for 78 destinations, 470 dive centers or resorts and 215 liveaboards and with close to 20,000 votes cast across the Top 25 spots in each category,” the Magazine s website announced. For its part, National Geographic wrote in June 2019 that Dahab s coral reefs are the healthiest in the Middle East, illustrating resilience in the face of climate change. The magazine also highlighted Dahab s “Blue Hole,” a submarine sinkhole more than 300 feet deep that is well-known among professional drivers.

The 41st edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) has partnered with recently-established Egyptian Company “Tazkarti” (My Ticket), to facilitate purchasing tickets for the festival s events, according to an official announcement. The head of Tazkarti, Montasser al-Nabarawy signed an agreement with the CIFF s President Mohamed Hefzy, announcing that all event tickets would be available on Tazkarti s website. The festival will run from November 20 until November 29. The CIFF press conference revealed that 150 films in total are set to participate in this year s edition, including 130 feature films and 20 short films. The number of presented movies is 63 and world premieres are 18, international premiers at 17, MENA premiers at 84, African premieres at five, and Middle Eastern premiers at seven. Three distinguished cinema figures will be granted the “Faten Hamama Honorary Award”, including famed Egyptian actress Menna Shalaby, Egyptian director Sherif Arafa, and UK s director Terry Gilliam. Under this year s CIFF, the second edition of “Cairo Industry Days” will kick off from November 21 until November 26, offering an intensive array of panels, workshops, discussions, masterclasses, partnership opportunities and more. The festival s co-production platform is named CFC (Cairo Film Connection), set to launch from November 24 until November 26. The CFC s jury features big names on board like Egyptian screenwriter Mariam Naoum. Tazakarti was launched before the kick-off of the 2019 tournament of African Cup of Nations (AFCON) that was hosted by Egypt, to manage the matches booking process.

Prominent Egyptian actor and singer Tamer Hosny is set to make his directorial debut in the sequel of his celebrated film “El Badla” (The Suit), according to remarks made by producer and concert organizer Walid Mansour during an interview on the Rotana Channel. Mansour added that Hosny will begin shooting “El Badla 2” by the end of 2020, which is scheduled to premiere in 2021. No further details about the movie have been revealed so far. The Suit, which starred Hosny alongside famed actress Amina Khalil, exceeded LE50 million in revenues. The plot of the movie revolves around a young Egyptian policeman, played by Tamer Hosny, as he investigates a case with his colleague (Akram Hosny). The two navigate a seemingly endless maze of hilarious situations when they cross paths with an Egyptian citizen (Maged El-Masry) who has just returned to Egypt after living abroad in Spain. The movie was the first Arab film to be screened in Saudi Arabia at VOX Cinemas in Riyadh Park on September 2019, according to Sada El-Balad. Hosny began his acting career with “Halet Hob” (Love s Case), released in 2003. He is known for a number of other movies, including “Omar & Salma,” which consists of three installments. Mai Ezz Eddin starred alongside Hosny in the film. Hosny has also received various awards, including Best Arab Artist at Murex D Or in 2014 and 2016, as well as Best Arab Artist at the Middle East Music Awards in 2015. Hosny s latest video clip “Naseny Laih” recorded upwards of 20 million views on his official YouTube channel in less than two weeks and made it to the top of the “most trending videos” list on YouTube within two days. His song “Eish Bshouaak” (Live the Way you Wish), also the name of his latest album, went viral on social media. It addresses listeners and encourages them to live life to the fullest regardless of money.

