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.

After the huge success it witnessed last year, the second Manial Palace Festival for classical music is to kick off on 28 October. In the heart of Cairo s glorious Mohammed Ali Palace, overlooking the Blue River, the public is invited to experience the second edition of the festival, where a large number of international classical music artists will gather in concert. The festival is organised by the Friends of the Manial Palace Museum Association (FMPM), under the umbrellas of both Ministries of Culture and Antiquities, and financed by the European Union. It is also sponsored by several foreign embassies in Egypt, including the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Cairo, and the Embassy of the Slovak Republic, as well as the French, Italian, and Austrian Cultural Centres.

A Massachusetts judge ruled on Monday that the state s four-month ban on the sale of all e-cigarettes and vaping products can remain in effect — but only for about a week. The ruling, made by Suffolk Superior Court Judge Douglas Wilkins, came after the Vapor Technology Association and vape store owners called for the ban to be lifted in a complaint against Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel. Wilkins wrote that "while the plaintiffs have shown a likelihood of success, the balance of harms weigh in defendants favor in some respects, and an immediate injunction against the entire Order would contravene the public interest." Wilkins also ruled that, when it comes to nicotine-vaping products specifically, the order "is preliminarily enjoined" from implementation and enforcement after October 28. In the meantime, the state will have to make changes to the order regarding the sale of nicotine-containing vaping products. "The court therefore allows the defendants an opportunity to cure the defects," Wilkins ruled regarding the sale of nicotine-containing products. "Nothing in this Memorandum and Order shall affect the validity of the defendants Order as applied to products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and any other cannabinoid or to black market products." Craig Rourke, of Rourke Law Office in Massachusetts, which represented the plaintiffs, said that his clients are "very encouraged." He added that the ruling shows that the governor s ban on all vaping products "was unconstitutional" and once changes are made, it will likely be a "drastically different" law. In the meantime, the Baker administration stands by its decision-making behind implementing its ban. "The administration declared a public health emergency and ordered a four-month temporary ban for retail and online sales of all vape products to better understand what is making people sick," Baker s office said in an emailed statement on Monday. "With today s ruling, the ban remains in place," the statement said. "The administration maintains that the order was properly issued pursuant to the Commissioner s emergency powers and will work with the Attorney General s Office on next steps." Massachusetts was the first state to issue such a sweeping ban, which was implemented on September. The ban applies to all vaping products and devices, including tobacco and marijuana. The ban comes in wake of a multi-state outbreak of lung injuries associated with vaping, which is currently being investigated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Food and Drug Administration, state and local health departments, and other clinical and public health partners. As of last week, 1,479 lung injury cases associated with e-cigarette products had been identified in 49 states, the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands, according to the CDC. The CDC also has identified 33 vaping-related deaths in 24 states, including one in Massachusetts. More deaths are under investigation, according to the CDC.

The Lebanese singer Elissa will sing a collection of romantic songs at a concert held at Misr University for Sciences and Technology (MUST) s on December 13 in the MUST Opera House in 6th of October city. The concert is one of the venue s several concerts of various genres scheduled for the winter season of 2019/2020. MUST said that its university administration has prepared a comprehensive artistic program to satisfy all tastes and ages, and will organize several concerts uniting a collection of singers in Egypt and the Arab world. Elissa recovered in 2018 from a battle with breast cancer, which she revealed in a music video released on August 2018 titled “Ila Kol Elli Bihebbouni” (For All Those Who Love Me). At the end of the video, Elissa said “I ve recovered. I ve beaten the illness, and I won. Early detection of breast cancer can save your life. Don t ignore it, face it. Do it not only for yourself, but for your loved ones.” Elissa s musical career began in 1992, when she won the silver medal in the Studio El Fan music competition, according to her Facebook official page. In 2002, she won the Murex d Or award for Best Female Artist. In 2010, she was awarded the Best Arab Female Artist at the Jordan Music Awards and the Best Female Artist in the Middle East at the Big Apple Music Awards. Among her most well-known albums are “Ayshalak”, “Bastanak”, “Ayami Beek” and “Asaad Wahdaand Saharna Ya Lail”.

