Animal hotel, shelter in Egypt gives pets, strays safe place to stay

Egypt will host the 2019&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;of Nations between June 15 and July 13, Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Ahmad Ahmad announced in Dakar Tuesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The CAF executive committee preferred Egypt to South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;as replacements for original hosts Cameroon, who were dropped due to delays in preparations and concerns over security.

"I am pleased to announce that Egypt will host CAN (Cup&nbsp;of Nations) 2019," Malagasy Ahmad told reporters.

"I want to thank the two countries -- they came to the rescue of the CAF when we saw that the evolution of the work in Cameroon was not developed."

A CAF official told AFP that Egypt received 16 votes from the executive committee, South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;one and there was one abstention.&nbsp;

Ahmad made the announcement just hours after CAF said it would not disclose the winner until Wednesday to allow the media to concentrate on the annual awards ceremony in Dakar later Tuesday.

It will be the fifth time Egypt stage the biennial showpiece of African football after 1959, when the country was called the United Arab Republic, 1974, 1986 and 2006.

Egypt only entered the running to host the&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;of Nations when fellow north African country Morocco announced they would not bid to do so.

Morocco were the hot media favourites to replace Cameroon as hosts and Egypt said they "did not want to compete against a fellow Arab nation".&nbsp;

Egypt boast many international-standard venues with the Cairo International Stadium (72,000) and Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria (87,000) boasting the largest capacities.

Ismailia, Port Said and Suez are other possible venues for tournament matches as the&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;of Nations returns to north&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;after a 13-year absence. &nbsp;

Challenges

The choice of Egypt will immediately make them favourites to win a record-extending eighth&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;of Nations title this year.&nbsp;

They won three of the four previous tournaments they hosted, failing only in 1974 when they were beaten by Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) in the semi-finals.

The star of the current team, Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah, is favourite to retain the African Player of the Year award in Dakar.

Security and weather will be two challenges facing Egypt in the first&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;of Nations to feature 24 teams, up from 16 in Gabon two years ago.

Egypt faces a constant terror threat in the volatile Middle East region and the weather during the tournament is expected to be hot and humid.

Djamel Belmadi, coach of 2019 qualifiers Algeria, said recently that he would prefer South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;to host the tournament because of the cooler weather conditions there.

"It is almost impossible to play (in Egypt) given the heat and humidity," he told the Algerian media. "The weather conditions in South&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;are more pleasant."&nbsp;

Egyptian football official Karam Kordi responded: "It would be better if Belmadi said he was afraid of the enthusiastic Egyptian supporters."

Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia and Uganda have qualified for the 2019 tournament.&nbsp;

The other 10 places will be filled after the final qualifiers between March 18 and 26.

Egypt will host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations between June 15 and July 13, Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Ahmad Ahmad announced in Dakar Tuesday.

Egypt will host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations between June 15 and July 13, Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Ahmad Ahmad announced in Dakar Tuesday. The CAF executive committee preferred Egypt to South Africa as replacements for original hosts Cameroon, who were dropped due to delays in preparations and concerns over security. "I am pleased to announce that Egypt will host CAN (Cup of Nations) 2019," Malagasy Ahmad told reporters. "I want to thank the two countries -- they came to the rescue of the CAF when we saw that the evolution of the work in Cameroon was not developed." A CAF official told AFP that Egypt received 16 votes from the executive committee, South Africa one and there was one abstention. Ahmad made the announcement just hours after CAF said it would not disclose the winner until Wednesday to allow the media to concentrate on the annual awards ceremony in Dakar later Tuesday. It will be the fifth time Egypt stage the biennial showpiece of African football after 1959, when the country was called the United Arab Republic, 1974, 1986 and 2006. Egypt only entered the running to host the Cup of Nations when fellow north African country Morocco announced they would not bid to do so. Morocco were the hot media favourites to replace Cameroon as hosts and Egypt said they "did not want to compete against a fellow Arab nation". Egypt boast many international-standard venues with the Cairo International Stadium (72,000) and Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria (87,000) boasting the largest capacities. Ismailia, Port Said and Suez are other possible venues for tournament matches as the Cup of Nations returns to north Africa after a 13-year absence. Challenges The choice of Egypt will immediately make them favourites to win a record-extending eighth Cup of Nations title this year. They won three of the four previous tournaments they hosted, failing only in 1974 when they were beaten by Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) in the semi-finals. The star of the current team, Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah, is favourite to retain the African Player of the Year award in Dakar. Security and weather will be two challenges facing Egypt in the first Cup of Nations to feature 24 teams, up from 16 in Gabon two years ago. Egypt faces a constant terror threat in the volatile Middle East region and the weather during the tournament is expected to be hot and humid. Djamel Belmadi, coach of 2019 qualifiers Algeria, said recently that he would prefer South Africa to host the tournament because of the cooler weather conditions there. "It is almost impossible to play (in Egypt) given the heat and humidity," he told the Algerian media. "The weather conditions in South Africa are more pleasant." Egyptian football official Karam Kordi responded: "It would be better if Belmadi said he was afraid of the enthusiastic Egyptian supporters." Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia and Uganda have qualified for the 2019 tournament. The other 10 places will be filled after the final qualifiers between March 18 and 26.

Egypt to host 2019 Africa Cup of Nations

Three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian tour guide were killed Friday when a roadside bomb blast hit their bus as it travelled close to the Giza pyramids outside Cairo, officials said.

A statement by the public prosecutor's office said 11 other tourists from Vietnam and an Egyptian bus driver were wounded when the homemade device exploded. &nbsp;

The improvised explosive device was placed near a wall along the Mariyutiya Street in Al-Haram district near the Giza Pyramids, it said.&nbsp;

The bus was carrying a total of 16 people including 14 Vietnamese tourists, an Egyptian driver and a tour guide, according to the statement.&nbsp;

Armed security personnel quickly deployed to the site and cordoned off the area for inspection.&nbsp;

The white tourist bus could be seen with its windows shattered and surrounded by soot-covered debris. &nbsp;

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli visited the injured tourists in hospital, where he announced that the tour guide had died from his wounds. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Madbouli urged against "amplifying" the incident as he insisted that "no country in the world can guarantee that its 100 percent safe".

"It's possible at times that an individual incident takes place here or there," he told journalists.

"We have to know that it's possible that it would be repeated in the future."&nbsp;

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.&nbsp;

Later, a statement issued by the United States condemning the attack.&nbsp;

"We stand with all Egyptians in the fight against terrorism and support the Egyptian government in bringing the perpetrators of this attack to justice," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said.

Tourism struggling

Egypt's tourism industry has been struggling to recover from terror attacks and domestic instability that has hit the country in recent years.

In July 2017, two German tourists were stabbed to death by a suspected jihadist assailant at the Egyptian Red Sea beach resort of Hurgada.&nbsp;

In October 2015, a bomb claimed by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group killed 224 people on board a passenger jet carrying Russian tourists over the Sinai peninsula.&nbsp;

That incident dealt a severe blow to Egypt's tourism industry still reeling from the turmoil set off by the 2011 uprising that forced veteran leader Hosni Mubarak from power.&nbsp;

Egypt has since been seeking to lure tourists back and spur the lucrative sector by touting new archaeological discoveries and bolstering security around archaeological sites and in airports.

Tourism has slowly started picking up. The official statistics agency says tourists arrivals in Egypt in 2017 reached 8.2 million, up from 5.3 million the year before.&nbsp;

But that figure was still far short of the record influx in 2010 when over 14 million visitors flocked see the country's sites.&nbsp;

Egypt has for years been battling an Islamist insurgency in North Sinai, which surged following the 2013 military ouster of president Mohamed Morsi.

Security forces have since February been conducting a major operation focused on the Sinai Peninsula, aimed at wiping out a local IS branch.

More than 450 suspected jihadists and around 30 Egyptian soldiers have been killed since the offensive began, the army said in October.

The pyramids of Giza are the only surviving structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world and a major tourist draw attracting visitors from across the globe.

Three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian tour guide were killed Friday when a roadside bomb blast hit their bus as it travelled close to the Giza pyramids outside Cairo, officials said.

Three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian tour guide were killed Friday when a roadside bomb blast hit their bus as it travelled close to the Giza pyramids outside Cairo, officials said. A statement by the public prosecutor's office said 11 other tourists from Vietnam and an Egyptian bus driver were wounded when the homemade device exploded. The improvised explosive device was placed near a wall along the Mariyutiya Street in Al-Haram district near the Giza Pyramids, it said. The bus was carrying a total of 16 people including 14 Vietnamese tourists, an Egyptian driver and a tour guide, according to the statement. Armed security personnel quickly deployed to the site and cordoned off the area for inspection. The white tourist bus could be seen with its windows shattered and surrounded by soot-covered debris. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli visited the injured tourists in hospital, where he announced that the tour guide had died from his wounds. Madbouli urged against "amplifying" the incident as he insisted that "no country in the world can guarantee that its 100 percent safe". "It's possible at times that an individual incident takes place here or there," he told journalists. "We have to know that it's possible that it would be repeated in the future." There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. Later, a statement issued by the United States condemning the attack. "We stand with all Egyptians in the fight against terrorism and support the Egyptian government in bringing the perpetrators of this attack to justice," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said. Tourism struggling Egypt's tourism industry has been struggling to recover from terror attacks and domestic instability that has hit the country in recent years. In July 2017, two German tourists were stabbed to death by a suspected jihadist assailant at the Egyptian Red Sea beach resort of Hurgada. In October 2015, a bomb claimed by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group killed 224 people on board a passenger jet carrying Russian tourists over the Sinai peninsula. That incident dealt a severe blow to Egypt's tourism industry still reeling from the turmoil set off by the 2011 uprising that forced veteran leader Hosni Mubarak from power. Egypt has since been seeking to lure tourists back and spur the lucrative sector by touting new archaeological discoveries and bolstering security around archaeological sites and in airports. Tourism has slowly started picking up. The official statistics agency says tourists arrivals in Egypt in 2017 reached 8.2 million, up from 5.3 million the year before. But that figure was still far short of the record influx in 2010 when over 14 million visitors flocked see the country's sites. Egypt has for years been battling an Islamist insurgency in North Sinai, which surged following the 2013 military ouster of president Mohamed Morsi. Security forces have since February been conducting a major operation focused on the Sinai Peninsula, aimed at wiping out a local IS branch. More than 450 suspected jihadists and around 30 Egyptian soldiers have been killed since the offensive began, the army said in October. The pyramids of Giza are the only surviving structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world and a major tourist draw attracting visitors from across the globe.

Egypt: Bomb blast kills 3 Vietnamese tourists, guide near Giza pyramids

An Israeli aircraft hit a Hamas position in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/three-palestinians-killed-by-israeli-fire-gaza-medics-185852">the Gaza Strip</a> late on Friday in response to the first fire from the territory since a November flare-up, the military said.

"An army attack helicopter targeted a Hamas military position in the south of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/gaza-court-sentences-6-people-to-hang-for-collaborating-with-israel-181215">the Gaza Strip</a>," an army statement said.

It said it had responded after a "launch towards Israel" that Israeli media said was a rocket.

Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas said the Israeli aircraft fired two missiles which damaged one of their positions but caused no casualties.

It was the first rocket fire from Gaza since an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire announced on November 13 ended the worst flare-up around the territory since a 2014 war.

In the space of 48 hours, hundreds of rockets and mortar rounds were fired into Israel, killing one person and wounding 27.

The barrage followed a botched Israeli commando raid which killed a Hamas commander and six other militants as well as an Israeli officer.

Seven Gazans were killed and 26 wounded in retaliatory Israeli air strikes before the ceasefire took effect.&nbsp;

Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008, and mass protests along the border since March 30 have triggered deadly clashes with the Israel army that have raised fears of a fourth.

During a protest on Friday, Israeli fire killed Karam Fayyad, 26, on the border east of the city of Khan Yunis, the Gaza health ministry said.

At least 240 Palestinians have been killed since the demonstrations began, most of them by Israeli fire during border clashes but also by air and tank strikes.

An Israeli aircraft hit a Hamas position in the Gaza Strip late on Friday in response to the first fire from the territory since a November flare-up, the military said.