Telecom Egypt (WE) is set to launch the first e-linkage project connecting government blood banks across the country in partnership with Misr El Kheir Foundation, al-Borsa news reported on Tuesday. The e-linkage project brings together 202 government blood banks and allows decision-makers to identify blood distribution locations and areas impacted by shortages nationwide. Misr El Kheir Foundation said in a statement on Tuesday that the project will help to provide safe blood for patients around the clock and will also facilitate the possibility of blood redistribution when needed. WE was the first telecom company in Egypt to adopt the initiative, said Afaf al-Gohary, head of the health sector at Misr El Kheir Foundation. She added that the project should help to prevent the spread of hepatitis C through the development of a blood bank system based on a partnership between Misr El Kheir and the government, represented by the Ministry of Health and Population. WE and Misr El Kheir Foundation contribute equally to funding for the project, she added. Al-Gohary also pointed out that Egypt ranks first among African nations and across the Arab world in terms of the number of automated blood banks in the country. A number of development initiatives, projects and programs are currently underway in partnership with WE. Other new entities affiliated with specialized medical councils and the Supreme Council of Universities, including Nasser Institute blood banks, Minya University Hospital and other university hospitals are planning to join the initiative alongside WE in order to connect the largest number of blood banks possible nationwide, Gohary added. The initiative provides a database with records of all blood banks nationwide and facilitates information exchange among various blood banks through a new automated system set to replace the current manual system, thus reducing the possibility of error, Gohary stressed. The project also assists patients with reserving blood bags, especially during emergencies. Under the new electronic system each bag has its own code number, al-Gohary emphasized, which should help to prevent illegal trafficking in contaminated blood bags. The first phase of the project encompasses 202 blood banks. The second phase will see three blood banks added while the third will see six added. Egypt has the highest rate of hepatitis C infection in the world. The disease first surfaced in the country in the 1950s due to unsterilized injections. The highly-infectious blood-borne virus kills an estimated 40,000 Egyptians a year and at least one in 10 Egyptians aged 15-59 are infected, according to the World Health Organization. Around 10 million people across Africa are infected with hepatitis C due to unsafe injections administered at medical facilities.

Billboards featuring Egyptian mega star Amr Diab have popped up in New York City s Times Square, celebrating his groundbreaking achievement in topping the most listed Arab singers on Spotify in the US and Europe, according to an official statement released by Spotify on Tuesday. Diab is the first Arab singer to have his billboards displayed in the square. This recognition comes as a part of Spotify s global cultural initiative, aiming to promote Arabic music outside the MENA region. The statement added that Diab s hits have been spotted among numerous international and local playlists as well, and that his music is recognizable the world over. “Music is a language that speaks emotions and not only words. I am blessed to have touched people around the world with my music,” Diab said, applauding Spotify s role as a creative platform that notably enables artists to connect with fans beyond borders. Spotify gives users around the globe free access to more than 50 million tracks from dozens of different music genres. The Managing Director of Spotify Middle East and Africa, Claudius Boller said that Spotify s main aim is to establish a space where artists and the entire world can be introduced to each other. “Experiencing Amr Diab s devotion to Arabic music for nearly four decades straight and witnessing his fanbase expand across the world is beyond incredible. Today we are celebrating Diab s legacy and we are proud to see him shine so brightly – literally – on the global stage,” he added. “The Dubai Stars,” a new walk of fame located in Dubai, honored on October 21 four Egyptian megastars by placing their names in Dubai s new celebrity corridor in downtown, with Diab among them. The Dubai stars paid tribute to Diab s revolutionary contributions to Middle Eastern music. Many Arab stars praised his genre-related innovations that have shaken up conventional ideas of music. His name was counted among the first 400 prominent names which include that of music queen Beyoncé and globally distinguished TV host Oprah. Since 1988, Diab s career has been crowned with numerous awards including the Platinum Record of four consecutive years, Middle East Radio, Abu Dhabi National Festival, World Music Awards, Guinness World Records, Joy Awards, Big Apple Music Awards and many more. The iconic pop star launched his music career in 1983, introducing his first album “Ya Tareea” earning him noticeable recognition. Then he kept releasing several successful albums including Hala” (1986), “Khalseen” (1987), “Mayyal” (1988), “Shawa na” (1989) and “Matkhafesh” (1990) among others. Moreover, he was selected to perform in various languages like Arabic, English and French as well at the the fifth Tournament of African Sports in 1990, where he made a groundbreaking performance.