Fatty tissue has been found in the lungs of overweight and obese people for the first time. Australian researchers analysed lung samples from 52 people and found the amount of fat increased in line with body mass index. They said their findings could explain why being overweight or obese increased asthma risk. Lung experts said it would be interesting to see if the effect could be reversed by weight loss. Increased risk In the study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, scientists looked at post-mortem samples of lung donated for research. Fifteen had had no reported asthma, 21 had asthma but died of other causes and 16 died of the condition. The scientists used dyes to carry out detailed analyses of almost 1,400 airways from the lung samples under the microscope. The researchers found adipose (fatty) tissue in the walls of airways, with more present in people with a higher body mass index, And they say the increase in fat appears to alter the normal structure of the airways and cause inflammation in the lungs - which could explain the increased risk of asthma in overweight or obese people. Direct pressure Dr Peter Noble, an associate professor at the University of Western Australia, in Perth who worked on the study, said: "Being overweight or obese has already been linked to having asthma or having worse asthma symptoms. "Researchers have suggested that the link might be explained by the direct pressure of excess weight on the lungs or by a general increase in inflammation created by excess weight." But, he said, their study suggested "another mechanism is also at play". "We ve found that excess fat accumulates in the airway walls, where it takes up space and seems to increase inflammation within the lungs," Dr Noble said. "We think this is causing a thickening of the airways that limits the flow of air in and out of the lungs and that could at least partly explain an increase in asthma symptoms." Major importance Prof Thierry Troosters, president of the European Respiratory Society, said: "This is an important finding on the relationship between body weight and respiratory disease because it shows how being overweight or obese might be making symptoms worse for people with asthma. "This goes beyond the simple observation that patients with obesity need to breathe more with activity and exercise. "The observation points at true airway changes that are associated with obesity." He said more research was needed to find out if this build-up of fatty tissue could be reversed through weight loss but asthma patients should be helped to achieve a healthy weight. Dr Elizabeth Sapey, chair of the science committee at the British Thoracic Society, said this was the first time body weight had been shown to impact the structure of the airways in the lungs. "Given the increasing incidence of obesity nationally and across the globe, the study could be of major importance in helping us understand why asthma remains a major health issue and identify new ways to improve asthma treatment," she said. "It is only a small study though, and we need to assess this in larger groups of patients and in other lung diseases," Dr Sapey added.

Egyptian fusion artist Nadya Shanab s album El-Mahrousa has been re-released as a Deluxe Edition. The new edition includes three previously unreleased tracks on digital platforms. The Deluxe Edition is available on Spotify, Anghami, Apple music, iTunes, Deezer, and Google Play. El-Mahrousa is Shanab s debut album, which included 10 tracks released back in 2010 through her own record label Hamzet Wasl Records. However, due to censorship restrictions, the album was not released in Egypt until 2012, when it was the number one best seller in Virgin Megastores for its debut month. The Deluxe Edition features "13 tracks that ebb and flow smoothly between sounds that Shanab grew up with on the banks of the River Nile and those she was exposed to around the river Mersey," reads the musician s press release. "El-Mahrousa is an expression reflecting Shanab s personal journey as an individual constantly juggling elements of East and West in almost all aspects of life, coming to terms with how both have intertwined and manifested in her identity. Language exchanges often happen within some songs while others use either English or Arabic lyrics throughout," the press release says. "The album covers topics from all corners of life – from politics, social issues and commentary – like Ticking Bomb and Ana Bint Masreya Soghayara (FGM Song) to love and heartbreak; Sa alny Habiby and Cairo s Minarets."

Egyptian singer Sherine Abdel-Wahab expressed deep sorrow over the outbreak of wildfires in Lebanon in the past 48 hours, adding that she wanted to hold a big concert with revenues donated to those affected by the fires. “My heart is burning for our precious sister country Lebanon,” she wrote on Twitter. “In such situations, words are not enough. I am ready to hold a concert with all the revenues allocated to those affected by the fire.” “I appeal to the [Lebanese] Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri to have the concert under his auspices,” she stated. Since Monday, there have been more than 100 huge fires in Lebanon. Lebanese officials said the fires started because of high temperatures and hot winds that helped set some trees and green areas on fire. Units of the army, security forces and civil defense are extinguishing the fires. Different universities and schools announced that studies have been suspended. Hariri said he had asked several countries to send additional planes to extinguish the fires. A famous TV host and singer, Sherine was also a judge on MBC s The Voice Ahla Sawt, and is considered to be one of Egypt s most distinctive modern singers.

