{"id":638265,"date":"2017-10-01T04:09:58","date_gmt":"2017-10-01T04:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2017\/10\/01\/state-census-results-top-coverage-of-egypt-in-the-foreign-press\/"},"modified":"2017-10-01T04:09:58","modified_gmt":"2017-10-01T04:09:58","slug":"state-census-results-top-coverage-of-egypt-in-the-foreign-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2017\/10\/01\/state-census-results-top-coverage-of-egypt-in-the-foreign-press\/","title":{"rendered":"State census results top coverage of Egypt in the foreign press"},"content":{"rendered":"

The results of the 2017 census are leading the conversation on Egypt in the foreign press<\/strong> this morning, with most taking note of the country\u2019s population ballooning to nearly 95 mn people. The Associated Press notes<\/a> that, since the last census in 2006, Egypt\u2019s population has grown by around 22 mn people and that Egypt \u201chas been struggling to check its population growth \u2014 about 2 [mn] a year \u2014 to allow its ambitious economic reforms to make a difference to the country\u2019s poor majority.\u201d<\/p>\n

Six men arrested for allegedly raising the LGBTQ flag at a concert last week \u201cwill be subjected to invasive forensic examinations\u201d<\/strong> ahead of the first hearing in their trial today, according to Amnesty International<\/a>, which condemns the tests for being prohibited under international law. The men are being accused of \u201cpromoting [redacted] deviancy\u201d and \u201cdebauchery.\u201d The Supreme Media Council issued a decision banning LGBTQ references from all audio-visual media, unless they mean to a shine a negative light on the issue, chair Makram Ahmed tells Al Mal<\/a>. While Egypt\u2019s Coptic church also announced it would be organizing a conference meant to shine light on how to \u201ccure\u201d gayness, according to Al Masry Al Youm<\/a>. Human Rights Watch issued a report<\/a> asking authorities to \u201cstop the anti-LGBT crackdown.\u201d<\/p>\n

The issue is causing quite the stir in the international press<\/strong>, with pickups on various news websites and wires, including the Associated Press<\/a> and Foreign Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Human rights was also subject de jour with President Abdel Fatah El Sisi pledging to continue efforts to protect them while maintaining a commitment to fighting terrorism,<\/strong> Presidential Spokesman Alaa Youssef said in statement picked up by state news agency MENA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Con Coughlin, the Telegraph\u2019s defense editor, asks why the current British government finds it so difficult to maintain a constructive relationship with Egypt<\/strong>, in a piece for The National<\/a>. \u201cI have been struck by the number of senior officials who, to put it mildly, have expressed exasperation at what they regard as Britain\u2019s lack of concern regarding the difficulties they face,\u201d Coughlin writes. He also points to the refusal to lift the flight ban to Sharm El Sheikh, despite Egypt undertaking \u201ca complete overhaul of the resort\u2019s security arrangements, to the extent that British officials have declared the airport as one of the safest in the region\u2026 as well as a recommendation from British foreign secretary Boris Johnson that the ban be lifted, Downing Street still refuses to remove the restrictions on the grounds it is still not reassured by the security arrangement.\u201d Coughlin, the Telegraph\u2019s defence editor who recently called on<\/a> the British government to resume flights to Sharm El Sheikh, says \u201cwhile Britain continues to insist that Egypt is an important regional ally, the government\u2019s policies suggest otherwise, leaving many Egyptians to ponder that Britain is not serious about having a strong and constructive relationship with Cairo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Egypt requested a UN Security Council meeting last Thursday to discuss the escalating violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, <\/strong>alongside the US, Britain, France, Sweden, Senegal, and Kazakhstan, according to Reuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also worth a brief note today:<\/p>\n