<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>By Tridivesh Singh Maini &amp;&nbsp;Sandeep Sachdeva*</p>

<p><strong>How should New Delhi react to Doha&rsquo;s isolation?&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>On June 5, 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and the Maldives suspended all diplomatic ties with Qatar, stating that the country was fomenting, extremism and radicalism. The Saudi Arabian state run press agency said &quot;Qatar is harboring a multitude of terrorist and sectarian groups that aim to create instability in the region&quot;. Doha was of course quick to deny all such allegations. Significantly, the move came exactly two weeks after US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s visit to Saudi Arabia.</p>

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<h5>While Saudi Arabia and other countries accused Qatar of supporting extremist terrorist &nbsp;organizations like Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, Daesh, Al Qaeda and Hamas.</h5>
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<p>The Saudi Kingdom and other GCC countries, not only created a blockade like situation, by closing the border and denying air and sea route to Qatar, but also urged &quot;all brotherly countries and companies to do the same&quot;.</p>

<p>While Saudi Arabia and other countries accused Qatar of supporting extremist terrorist &nbsp;organisations, such as&nbsp;Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, Daesh, Al Qaeda and Hamas. While most analysts point to external factors for the decision to sideline Qatar, it is also a result of rivalry between the Saudis and Qatar. The former has thought of itself for long as the undisputed leader of the Islamic World, while off late Qatar by taking an independent foreign policy stance, while also differing on a number of foreign policy issues has sought to distinguish itself. Significantly, the Taliban had set up an office in Afghanistan, which was later shut down. Qatar has also sought to play a role in reconciliation taks between Taliban and Afghanistan.</p>

<p>On June 14, 2017, Mutlaq al-Qahtani, a senior counterterrorism adviser to Qatar&rsquo;s foreign minister said &ldquo;Qatar hosted the Taliban reconciliation talks with the Afghan government on the request from the United States but now U.S. President Donald Trump along with a number of Arab regimes has accused Doha of supporting extremist groups,&rdquo; &nbsp;Apart from this, Doha has also maintained a manageable relationship with Iran.</p>

<p><strong>What has been the role of major powers in this issue?</strong></p>

<p>All major powers are taking sides in accordance with their interests. The US, seems to be fueling tension in the region instead of diffusing it. On the very first day, the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson gave a statement on Monday while on a state visit in Australia, urging the Gulf states to stay united. However, Tillerson&rsquo;s assurances came under doubt after Presidents Trump sided with Saudis, and lambasted Qatar for fomenting terror stating, &ldquo;The time had come to call on Qatar to end it&rsquo;s funding&hellip;&hellip;and it&rsquo;s extremist ideology&rdquo;. Later, US President Donald Trump realised that Qatar hosts the biggest US military Base in the region, and spoke over telephone with Qatar&#39;s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, expressing readiness to participate in the efforts to resolve the crisis in the GCC. More recently, the US not only finalised arm deal of worth 12 billion US dollars but also sent US Navy vessels to Doha to take part in a joint military exercise with the Qatari Emiri Navy.</p>

<p>Turkey&#39;s parliament has approved a legislation allowing its troops to be deployed to a Turkish military base in Qatar.</p>

<p>Though Russia has taken a neutral position from the start of the conflict, it sympathises with Qatar rather than with Saudi Arabia and its allies, because the investment authority of Qatar has made significant investments in different sectors, during difficult economic time.</p>

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<h5>Sushma Swaraj categorically stated that, &ldquo;There is no challenge arising out of this for us. This is an internal matter of GCC (Gulf Coordination Council). Our only concern is about Indians there. We are trying to find out if any Indians are stuck there.</h5>
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<p><strong>Indian stake in Qatar&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>More than 650,000 Indians are living in Qatar. Almost half of the Indians (3,00000) are from Kerala. Kerala CM &nbsp;Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to the central government and sought its intervention for ensuring the safety of these Indians.India&rsquo;s Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj categorically stated that, &ldquo;There is no challenge arising out of this for us. This is an internal matter of GCC (Gulf Coordination Council). Our only concern is about Indians there. We are trying to find out if any Indians are stuck there.&quot;</p>

<p>It is estimated, that expats from Arab nations, send back remittance of well over 60 billion US dollars to India annually. A large number of these resident are in Qatar, on contract to work for the FIFA World Cup, to be hosted by the country in 2022. If one were to look beyond remittances and the diaspora factor, India has strong economic connections with Qatar in the economic sphere. They include:</p>

<p><strong>Energy</strong></p>

<p>Qatar has the world&#39;s third-largest gas reserves after Russia and Iran,&nbsp;and is the largest supplier of LNG to India, accounting for 66 per cent of the total imports in 2015-16. It is worth noting that last year India renegotiated the gas price formula and saved around 20000 crore rupees.</p>