From 1991 to 2017, the rate of reported suicide attempts by African-American teens rose, especially the rate among black boys, according to a study published Monday in the medical journal Pediatrics. The rate for black youths grew even as the rate of suicide attempts by teens in other racial and ethnic groups fell. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for teens from all demographics, according to the study. Only accidents kill more young people. In 2017, 2,200 teens age 15 to 19 died by suicide. Researchers looked at survey data from 198,540 high school students from 1991 to 2017 from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention s Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Among high school students of all demographics, 1 in 5 said they were thinking about suicide and 1 in 10 said they had made a plan to carry it out. That s despite the "increased attention given to the creation of campaigns to reduce youth suicide in the United States over the last decade," the study found. The authors found an increased risk in reported suicide attempts among African-American teens between 1991 and 2017, and boys saw an increase in injuries related to those attempts. That might mean that black teens were using more lethal means when attempting suicide, the study said. This study is in line with earlier research that has shown African-American boys, especially younger boys between the ages of 5 and 11, have experienced an increase in the rate of suicide deaths. In black children ages 5 to 12, the suicide rate was found to be two times higher compared with white children. While suicide is an increasing problem for African-Americans, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaskan native boys and girls had the highest rate of suicide. In 2017, it was 26.22 per 100,000 teens, and 12.21 per 100,000, respectively. Among girls, there was a statistically significant decrease in suicide attempts from 1991 to 2017. There was not a similar decline among boys. There was also a decline in attempts overall among teens who identified as white, Hispanic, Asian American or Pacific Islander. The study did not determine what was behind these trends. Other research has found that stressors such as bullying, family abuse and mental health problems such as depression put teens at higher risk of attempting suicide and dying by suicide, as does confusion over sexual orientation or gender identity. "Over time and particularly with black boys, we have seen this troubling trend in a couple other studies. The fact that we are seeing this, especially with younger ages, is concerning," said Amy Green, director of research for The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization. Green is not affiliated with the study. "Because so much of this is newer, there isn t a lot of data about why, but some of the factors are stressors like discrimination and the experience people have with discrimination and microaggressions." Green added that there is also a lack of access to mental health services for youth of color. "Discrimination [and] racism is a problem and it s compounded by this lack of access to care," she said. Suicide is still relatively rare and hard to predict, according to the American Psychological Association, but it says there are some warning signs: If someone is talking about suicide; if they have experienced a recent loss, like the death of a friend or a divorce; if the person seems different; if you notice a change in their usual personality or behavior; or if they tell you they aren t sleeping a lot or have a change in eating habits. Low self esteem, lack of hope for the future, or if they talk a lot about their fear of losing control -- these can all be warning signs. Green adds that asking people if they are thinking about suicide does not prompt them to act. "People checking in and asking if someone is OK, or even asking directly about suicide can help. And it s important to help connect them to resources," Green said. How to get help: In the US, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also can provide contact information for crisis centers around the world.

The entrance ticket to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) for nationals will be LE30, while the inclusive ticket for the entire complex will be LE60, Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anani said on Sunday. The museum will be an integrated cultural complex full of amenities, theaters, cinemas, restaurants and entertainment sites, meant to attract visitors for a full day rather than a few hours, the minister added. He also said that through the museum, Egypt offers a gift to humanity in the fields of civilization and archaeology. Anani stated that a visit to the GEM will be a real opportunity to introduce the visitor, whether Egyptian or foreign, to Egyptian civilization and to offer visitors some educational seminars on ancient Egypt. Anani s remarks came on Sunday after the Culture, Media and Antiquities Committee of the House of Representatives approved the Prime Minister s decree for a draft law proposing to reorganize the GEM institutional structure. The Minister stressed that the draft law allows the participation of foreign experts in the administration. He explained that there is already a Japanese grant for the presence of Japanese experts in the field of marketing, services and other fields, but not the field of antiquities. The Egyptian Antiquities Ministry said that the opening of the GEM will be the largest celebration ever organized by Egypt. A major international company specialized in organizing such grand celebrations will be contracted for this purpose in accordance with the schedule. Egypt s Prime Minister said that the opening of the GEM reflects positively on the civilization and history of ancient Egypt, and is a great opportunity for marketing Egypt and promoting tourism. The GEM s construction is 88 percent complete and the museum is set to open by 2020, before the previously-announced official date in 2022. Construction of the museum first began in 2006 but slowed down due to the outbreak of the January 25th revolution. Breaking new ground in its exhibited artifacts, the museum aims to impress with King Tutankhamun displays that have never been shown before since Tut s tomb s unearthing in 1922. Egypt s Tourism Minister Rania Al-Mashat said in May that King Tut s tomb will be displayed via hologram technology during the opening of the GEM. Constructed on approximately 500,000 square meters, the mega museum is located nearby the Giza Pyramids. The GEM is expected to be one of the largest museums in the entire world dedicated to the heritage of a single civilization. After several years of monument examinations, restoration and transportation, the GEM is expected to house around 100,000 artifacts from various periods of Egypt s rich, long history.