An Israeli aircraft hit a Hamas position in the Gaza Strip late on Friday in response to the first fire from the territory since a November flare-up, the military said. "An army attack helicopter targeted a Hamas military position in the south of the Gaza Strip," an army statement said. It said it had responded after a "launch towards Israel" that Israeli media said was a rocket. Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas said the Israeli aircraft fired two missiles which damaged one of their positions but caused no casualties. It was the first rocket fire from Gaza since an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire announced on November 13 ended the worst flare-up around the territory since a 2014 war. In the space of 48 hours, hundreds of rockets and mortar rounds were fired into Israel, killing one person and wounding 27. The barrage followed a botched Israeli commando raid which killed a Hamas commander and six other militants as well as an Israeli officer. Seven Gazans were killed and 26 wounded in retaliatory Israeli air strikes before the ceasefire took effect. Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008, and mass protests along the border since March 30 have triggered deadly clashes with the Israel army that have raised fears of a fourth. During a protest on Friday, Israeli fire killed Karam Fayyad, 26, on the border east of the city of Khan Yunis, the Gaza health ministry said. At least 240 Palestinians have been killed since the demonstrations began, most of them by Israeli fire during border clashes but also by air and tank strikes.

First Gaza rocket in six weeks draws Israeli riposte

Liverpool and Egypt striker <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=Mohamed+Salah">Mohamed Salah</a> has capped a sparkling 2018 for club and country by winning the prestigious BBC African Footballer of the Year Award for the second time in a row.

"It's a great feeling to win again. I'm happy and I would like to win it also next year!" said Salah.

The 26-year-old, who beat Medhi Benatia, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sadio Mane and Thomas Partey to the award, is just the second player after Jay-Jay Okocha to win it two years running.

Yaya Toure is the only other player to have twice won the award in its current form while Nwankwo Kanu won it twice when it was a broader African Sports Personality award.

Salah scored 44 goals in 52 games for Liverpool last season, his first on Merseyside after joining them from Roma, and helped them to reach the Champions League final.

His club form has continued this season with his winner against Napoli on Tuesday that saw the Reds into the Champions League last 16 taking his tally to 13.

"There have been many good moments in 2018," he added.&nbsp;

"I'm scoring goals and helping the team to get the points to be top of the league. That's always a great feeling."

Salah also scored twice for Egypt at the World Cup in Russia.

Earlier in 2018, Salah won the English double -- the Players' Player of the Year and the Football Writers' Player of the Year. &nbsp;

Salah also won the 2017 CAF Player of the Year and is one of 10 nominees for the 2018 award which will be announced in January.

Liverpool and Egypt striker Mohamed Salah has capped a sparkling 2018 for club and country by winning the prestigious BBC African Footballer of the Year Award for the second time in a row.

Liverpool and Egypt striker Mohamed Salah has capped a sparkling 2018 for club and country by winning the prestigious BBC African Footballer of the Year Award for the second time in a row. "It's a great feeling to win again. I'm happy and I would like to win it also next year!" said Salah. The 26-year-old, who beat Medhi Benatia, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sadio Mane and Thomas Partey to the award, is just the second player after Jay-Jay Okocha to win it two years running. Yaya Toure is the only other player to have twice won the award in its current form while Nwankwo Kanu won it twice when it was a broader African Sports Personality award. Salah scored 44 goals in 52 games for Liverpool last season, his first on Merseyside after joining them from Roma, and helped them to reach the Champions League final. His club form has continued this season with his winner against Napoli on Tuesday that saw the Reds into the Champions League last 16 taking his tally to 13. "There have been many good moments in 2018," he added. "I'm scoring goals and helping the team to get the points to be top of the league. That's always a great feeling." Salah also scored twice for Egypt at the World Cup in Russia. Earlier in 2018, Salah won the English double -- the Players' Player of the Year and the Football Writers' Player of the Year. Salah also won the 2017 CAF Player of the Year and is one of 10 nominees for the 2018 award which will be announced in January.

Salah retains BBC African Footballer of the Year award

Former Egypt forward Mohamed Aboutrika, one of the country's most famous sportsmen, has been sentenced to a year in jail on charges of tax evasion, local media reported on Tuesday.

A commercial and financial crimes court in Cairo passed the sentence against Aboutrika in absentia on Monday, the state-run al-Ahram newspaper reported.

The court found Aboutrika guilty of evading taxes on earnings of E£710,000&nbsp;($40,000) for doing advertisements for soft drinks and a telecoms firm.

The paper said the court ordered the former player who now lives in Qatar to pay £20,000&nbsp;as a bond to turn the prison term into a suspended sentence.

Aboutrika, 40, played 100 times for Egypt from 2001-13, scoring 38 goals and helping his country win the African Nations Cup in 2006 and 2008.

(E£ =&nbsp;Egyptian pounds)

Former Egypt forward Mohamed Aboutrika, one of the country's most famous sportsmen, has been sentenced to a year in jail on charges of tax evasion, local media reported on Tuesday.

Former Egypt forward Mohamed Aboutrika, one of the country's most famous sportsmen, has been sentenced to a year in jail on charges of tax evasion, local media reported on Tuesday. A commercial and financial crimes court in Cairo passed the sentence against Aboutrika in absentia on Monday, the state-run al-Ahram newspaper reported. The court found Aboutrika guilty of evading taxes on earnings of E£710,000 ($40,000) for doing advertisements for soft drinks and a telecoms firm. The paper said the court ordered the former player who now lives in Qatar to pay £20,000 as a bond to turn the prison term into a suspended sentence. Aboutrika, 40, played 100 times for Egypt from 2001-13, scoring 38 goals and helping his country win the African Nations Cup in 2006 and 2008. (E£ = Egyptian pounds)

Former Egypt forward Aboutrika handed jail sentence for tax evasion: Report

Egyptian security forces killed 19 Islamist militants from a cell believed to be responsible for an attack on Christians in Minya province in central Egypt which left seven people dead, the interior ministry said on Sunday.

The suspects were killed in a firefight in the desert west of Minya province after security forces pursued them, the ministry said in a statement. It did not say when the firefight took place.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the Minya attack, which occurred on Friday, though it provided no evidence of its involvement.

Gunmen killed at least seven Christians in an attack on a bus near a Coptic monastery in Egypt on Friday, authorities said - the most serious assault on the minority in more than a year.

The attack took place very close to the spot where gunmen killed 28 Christians in a similar assault in May 2017.

Pope Francis said he was pained Sunday over an attack, claimed by Islamic State, on Coptic Christians in Egypt which left seven dead.

"I express my pain after the terrorist attack which two days ago hit the Coptic Orthodox church in Egypt," Francis said in Saint Peter's.

"I pray for the victims, pilgrims killed just because they were Christian," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

Egyptian security forces killed 19 Islamist militants from a cell believed to be responsible for an attack on Christians in Minya province in central Egypt which left seven people dead, the interior ministry said on Sunday.

Egyptian security forces killed 19 Islamist militants from a cell believed to be responsible for an attack on Christians in Minya province in central Egypt which left seven people dead, the interior ministry said on Sunday. The suspects were killed in a firefight in the desert west of Minya province after security forces pursued them, the ministry said in a statement. It did not say when the firefight took place. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the Minya attack, which occurred on Friday, though it provided no evidence of its involvement. Gunmen killed at least seven Christians in an attack on a bus near a Coptic monastery in Egypt on Friday, authorities said - the most serious assault on the minority in more than a year. The attack took place very close to the spot where gunmen killed 28 Christians in a similar assault in May 2017. Pope Francis said he was pained Sunday over an attack, claimed by Islamic State, on Coptic Christians in Egypt which left seven dead. "I express my pain after the terrorist attack which two days ago hit the Coptic Orthodox church in Egypt," Francis said in Saint Peter's. "I pray for the victims, pilgrims killed just because they were Christian," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

19 militants killed in security operation after attack on Christians: Egypt

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that his country was eager to work with Egypt to boost airline security, three years after a bomb attack downed a Russian plane, killing more than 200 holidaymakers.

In a column published in the Egyptian state newspaper al-Ahram ahead of a visit by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Moscow next week, Lavrov praised what he described as a "multifaceted partnership" with Egypt.

"It is important today to continue joint efforts that target supporting the safety of both countries' citizens, including aboard airplanes," Lavrov said in a commentary, published in Arabic.

Similar remarks appeared on the Russian news agency TASS.

Russia halted civilian air traffic to Egypt in October 2015 after Islamist militants detonated a bomb on a Russian Metrojet flight departing from the tourist resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board.

Since then Egypt has allowed Russian experts to inspect its airport security arrangements several times and the two countries have signed an agreement covering civil aviation security.

Flights between Moscow and Cairo resumed in April, but Egypt hopes to secure the return of Russian flights to its Red Sea resorts.

The bombing and the Russian suspension were blows to Egypt's tourism industry, a key source of hard currency alongside remittances from Egyptians abroad and Suez Canal revenues.

The industry has been struggling after the upheaval triggered by a 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.

Sisi, who has met Russian President Vladimir Putin several times since he became president in 2014, is due to visit Russia on Wednesday.

Russia is a key trading partner for Egypt, which is a main regional US&nbsp;ally and the most populous country in the Arab world.

Lavrov said relations between Russia and Egypt were strong, noting a $6.5 billion annual trade between the two countries.

Russia last year signed an agreement with Egypt to build a nuclear power plant at Dabaa and another deal earlier this year to set up an industrial zone near the Suez Canal.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that his country was eager to work with Egypt to boost airline security, three years after a bomb attack downed a Russian plane, killing more than 200 holidaymakers.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that his country was eager to work with Egypt to boost airline security, three years after a bomb attack downed a Russian plane, killing more than 200 holidaymakers. In a column published in the Egyptian state newspaper al-Ahram ahead of a visit by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Moscow next week, Lavrov praised what he described as a "multifaceted partnership" with Egypt. "It is important today to continue joint efforts that target supporting the safety of both countries' citizens, including aboard airplanes," Lavrov said in a commentary, published in Arabic. Similar remarks appeared on the Russian news agency TASS. Russia halted civilian air traffic to Egypt in October 2015 after Islamist militants detonated a bomb on a Russian Metrojet flight departing from the tourist resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board. Since then Egypt has allowed Russian experts to inspect its airport security arrangements several times and the two countries have signed an agreement covering civil aviation security. Flights between Moscow and Cairo resumed in April, but Egypt hopes to secure the return of Russian flights to its Red Sea resorts. The bombing and the Russian suspension were blows to Egypt's tourism industry, a key source of hard currency alongside remittances from Egyptians abroad and Suez Canal revenues. The industry has been struggling after the upheaval triggered by a 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Sisi, who has met Russian President Vladimir Putin several times since he became president in 2014, is due to visit Russia on Wednesday. Russia is a key trading partner for Egypt, which is a main regional US ally and the most populous country in the Arab world. Lavrov said relations between Russia and Egypt were strong, noting a $6.5 billion annual trade between the two countries. Russia last year signed an agreement with Egypt to build a nuclear power plant at Dabaa and another deal earlier this year to set up an industrial zone near the Suez Canal.

Lavrov says Russia keen to boost airline security with Egypt

An Egyptian court Saturday handed a two-year suspended jail sentence to a woman human rights activist arrested in May after posting a video criticising sexual harassment in Egypt, her lawyer said.

Amal Fathi, 33, was convicted of spreading fake news and fined 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($560 dollars), her lawyer Doaa Mustafa told AFP.

"We will challenge the ruling," Mustafa said, adding that Fathi could pay 20,000 pounds to have her sentence suspended.

However, Fathi is still in detention awaiting trial in another case in which she is accused of "membership in a terrorist group", her lawyer added.

Amnesty International denounced Saturday's "disgraceful" verdict against Fathi who, it said, was sentenced "simply for her courage to speak out against sexual harassment".

"This is an outrageous case of injustice, where the survivor is sentenced while the abuser remains at large," the rights group's Najia Bounaim said in a statement.

Fathi "is a human rights defender and sexual harassment survivor, who told her truth to the world and highlighted the vital issue of women’s safety in Egypt," Bounaim said.

"She is not a criminal and should not be punished for her bravery."

Fathi was arrested in May after posting a Facebook video in which she accused authorities of failing to protect women and charging that guards at a bank had sexually harassed her.

Some 60 per cent of women in Egypt said they had been victims of some form of sexual harassment during their life, in a 2017 report from UN Women and Promundo.