Many Arab celebrities and artists have expressed solidarity with Egyptian pop singer and composer Ramy Gamal after he announced that he has been diagnosed with vitiligo, a non-contagious, immunologic long-term disease that causes white patches in the skin. "Alhamdulillah [thank God], who out of love for me has tested me and strengthened my patience. A while ago, some white patches appeared on my body, which turned out to be vitiligo," Gamal told his 5.3 million followers on Facebook early Monday. Gamal said that he visited a number of doctors and tried different medications, but "it has just gotten worse due to sadness." The 35-year-old singer also revealed that during concerts, some people showed apprehension about touching him out of fear that the disease could be contagious. "For over a year, I made a lot of effort to hide [my condition] before concerts or video shoots, and people have suggested that I seek another career, and I thought deeply about their advice," he said. "I have two options; either let go of the career I love and which is the only one I know, or not hide anymore and have you accept me," Gamal said, and called on people to show compassion for those afflicted with the disease. Gamal s statement was immediately followed by shows of solidarity on social media, with dozens of Arab celebrities and well-known artists demanding that he carry on with his successful music career, including Lebanese pop star Elissa, who herself has battled with cancer. "You have to continue your success, Ramy, and let go of your insecurities. Never hide yourself from the people that love you for your art and personality," pop star Tamer Hosni, who has collaborated frequently with Gamal, said in a long statement on Twitter. Egyptian professor Hany El-Nazer, the former president of the National Research Centre, responded on Twitter to Gamal s statement by saying that "vitiligo is not dangerous or contagious." Gamal is the first Arab celebrity in living memory to reveal that he has been afflicted with the disease, as opposed to dozens of Western celebrities, including the King of Pop Michael Jackson, who are known to have had the condition. Gamal, who has released more than five pop albums, is also widely known as a composer, having collaborated with stars in the Arab region including Mohamad Hamaki, Mohamed Fouad, Tamer Ashour, Sherine Abdel-Wahab, Angham, Mohamed Nour, Mosafa Amar, Nawal El-Zoghby, and many others.

The Ministry of Health and Population, represented by the Central Laboratories Sector, announced the introduction of the implementation of a smart tracking system. The system functions via e-bracelets connected to GPS tracking. The bracelets will be worn by health inspectors in charge of drawing water, food, and air samples from factories, water stations, and markets nationwide. Head of the preventive medicine sector at the Ministry of Health and Population Dr. Alaa Eid told Al-Yawm Al-Sabah that these measures were taken to ensure that inspectors carry out their duties by visiting factories, restaurants, water stations and markets in general. “We trust our inspectors, but quality requires employing technology to improve the service provided to the public,” he added. Inspectors withdraw samples for analysis to check if factories, restaurants and water stations comply with health and safety standards.

Egyptian diva Yousra was honoured by America Abroad Media (AAM) at its seventh annual Awards Dinner in Washington, DC, this week in the attendance of several Hollywood stars. The AAM is an international media non-profit organisation that "honors outstanding leaders whose work meets international standards and exemplifies the power of media to inform, educate and empower," read the official press release. AAM founder and president Aaron Lobel said that Yousra was an "icon in the Middle East and a true inspiration to her millions of fans, both through her brilliant work as an actress on screen, and her devotion to her society and a better world." Upon receiving the award, Yousra said, "I feel proud to represent my country and the Arab world and honored to receive such valuable and important award. I m really happy that my work is being celebrated," the release continued. Hollywood stars congratulated Yousra on the honour. Actor Harvey Keitel said that Yousra had always created a "strong impression on us" recalling the warmth he received from the actress when he had visited Egypt and was hosted by Yousra. Calling Yousra an old friend of his, actor John Malkovich praised her for her talent and kindness, and called her "a great ambassador for Egyptian cinema and for the Egyptian people." Singer and Hollywood actress Vanessa Williams recognised Yousra s outstanding work as an actress and iconic career. "Through your art you have given a voice to many women and others who might not have otherwise been heard, and in everything you do on and off screen, your genuine sense of humanity shines through. You are a true inspiration and a role model for women in the Middle East, and indeed, around the world," Williams said. Variety s film critic Jay Weissberg praised Yousra for being responsive to her public, saying: "I ve traveled around the MENA region with her a number of times, and I ve never seen a movie star who is so generous with the public, who is so giving, who gives so much joy." Numerous Egyptian celebrities congratulated Yousra on the award, including director Marwan Hamed who referred to Yousra as a genuine actress who was the pride and joy of Egyptian cinema. Actress Sherine Reda called her a living legend. Other known figures who celebrated Yousra s win were screenwriter Tamer Habib, director Inas El-Degheidy, and businessmen Naguib Sawiris and Samih Sawiris. The 64-year-old Egyptian superstar Yousra (born Civene Nessim) has dozens of films and television series to her name. She worked with some of Egypt s most celebrated directors and writers, including Youssef Chahine, Ali Badrakhan, Wahid Hamed, Sherif Arafa, Raafat El-Mihi, Khairy Beshara, Samir Seif, and Marwan Hamed. She was selected as a Goodwill Ambassador and received many honours from international festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival, Cairo International Film Festival, Beirut International Film Festival in Lebanon, in addition to the Institut du Monde Arabe (Arab World Institute) in Paris, and the Royal College of Physicians in London. Yousra was chosen to be a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (The Oscars) in 2019.