Speaking after a two-day meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization, Kate O Brien, the WHO s department director, said the world “is facing an alarming upsurge in measles cases in all regions”. “The impact of these outbreaks is really devastating,” she said, “causing not only widespread loss of life, but also preventable disability that is affecting family livelihoods and national economies, and straining healthcare systems.” Latest WHO global data show that reported cases of measles - which is one of the world s most contagious diseases - rose by 300 percent globally in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2018. This follows consecutive increases over the past two years. There is no specific antiviral treatment for measles, but it can be prevented with two doses of vaccine. The vast majority of cases of infection are in unvaccinated or under-vaccinated people. Outbreaks of the disease are causing tens of thousands of infections and thousands of deaths the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, the Philippines, Sudan, Thailand and Ukraine, among other countries, the WHO said. The SAGE experts said such outbreaks were clear indications of critical gaps in vaccination coverage and urged authorities to do more to raise rates of immunization. Alejandro Cravioto, the group s chair, told reporters on a teleconference from the WHO s Geneva headquarters that this was “an alarming situation”. He said latest global figures show about 86% coverage with a first measles vaccine dose and less than 70% for a second dose, “which is one of the root causes of the problem”. “The strategy needs to be reinforced,” he said. “There is no reason why we cannot try to reach every child to enable them to be fully immunized and protected against this disease.”

The story of ancient Egypt s sunken cities of Heracleion and Canopus will be told at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum over the coming six months, as a collection of 293 artefacts that were once submerged beneath the Mediterranean are put on show. The two bustling ancient Egyptian cities were known throughout the ancient world as centres of power, wealth, trade, and artistry three centuries before the establishment of Alexandria.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided on Tuesday to award half of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2019 to the Canadian physicist James Peebles for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology. The other half of the prize went equally to two Swiss physicists Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz for their role in the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star outside our solar system. Works of the three physicists have contributed to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth s place in the cosmos.

The aches, the sneezing, the sore throat, the exhaustion -- flu season is here and you want to be prepared. Typically, the "season" starts in October, but there has already been flu-related deaths reported. Physicians say it s not too early to get a flu shot and they are available at many pharmacies and doctor s offices around the country. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people get a flu vaccine by the end of October, if possible.Doctors say you definitely want to one before Thanksgiving, when you are likely to see more people, travel and be exposed to more germs. It typically takes about two weeks to build up your immunity once you get the shot. Last year s flu season For the 2018-2019 US flu season, which started October 1, 2018, and ended May 4, preliminary numbers from the CDC estimate there were nearly 42.9 million cases of flu, up to 647,000 hospitalizations and up to 61,200 flu deaths. It wasn t a typical flu season, experts said. The severity was moderate, the CDC reported, but it was record-breaker as the longest flu season in a decade. "Last year was funny in a way," said Dr. William Schaffner, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases medical director and professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "We had an unprecedented event with one virus dominating the season early on, then it abated, then another strain came along, making this a double-barrel season that we hadn t seen before and also making it rather prolonged." Predicting the flu this year For this year, the "crystal ball is very cloudy," about how bad it will be, but flu season is "not good for anyone," Schaffner said -- especially for the very young, pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic conditions. All are vulnerable to the worst effects of the flu. "One sure thing about influenza is, where and how it will spread or what kind of season we will have, it is unpredictable," said Dr. Daniel B. Jernigan, the director of the influenza division at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, a division of the CDC. "The more we know, the more we know you can t figure it out very well." Jernigan said the CDC has increased the number of viruses it tests for and it works with scientists from all around the world to track them. Using sophisticated artificial intelligence and modeling they can characterize where the virus is going and what kind of virus it will be to some extent. But it s not easy, since the virus changes every year as it moves through the population. The virus also can change within a season as it moves from country to country. Looking at how bad a flu season was in Australia, which has winter when the United States has its summer, is not necessarily predictive of what the flu season will be like in the US, Jernigan said. "This virus continues to be elusive," Jernigan said."While we don t have a clear idea, we do know flu is going to be here and the best way to prevent it is to get a vaccine." "We get on our soapbox and remind people that everyone older than 6 months needs to be vaccinated every year," said Schaffner. It s not a perfect vaccine because there are a number of flu strains that circulate, but it does provide some protection. If you happen to get sick, the vaccine cuts down on how long your symptoms last and it should protect you from the major complications that come with the flu, such as pneumonia. "What the vaccine does is shift the equation in our favor," said Schaffner. This year, nasal spray is an option for some patients, including children who may not like getting a shot. In some years, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended children stick with a shot, as some studies showed it was more effective. There is no such suggestion this year. The time get the shot is now Schaffner adds that if you have a chronic disease such as diabetes or asthma or heart disease, the flu shot should be a part of your regular care. In that case, you are the kind of patient that the flu makes very sick and you are at highest risk for hospitalization and death. The flu can also put you more at risk to have a heart attack or a stroke. With some older people, doctors might recommend they get the vaccine in the middle or end of October, because their immunity could wane toward the end of the season. But Dr. David Cennimo, an infectious disease specialist and assistant professor in the department of medicine at Rutgers University, said he usually tells his patients to get it whenever they can. "If they are really concerned about the potential for the vaccine to wane over six months, they may want to wait a few weeks but you really don t want to go beyond middle October or the end of October, because of the risk of exposure to flu in your area," said Cennimo. What else can you do to avoid the flu? There are ways to avoid the flu. Repeatedly washing your hands can help protect you this flu season. Flu germs tend to linger and hand washing can cut down our exposure. Avoid friends and family members that are sick. And for the sake of those around you, stay home from work or school if you are sick. Rest will help you get better and staying home can protect people around you.