Public debate over harassment intensified in the aftermath of the January 2011 uprising against former president Hosni Mubarak.

The protests demanding Mubarak's ouster centred around Cairo's Tahrir Square, where constant media coverage also highlighted sexual attacks and helped show public denial of the phenomenon.

Following the uprising, anti-harassment graffiti spread around downtown Cairo, volunteers organised to rescue women from mob attacks, and more women shared their own stories publicly.

An Egyptian court Saturday handed a two-year suspended jail sentence to a woman human rights activist arrested in May after posting a video criticising sexual harassment in Egypt, her lawyer said.

An Egyptian court Saturday handed a two-year suspended jail sentence to a woman human rights activist arrested in May after posting a video criticising sexual harassment in Egypt, her lawyer said. Amal Fathi, 33, was convicted of spreading fake news and fined 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($560 dollars), her lawyer Doaa Mustafa told AFP. "We will challenge the ruling," Mustafa said, adding that Fathi could pay 20,000 pounds to have her sentence suspended. However, Fathi is still in detention awaiting trial in another case in which she is accused of "membership in a terrorist group", her lawyer added. Amnesty International denounced Saturday's "disgraceful" verdict against Fathi who, it said, was sentenced "simply for her courage to speak out against sexual harassment". "This is an outrageous case of injustice, where the survivor is sentenced while the abuser remains at large," the rights group's Najia Bounaim said in a statement. Fathi "is a human rights defender and sexual harassment survivor, who told her truth to the world and highlighted the vital issue of women’s safety in Egypt," Bounaim said. "She is not a criminal and should not be punished for her bravery." Fathi was arrested in May after posting a Facebook video in which she accused authorities of failing to protect women and charging that guards at a bank had sexually harassed her. Some 60 per cent of women in Egypt said they had been victims of some form of sexual harassment during their life, in a 2017 report from UN Women and Promundo. Public debate over harassment intensified in the aftermath of the January 2011 uprising against former president Hosni Mubarak. The protests demanding Mubarak's ouster centred around Cairo's Tahrir Square, where constant media coverage also highlighted sexual attacks and helped show public denial of the phenomenon. Following the uprising, anti-harassment graffiti spread around downtown Cairo, volunteers organised to rescue women from mob attacks, and more women shared their own stories publicly.

Court sentences Egypt activist who slammed sexual harassment

An Egyptian court on Monday upheld death sentences for 20 Islamists convicted of killing 13 policemen during violent unrest after the military overthrow of former president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

"The verdict is final and cannot be appealed," a judicial official said.

The case dates back to 2013 when supporters of the ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi gathered in Rabaa el Adawiya Square in Cairo's Nasr City district following his overthrow by the army in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule.

The sit-in was dispersed violently by security personnel after warnings from the government.

The protesters were also accused of hindering traffic, causing public disorder, and terrifying residents as they possessed weapons.

Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood was banned by the government and most members of the group have received verdicts varying from death to life sentences over charges of violence, killing and espionage.

Morsi is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence over inciting deadly clashes between his supporters and opponents in late 2012 as well as a 25-year jail term over leaking classified documents to Qatar.&nbsp;

An Egyptian court on Monday upheld death sentences for 20 Islamists convicted of killing 13 policemen during violent unrest after the military overthrow of former president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

An Egyptian court on Monday upheld death sentences for 20 Islamists convicted of killing 13 policemen during violent unrest after the military overthrow of former president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. "The verdict is final and cannot be appealed," a judicial official said. The case dates back to 2013 when supporters of the ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi gathered in Rabaa el Adawiya Square in Cairo's Nasr City district following his overthrow by the army in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule. The sit-in was dispersed violently by security personnel after warnings from the government. The protesters were also accused of hindering traffic, causing public disorder, and terrifying residents as they possessed weapons. Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood was banned by the government and most members of the group have received verdicts varying from death to life sentences over charges of violence, killing and espionage. Morsi is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence over inciting deadly clashes between his supporters and opponents in late 2012 as well as a 25-year jail term over leaking classified documents to Qatar.

Egypt court confirms 20 death sentences over police killings

In a major relief for Egypt, forward Mohamed Salah has recovered from a shoulder injury and will play in their World Cup opener against Uruguay on Friday.&nbsp

Coach Hector Cuper confirmed Salah's participation in a press conference.&nbsp

"I can almost assure you 100 per cent that he will play, save unforeseen circumstances at the very last minute," Cuper said.

Cuper also played down the possibility that Salah’s performance on Friday could suffer due to lingering psychological effects of the injury,

Salah injured himself in the Champions League final with Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos on May 26 and has not played since.

His participation was not confirmed till now and had kept fans in suspense before Egypt's first World Cup finals in 28 years.

Coach Hector Cuper confirmed Salah's participation in a press conference.

In a major relief for Egypt, forward Mohamed Salah has recovered from a shoulder injury and will play in their World Cup opener against Uruguay on Friday. Coach Hector Cuper confirmed Salah's participation in a press conference. "I can almost assure you 100 per cent that he will play, save unforeseen circumstances at the very last minute," Cuper said. Cuper also played down the possibility that Salah’s performance on Friday could suffer due to lingering psychological effects of the injury, Salah injured himself in the Champions League final with Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos on May 26 and has not played since. His participation was not confirmed till now and had kept fans in suspense before Egypt's first World Cup finals in 28 years.

Confirmed! Mohamed Salah to play in Egypt's opener against Uruguay

Mohamed Salah is confident that he will be fit enough to take part in Egypt's World Cup opener against Uruguay next Friday.&nbsp;

The 25-year-old went off with a shoulder problem in the first half of Liverpool's 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in last month's Champions League final.&nbsp;

"Now I'm feeling better," Salah told reporters. "I'm hopeful of being able to play in our first game, but this will depend on how I feel when the day comes around."

Salah, who laughed off Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos's claim that he would have been able to continue in Kiev had he taken a pain-killing injection, scored the penalty that sealed Egypt's place at a first World Cup in 28 years and insists they are not in Russia to make up the numbers.

"We've got a great team and a great coach. We want to get into the next round and do things well there," he added.

"We're strong as a group, we all have the same objective, which is to win and that's the most important thing. We don't just have one strong point, but the main thing is we play together as a group.

"The pressure was to qualify for the World Cup. Of course, you can then say 'right, we've got there, that's that', but for me it's not like that. We want to make history and achieve something different.

"It's not a simple case of going, playing three games and thank you very much. That's not going through my head."

Saudi Arabia and hosts Russia are the other teams in Egypt's group.

The 25-year-old went off with a shoulder problem in the first half of Liverpool's 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid

Mohamed Salah is confident that he will be fit enough to take part in Egypt's World Cup opener against Uruguay next Friday. The 25-year-old went off with a shoulder problem in the first half of Liverpool's 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in last month's Champions League final. "Now I'm feeling better," Salah told reporters. "I'm hopeful of being able to play in our first game, but this will depend on how I feel when the day comes around." Salah, who laughed off Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos's claim that he would have been able to continue in Kiev had he taken a pain-killing injection, scored the penalty that sealed Egypt's place at a first World Cup in 28 years and insists they are not in Russia to make up the numbers. "We've got a great team and a great coach. We want to get into the next round and do things well there," he added. "We're strong as a group, we all have the same objective, which is to win and that's the most important thing. We don't just have one strong point, but the main thing is we play together as a group. "The pressure was to qualify for the World Cup. Of course, you can then say 'right, we've got there, that's that', but for me it's not like that. We want to make history and achieve something different. "It's not a simple case of going, playing three games and thank you very much. That's not going through my head." Saudi Arabia and hosts Russia are the other teams in Egypt's group.

Mohamed Salah hopeful of making FIFA World Cup opener for Egypt

Egypt&nbsp;and&nbsp;Nigeria&nbsp;continued their recent poor form in&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;warm-up games on Wednesday ahead of their bids to become the first African side to reach the semi-finals of the global showpiece event.

Belgium eased past&nbsp;Egypt&nbsp;3-0 in Brussels to extend the north African side's winless streak since qualifying for the tournament in Russia starting next week.

Eden Hazard provided the sparkle as Belgium dominated. The Chelsea forward set up Romelu Lukalu for the first goal and netted the second himself before halftime.

Marouane Fellaini added a third in stoppage-time to complete a strong performance by the hosts, who underlined their status as one of the favourites in Russia.

Egypt&nbsp;was missing injured forward Mohamed Salah but their coach Hector&nbsp;Cuper said his talisman might be fit for the opening Group A game against Uruguay on June 15.

Nigeria&nbsp;turned in a disappointing performance in their final tune-up, losing 1-0 to the Czech Republic who failed to qualify for the&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup.

Tomas Kalas gave the Czechs a deserved lead in the 25th minute in Schwechat, near the Austrian capital of Vienna, after he fired home a rebound following a corner to beat sprawlingNigerian goalkeeper Francis Uzoho.

Nigeria, who have lost three of their last four games and drawn the other, kick off their&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup campaign against Croatia on June 16, but they looked disinterested during the opening half as the Czechs dominated.

The&nbsp;Nigerians stepped up the pace in the second half – briefly interrupted by a rain delay – and created a few chances but could not find the net against a Czech side who conceded four goals against Australia last week.

Also playing on Wednesday were Panama, whose preparations ended on a low note as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat by Norway after an early goal by Joshua King.

Worryingly for the Panamanians, who face Belgium, England and Tunisia in Group G in their first World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;finals appearance, they struggled to deal with Norway's physical power, but they did create decent chances in the second half.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israel demanded that FIFA investigate what it said were threats against Argentina players that forced them to cancel a match in Jerusalem, including Palestinian calls to burn replica shirts of Lionel Messi if he played.

But Palestinian football officials praised&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup-bound Argentina and their captain Messi for calling off the friendly, which Israel had moved to Jerusalem from the coastal city of Haifa.

“The Israelis tried to use Messi and those stars from Argentina, and I would like to thank them and appreciate their decision,” Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub told a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Israeli Sports Minister Miri Regev, who pushed for the game to be moved from Haifa to Jerusalem, dismissed accusations that her demand had caused its cancellation and said Messi, his teammates and his family had been threatened by “terror elements”.

Belgium eased past Egypt 3-0 in Brussels to extend the north African side's winless streak since qualifying for the tournament in Russia starting next week

Egypt and Nigeria continued their recent poor form in World Cup warm-up games on Wednesday ahead of their bids to become the first African side to reach the semi-finals of the global showpiece event. Belgium eased past Egypt 3-0 in Brussels to extend the north African side's winless streak since qualifying for the tournament in Russia starting next week. Eden Hazard provided the sparkle as Belgium dominated. The Chelsea forward set up Romelu Lukalu for the first goal and netted the second himself before halftime. Marouane Fellaini added a third in stoppage-time to complete a strong performance by the hosts, who underlined their status as one of the favourites in Russia. Egypt was missing injured forward Mohamed Salah but their coach Hector Cuper said his talisman might be fit for the opening Group A game against Uruguay on June 15. Nigeria turned in a disappointing performance in their final tune-up, losing 1-0 to the Czech Republic who failed to qualify for the World Cup. Tomas Kalas gave the Czechs a deserved lead in the 25th minute in Schwechat, near the Austrian capital of Vienna, after he fired home a rebound following a corner to beat sprawlingNigerian goalkeeper Francis Uzoho. Nigeria, who have lost three of their last four games and drawn the other, kick off their World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 16, but they looked disinterested during the opening half as the Czechs dominated. The Nigerians stepped up the pace in the second half – briefly interrupted by a rain delay – and created a few chances but could not find the net against a Czech side who conceded four goals against Australia last week. Also playing on Wednesday were Panama, whose preparations ended on a low note as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat by Norway after an early goal by Joshua King. Worryingly for the Panamanians, who face Belgium, England and Tunisia in Group G in their first World Cup finals appearance, they struggled to deal with Norway's physical power, but they did create decent chances in the second half. Earlier on Wednesday, Israel demanded that FIFA investigate what it said were threats against Argentina players that forced them to cancel a match in Jerusalem, including Palestinian calls to burn replica shirts of Lionel Messi if he played. But Palestinian football officials praised World Cup-bound Argentina and their captain Messi for calling off the friendly, which Israel had moved to Jerusalem from the coastal city of Haifa. “The Israelis tried to use Messi and those stars from Argentina, and I would like to thank them and appreciate their decision,” Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub told a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Israeli Sports Minister Miri Regev, who pushed for the game to be moved from Haifa to Jerusalem, dismissed accusations that her demand had caused its cancellation and said Messi, his teammates and his family had been threatened by “terror elements”.