For the first time in 19 years, a team of scientists has detected a new strain of HIV. The strain is a part of the Group M version of HIV-1, the same family of virus subtypes to blame for the global HIV pandemic, according to Abbott Laboratories, which conducted the research along with the University of Missouri, Kansas City. The findings were published Wednesday in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. HIV has several different subtypes or strains, and like other viruses, it has the ability to change and mutate over time. This is the first new Group M HIV strain identified since guidelines for classifying subtypes were established in 2000. It is important to know what strains of the virus are circulating to ensure that tests used to detect the disease are effective. "It can be a real challenge for diagnostic tests," Mary Rodgers, a co-author of the report and a principal scientist at Abbott, said. Her company tests more than 60% of the world s blood supply, she said, and they have to look for new strains and track those in circulation so "we can accurately detect it, no matter where it happens to be in the world." Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said current treatments for HIV are effective against this strain and others. However, identifying a new strain provides a more complete map of how HIV evolves. "There s no reason to panic or even to worry about it a little bit," Fauci said. "Not a lot of people are infected with this. This is an outlier." For scientists to be able to declare that this was a new subtype, three cases of it must be detected independently. The first two were found in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1983 and 1990. The two strains were "very unusual and didn t match other strains," Rodgers said. The third sample found in Congo was collected in 2001 as a part of a study aimed at preventing mother-to-child transmission of the virus. The sample was small, and while it seemed similar to the two older samples, scientists wanted to test the whole genome to be sure. At the time, there wasn t technology to determine if this was the new subtype. So scientists at Abbott and the University of Missouri developed new techniques to study and map the 2001 sample. Rodgers said it was "like searching for a needle in a haystack," and then "pulling the needle out with a magnet." They were able to fully sequence the sample, meaning they were able to create a full picture of what it was, and determine that it was, in fact, subtype L of Group M. It s unclear how this variant of the virus may impact the body differently, if it does act differently at all. Current HIV treatments can fight a wide variety of virus strains, and it is believed that these treatments can fight this newly named one. "This discovery reminds us that to end the HIV pandemic, we must continue to out think this continuously changing virus and use the latest advancements in technology and resources to monitor its evolution," study co-author, Dr. Carole McArthur, a professor in the department of oral and craniofacial sciences at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, said in a statement. About 36.7 million in the world are living with HIV, according to World Health Organization. UNAIDS estimates that in 2016, some 1.8 million people became newly infected.

