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Pro-women amendment

ON MONDAY, the People's Assembly approved an amendment of Article 20 of the personal status law, which now allows divorced mothers to maintain custody of their children until they reach the age of 15. Once they reach this age, the new amendment stipulated, children have the right to decide whether they want to be under their mother or father's care.

Previously, the law stipulated that the mother's custody of her children ended at age 12 for girls, and 10 for boys.

Parliamentary speaker Fathi Sorour said the new amendment was in line with Islamic law, and that the mufti of the republic had approved its clauses.

Women protest

DOZENS of women stormed a local council meeting in the North Sinai capital of Al-Arish on Monday to protest the detention of their sons and husbands following last October's Sinai bombings, which killed 34 people and injured 159.

According to sources at the local council, the assembled members were shocked when about 90 women storming the meeting, calling for the release of their family members. They asked the governor to intervene, and release the detainees.

In an attempt to calm them down, North Sinai Governor Major General Ahmed Abdel-Hamid asked the distressed women to provide him with the detainees' names. A list of about 150 names was then submitted to the governor.

A report issued last week by New York-based Human Rights Watch said there were between 2,500 and 3,000 people being held. Egyptian authorities denied the report's claims, alleging that there were only five people in detention.

Cultural protocols

CULTURE Minister Farouk Hosni presided over the launching of three cultural cooperation protocols this week with Greece, Kosovo and the UK, reports Nevine El-Aref

At a press conference, Hosni and Athens Mayor Dora Backayoni announced the outlines of a year of cultural cooperation between Egypt and Greece, which will be formalised next month in Athens. Backayoni told reporters that starting next October, the two nations would begin a year of shared cultural activities.

Hosni said that antiquities and ethnographic exhibitions covering different eras of ancient and modern Egyptian history would be held in Athens, along with art exhibitions showing the development of Egyptian art in the modern age. Arabic music concerts, movies and cultural forums will also be part of the yearlong programme.

In Egypt, similar activities focussing on Greek culture and history will also take place. Several Egyptian and Greek books will also be translated as part of the programme's aim of improving ties between the two countries.

At the same time, another cultural cooperation protocol was signed by Kosovo's First Under-Secretary of State Bakr Ismail and First Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs at the Egyptian Ministry of Culture Cherif El-Shoubashi. The protocol will develop a comprehensive cultural cooperation programme between Egypt and Kosovo, through the exchange of delegations between several cultural, art and academic institutes.

Isamil said that other cooperation protocols between Kosovian and Egyptian institutes including the Youth and Sports Ministry, Dar Al-Kutub (the National Archives), Cairo University and the Krishna University in Kosovo had also been signed. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the National Kosovian Library also signed an agreement.

The Kosovian official noted that building cultural bridges with Egypt is a vital step at a time when the UN is discussing Kosovo's independence, which will also create channels for further cooperation with other countries.

Also this week, Hosni approved an antiquities agreement with British Culture, Sports and Information Minister Tiso Joel. The agreement creates an exchange between curators at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the British Museum in London.