FIFA World Cup: Egypt, Nigeria continue to splutter in World Cup warm-ups

FC Barcelona's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez said Tuesday that everyone, including the Uruguayan national team, dreams of the World Cup and has high hopes to go as far as possible.

"Why don't dream? Everyone dreams of the World Cup, with all the expectations to go far. We have the capacity to go as far as possible," he said at a press conference.

He said many of his Barcelona teammates told him they did not want to face the Uruguayan team, which gave him satisfaction and, in his opinion, this showed their respect for his national team.

He explained that the players of "La Celeste" (The Sky Blue) are prepared to "be neat."

"As the days go by, we see some shortcomings that we may have and that we must try to correct," he admitted.

Suarez was emotional to talk with the three compatriots who had to leave the final 23-man squad that will play in the World Cup: Federico Valverde, Nicolas Lodeiro and Gaston Ramirez.

Suarez said Valverde, 19, who plays for Deportivo La Coruna, will get a "rematch and many more possibilities."

For Lodeiro, he said that his absence from the World Cup is difficult because he is a friend.

He also regretted the loss of Ramirez because of the experience he has accumulated in the previous World Cups.

Uruguay is in Group A with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Russia.&nbsp;

Suarez said that Egypt will be a tough rival, as it is Uruguay's first match in the World Cup and his opponent is armed with Liverpool's forward Mohamed Salah.

"Saudi Arabia might be a little more accessible than Egypt, but it is a World Cup and the national team will want to play a good role," he added.

Uruguay's first match in the World Cup is against Egypt and his opponent is armed with Liverpool's forward Mohamed Salah

FC Barcelona's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez said Tuesday that everyone, including the Uruguayan national team, dreams of the World Cup and has high hopes to go as far as possible. "Why don't dream? Everyone dreams of the World Cup, with all the expectations to go far. We have the capacity to go as far as possible," he said at a press conference. He said many of his Barcelona teammates told him they did not want to face the Uruguayan team, which gave him satisfaction and, in his opinion, this showed their respect for his national team. He explained that the players of "La Celeste" (The Sky Blue) are prepared to "be neat." "As the days go by, we see some shortcomings that we may have and that we must try to correct," he admitted. Suarez was emotional to talk with the three compatriots who had to leave the final 23-man squad that will play in the World Cup: Federico Valverde, Nicolas Lodeiro and Gaston Ramirez. Suarez said Valverde, 19, who plays for Deportivo La Coruna, will get a "rematch and many more possibilities." For Lodeiro, he said that his absence from the World Cup is difficult because he is a friend. He also regretted the loss of Ramirez because of the experience he has accumulated in the previous World Cups. Uruguay is in Group A with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Russia. Suarez said that Egypt will be a tough rival, as it is Uruguay's first match in the World Cup and his opponent is armed with Liverpool's forward Mohamed Salah. "Saudi Arabia might be a little more accessible than Egypt, but it is a World Cup and the national team will want to play a good role," he added.

FIFA World Cup 2018: Luis Suarez admits Egypt will be a tough rival

Injured Mohamed Salah will&nbspmiss the opening match of Group A against Uruguay on June 15 as the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has announced after meeting Salah in Spain, where he is undergoing treatment, that the Liverpool striker won't be able to play for minimum&nbspthree weeks.

"The football federation reiterates that Salah will be at the World Cup, God willing, and will be out for no longer than three weeks," said Egyptian FA.

Egyptian Federation officials including the president Hani Abu Reda and the team doctor paid a morale-boosting visit to Salah in Spain where he is getting his treatment done.

The doctors said that Salah will at least need three weeks to recover completely from the shoulder injury that he received during the finals of UEFA Champions League match against Real Madrid. In the absence of Mo Salah, Liverpool lost to Real 3-1.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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تحديث | أفاد الدكتور محمد أبو العلا طبيب المنتخب أن الجهاز الطبي بنادي ليفربول قد ابلغوه بعد إجراء الآشعة على كتف صلاح وأفادت نتيجتها بأن اللاعب أصيب بجزع في أربطة مفصل الكتف وأضاف انه وفقا لهذا التشخيص عن تفاؤله بأن يلحق صلاح بالمنتخب الوطني في كأس العالم ????<a href="https://twitter.com/MoSalah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MoSalah</a>
— Egypt National Football Team (@Pharaohs) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pharaohs/status/1000493162014629896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Salah arrived for rehabilitation in Valencia on Sunday, the day after he injured his shoulder after being wrestled to the ground by Sergio Ramos in the Champions League final Real Madrid won 3-1.

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The Egyptian FA have confirmed Mo Salah will be fit for the Egypt's final two group games at the World Cup. Great news for Mo! <a href="https://t.co/BzGE7JO7JY">pic.twitter.com/BzGE7JO7JY</a>
— LFC Fans Corner (@LFCFansCorner) <a href="https://twitter.com/LFCFansCorner/status/1001858111710351363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp

Egyptian Federation officials including the president Hani Abu Reda and the team doctor paid a morale-boosting visit to Salah in Spain

Injured Mohamed Salah will&nbspmiss the opening match of Group A against Uruguay on June 15 as the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has announced after meeting Salah in Spain, where he is undergoing treatment, that the Liverpool striker won't be able to play for minimum&nbspthree weeks. "The football federation reiterates that Salah will be at the World Cup, God willing, and will be out for no longer than three weeks," said Egyptian FA. Egyptian Federation officials including the president Hani Abu Reda and the team doctor paid a morale-boosting visit to Salah in Spain where he is getting his treatment done. The doctors said that Salah will at least need three weeks to recover completely from the shoulder injury that he received during the finals of UEFA Champions League match against Real Madrid. In the absence of Mo Salah, Liverpool lost to Real 3-1. تحديث | أفاد الدكتور محمد أبو العلا طبيب المنتخب أن الجهاز الطبي بنادي ليفربول قد ابلغوه بعد إجراء الآشعة على كتف صلاح وأفادت نتيجتها بأن اللاعب أصيب بجزع في أربطة مفصل الكتف وأضاف انه وفقا لهذا التشخيص عن تفاؤله بأن يلحق صلاح بالمنتخب الوطني في كأس العالم ????@MoSalah — Egypt National Football Team (@Pharaohs) May 26, 2018 × Salah arrived for rehabilitation in Valencia on Sunday, the day after he injured his shoulder after being wrestled to the ground by Sergio Ramos in the Champions League final Real Madrid won 3-1. The Egyptian FA have confirmed Mo Salah will be fit for the Egypt's final two group games at the World Cup. Great news for Mo! pic.twitter.com/BzGE7JO7JY — LFC Fans Corner (@LFCFansCorner) May 30, 2018 ×

Mohamed Salah to miss opening Group A match against Uruguay due to injury

Liverpool and Egypt star Mohamed Salah will travel to Spain on Tuesday for treatment on the injured shoulder that wrecked his Champions League final bid and threatens his World Cup participation.

Egypt's football federation (EFA) said Salah's entourage had chosen Spain for a rehabilitation programme that Egyptians will hope helps Salah return in time for next month's World Cup in Russia.

According to an EFA statement, Salah will be accompanied by Liverpool's medical staff "for the duration of the treatment period", having "started his rehabilitation on Sunday".

Salah, who hit a stunning 44 goals for Liverpool last season in all competitions, was forced out the Champions League final in tears on Saturday clutching his left shoulder after being wrestled to the ground by Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos.

It was feared the injury had ruled Salah out of the June 14-July 15 World Cup, but on Sunday the Reds' striker said he was "confident" he would be back in time.

"It was a very tough night, but I'm a fighter. Despite the odds, I'm confident that I'll be in Russia to make you all proud," Salah wrote on his official Twitter account on Sunday.

Egyptian media reported Salah wouldn't kick a ball in anger for three weeks.

Egyptian federation officials meanwhile are set to pay Salah -- described by the EFA as "the symbol of Egypt" -- a morale-boosting visit on Wednesday.

Egypt, who were drawn in Group A, open their World Cup campaign against Uruguay on June 15, before facing hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia.

The Pharaohs play a first warm-up match, against Colombia, in Bergamo, Italy on June 1.

It was feared that the injury had ruled Salah out of the June 14-July 15 World Cup

Liverpool and Egypt star Mohamed Salah will travel to Spain on Tuesday for treatment on the injured shoulder that wrecked his Champions League final bid and threatens his World Cup participation. Egypt's football federation (EFA) said Salah's entourage had chosen Spain for a rehabilitation programme that Egyptians will hope helps Salah return in time for next month's World Cup in Russia. According to an EFA statement, Salah will be accompanied by Liverpool's medical staff "for the duration of the treatment period", having "started his rehabilitation on Sunday". Salah, who hit a stunning 44 goals for Liverpool last season in all competitions, was forced out the Champions League final in tears on Saturday clutching his left shoulder after being wrestled to the ground by Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos. It was feared the injury had ruled Salah out of the June 14-July 15 World Cup, but on Sunday the Reds' striker said he was "confident" he would be back in time. "It was a very tough night, but I'm a fighter. Despite the odds, I'm confident that I'll be in Russia to make you all proud," Salah wrote on his official Twitter account on Sunday. Egyptian media reported Salah wouldn't kick a ball in anger for three weeks. Egyptian federation officials meanwhile are set to pay Salah -- described by the EFA as "the symbol of Egypt" -- a morale-boosting visit on Wednesday. Egypt, who were drawn in Group A, open their World Cup campaign against Uruguay on June 15, before facing hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia. The Pharaohs play a first warm-up match, against Colombia, in Bergamo, Italy on June 1.

Mohamed Salah to travel to Spain for treatment: Egypt football federation

Qatar has ordered shops to remove goods originating from a group of Saudi Arabian-led countries which a year ago imposed a wide-ranging boycott on the emirate, Doha officials said Saturday.&nbsp

A directive from the economy ministry ordered shops to immediately strip shelves of products from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.

Inspectors will visit stores to ensure they comply with the order, the ministry said.

The government will also try and stop products such as Saudi dairy goods from entering Qatar via a third country.

Qatar's Government Communications Office (GCO) said it was trying to "protect the safety of consumers".

"Products originating from blockading states, which as a result of the blockade cannot pass the GCC customs territory, has to undergo proper import inspections and customs procedures," the GCO said in a statement.&nbsp

"Qatar conducts its trade policy in accordance with all of its multilateral and bilateral agreements."

The order comes just days before the anniversary of a bitter Gulf crisis.

Since June 5 last year, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have cut all relations with Qatar, accusing it of financing terrorist groups and having close ties with Iran.

The countries subsequently imposed a trade and diplomatic boycott on Qatar, which rejects the charges and says the countries are seeking regime change in Doha.

The row has forced isolated Qatar, which previously relied on its Gulf neighbours, to look elsewhere for food imports, including Turkey, Morocco and Iran.&nbsp

Many such imports enter the country via ports such as Kuwait and Oman.

It is through these ports, and also via individuals, that goods from the boycotting countries manage to get in to Qatar, said a source with knowledge of the situation.

"Businessmen from the blockading countries are trying to go around the blockade... by using third parties," said the source. &nbspQatar has ordered shops to remove goods originating from a group of Saudi Arabian-led countries which a year ago imposed a wide-ranging boycott on the emirate, Doha officials said Saturday.&nbsp

A directive from the economy ministry ordered shops to immediately strip shelves of products from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.

Inspectors will visit stores to ensure they comply with the order, the ministry said.

The government will also try and stop products such as Saudi dairy goods from entering Qatar via a third country.

Qatar's Government Communications Office (GCO) said it was trying to "protect the safety of consumers".

"Products originating from blockading states, which as a result of the blockade cannot pass the GCC customs territory, has to undergo proper import inspections and customs procedures," the GCO said in a statement.&nbsp

"Qatar conducts its trade policy in accordance with all of its multilateral and bilateral agreements."

The order comes just days before the anniversary of a bitter Gulf crisis.

Since June 5 last year, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have cut all relations with Qatar, accusing it of financing terrorist groups and having close ties with Iran.