Details on the Cairo International Film Festival s (CIFF) upcoming 41st edition have been revealed in a press conference on Monday, held in the presence of the festival s President Mohamed Hefzy, its Deputy Artistic Director Ahmed Shawky, Executive Director Omar Kassem and more. The festival will run from November 20 until November 29. “The Irishman” (2019) is set to be the opening film. Written by Steven Zaillian, the movie stars iconic actors Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, and explores the world of organized crime in the US which emerged in the wake of World War II. The press conference revealed that 150 films in total are set to participate in this year s edition, including 130 feature films and 20 short films. The number of presented movies is 63 and world premieres are 18, international premiers at 17, MENA premiers at 84, African premieres at five, and Middle Eastern premiers at seven. During the conference, Mexico s Ambassador in Egypt Jose Octavio Tripp also announced a partnership between the CIFF and Mexico, putting Mexican cinema in the spotlight for this year s edition. “This decision is an honor for Mexico and its film industry and also an important incentive to explore areas of collaboration between Mexico, Africa and the Middle East. The Cairo Film Festival is opening a window of opportunity to promote a new area of bilateral,” Tripp said, adding that the CIFF will enable Egypt and Mexico explore more areas of collaboration through the Egyptian cinematic community, which houses dozens of prominent experts in the industry. Hefzy also announced during the conference that the 41st edition will be dedicated to Youssef Cherif Rizkallah, the legendary film critic who passed away on July. Rizkallah, who devoted his entire life to the film industry, was appointed president of the Nile TV Channel and then the president of the International Cooperation Sector in the Media Production City (2007 – 2011). Furthermore, he became the Chairperson of the Cinema Authority in the Media Production City (2011 – 2012). The iconic film critic was on the jury board for numerous international film festivals including Strasbourg, Milan, Rotterdam and Montpellier. Hefzy announced that this year, three distinguished cinema figures will be granted the “Faten Hamama Honorary Award”, including famed Egyptian actress Menna Shalaby, Egyptian director Sherif Arafa, and UK s director Terry Gilliam. During the conference, Hefzy applauded Shalaby s commitment to Egyptian cinema, noting how she barely responds to the appealing offers she constantly gets in the television field in favor of cinema. Shalaby s most notable role was in “Nawara” (2015) which received 10 awards. She is also renowned for her performances in “Microphone” (2010), “After the Battle” (2012), “The Originals” (2017) and more. Director Arafa is best known for his latest successful work, “Al-Mamar” (2019), which features an assembly of distinguished actors. He has collected numerous local as well as international awards including the Ministry of Culture s best director and best film awards for for “Playing with the Giants” (1990), “Al-Mansi” (1993) and “Terrorism and Kebab” (1992). Launching his career in 1969, Gilliam is renowned for his extensive of movies including “The Fisher King” (1991), which earned multiple Global Globe Awards and featured the late legend Robin Williams. The international jury was announced by the festival s artistic director, and includes American writer Stephen Gaghan, Belgian director Marion Hansel, Mexican director Michel Franco, Italian director Daniele Luchetti, Chinese actress Qin Hailu and Egyptian writer Ibrahim Abdel Meguid. Shawky highlighted that Meguid s presence in this year s edition is a demonstration of the festival s intention to engage the cultural community more with the current cinematic scene. This jury will hands out a diverse array of prizes including “The Golden Pyramid for Best Film”, presented to the producer, “The Silver Pyramid, Special Jury Prize”, for best director, “The Bronze Pyramid for Best First or Second Work of a director”, the “Naguib Mahfouz Prize for best screenplay”, a “Best Actor”, “Best Actress” and “Best Artistic Contribution.” Under this year s CIFF, the second edition of “Cairo Industry Days” will kick off from November 21 until November 26, offering an intense program of panels, workshops, discussions, masterclasses, partnership opportunities and more. The festival s co-production platform is named CFC (Cairo Film Connection), set to launch from November 24 until November 26. The CFC s jury features big names on board like Egyptian screenwriter Mariam Naoum. International producers, filmmakers, TV channels and more will take part in the CFC, which initiates international co-productions as well as collaborations with films coming from the Arab world. The President of DMC channels Hisham Suleiman expressed the company s gratitude during the press conference at sponsoring the CIFF for the third consecutive year, adding thta the opening and closing ceremonies will be exclusively broadcasted on the DMC channels. Th Cairo International Film Festival is categorized by the International Federation of Film Producers as among 15 “A” status festivals. It is the oldest film festival in the Arab world and the Middle East.

Egypt s Minister of Culture Ines Abdel-Dayem received on Sunday Rawya bint Saud Al Busaidi, the Minister of Higher Education of the Sultanate of Oman and director of the board of the Sultanate s Royal Opera House to discuss intensifying cultural and artistic cooperation between the two countries. Abdel-Dayem expressed her happiness with the participation of Oman s first troupe for music and folk arts in the 28th edition of the Arab Music Festival and Conference, running from 1 to 12 November. Abdel-Dayem welcomed the invitation for Egypt to participate in the celebrations of the Golden Anniversary of Sultan Qaboos ascent to the throne in 2020. The Omani minister suggested a number of cultural and artistic exchange projects between Egypt and Oman. She also encouraged depending on a number of Egyptian experts to establish creative centers in various parts of Oman to discover and develop talent. This is in addition to preparing a protocol of cooperation between the Cairo Opera House and the Royal Opera of Oman. Furthermore, the two sides proposed to hold a joint festival that includes a variety of artistic activities and folkloric performances for children and youth that reflect the artistic nature of the two communities. At the end of the meeting, Abdel-Dayem presented a series of publications issued by the various sectors of Egypt s culture ministry to the Omani Minister of Higher Education.