<p><strong>Investment</strong></p>

<p>Qatar has a sovereign wealth fund of around 300 billion US dollars, which is managed by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). It has significant investments in India across the board such as Qatar Foundation Endowment picked up 5 per cent&nbsp;stake in Bharti Airtel &nbsp;with an investment of US$ 1.26 billion in July 2013. In July 2013, Qatar Investment Authority decided to invest US$300 million in India&rsquo;s real estate sector. QIA invested US$ 150 million in India&rsquo;s e-commerce major Flipkart. At the same time, Indian companies have invested US$ 100 million in different joint ventures across the different sectors. Qatar Airways and QIA are planning to invest in Airlines sector of India. India has been engaging with QIA and other state-owned and private entities in Qatar to draw investment for PM Modi&rsquo;s flagship program &lsquo;Make in India&rsquo;.</p>

<p><strong>Trade</strong></p>

<p>According to the Indian embassy in Doha, &ldquo;The bilateral trade had touched nearly US$17 billion in 2013-14, with India&#39;s exports amounting to nearly US$1.0 billion.&rdquo; India mainly exports iron or steel, plastic &amp; articles thereof, construction material, electrical and electronic items, textiles, chemicals, precious stones, rubber, spices and cereals to Qatar.</p>

<p>Apart from it, Qatar hosts many Indian companies. There are a total of 26, 100 per cent&nbsp;Indian owned companies working in Qatar in various fields such as infrastructure, contracting, information technology, gold trade, and food items trade. Nearly 6,500 Qatari-Indian companies in joint venture partnerships are working practically in all fields in the country. Many Indian companies such as L&amp;T, Dodsal, Punj Lloyd, Shapoorji Pallonji, Voltas, Tata motors, Simplex, TCS, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, Aptech and NIIT have set up offices in Qatar and have secured major contracts/business.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>New Delhi needs to look at the isolation of Qatar as an opportunity in the long run, which it should seek to leverage for economic and strategic purposes.</h5>
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<p><strong>Indian strategy</strong></p>

<p>New Delhi needs to take care of its national interests as other countries are doing. While in the short run, India could face significant economic challenges, with lay offs of sections of Indian workers being a significant possibility. Yet, New Delhi needs to think out of the box, and ensure that its relationship with Qatar is not viewed from the prism of Saudi Arabia and other countries. New Delhi needs to look at the isolation of Qatar as an opportunity in the long run, which it should seek to leverage for economic and strategic purposes.</p>

<p>*Sandeep Sachdeva is an Independent Policy Analyst.</p>


New Delhi needs to look at the isolation of Qatar as an opportunity in the long run