The countries subsequently imposed a trade and diplomatic boycott on Qatar, which rejects the charges and says the countries are seeking regime change in Doha.

The row has forced isolated Qatar, which previously relied on its Gulf neighbours, to look elsewhere for food imports, including Turkey, Morocco and Iran.&nbsp

Many such imports enter the country via ports such as Kuwait and Oman.

It is through these ports, and also via individuals, that goods from the boycotting countries manage to get into Qatar, said a source with knowledge of the situation.

"Businessmen from the blockading countries are trying to go around the blockade... by using third parties," said the source. &nbsp

A directive from the economy ministry ordered shops to immediately strip shelves of products from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt

Qatar has ordered shops to remove goods originating from a group of Saudi Arabian-led countries which a year ago imposed a wide-ranging boycott on the emirate, Doha officials said Saturday. A directive from the economy ministry ordered shops to immediately strip shelves of products from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt. Inspectors will visit stores to ensure they comply with the order, the ministry said. The government will also try and stop products such as Saudi dairy goods from entering Qatar via a third country. Qatar's Government Communications Office (GCO) said it was trying to "protect the safety of consumers". "Products originating from blockading states, which as a result of the blockade cannot pass the GCC customs territory, has to undergo proper import inspections and customs procedures," the GCO said in a statement. "Qatar conducts its trade policy in accordance with all of its multilateral and bilateral agreements." The order comes just days before the anniversary of a bitter Gulf crisis. Since June 5 last year, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have cut all relations with Qatar, accusing it of financing terrorist groups and having close ties with Iran. The countries subsequently imposed a trade and diplomatic boycott on Qatar, which rejects the charges and says the countries are seeking regime change in Doha. The row has forced isolated Qatar, which previously relied on its Gulf neighbours, to look elsewhere for food imports, including Turkey, Morocco and Iran. Many such imports enter the country via ports such as Kuwait and Oman. It is through these ports, and also via individuals, that goods from the boycotting countries manage to get in to Qatar, said a source with knowledge of the situation. "Businessmen from the blockading countries are trying to go around the blockade... by using third parties," said the source. &nbspQatar has ordered shops to remove goods originating from a group of Saudi Arabian-led countries which a year ago imposed a wide-ranging boycott on the emirate, Doha officials said Saturday. A directive from the economy ministry ordered shops to immediately strip shelves of products from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt. Inspectors will visit stores to ensure they comply with the order, the ministry said. The government will also try and stop products such as Saudi dairy goods from entering Qatar via a third country. Qatar's Government Communications Office (GCO) said it was trying to "protect the safety of consumers". "Products originating from blockading states, which as a result of the blockade cannot pass the GCC customs territory, has to undergo proper import inspections and customs procedures," the GCO said in a statement. "Qatar conducts its trade policy in accordance with all of its multilateral and bilateral agreements." The order comes just days before the anniversary of a bitter Gulf crisis. Since June 5 last year, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have cut all relations with Qatar, accusing it of financing terrorist groups and having close ties with Iran. The countries subsequently imposed a trade and diplomatic boycott on Qatar, which rejects the charges and says the countries are seeking regime change in Doha. The row has forced isolated Qatar, which previously relied on its Gulf neighbours, to look elsewhere for food imports, including Turkey, Morocco and Iran. Many such imports enter the country via ports such as Kuwait and Oman. It is through these ports, and also via individuals, that goods from the boycotting countries manage to get into Qatar, said a source with knowledge of the situation. "Businessmen from the blockading countries are trying to go around the blockade... by using third parties," said the source.

Qatar bans Saudi, UAE goods from stores

Egypt's top administrative on Saturday directed that the regulators must block the video file-sharing site YouTube for one month over a video that denigrates the Prophet Mohammad.&nbsp

The ruling is considered final and cannot be appealed.

Mohamed Hamid Salem, an Egyptian lawyer filed a lawsuit against YouTube for publishing the low-budget 13-minute video.

The ministry at the time said it would be impossible to enforce the ruling without also disrupting Google’s Internet search engine, incurring potentially huge costs and job losses in the Arab world’s most populous country.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology was not immediately available for comment. YouTube appeared to be working in Egypt on Saturday as of 1250 GMT (8.50 a.m ET).

The film “Innocence of Muslims”, a low-budget 13-minute video, was billed as a film trailer and made in California with private funding. It provoked a wave of anti-American unrest in Egypt and other Muslim countries when it appeared in 2012.

Since May 2017, an anonymous authority in Egypt has been banning hundreds of websites, including News websites, citing links to terrorism. The banning measure has received severe backlash from rights organizations including the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) and international bodies.

Mohamed Hamid Salem, an Egyptian lawyer filed a lawsuit against YouTube for publishing the low-budget 13-minute video

Egypt's top administrative on Saturday directed that the regulators must block the video file-sharing site YouTube for one month over a video that denigrates the Prophet Mohammad. The ruling is considered final and cannot be appealed. Mohamed Hamid Salem, an Egyptian lawyer filed a lawsuit against YouTube for publishing the low-budget 13-minute video. The ministry at the time said it would be impossible to enforce the ruling without also disrupting Google’s Internet search engine, incurring potentially huge costs and job losses in the Arab world’s most populous country. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology was not immediately available for comment. YouTube appeared to be working in Egypt on Saturday as of 1250 GMT (8.50 a.m ET). The film “Innocence of Muslims”, a low-budget 13-minute video, was billed as a film trailer and made in California with private funding. It provoked a wave of anti-American unrest in Egypt and other Muslim countries when it appeared in 2012. Since May 2017, an anonymous authority in Egypt has been banning hundreds of websites, including News websites, citing links to terrorism. The banning measure has received severe backlash from rights organizations including the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) and international bodies.

YouTube temporarily banned in Egypt after video denigrates Prophet Mohammad

By: Natasha Ezrow*

All around the world, democracy is looking shaky. While consolidated democracies are struggling to stay healthy, many flawed ones have turned into outright authoritarian regimes – most notably Russia under Vladimir Putin and Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. But the news isn’t all bad: On several continents over the last decade, longstanding dictators have resigned, lost elections, or been deposed.

But has their demise led to any kind of democratic reform? It’s a mixed picture to say the least. While a handful of promising cases deserve praise, only a few of the dictatorships that have fallen in recent years have given way to lasting, stable democracies.

The 2010s began with tremendous optimism for the future of global democracy, reaching an apogee with the Arab Spring protests in 2011.

Across the Middle East and North Africa, several dictators fell in a row: After Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya was toppled in a civil war. Fighting also erupted in Yemen, leading to the eventual flight of longtime strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh.

It seemed for a moment that in one fell swoop, a clutch of countries were suddenly shaking off authoritarianism at last. But with the exception of Tunisia – whose situation is still somewhat fragile – none of them have developed into democracies.

Egypt’s brief spell under the elected Muslim Brotherhood came to an end in 2013, when a military intervention brought General Abdel Fatteh al-Sisi to power. He remains president today, legitimised by largely meaningless elections. Libya is still a weak state beset by instability and violence Yemen has slipped into devastating conflict and humanitarian crisis.

Though protests exploded throughout the Middle East, only modest reforms took place elsewhere. And in Syria, the Assad regime’s crackdown on the 2011 protests helped spark a nightmarish conflict that has torn the country apart.

Iraq and Afghanistan, meanwhile, saw a change in leadership with the elections that forced Nouri al-Maliki and Hamid Karzai out of power. But neither country’s democracy has notably improved. Afghanistan is still authoritarian and unstable, and in Iraq, Maliki is still very powerful behind the scenes.

Mixed bag

Latin America was home to a clutter of military dictatorships for decades, but since the mid-to-late 1980s, most of its countries have been flawed but functioning democracies.

The two notable holdouts were Venezuela under Hugo Chávez and Cuba under Fidel Castro – and in the last decade, the two have diverged considerably.

While Cuba has reformed a little under the rule of Fidel’s brother Raúl, who has now handed over to Miguel Díaz-Canal, Venezuela is falling apart under the dictatorial leadership of Chavez’s hand-picked successor, Nicolás Maduro. Other regimes in Latin America continue to hold free and fair elections, but struggle to uphold the rule of law.

In Asia, meanwhile, a few less-than-democratic countries have made strides towards reform, but most authoritarian regimes have stayed the same. Still, some reforms and resignations are noteworthy.

In the Caucasus, Armenia’s Serzh Sargsyan was recently forced to resign after mass protests against his rule. Almazbek Atambayev of Kyrgyzstan also stepped down after elections, the first peaceful handover of power in the country’s history.

In South-East Asia, most of the attention since 2015 has been on surprising events in Myanmar, when the military regime that ran the country for decades allowed open elections for the first time since 1990. Myanmar’s military government was oppressive even by authoritarian standards, so it was quite something to see it holding elections, releasing political prisoners and allowing more press freedom.

The regime’s leader, Thein Sein, stepped down to make way for Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy.

But the democratic transformation was short-lived. The regime has continued to violate the human rights of its minority groups, most notably the Rohingya minority, and civil liberties and press freedoms are in serious jeopardy.

Turfed out

One place where things are looking up for democracy is Sub-Saharan Africa. The last decade has seen the overall standing of democracy in Africa improve. In the early 1980s, only five countries in Africa could be considered democratic: Botswana, Gambia, Mauritius, Senegal and Zimbabwe.

The end of the Cold War saw the expansion of elections and civil liberties. But more recent years has seen the fall or peaceful resignation of important authoritarian figures, many of them old men who had clung on to power for decades.

Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia eventually fled the country in 2017 after he lost the presidential elections to the opposition. Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso resigned after political protests broke out in 2014, following nearly three decades in power.

José Eduardo dos Santos of Angola resigned after nearly 40 years in power (though he remains influential in Angolan politics). All three countries have become slightly more democratic as a result.

But the biggest tree felled in Africa was undoubtedly Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe. In his capacity as president since 1980, Mugabe had become increasingly dictatorial and brutal, and his misguided leadership plunged the country into chaos.

When he unceremoniously fired his vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa at the end of 2017, his previous backers in the military decided they had finally had enough. With parliamentary impeachment hearings in the offing, Mugabe eventually resigned, and new elections are scheduled for July 2018.

The bloodless Zimbabwean transition was a heartening spectacle, but there are nonetheless plenty of other countries to worry about. Hungary’s Viktor Orban is threatening to constrict his country’s democracy by clamping down on civil liberties, even as he wins landslide election victores.

China’s Xi Jinping recently orchestrated the removal of term limits, giving him the power to rule indefinitely. Thailand’s military is heading the most repressive government the country has seen in years. Still, while many countries have taken an authoritarian turn, others have made a success of their escape from dictatorship.

As recent events in Armenia attest, citizens the world over are becoming more involved in politics and taking their displeasure to the streets. And while it’s true that most dictators who fall are replaced by another dictator, there are enough examples to the contrary to give the defenders of democracy some hope.