Popular Egyptian band Cairokee will give a concert at Al-Manara Arena on Friday 11 October under the title of Cairokee Empire 3rd Edition . The band will feature some other talents including DJ Al-Sharif and young rapper Marwan Pablo. Founded in 2003, eight years before the 2011 revolution, their first big success came in the post-25 January 2011 period with their hit single Sowt El-Horreya (The Voice of Freedom). They then cemented their popularity with a number of albums including El-Sekka Shemal (An Indecent Path), Naas W Naas (People and People) and No ta Beida (Drop of White), in addition to their latest Abna a El-Battah El-Sawda a (The Ugly Ducklings). Popular Egyptian band Cairokee will give a concert at Al-Manara Arena on Friday 11 October under the title of Cairokee Empire 3rd Edition . The band will feature some other talents including DJ Al-Sharif and young rapper Marwan Pablo. Founded in 2003, eight years before the 2011 revolution, their first big success came in the post-25 January 2011 period with their hit single Sowt El-Horreya (The Voice of Freedom). They then cemented their popularity with a number of albums including El-Sekka Shemal (An Indecent Path), Naas W Naas (People and People) and No ta Beida (Drop of White), in addition to their latest Abna a El-Battah El-Sawda a (The Ugly Ducklings). Cairokee s 2019 hit song Kan Lak Ma aya has been viewed by over 21 millions on Youtube alone in which they used the voice of legendary Egyptian singer Um-Kulthumm in electronic adaption

Classic Beatles album “Abbey Road” is back at number one in Britain half a century after its first release, with the band breaking their own record for the longest gap between stints at the top of the charts. The band s final studio album with its instantly recognizable zebra-crossing cover came out in September 1969, six days after John Lennon told his bandmates he was leaving the group. It was the UK s best-selling album for 17 weeks, and on Friday a special 50th-anniversary edition featuring unheard material took the top spot once again. “It s hard to believe that Abbey Road still holds up after all these years. But then again it s a bloody cool album,” tweeted band member Paul McCartney. With 49 years and 252 days since its last reign, the album has had the longest gap between UK number ones — a record previously held by the Fab Four s “Sgt. Pepper s Lonely Hearts Club Band”. Two years ago a 50th-anniversary edition of “Sgt. Pepper”, which Rolling Stone magazine has named the greatest album of all time, topped the charts again after 49 years and 125 days. Last month, hundreds of Beatles fans mobbed the street outside Abbey Road Studios in northwest London to celebrate five decades since the band were snapped at the pedestrian crossing there. The photograph of Lennon leading Ringo Starr, McCartney and George Harrison over the road in single file became an all-time classic when it appeared on the “Abbey Road” sleeve, which unusually did not feature the name of the band or the record. The album, which features songs including “Come Together” and “Here Comes the Sun”, was also the week s best-selling vinyl, shifting around 9,000 physical copies.