By Tridivesh Singh Maini & Sandeep Sachdeva* How should New Delhi react to Doha’s isolation? On June 5, 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and the Maldives suspended all diplomatic ties with Qatar, stating that the country was fomenting, extremism and radicalism. The Saudi Arabian state run press agency said "Qatar is harboring a multitude of terrorist and sectarian groups that aim to create instability in the region". Doha was of course quick to deny all such allegations. Significantly, the move came exactly two weeks after US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia. While Saudi Arabia and other countries accused Qatar of supporting extremist terrorist organizations like Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, Daesh, Al Qaeda and Hamas. × The Saudi Kingdom and other GCC countries, not only created a blockade like situation, by closing the border and denying air and sea route to Qatar, but also urged "all brotherly countries and companies to do the same". While Saudi Arabia and other countries accused Qatar of supporting extremist terrorist organisations, such as Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, Daesh, Al Qaeda and Hamas. While most analysts point to external factors for the decision to sideline Qatar, it is also a result of rivalry between the Saudis and Qatar. The former has thought of itself for long as the undisputed leader of the Islamic World, while off late Qatar by taking an independent foreign policy stance, while also differing on a number of foreign policy issues has sought to distinguish itself. Significantly, the Taliban had set up an office in Afghanistan, which was later shut down. Qatar has also sought to play a role in reconciliation taks between Taliban and Afghanistan. On June 14, 2017, Mutlaq al-Qahtani, a senior counterterrorism adviser to Qatar’s foreign minister said “Qatar hosted the Taliban reconciliation talks with the Afghan government on the request from the United States but now U.S. President Donald Trump along with a number of Arab regimes has accused Doha of supporting extremist groups,” Apart from this, Doha has also maintained a manageable relationship with Iran. What has been the role of major powers in this issue? All major powers are taking sides in accordance with their interests. The US, seems to be fueling tension in the region instead of diffusing it. On the very first day, the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson gave a statement on Monday while on a state visit in Australia, urging the Gulf states to stay united. However, Tillerson’s assurances came under doubt after Presidents Trump sided with Saudis, and lambasted Qatar for fomenting terror stating, “The time had come to call on Qatar to end it’s funding……and it’s extremist ideology”. Later, US President Donald Trump realised that Qatar hosts the biggest US military Base in the region, and spoke over telephone with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, expressing readiness to participate in the efforts to resolve the crisis in the GCC. More recently, the US not only finalised arm deal of worth 12 billion US dollars but also sent US Navy vessels to Doha to take part in a joint military exercise with the Qatari Emiri Navy. Turkey's parliament has approved a legislation allowing its troops to be deployed to a Turkish military base in Qatar. Though Russia has taken a neutral position from the start of the conflict, it sympathises with Qatar rather than with Saudi Arabia and its allies, because the investment authority of Qatar has made significant investments in different sectors, during difficult economic time. Sushma Swaraj categorically stated that, “There is no challenge arising out of this for us. This is an internal matter of GCC (Gulf Coordination Council). Our only concern is about Indians there. We are trying to find out if any Indians are stuck there. × Indian stake in Qatar More than 650,000 Indians are living in Qatar. Almost half of the Indians (3,00000) are from Kerala. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to the central government and sought its intervention for ensuring the safety of these Indians.India’s Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj categorically stated that, “There is no challenge arising out of this for us. This is an internal matter of GCC (Gulf Coordination Council). Our only concern is about Indians there. We are trying to find out if any Indians are stuck there." It is estimated, that expats from Arab nations, send back remittance of well over 60 billion US dollars to India annually. A large number of these resident are in Qatar, on contract to work for the FIFA World Cup, to be hosted by the country in 2022. If one were to look beyond remittances and the diaspora factor, India has strong economic connections with Qatar in the economic sphere. They include: Energy Qatar has the world's third-largest gas reserves after Russia and Iran, and is the largest supplier of LNG to India, accounting for 66 per cent of the total imports in 2015-16. It is worth noting that last year India renegotiated the gas price formula and saved around 20000 crore rupees. Investment Qatar has a sovereign wealth fund of around 300 billion US dollars, which is managed by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). It has significant investments in India across the board such as Qatar Foundation Endowment picked up 5 per cent stake in Bharti Airtel with an investment of US$ 1.26 billion in July 2013. In July 2013, Qatar Investment Authority decided to invest US$300 million in India’s real estate sector. QIA invested US$ 150 million in India’s e-commerce major Flipkart. At the same time, Indian companies have invested US$ 100 million in different joint ventures across the different sectors. Qatar Airways and QIA are planning to invest in Airlines sector of India. India has been engaging with QIA and other state-owned and private entities in Qatar to draw investment for PM Modi’s flagship program ‘Make in India’. Trade According to the Indian embassy in Doha, “The bilateral trade had touched nearly US$17 billion in 2013-14, with India's exports amounting to nearly US$1.0 billion.” India mainly exports iron or steel, plastic & articles thereof, construction material, electrical and electronic items, textiles, chemicals, precious stones, rubber, spices and cereals to Qatar. Apart from it, Qatar hosts many Indian companies. There are a total of 26, 100 per cent Indian owned companies working in Qatar in various fields such as infrastructure, contracting, information technology, gold trade, and food items trade. Nearly 6,500 Qatari-Indian companies in joint venture partnerships are working practically in all fields in the country. Many Indian companies such as L&T, Dodsal, Punj Lloyd, Shapoorji Pallonji, Voltas, Tata motors, Simplex, TCS, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, Aptech and NIIT have set up offices in Qatar and have secured major contracts/business. New Delhi needs to look at the isolation of Qatar as an opportunity in the long run, which it should seek to leverage for economic and strategic purposes. × Indian strategy New Delhi needs to take care of its national interests as other countries are doing. While in the short run, India could face significant economic challenges, with lay offs of sections of Indian workers being a significant possibility. Yet, New Delhi needs to think out of the box, and ensure that its relationship with Qatar is not viewed from the prism of Saudi Arabia and other countries. New Delhi needs to look at the isolation of Qatar as an opportunity in the long run, which it should seek to leverage for economic and strategic purposes. *Sandeep Sachdeva is an Independent Policy Analyst.