*Natasha Ezrow is a&nbspSenior Lecturer, University of Essex

(This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-dictators-on-the-way-out-or-on-the-way-up-95128">original article</a>.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

While a handful of promising cases deserve praise, only a few of the dictatorships that have fallen in recent years have given way to lasting, stable democracies

By: Natasha Ezrow* All around the world, democracy is looking shaky. While consolidated democracies are struggling to stay healthy, many flawed ones have turned into outright authoritarian regimes – most notably Russia under Vladimir Putin and Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. But the news isn’t all bad: On several continents over the last decade, longstanding dictators have resigned, lost elections, or been deposed. But has their demise led to any kind of democratic reform? It’s a mixed picture to say the least. While a handful of promising cases deserve praise, only a few of the dictatorships that have fallen in recent years have given way to lasting, stable democracies. The 2010s began with tremendous optimism for the future of global democracy, reaching an apogee with the Arab Spring protests in 2011. Across the Middle East and North Africa, several dictators fell in a row: After Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya was toppled in a civil war. Fighting also erupted in Yemen, leading to the eventual flight of longtime strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh. It seemed for a moment that in one fell swoop, a clutch of countries were suddenly shaking off authoritarianism at last. But with the exception of Tunisia – whose situation is still somewhat fragile – none of them have developed into democracies. Egypt’s brief spell under the elected Muslim Brotherhood came to an end in 2013, when a military intervention brought General Abdel Fatteh al-Sisi to power. He remains president today, legitimised by largely meaningless elections. Libya is still a weak state beset by instability and violence Yemen has slipped into devastating conflict and humanitarian crisis. Though protests exploded throughout the Middle East, only modest reforms took place elsewhere. And in Syria, the Assad regime’s crackdown on the 2011 protests helped spark a nightmarish conflict that has torn the country apart. Iraq and Afghanistan, meanwhile, saw a change in leadership with the elections that forced Nouri al-Maliki and Hamid Karzai out of power. But neither country’s democracy has notably improved. Afghanistan is still authoritarian and unstable, and in Iraq, Maliki is still very powerful behind the scenes. Mixed bag Latin America was home to a clutter of military dictatorships for decades, but since the mid-to-late 1980s, most of its countries have been flawed but functioning democracies. The two notable holdouts were Venezuela under Hugo Chávez and Cuba under Fidel Castro – and in the last decade, the two have diverged considerably. While Cuba has reformed a little under the rule of Fidel’s brother Raúl, who has now handed over to Miguel Díaz-Canal, Venezuela is falling apart under the dictatorial leadership of Chavez’s hand-picked successor, Nicolás Maduro. Other regimes in Latin America continue to hold free and fair elections, but struggle to uphold the rule of law. In Asia, meanwhile, a few less-than-democratic countries have made strides towards reform, but most authoritarian regimes have stayed the same. Still, some reforms and resignations are noteworthy. In the Caucasus, Armenia’s Serzh Sargsyan was recently forced to resign after mass protests against his rule. Almazbek Atambayev of Kyrgyzstan also stepped down after elections, the first peaceful handover of power in the country’s history. In South-East Asia, most of the attention since 2015 has been on surprising events in Myanmar, when the military regime that ran the country for decades allowed open elections for the first time since 1990. Myanmar’s military government was oppressive even by authoritarian standards, so it was quite something to see it holding elections, releasing political prisoners and allowing more press freedom. The regime’s leader, Thein Sein, stepped down to make way for Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. But the democratic transformation was short-lived. The regime has continued to violate the human rights of its minority groups, most notably the Rohingya minority, and civil liberties and press freedoms are in serious jeopardy. Turfed out One place where things are looking up for democracy is Sub-Saharan Africa. The last decade has seen the overall standing of democracy in Africa improve. In the early 1980s, only five countries in Africa could be considered democratic: Botswana, Gambia, Mauritius, Senegal and Zimbabwe. The end of the Cold War saw the expansion of elections and civil liberties. But more recent years has seen the fall or peaceful resignation of important authoritarian figures, many of them old men who had clung on to power for decades. Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia eventually fled the country in 2017 after he lost the presidential elections to the opposition. Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso resigned after political protests broke out in 2014, following nearly three decades in power. José Eduardo dos Santos of Angola resigned after nearly 40 years in power (though he remains influential in Angolan politics). All three countries have become slightly more democratic as a result. But the biggest tree felled in Africa was undoubtedly Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe. In his capacity as president since 1980, Mugabe had become increasingly dictatorial and brutal, and his misguided leadership plunged the country into chaos. When he unceremoniously fired his vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa at the end of 2017, his previous backers in the military decided they had finally had enough. With parliamentary impeachment hearings in the offing, Mugabe eventually resigned, and new elections are scheduled for July 2018. The bloodless Zimbabwean transition was a heartening spectacle, but there are nonetheless plenty of other countries to worry about. Hungary’s Viktor Orban is threatening to constrict his country’s democracy by clamping down on civil liberties, even as he wins landslide election victores. China’s Xi Jinping recently orchestrated the removal of term limits, giving him the power to rule indefinitely. Thailand’s military is heading the most repressive government the country has seen in years. Still, while many countries have taken an authoritarian turn, others have made a success of their escape from dictatorship. As recent events in Armenia attest, citizens the world over are becoming more involved in politics and taking their displeasure to the streets. And while it’s true that most dictators who fall are replaced by another dictator, there are enough examples to the contrary to give the defenders of democracy some hope. *Natasha Ezrow is a&nbspSenior Lecturer, University of Essex (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Are dictators on the way out or on the way up?

The mega event hosted by Russia will be keenly followed by thousands of fans around the world

FIFA 2018: All you need to know about 21st edition of football World Cup

According to reports, South Sudan officials have communicated its military chief's death during a visit to Egypt. General James Ajongo was reported to have been suffering from a "short illness" and passed away on Friday.&nbsp

Ajongo took over as South Sudan's military chief almost a year ago after ex-chief Paul Malong was fired and put under house arrest.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the untimely death of Gen. James Ajongo Mawut, SPLA army’s chief of defence force,” government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth said.

As per reports, a regional bloc seeks to put to an end to the five-year civil war in the country. A new round of peace talks is expected in May&nbsp

Military chief's death is likely to mount pressure on South Sudan President Salva Kiir to take measures with respect to his fragile coalition in power.

South Sudan, which obtained independence from Sudan in 2011 and is the world’s youngest nation, has been mired in civil war since 2013 when Kiir fired his deputy Riek Machar.

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp

Military chief's death is likely to mount pressure on South Sudan President Salva Kiir

According to reports, South Sudan officials have communicated its military chief's death during a visit to Egypt. General James Ajongo was reported to have been suffering from a "short illness" and passed away on Friday. Ajongo took over as South Sudan's military chief almost a year ago after ex-chief Paul Malong was fired and put under house arrest. “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the untimely death of Gen. James Ajongo Mawut, SPLA army’s chief of defence force,” government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth said. As per reports, a regional bloc seeks to put to an end to the five-year civil war in the country. A new round of peace talks is expected in May Military chief's death is likely to mount pressure on South Sudan President Salva Kiir to take measures with respect to his fragile coalition in power. South Sudan, which obtained independence from Sudan in 2011 and is the world’s youngest nation, has been mired in civil war since 2013 when Kiir fired his deputy Riek Machar. (With inputs from Reuters)

South Sudan says military chief has died in Egypt 

Egypt said on Saturday it was deeply concerned over a military escalation in Syria which could affect the safety of Syrian people and threaten agreements to curb tension.

US, British and French forces struck Syria with more than 100 missiles on Saturday, targeting what they called chemical weapons sites in retaliation for a poison gas attack.&nbsp

The White House has accused Syria of being behind the toxic gas assault on April 7 that killed dozens of people in Douma, near Damascus.

Without specifically mentioning Saturday's missile strikes, Egypt's foreign ministry said it was deeply concerned "at the current military escalation in Syria". It also rejected the use of internationally banned weapons on Syrian territory and demanded a transparent international investigation.

"The Arab Republic of Egypt expresses its solidarity with the brotherly Syrian people in their aspirations to live in security and stability," the ministry said in a statement.&nbsp

It called for a peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis and efforts to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those affected by the conflict.&nbsp

The White House has accused Syria of being behind the toxic gas assault on April 7 that killed dozens of people in Douma, near Damascus

Egypt said on Saturday it was deeply concerned over a military escalation in Syria which could affect the safety of Syrian people and threaten agreements to curb tension. US, British and French forces struck Syria with more than 100 missiles on Saturday, targeting what they called chemical weapons sites in retaliation for a poison gas attack. The White House has accused Syria of being behind the toxic gas assault on April 7 that killed dozens of people in Douma, near Damascus. Without specifically mentioning Saturday's missile strikes, Egypt's foreign ministry said it was deeply concerned "at the current military escalation in Syria". It also rejected the use of internationally banned weapons on Syrian territory and demanded a transparent international investigation. "The Arab Republic of Egypt expresses its solidarity with the brotherly Syrian people in their aspirations to live in security and stability," the ministry said in a statement. It called for a peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis and efforts to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those affected by the conflict.

Egypt says deeply concerned over military escalation in Syria

Russia and Egypt are to resume direct flights on Wednesday following a more than two-year hiatus after a bomb downed a Russian charter over the Sinai peninsula in 2015.&nbsp

Moscow officials stopped direct flights citing security concerns after the attack, in a major blow for the Egyptian economy, which relies heavily on tourism and had been a popular destination for Russians.

On Wednesday evening an Aeroflot plane is due to take off from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport to Cairo, in a first step towards restoring flights to holiday destinations on the Red Sea.

On Thursday, Egyptair will restart its service between the two capitals, and the two companies will together carry out five return flights between Moscow and Cairo a week.&nbsp

But the move in itself will not immediately help Egypt's troubled tourism sector, Russian officials have said.&nbsp

"Tourists do not need direct flights to Cairo. The transfer from Cairo to sea resorts is long and uncomfortable, and no one will be going there in that way," Russian Tourism Industry spokeswoman Irina Tyurina told AFP.&nbsp

"In practice, the situation is the same as it was before, when people would get there independently via Minsk or Istanbul -- either big fans of Egypt or Russians who live there," she said.&nbsp

"Egypt is not yet back as a tourist destination for the Russian market."&nbsp

A great worry

Flights were suspended at the end of 2015 after a bomb downed a flight carrying holidaymakers from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, killing all 224 people on board, mostly Russian tourists.&nbsp

The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group.&nbsp

The number of foreign tourists in Egypt went from 14.7 million in 2010 to 5.4 million in 2016, on the back of the suspension of flights and the turmoil following the uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak.&nbsp

In 2017 that number recovered to 8.3 million visitors, according to official figures.&nbsp

Revenues from tourism at the same time dropped by two thirds, from $11.6 billion in 2010 to $3.8 billion in 2016, according to the Egyptian Central Bank.

Moscow and Cairo are to decide on a date to discuss the resumption of flights to Egyptian tourist destinations once flights between the two capitals have resumed, the Egyptian ambassador to Russia Ihab Nasr has said.

Russian officials have meanwhile not hidden their concerns about direct flights being restarted.

"The resumption of direct flights to Egypt, in particular to resort areas, is a great worry for us," Aleksandr Neradko, head of the Russian Federal Air Navigation Authority, said last week in comments reported by Russian agencies.&nbsp

Eight Russian experts will be sent to Cairo airport to check security measures are being enforced on flights towards Moscow, according to the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram.

Moscow officials stopped direct flights citing security concerns after the attack, in a major blow for the Egyptian economy, which relies heavily on tourism and had been a popular destination for Russians

Russia and Egypt are to resume direct flights on Wednesday following a more than two-year hiatus after a bomb downed a Russian charter over the Sinai peninsula in 2015. Moscow officials stopped direct flights citing security concerns after the attack, in a major blow for the Egyptian economy, which relies heavily on tourism and had been a popular destination for Russians. On Wednesday evening an Aeroflot plane is due to take off from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport to Cairo, in a first step towards restoring flights to holiday destinations on the Red Sea. On Thursday, Egyptair will restart its service between the two capitals, and the two companies will together carry out five return flights between Moscow and Cairo a week. But the move in itself will not immediately help Egypt's troubled tourism sector, Russian officials have said. "Tourists do not need direct flights to Cairo. The transfer from Cairo to sea resorts is long and uncomfortable, and no one will be going there in that way," Russian Tourism Industry spokeswoman Irina Tyurina told AFP. "In practice, the situation is the same as it was before, when people would get there independently via Minsk or Istanbul -- either big fans of Egypt or Russians who live there," she said. "Egypt is not yet back as a tourist destination for the Russian market." A great worry Flights were suspended at the end of 2015 after a bomb downed a flight carrying holidaymakers from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, killing all 224 people on board, mostly Russian tourists. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group. The number of foreign tourists in Egypt went from 14.7 million in 2010 to 5.4 million in 2016, on the back of the suspension of flights and the turmoil following the uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak. In 2017 that number recovered to 8.3 million visitors, according to official figures. Revenues from tourism at the same time dropped by two thirds, from $11.6 billion in 2010 to $3.8 billion in 2016, according to the Egyptian Central Bank. Moscow and Cairo are to decide on a date to discuss the resumption of flights to Egyptian tourist destinations once flights between the two capitals have resumed, the Egyptian ambassador to Russia Ihab Nasr has said. Russian officials have meanwhile not hidden their concerns about direct flights being restarted. "The resumption of direct flights to Egypt, in particular to resort areas, is a great worry for us," Aleksandr Neradko, head of the Russian Federal Air Navigation Authority, said last week in comments reported by Russian agencies. Eight Russian experts will be sent to Cairo airport to check security measures are being enforced on flights towards Moscow, according to the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram.

