Egyptian court acquits Al Jazeera cameraman

AFP/CairoAn Egyptian court yesterday acquitted a cameraman working for Doha-based Al Jazeera television and 61 others accused of taking part in clashes in Cairo. Mohamed Badr, an Egyptian, was arrested along with the others during clashes that erupted in Ramses Square in central Cairo, days after the July 3 ouster of president Mohamed Mursi by the army. Prosecution had accused them of “carrying out acts of violence and thuggery ... after an attempt to storm a police station and target police officers with firearms and birdshots”. Badr’s lawyer Shaaban Saeed said his client had been acquitted, adding that Badr was not involved in any other case. In a separate case, Egyptian prosecutors last week referred to trial “20 journalists” working for the Al Jazeera network, after accusing them of portraying Egypt in a state of “civil war” and “airing false news”.  Page 13Q-Post building workto be over next year

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has said the tender for the second phase of the Q-Post main building development project will be floated later this year and  the work will be completed in February 2015, local Arabic daily Al Arab has reported.  An Ashghal official has said the first phase of the development project (external areas of the building) has been completed.