Deserted by neighbours, Qatar is still a big hope for India

<p>Conditions are so dire in President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi&#39;s Egypt that anyone could beat him in next year&#39;s presidential election if the vote is held fairly, the highest-profile potential challenger told Reuters.</p>

<p>Khaled Ali, 45, has not formally announced if he will oppose the general-turned-president in 2018 but has indicated he intends to. He is waiting to find out if he will go to prison.</p>

<p>The human rights and labour lawyer went on trial last week on public indecency charges that carry up to two years in prison. If convicted, even with a fine, he will be barred from running.</p>

<p>&quot;If we had fair elections, anyone could defeat Sisi,&quot; Ali said in a Reuters interview.</p>

<p>Worsening economic conditions, deteriorating security and a crackdown on political freedoms all mean Sisi is losing popularity, he said.</p>

<p>Sisi came to power in 2014, a year after he led the military in ousting elected but unpopular Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. He is expected to run again in 2018.</p>

<p>Ali says he&#39;s prepared to address the country&#39;s issues but thinks it is unlikely security forces will allow his potential candidacy a fair shot.</p>

<p>&quot;Society needs to have an experience of resistance. If we keep not resisting, they will stay in control,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Ali gained prominence in January when he won a case that nullified a government transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, a deal that had prompted mass protests.</p>

<p>He sees the case as having swayed the opinion of many once stalwart Sisi supporters, who oppose ceding sovereign territory.</p>

<p>&quot;Sisi came to power on the basis that he is the army strong-man who will protect the country and he is giving up land Egypt went to war with Israel for,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The socialist ran for president in 2012 and came seventh. He was the youngest candidate, having turned 40, the minimum age required to run.</p>

<p>He now leads the leftwing Bread and Freedom Party, eight of whose members have been arrested since April on charges including &quot;misusing social media to incite against the state&quot; and insulting the president.</p>

<p>Ali believes the arrests and case against him - which alleges he made an obscene hand gesture on the steps of a Cairo courthouse after winning the islands case - are punishment for his work on that case and his intention to challenge Sisi.</p>

<p>&quot;The regime is trying to make even caring about politics scary. They are trying to make it come with a high price.&quot;</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Khaled Ali, 45, has not formally announced if he will oppose the general-turned-president in 2018 but has indicated he intends to

Conditions are so dire in President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's Egypt that anyone could beat him in next year's presidential election if the vote is held fairly, the highest-profile potential challenger told Reuters. Khaled Ali, 45, has not formally announced if he will oppose the general-turned-president in 2018 but has indicated he intends to. He is waiting to find out if he will go to prison. The human rights and labour lawyer went on trial last week on public indecency charges that carry up to two years in prison. If convicted, even with a fine, he will be barred from running. "If we had fair elections, anyone could defeat Sisi," Ali said in a Reuters interview. Worsening economic conditions, deteriorating security and a crackdown on political freedoms all mean Sisi is losing popularity, he said. Sisi came to power in 2014, a year after he led the military in ousting elected but unpopular Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. He is expected to run again in 2018. Ali says he's prepared to address the country's issues but thinks it is unlikely security forces will allow his potential candidacy a fair shot. "Society needs to have an experience of resistance. If we keep not resisting, they will stay in control," he said. Ali gained prominence in January when he won a case that nullified a government transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, a deal that had prompted mass protests. He sees the case as having swayed the opinion of many once stalwart Sisi supporters, who oppose ceding sovereign territory. "Sisi came to power on the basis that he is the army strong-man who will protect the country and he is giving up land Egypt went to war with Israel for," he said. The socialist ran for president in 2012 and came seventh. He was the youngest candidate, having turned 40, the minimum age required to run. He now leads the leftwing Bread and Freedom Party, eight of whose members have been arrested since April on charges including "misusing social media to incite against the state" and insulting the president. Ali believes the arrests and case against him - which alleges he made an obscene hand gesture on the steps of a Cairo courthouse after winning the islands case - are punishment for his work on that case and his intention to challenge Sisi. "The regime is trying to make even caring about politics scary. They are trying to make it come with a high price." (Reuters)

Anyone could beat Sisi in next year's polls as conditions in Egypt dire: Khaled Ali

<p>The Maldives said on Monday it was severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, following a coordinated move by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-bahrain-egypt-uae-cut-diplomatic-ties-with-qatar-16432">Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, who accused the Gulf state of supporting terrorism.</a></p>

<p>&quot;The Maldives took the decision because of its firm opposition to activities that encourage terrorism and extremism,&quot; the government of the Indian Ocean archipelago nation said in a statement.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-shuts-qatars-al-jazeera-amid-ban-crisis-16464">Also Read:&nbsp;Saudi Arabia shuts Qatar&#39;s Al Jazeera amid </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-shuts-qatars-al-jazeera-amid-ban-crisis-16464">ban</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-shuts-qatars-al-jazeera-amid-ban-crisis-16464"> crisis</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Qatar Airways has cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates today (Others)</p>
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<p>With the crisis escalating, Qatar Airways cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates today&nbsp;until further notice, the airline said on its website, a day after it had suspended flights to Saudi Arabia.</p>