Russia, Egypt resume direct flights two years after attack

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been re-elected for a second term with over 97 per cent of valid votes, the National Election Authority (NEA) said today.

In a televised press conference, NEA chairman Lasheen Ibrahim said that turnout was 41.05 per cent of the 60 million registered voters.

Ibrahim said that Sisi won 97.08 per cent of valid votes in the three-day presidential election. His sole challenger, the little-known centrist politician and al Ghad party chief, Moussa Mostafa Moussa won 2.92 per cent of valid votes.

Sisi won 21,835,378 votes, while Moussa won 656,534 votes, he added.

About 60 million people were eligible to vote in the election which was held in 13,687 polling stations across the country and under the supervision of 18,678 judges from various judicial bodies and authorities.

Sisi, the then army chief, overthrew Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013 following mass protests against his rule.

Morsi was Egypt's first democratically elected president following the 2011 overthrow of longtime president Hosni Mubarak during the Arab Spring uprisings.

Sisi was elected for a four-year presidential term in 2014. The first presidential term of 63-year-old Field Marshal will officially end on June 7.

Last week, Sisi posted photos of voters participating in the polls and praised them on facebook for the huge turnout.

"The voice of the masses of Egyptians will remain a witness - no doubt - that the will of our nation is prevailing with a force that does not know weakness," Sisi had said.

"The scenes of the Egyptians outside the polling stations will remain a matter of honour and pride for me and hard evidence of the greatness of our nation," he added.&nbsp

In a televised press conference, NEA chairman Lasheen Ibrahim said that turnout was 41.05 per cent of the 60 million registered voters

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been re-elected for a second term with over 97 per cent of valid votes, the National Election Authority (NEA) said today. In a televised press conference, NEA chairman Lasheen Ibrahim said that turnout was 41.05 per cent of the 60 million registered voters. Ibrahim said that Sisi won 97.08 per cent of valid votes in the three-day presidential election. His sole challenger, the little-known centrist politician and al Ghad party chief, Moussa Mostafa Moussa won 2.92 per cent of valid votes. Sisi won 21,835,378 votes, while Moussa won 656,534 votes, he added. About 60 million people were eligible to vote in the election which was held in 13,687 polling stations across the country and under the supervision of 18,678 judges from various judicial bodies and authorities. Sisi, the then army chief, overthrew Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013 following mass protests against his rule. Morsi was Egypt's first democratically elected president following the 2011 overthrow of longtime president Hosni Mubarak during the Arab Spring uprisings. Sisi was elected for a four-year presidential term in 2014. The first presidential term of 63-year-old Field Marshal will officially end on June 7. Last week, Sisi posted photos of voters participating in the polls and praised them on facebook for the huge turnout. "The voice of the masses of Egyptians will remain a witness - no doubt - that the will of our nation is prevailing with a force that does not know weakness," Sisi had said. "The scenes of the Egyptians outside the polling stations will remain a matter of honour and pride for me and hard evidence of the greatness of our nation," he added.

Egypt's President Sisi re-elected with 97.08% of valid votes

Egyptian authorities pressed for a high turnout on Tuesday on the second day of a presidential election designed to give President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi a sweeping victory against no real competition in a contest dismissed by critics as sham.

In an effort to dispel voter apathy, the state news agency reminded Egyptians that voting is mandatory by law and those who do not, face a fine of 500 pounds ($28) or less - a sanction that in previous elections has not been enforced rigorously.

Sisi says he is seeking a second term to repair the economic damage from years of political turmoil, defeat Islamist insurgents and revive Egypt's role as a pre-eminent Arab power.

Sisi's only opponent is an obscure politician loyal to Sisi. More serious challengers were forced to step down and several opposition politicians called for a boycott of the vote, saying repression had removed credible challengers.

But authorities hope that over three days it can mobilise a strong turnout. The president still has many admirers, although austerity measures in recent years and a fierce crackdown on Islamists, secularists and liberals have reduced that support.

Brigadier General Ali Hareedi, head of the government's central elections operations room, said that the first day of voting produced a high turnout "which proves the Egyptian people’s awareness". He gave no figure.

Pro-Sisi media described ballot centres flooded with voters.

"Millions of voters gather in front of polling stations... and rejoice in every square," ran a headline in the newspaper Al-Akhbar.

Two sources monitoring the election, including one from the National Election Commission, said about 13.5 percent of 59 million eligible voters cast ballots on Monday. If that rate is repeated on Tuesday and Wednesday, the turnout would be 40 percent.

At a polling station in Fayoum, a bastion of Islamist support 100 km (60 miles) south of Cairo, an election official reckoned the turnout at 25 percent, only to be quickly corrected by an army officer who said "over 50".

One woman, a 55-year-old civil servant, said she voted partly because her employer encouraged her to, but also because "there’s security now, it’s not like Iraq, Syria or Yemen".

Her husband did not vote though. "He's not happy about the economy, we hope it will improve but God only knows. Not everyone is voting because not everyone is convinced (by Sisi)".

Sisi, who in 2013 led the military overthrow of Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, took 47 percent of the vote when he was first elected, in 2014.

Political risk consultancy Eurasia Group said if the government failed to mobilize voters and publicly admitted turnout of below 40 percent, "Sisi would come out of the elections weakened and more vulnerable to domestic pressure."

That seems unlikely, the consultants said, but the pace of voting appeared leisurely, according to Reuters reporters.

The election aroused little interest in Cairo's working-class districts. And at three voting centres in middle-class Dokki, no queues formed and only a handful of people trickled in to vote, about one every five minutes.

Most people voting for Sisi defended his economic policies and lack of democratic life. The blamed their woes on the Brotherhood, saying it had created instability that led to the flight of tourists and investment, and high inflation.

Saeed Mohieddine, 67, a retired employee, said: "I voted for Sisi for the achievements he made. He crushed terrorism, built new cities and started new development projects.

"Inflation started six years ago during the Brotherhood days, Sisi didn't find anybody to stand against him," he said. "Not everything can be done at once. The country needs to get going," he said in reply to critics accusing Sisi of autocracy.

Ahmed Adel, a 50-year-old stock broker, said he voted for Sisi because he had brought stability and security.

"I can now walk in the street feeling secure," he said.

Only two people at polling centres hesitated to say whom they voted for as security men kept a close watch.

The election commission has said the vote would be free and fair, and Sisi said he would have liked more candidates running.

Sisi has said he will not seek a third term, but critics expect him to remove a two-presidential term limit.

At a polling station in the Nile city of Beni Suef south of Cairo, a judge said 471 voters out of the registered 3,592 cast their votes on Monday. That number rose to 510 voters by 10 a.m. (0800 GMT) on Tuesday.

Faten Othman, 40, a teacher, said she'd spoiled her vote. "Nothing good has been done," she said. "(There are) high prices ... and whoever speaks goes to jail."

But a religious cleric in Beni Suef, Mohammed Abdul Sattar, said people should support Sisi. "Participating in the elections is a religious duty and a duty imposed on every man - whoever doesn't vote or participate is a sinner," he said.

Sisi says he is seeking a second term to repair the economic damage from years of political turmoil, defeat Islamist insurgents and revive Egypt's role as a pre-eminent Arab power

Egyptian authorities pressed for a high turnout on Tuesday on the second day of a presidential election designed to give President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi a sweeping victory against no real competition in a contest dismissed by critics as sham. In an effort to dispel voter apathy, the state news agency reminded Egyptians that voting is mandatory by law and those who do not, face a fine of 500 pounds ($28) or less - a sanction that in previous elections has not been enforced rigorously. Sisi says he is seeking a second term to repair the economic damage from years of political turmoil, defeat Islamist insurgents and revive Egypt's role as a pre-eminent Arab power. Sisi's only opponent is an obscure politician loyal to Sisi. More serious challengers were forced to step down and several opposition politicians called for a boycott of the vote, saying repression had removed credible challengers. But authorities hope that over three days it can mobilise a strong turnout. The president still has many admirers, although austerity measures in recent years and a fierce crackdown on Islamists, secularists and liberals have reduced that support. Brigadier General Ali Hareedi, head of the government's central elections operations room, said that the first day of voting produced a high turnout "which proves the Egyptian people’s awareness". He gave no figure. Pro-Sisi media described ballot centres flooded with voters. "Millions of voters gather in front of polling stations... and rejoice in every square," ran a headline in the newspaper Al-Akhbar. Two sources monitoring the election, including one from the National Election Commission, said about 13.5 percent of 59 million eligible voters cast ballots on Monday. If that rate is repeated on Tuesday and Wednesday, the turnout would be 40 percent. At a polling station in Fayoum, a bastion of Islamist support 100 km (60 miles) south of Cairo, an election official reckoned the turnout at 25 percent, only to be quickly corrected by an army officer who said "over 50". One woman, a 55-year-old civil servant, said she voted partly because her employer encouraged her to, but also because "there’s security now, it’s not like Iraq, Syria or Yemen". Her husband did not vote though. "He's not happy about the economy, we hope it will improve but God only knows. Not everyone is voting because not everyone is convinced (by Sisi)". Sisi, who in 2013 led the military overthrow of Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, took 47 percent of the vote when he was first elected, in 2014. Political risk consultancy Eurasia Group said if the government failed to mobilize voters and publicly admitted turnout of below 40 percent, "Sisi would come out of the elections weakened and more vulnerable to domestic pressure." That seems unlikely, the consultants said, but the pace of voting appeared leisurely, according to Reuters reporters. The election aroused little interest in Cairo's working-class districts. And at three voting centres in middle-class Dokki, no queues formed and only a handful of people trickled in to vote, about one every five minutes. Most people voting for Sisi defended his economic policies and lack of democratic life. The blamed their woes on the Brotherhood, saying it had created instability that led to the flight of tourists and investment, and high inflation. Saeed Mohieddine, 67, a retired employee, said: "I voted for Sisi for the achievements he made. He crushed terrorism, built new cities and started new development projects. "Inflation started six years ago during the Brotherhood days, Sisi didn't find anybody to stand against him," he said. "Not everything can be done at once. The country needs to get going," he said in reply to critics accusing Sisi of autocracy. Ahmed Adel, a 50-year-old stock broker, said he voted for Sisi because he had brought stability and security. "I can now walk in the street feeling secure," he said. Only two people at polling centres hesitated to say whom they voted for as security men kept a close watch. The election commission has said the vote would be free and fair, and Sisi said he would have liked more candidates running. Sisi has said he will not seek a third term, but critics expect him to remove a two-presidential term limit. At a polling station in the Nile city of Beni Suef south of Cairo, a judge said 471 voters out of the registered 3,592 cast their votes on Monday. That number rose to 510 voters by 10 a.m. (0800 GMT) on Tuesday. Faten Othman, 40, a teacher, said she'd spoiled her vote. "Nothing good has been done," she said. "(There are) high prices ... and whoever speaks goes to jail." But a religious cleric in Beni Suef, Mohammed Abdul Sattar, said people should support Sisi. "Participating in the elections is a religious duty and a duty imposed on every man - whoever doesn't vote or participate is a sinner," he said.

Amid slow voting, Egypt's Sisi cruises towards victory

Six terrorists were killed in Egypt today in a shootout with security forces, the government said.

The ministry of interior said in a statement that security forces discovered a terrorist spot in a residential apartment in Behira governorate in a fire exchange, earlier on Sunday.

The anti-terror police raid came hours before Egypt's 2018 presidential election kicks off on Monday morning, in which incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is expected to easily win a second four-year term.

The interior ministry said the terrorist cell in Beheira was involved in Saturday's car bomb attack in the nearby coastal province of Alexandria that killed two policemen and wounded at least four others.

The statement pointed out that the six terrorists belonged to the Hasm militant group which emerged late 2016 and is seen by the police as the armed wing of the currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

The anti-terror police raid came hours before Egypt's 2018 presidential election kicks off on Monday morning

Six terrorists were killed in Egypt today in a shootout with security forces, the government said. The ministry of interior said in a statement that security forces discovered a terrorist spot in a residential apartment in Behira governorate in a fire exchange, earlier on Sunday. The anti-terror police raid came hours before Egypt's 2018 presidential election kicks off on Monday morning, in which incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is expected to easily win a second four-year term. The interior ministry said the terrorist cell in Beheira was involved in Saturday's car bomb attack in the nearby coastal province of Alexandria that killed two policemen and wounded at least four others. The statement pointed out that the six terrorists belonged to the Hasm militant group which emerged late 2016 and is seen by the police as the armed wing of the currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

Egypt's police kill 6 terrorists on election evening

A car bomb exploded in Egypt`s second city Alexandria on Saturday, killing two people including a policeman and wounding four others, the interior ministry said.

