The source of all Egypt’s woes has been found and dealt with: three drug-smoking, porno-watching janitors who worked at the interior ministry – and, it turns out, also spent some time rifling through the minister’s files and picking out the more interesting documents. So that’s where all the bright ideas got to. The three men were initially charged with the misuse of ministry premises and illegal possession of drugs and pornographic films. But when they were also found to have a copy of the building’s master key, it soon became clear who was responsible for other missing items.

(From Sawt Al Umma ) FALSE ALARM

Passengers on an EgyptAir flight to Rome were startled when a smoke alarm suddenly went off, prompting rapid-fire instructions from flight attendants. But there’s no smoke without fire – or is that fire without smoke? A few minutes later passengers heaved a sigh of relief – mixed with irritation – when a man emerged from a toilet, cigarette in hand. For some, rules are just made to be broken.

(From Al Ahram ) ORANGE SPHINX

Italian police claim to have uncovered the latest con in an illegal immigration racket running from Egypt to Italy, in an operation nicknamed ‘Orange Sphinx.’ According to the police an organization based in Egypt offers would-be immigrants a visa, plane ticket, and assorted forged legal documents for entry to Italy, in exchange for $5,000. Upon arrival in Italy, the Egyptians are provided with uniforms of airport cleaning personnel, enabling them to leave the airport without being checked.

(From Al Ahram ) TEARING DOWN THE HOUSE

An Egyptian woman who was arrested for making defamatory statements about an Egyptian hotel has told police that she was taking revenge on the establishment after she was fired by the hotel’s management. The 27-year-old woman was reported to have set up a website aimed solely at defaming the hotel, claiming that it was effectively operating as a brothel. The hotel claimed damages against the woman and said she was ruining the reputation of Egypt’s tourist industry. Perhaps not the worst of crimes – police took her into custody as part of their campaign against “modern information and electronic crimes.”

(From Al Ahram )