The special screening of Ken Loach s drama Sorry We Missed You on 5 November will mark the opening of the 12th edition of the Panorama of the European Film (6-16 November) With a script by Paul Laverty, the film tells the story of "Ricky and his family who have been fighting an uphill struggle against debt since the 2008 financial crash," according to the official brief of the film. The film won Golden Hugo for best actress (Debbie Honeywood) at the Chicago International Film Festival 2019, the audience award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival 2019, and was nominated for the Palme d Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. The 12th edition of the Panorama of the European Film will take place between 6 and 16 November with 75 films from 30 countries. This year, the Panorama will introduce a new section, Here and There: Films in Motion, which embraces non-European films. The other sections in the Panorama programming are: Main Narrative Features, Emerging Directors, Documentaries, Carte Blanch, the Children and Family section, Special Screenings and an Agnes Varda retrospective.

The Coptic diocese of Beni Suef in southern Cairo, Egypt, has issued the Middle East s first sign language dictionary for the deaf and mute. Rev. Paul Halim, a spokesman for the church, said on his Facebook page Sunday that the diocese decided to give every student of deaf and mute schools nationwide a copy of the dictionary. Bishop Stephanos, the bishop of the diocese, signed a protocol with Minister of Education Tarek Shawky in this regard. It took three years and some 300 sign language researchers to prepare the dictionary, he added. Sign language is a term used to describe non-verbal communication with people with special needs (deaf or mute). There are other groups in society that depend on sign language such as divers, police, military forces and even gangsters. These groups use hand movements, facial expressions, lip movements, and body movement to communicate. Earlier in October, Egypt s Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Wali witnessed the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Americana, a company for international tourism projects, to launch “Hayah Gadeeda” (New Life), a project for training deaf individuals and people with disabilities in Egypt.

The American premium cable and satellite television network Home Box Office (HBO) will start filming the series “House of the Dragon” based on George Martin s book “Fire and Blood”. The plot of the series is set 300 years before that of the “Game of Thrones” series, the network said on Wednesday. The series premiered on HBO in the United States in April 2011 and concluded in May 2019, with 73 episodes broadcast over eight seasons. The series will depict the stories of the Targaryen kings who had ruled the “Game of Thrones” land of Westeros for several eras. It will be directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who directed six episodes of the flagship show, including “Battle of the Bastards”. Emilia Clarke, 32, known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in the “Game of Thrones” series, will star in the prequel, said HBO. “The world of Game of Thrones is rich in stories. We look forward to exploring the origins of Targaryen and the early days of Westeros,” said Casey Blues, president of the HBO US group. “Game of Thrones” won Best Drama Series at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards 2019 after the close of its eight-season run. The 2019 Emmy awards ceremony was held on September 22 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

More than 50 health and advocacy groups are sending a clear message in letters to US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and first lady Melania Trump: Stick with the plan that was announced last month that would require e-cigarette companies to take their flavored products off the market, including mint and menthol. According to an announcement Tuesday, the groups are responding to recent media reports that the Trump administration could back down from its earlier stance by including exceptions for mint and menthol. The US Food and Drug Administration has not yet finalized its compliance policy to take action on flavors. Among the organizations that signed the letters are the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) In the letters, the organizations say the policy would be "weakened" by such an exception: "A policy that does not remove all flavored e-cigarettes will not solve the current epidemic of youth e-cigarette use. Youth who now use mint and menthol e-cigarettes will continue to do so, and youth who use flavors that are removed from the market will simply switch to mint and menthol." The letters cited recent FDA data that shows nearly 64% of high schoolers who vape use mint or menthol flavors, up from 51.2% in 2018 and 42.3% in 2017. "Mint and menthol are especially dangerous flavors for teens because they both contain menthol as an ingredient, which has cooling properties that make it easier for teens to tolerate the harsh taste of nicotine," the letter to Azar said. "Exempting mint and menthol e-cigarettes from the Administration s policy will leave America s kids at risk." In September, the FDA revealed that 27.5% of high school students were current users of e-cigarettes in 2019 -- up from 20.8% in 2018 and 11.7% in 2017. A study published Monday found that students who used "nontraditional flavors" such as fruit or candy were more likely to still be vaping six months later and took more puffs when compared to the few who vaped only "traditional flavors" such as mint, menthol or tobacco. Another recent study found that young people who first try a flavored tobacco product are at higher risk of using non-flavored tobacco later on. Still, advocates for flavored products say they re an important tool in getting adults to switch from combustible cigarettes. "A ban on flavored nicotine vapes will have zero impact on the health crisis we are seeing with illegal THC cartridges," Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, a nonprofit that advocates for sensible regulation of vaping products, said in a statement last week. "What this will do is deprive many adult ex-smokers of the vape flavors they rely upon to stay smoke-free." Conley said "reasonable proposals to actually prevent youth vaping include stronger age verification, strict marketing standards, and increasing the legal vaping and tobacco age to 21." The FDA has faced criticism for not yet having issued the compliance policy the administration announced on September 11. "It is past time for the FDA to put into effect what they announced weeks ago, and what they should have done years ago," Sen. Dick Durbin said in a statement last week. Michael Bloomberg, former New York City mayor and founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies, said in a statement last week, "Forty-four days ago, the Administration announced that it would take all flavored e-cigarettes off the market -- we re still waiting." "Any plan that doesn t ban those flavors is no plan at all. The Administration must stand firm against tobacco industry pressure and honor its commitment to get rid of all flavors." Bloomberg Philanthropies recently announced the launch of a new $160 million initiative to curb e-cigarette use among youth in the United States. In an email last week, an FDA spokesman said the agency intends to finalize its compliance policy "in the coming weeks" and that the FDA "plans to share more on the specific details of the plan and its implementation soon." A number of states -- including Massachusetts, Michigan, Washington, Rhode Island and New York -- have moved to restrict or ban the sales of flavored vaping products.