MENA quoted Nemr as saying that two people, a policeman and a driver, were killed in the blast.

According to initial reports by the Ministry of Health, in addition, there were various damages to surrounding buildings and cars.&nbsp;

As per reports, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said in a statement that the explosion targeted the head of Alexandria security directorate.

Eyewitnesses said police and military personnel had formed a perimeter around the site of the explosion, which took place two days before the country is due to hold a presidential election.

Further details are awaited.&nbsp;

As per reports, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said in a statement that the explosion targeted the head of Alexandria security directorate

A car bomb exploded in Egypt`s second city Alexandria on Saturday, killing two people including a policeman and wounding four others, the interior ministry said. MENA quoted Nemr as saying that two people, a policeman and a driver, were killed in the blast. According to initial reports by the Ministry of Health, in addition, there were various damages to surrounding buildings and cars. As per reports, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said in a statement that the explosion targeted the head of Alexandria security directorate. Eyewitnesses said police and military personnel had formed a perimeter around the site of the explosion, which took place two days before the country is due to hold a presidential election. Further details are awaited.

Car bomb explodes in Egypt's Alexandria, two killed

Cristiano Ronaldo hit two goals in stoppage time as European champions Portugal defeated Egypt 2-1 in a friendly international on Friday, winning his personal duel with Mohamed Salah who had put the seven-time African champions ahead.

Ronaldo, appearing in his 900th career match, made his mark to devastating effect as time ran out.

First, he pulled his team level with a header from a Ricardo Quaresma cross, before adding the winner in almost identical circumstances in the fourth minute of injury time.

However, the 33-year-old Real Madrid star had to wait for the VAR system to validate his goal after a suspicion of offside. His two-goal salvo took his Portugal tally to 81.&nbsp;

Earlier, Salah, who has shone at Liverpool this season with 28 Premier League goals, broke the deadlock in Zurich after 56 minutes.

After a quickfire exchange of passes, Abdallah El Said found Salah in space for his teammate to beat Beto in the Portuguese goal with a sweetly-timed left-foot strike from the edge of the area.

&quot;In the last minutes we were better, created four chances and showed great determination to turn it around. They showed that they did not want to lose,&quot; said Portugal coach Fernando Santos.&nbsp;

&quot;And with Ronaldo, it&#39;s about a goal and another goal.&quot;

Ronaldo had two first-half chances blocked as he tried to continue his impressive recent form which had seen him score 18 goals in his last nine La Liga games, including registering a 50th hat-trick.&nbsp;

Salah was replaced late in the game by Shikabala and Portugal sensed a chance to grab a share of the spoils.

Quaresma, meanwhile, saw a 72nd minute attempt saved by Mohamed El-Shenawy in the Egypt goal while Bruno Alves saw a close-range header from a corner drift wide of the goal.

Shikabala had a fierce shot saved by Beto diving high to his right before Alves&#39;s frustrations boiled over late in the game with a yellow card.

But with time running out, Ronaldo had the final say as the five-time Ballon d&#39;Or winner moved into third place on the all-time list of international goal scorers.

Legendary Hungarian striker Ferenc Puskas scored 84 goals while Iran&#39;s Ali Daei leads the list with 109 goals in 149 internationals.

Egypt, back at a World Cup for the first time since 1990, will play in Group A at the finals this summer with hosts Russia, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.

Portugal are in Group B and will face Spain, Morocco and Iran.

Cristiano Ronaldo hit two goals in stoppage time as European champions Portugal defeated Egypt 2-1 in a friendly international on Friday, winning his personal duel with Mohamed Salah who had put the seven-time African champions ahead

Cristiano Ronaldo hit two goals in stoppage time as European champions Portugal defeated Egypt 2-1 in a friendly international on Friday, winning his personal duel with Mohamed Salah who had put the seven-time African champions ahead. Ronaldo, appearing in his 900th career match, made his mark to devastating effect as time ran out. First, he pulled his team level with a header from a Ricardo Quaresma cross, before adding the winner in almost identical circumstances in the fourth minute of injury time. However, the 33-year-old Real Madrid star had to wait for the VAR system to validate his goal after a suspicion of offside. His two-goal salvo took his Portugal tally to 81. Earlier, Salah, who has shone at Liverpool this season with 28 Premier League goals, broke the deadlock in Zurich after 56 minutes. After a quickfire exchange of passes, Abdallah El Said found Salah in space for his teammate to beat Beto in the Portuguese goal with a sweetly-timed left-foot strike from the edge of the area. "In the last minutes we were better, created four chances and showed great determination to turn it around. They showed that they did not want to lose," said Portugal coach Fernando Santos. "And with Ronaldo, it's about a goal and another goal." Ronaldo had two first-half chances blocked as he tried to continue his impressive recent form which had seen him score 18 goals in his last nine La Liga games, including registering a 50th hat-trick. Salah was replaced late in the game by Shikabala and Portugal sensed a chance to grab a share of the spoils. Quaresma, meanwhile, saw a 72nd minute attempt saved by Mohamed El-Shenawy in the Egypt goal while Bruno Alves saw a close-range header from a corner drift wide of the goal. Shikabala had a fierce shot saved by Beto diving high to his right before Alves's frustrations boiled over late in the game with a yellow card. But with time running out, Ronaldo had the final say as the five-time Ballon d'Or winner moved into third place on the all-time list of international goal scorers. Legendary Hungarian striker Ferenc Puskas scored 84 goals while Iran's Ali Daei leads the list with 109 goals in 149 internationals. Egypt, back at a World Cup for the first time since 1990, will play in Group A at the finals this summer with hosts Russia, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. Portugal are in Group B and will face Spain, Morocco and Iran.

Ronaldo's last-gasp two-goal show steals Salah limelight

Donald Trump recently expressed his support for the ongoing terror-war in Egypt. According to reports, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi received a phone call from his US counterpart Donald on Sunday.

The two leaders discussed regional issues and relevant developments, especially in connection to the deteriorating regional situation in the country.

In addition to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Middle Eastern countries like Yemen, Syria, Libya and Iraq also grapple with ongoing crises.&nbsp;

The Egypt-US ties witnessed improvements after President Donald Trump assumed office. However, the country rejects Trump&#39;s move to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to relocate Washington&#39;s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv.

Egypt identifies as a US ally; the country receives an annual military aid of $1.3 billion from Washington. The two countries signed the 1979 US-sponsored peace treaty.&nbsp;

Egypt identifies as a US ally; the country receives an annual military aid of $1.3 billion from Washington

Donald Trump recently expressed his support for the ongoing terror-war in Egypt. According to reports, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi received a phone call from his US counterpart Donald on Sunday. The two leaders discussed regional issues and relevant developments, especially in connection to the deteriorating regional situation in the country. In addition to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Middle Eastern countries like Yemen, Syria, Libya and Iraq also grapple with ongoing crises. The Egypt-US ties witnessed improvements after President Donald Trump assumed office. However, the country rejects Trump's move to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to relocate Washington's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv. Egypt identifies as a US ally; the country receives an annual military aid of $1.3 billion from Washington. The two countries signed the 1979 US-sponsored peace treaty.

Trump reiterates US support for Egypt in a telephone call to President Sisi

Experts have discovered the world oldest tattoos on nearly 5,000-year-old Egyptian mummies. While one of the figures bears illustrations of a wild bull and a Barbary sheep on the upper arm, the other one was found with S-shaped motifs on the upper arm and on the shoulder.

The Journal of Archaeological Science has published a detailed account of the tattoos that were found on the mummies. The mummies were first discovered close to 100 years ago.&nbsp;

&quot;Dating to between 3351 to 3017 BC, tattoos of animals and motifs have been discovered on two naturally mummified bodies from Egypt. Using infrared technology, figural tattoos of a wild bull and a sheep were identified on the upper arm of a male mummy, while linear and S-shaped motifs have been identified on the upper arm and shoulder of a female mummy; these are the oldest tattoos ever found on a female individual,&quot; read a blog on British Museum&#39;s official website.&nbsp;

Experts believe that the finding has cast more light on the art of preserving human corpse in ancient times as well as the practice of body art and tattooing in Africa.&nbsp;

&quot;These finds demonstrate conclusively that tattooing was practised during Egypt&rsquo;s Predynastic period (c. 4000&ndash;3100 BC) by both men and women. As the oldest known tattooed figural motifs, they add to our understanding of the range of potential uses of tattoos at the dawn of ancient Egyptian civilisation and expand our view of the practice of tattooing in prehistoric times,&quot; read the blog.&nbsp;

Experts believe that the finding has cast more light on the art of preserving human corpse in ancient times

Experts have discovered the world oldest tattoos on nearly 5,000-year-old Egyptian mummies. While one of the figures bears illustrations of a wild bull and a Barbary sheep on the upper arm, the other one was found with S-shaped motifs on the upper arm and on the shoulder. The Journal of Archaeological Science has published a detailed account of the tattoos that were found on the mummies. The mummies were first discovered close to 100 years ago. "Dating to between 3351 to 3017 BC, tattoos of animals and motifs have been discovered on two naturally mummified bodies from Egypt. Using infrared technology, figural tattoos of a wild bull and a sheep were identified on the upper arm of a male mummy, while linear and S-shaped motifs have been identified on the upper arm and shoulder of a female mummy; these are the oldest tattoos ever found on a female individual," read a blog on British Museum's official website. Experts believe that the finding has cast more light on the art of preserving human corpse in ancient times as well as the practice of body art and tattooing in Africa. "These finds demonstrate conclusively that tattooing was practised during Egypt’s Predynastic period (c. 4000–3100 BC) by both men and women. As the oldest known tattooed figural motifs, they add to our understanding of the range of potential uses of tattoos at the dawn of ancient Egyptian civilisation and expand our view of the practice of tattooing in prehistoric times," read the blog.

Experts discover world's oldest tattoos on 5000-year-old Egyptian mummies

At least 15 people were killed in train collision in northern Egypt, the health ministry said.&nbsp;

Another 40 people were hurt in the collision between a freight train and a passenger train in Beheira province, it said in a statement.

Egyptians have long complained that successive governments have failed to enforce basic safety measures for the railways. A string of crashes have further inflamed public anger over the antiquated transport network.

Footage aired by state television showed at least two carriages had derailed in a rural stretch of land. Civilians and medics were seen removing injured passengers and carrying them to ambulances.

Health ministry official Alaa Othman told state television &quot;all the wounded and dead have been removed from the scene of the accident&quot;.

The cause of Wednesday&#39;s crash was not immediately clear. Prime Minister Sherif Ismail ordered Transport Minister Hesham Arafat to visit the scene and take action as details of the causes of the accident emerge, a cabinet statement said.

The cause of Wednesday&#39;s crash was not immediately clear. Prime Minister Sherif Ismail ordered Transport Minister Hesham Arafat to visit the scene and take action as details of the causes of the accident emerge, a cabinet statement said.

The crash comes months after 41 people died in a train collision near the coastal city of Alexandria last August.

At least 15 people were killed in train collision in northern Egypt, the health ministry said. Another 40 people were hurt in the collision between a freight train and a passenger train in Beheira province, it said in a statement. Egyptians have long complained that successive governments have failed to enforce basic safety measures for the railways. A string of crashes have further inflamed public anger over the antiquated transport network. Footage aired by state television showed at least two carriages had derailed in a rural stretch of land. Civilians and medics were seen removing injured passengers and carrying them to ambulances. Health ministry official Alaa Othman told state television "all the wounded and dead have been removed from the scene of the accident". The cause of Wednesday's crash was not immediately clear. Prime Minister Sherif Ismail ordered Transport Minister Hesham Arafat to visit the scene and take action as details of the causes of the accident emerge, a cabinet statement said. The cause of Wednesday's crash was not immediately clear. Prime Minister Sherif Ismail ordered Transport Minister Hesham Arafat to visit the scene and take action as details of the causes of the accident emerge, a cabinet statement said. The crash comes months after 41 people died in a train collision near the coastal city of Alexandria last August.

At least 10 killed in train collision in Egypt

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