Co-produced by Darb 1718 and Al-Safar Association, the second edition of Cairographie will kick off on 10 November under the name of Cairographie - Carte Blanche and carrying the theme The Multiple States of Youth. The month-long festival held at Darb 1718 Cultural centre brings together photographers and artists at different stages in their careers – emerging, mid-career and established – in an exhibition paralleled by workshops and artistic debates. The Carte Blanche project was developed by Al-Safar Association with an aim to embrace and support Egyptian or Egypt-based artists developing an artistic practice around the photo medium. The winner of Carte Blanche receives support to carry out a photographic project around the theme. In its second edition, Cairographie will showcase works by 20 artists and will dedicate a special segment to the product of the Carte Blanche project including the winning artwork of Amina Kadous, who was announced the winner of the production grant. The complete list of the artists and programme details are yet to be revealed. According to the Cairographie organisers, this year s choice of theme – The Multiple States of Youth – invites the artists to ponder on the different concepts of youth and to explore "what it means to be young in one of the most exciting areas of the world today: an extremely diverse region that is currently going through massive change and sees the development of an emerging artistic and cultural scene blending global references and a genuine national identity. From privilege to deprivation, tradition to modernity, conservatism to rebellion, the multiple states of youth are a defining yet uniting feature of those countries as well as a key to understand tomorrow s world." The first edition of Cairographie also featured an art exhibition and a programme of talks and workshops, jointly organised by Darb 1718 and Photopia. The event took place between 9 November and 9 December 2017, under the theme of Transitions. The Darb 1718 festival s aim is to "raise awareness of contemporary topics through different forms of photography and video. The exhibition creates opportunities for artistic expression and engagement between participants and attendees."

Legendary actor Maged El Kedwany is set to play the role of Egypt s late Pope Shenouda III in the awaited series “Baba Al Arab” (The Pope of the Arabs). The series will depict the life stages of the pope including childhood, adulthood, and monasticism in more than 34 episodes, according to an announcement made by bishop Anba Bishoy on Friday, October 25. The series will be the first production by Wadi El Natroun s Monastery of Saint Bishoy. The church s historiographer Nashaat Zakllama collected the biographical data for the series, and the show was scripted by writer Atalloah Tawfik. The project s massive budget is estimated at LE50-80 million. Anba Bishoy said that the production will be funded by donations collected from Coptic migrants across the world, adding that the church opened bank accounts to receive the money. Moreover, Anba Bishoy stated that the Church received the approval for the project from Egypt s Ministry of Culture and the Central Authority for the Censorship of Artistic Works. The church vowed that the anticipated series will be screened on national TV and not only on the Christian channels. Previously known as Nazeer Gayed, the pope preferred the isolation of monastic life in the Egyptian desert and chose in 1954 to follow the example of other monastic figures such as St. Anthony the Great. Gayed locked himself away from social distractions for six years in a cave, delving into the world of the monks. He was then called on by Pope Cyril VI, who chose him to be Bishop of Christian Education and President of the Coptic Orthodox Theological Seminary. Pope Shenouda was then appointed as the 117th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark in 1971. His weekly meetings were held at the Cathedral of St. Mark in Cairo and attended by nearly seven thousands worshipers, according to the Coptic Church website. He passed away in 2012. The insightful theologian was known for his appreciation for youth presence in the church. He said, “A church without youth is a church without a future.” The remarkable preacher was also the editor-in-chief of El-Keraza Magazine, the official publication of the Coptic Orthodox Church, starting in 1962. He also delivered dozens of lectures in many seminaries located in Cairo, Alexandria, and abroad as the Dean of the Theological Seminary. Shenouda also funded numerous mission churches in various parts of the world such as the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas, Bermuda, and St. Kitts, among others. Anba Morcos, Bishop of Shubra El Kheima, said during his phone interview on Ten Channel on “Sabah El Ward” (Rosy Morning) morning show that the series crew is working hard to finish shooting as soon as possible. He affirmed that the script is ready and all the actors have been selected. Shooting will take place in the locations where Pope Shenouda lived various stages of his life, such as his home in Upper Egypt and the other one in Cairo s Shubra district. The series is set to premiere next year in 2020.

Luxor witnessed the return of Verdi s Opera Aida on Saturday after 22 years of absence, an event greatly awaited by opera enthusiasts from around the world, at the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor. The return of the Opera Aida to Luxor since its premiere at the same location at the end of 1997, is a message of peace and security from Egypt to all parts of the world, and a step towards making Opera Aida an annual event on the global tourism agenda. The performance will be attended by a distinguished constellation of politicians, economists, tourism figures, artists, foreigners, ambassadors and some prominent Arab figures. The Opera Aida in Luxor is classified as a Mega Event and is attended by 4,000 first class spectators, 60 percent of which are foreigners from abroad from Europe, Asia and Latin America, 25 percent of foreigners residing in Egypt, while 15 percent are Arab royalty and former Egyptians princes. The occupancy in Luxor hotels reached 100 percent for the event. The Director of the organizing committee of the event in Luxor, Gerges Abadir, explained that the entire site has been prepared for the international event to welcome guests coming to watch the special opera performance. The organizing committee has carried out many promotional campaigns to market tickets abroad, he said, in London, New York, Madrid, Milan, Berlin, Dubai, Shanghai, to attract opera lovers to the event. The performance will be directed by Michael Sturm, from Germany. The Academic Symphony Orchestra “INSO-Lviv” will be providing the orchestra for the performance, while the National Choir of Ukraine DUMKA will be the choir. Written by the great Giuseppe Verdi, Aida Opera is a four-act-opera which follows the story of two star-crossed-lovers: Radames, a soon-to-be Egyptian army commander, and Aida, the Ethiopian slave of Princess Amneris, the King s daughter. To complicate matters, as operas usually do, Princess Amneris is also in love with Radames. The story escalates when Aida turns out to be the daughter of the Ethiopian king, who then fights Radames in battle. Their love is tested as Aida is forced to choose between her love for Radames and her sense of duty. Khedive Ismail had commissioned the Italian musician Verdi to write the Opera Aida, which was shown during the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal in 1869. The opera premiered in Cairo in 1871 to a handful of distinguished members of society. It then went on to play in La Scala, Milan, Italy.

New York s Metropolitan Opera troupe is set to perform the opera “Manon” by the renowned French musician Jules Massenet at the Cairo Opera House on Saturday, October 26. The awaited opera has five acts and will be performed under the supervision of Magdy Saber, Head of the Cairo Opera House. The opera is inspired by the 1731 novel “The Knight Des Grieux and Manon Lescaut” by Antoine François Brisseaux. The story takes place in France, and the opera was first performed during the nineteenth century. The story revolves around a young knight named Des Grieux who falls in love with a girl named Manon and proposes to her. The boy send his father a letter asking for his approval of the marriage. The knight s friend, who is Manon s cousin, visits the girl in her house and asks to marry her instead of Des Gieux. The girl surprisingly accepts his proposal, and the story takes off. Massenet studied (1842 – 1912) studied at France s Conservatory of Paris. He is known for his opera works colored by sharp theatrical sensibilities and subliminal tunes. Furthermore, he conducted several classical acts.