<p>The airline said passengers holding a confirmed Qatar Airways ticket to any of the four countries between June 5 and July 6 are permitted to rebook their flights up to 30 days after their current departure date.</p>

<p>Qatar Airways said its offices will continue to operate as normal in affected countries until further notice.</p>

<p>On Monday, Egypt Air, Fly Dubai and Bahrain&#39;s Gulf Air joined Etihad and Emirates in saying they would suspend all flights to and from Doha.</p>

<p>Gulf Arab states and Egypt have long resented Qatar&#39;s support for Islamists, especially the Muslim Brotherhood which they regard as a dangerous political enemy.</p>

<p>Saudi Arabia&#39;s King Salman had been due to visit the island chain of 400,000 people on a month-long tour of Asia this year, but postponed the trip due to an outbreak of flu there.</p>

<p>The Maldives government said in March a planned multi-billion dollar, Saudi-funded investment project on one of its atolls would focus on high-end tourism, and rejected opposition claims that the islands would be sold to the government of Saudi Arabia.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>

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<p>Saudi Arabia has broken diplomatic relations and all land sea and air contacts with fellow Gulf Arab state Qatar, saying the move was necessary to protect the kingdom from what it described as terrorism and extremism (WION)</p>
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Maldives said it was severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, following a coordinated move by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain

The Maldives said on Monday it was severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, following a coordinated move by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, who accused the Gulf state of supporting terrorism. "The Maldives took the decision because of its firm opposition to activities that encourage terrorism and extremism," the government of the Indian Ocean archipelago nation said in a statement. Also Read: Saudi Arabia shuts Qatar's Al Jazeera amid ban crisis Qatar Airways has cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates today (Others) × With the crisis escalating, Qatar Airways cancelled flights to Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates today until further notice, the airline said on its website, a day after it had suspended flights to Saudi Arabia. The airline said passengers holding a confirmed Qatar Airways ticket to any of the four countries between June 5 and July 6 are permitted to rebook their flights up to 30 days after their current departure date. Qatar Airways said its offices will continue to operate as normal in affected countries until further notice. On Monday, Egypt Air, Fly Dubai and Bahrain's Gulf Air joined Etihad and Emirates in saying they would suspend all flights to and from Doha. Gulf Arab states and Egypt have long resented Qatar's support for Islamists, especially the Muslim Brotherhood which they regard as a dangerous political enemy. Saudi Arabia's King Salman had been due to visit the island chain of 400,000 people on a month-long tour of Asia this year, but postponed the trip due to an outbreak of flu there. The Maldives government said in March a planned multi-billion dollar, Saudi-funded investment project on one of its atolls would focus on high-end tourism, and rejected opposition claims that the islands would be sold to the government of Saudi Arabia. (Reuters) Saudi Arabia has broken diplomatic relations and all land sea and air contacts with fellow Gulf Arab state Qatar, saying the move was necessary to protect the kingdom from what it described as terrorism and extremism (WION) ×

Maldives backs Saudi Arabia, cuts diplomatic ties with Qatar

<p>Abu Dhabi&#39;s Etihad Airways said on Monday it would suspend flights to Qatar after the United Arab Emirates was among major Gulf states to sever ties with Doha in an unprecedented regional crisis.</p>

<p>Etihad said flights would stop on Tuesday, after the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain said they would cut all air, land and sea links with Qatar within 24 hours.</p>

<p>Etihad, which operates four return flights to Doha daily, said the measure will be in place &quot;until further notice&quot;.</p>

<p>Qatar Airways also announced&nbsp;that it has suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia with immediate affect.</p>

<p>&quot;Qatar Airways has suspended all flights to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia&quot; until 1159 GMT the same day, a statement from the Doha-based carrier said.</p>

<p>A spokeswoman added that it was unclear if the suspension would be extended.</p>

<p>Other carriers from the three Gulf countries, including Dubai&#39;s Emirates, are likely to announce similar measures.</p>

<p>The unprecedented measures against Doha include ordering Qatari citizens to leave within 14 days and banning citizens of the three Gulf states from travelling to Qatar.</p>

<p>Doha airport, along with airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, have become major hubs after Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways seized a significant chunk of transcontinental travel on routes linking Western countries with Asia and Australasia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(AFP)<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways said it would suspend flights to Qatar, while Qatar Airways has temporarily stopped its flights heading to Saudi Arabia

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways said on Monday it would suspend flights to Qatar after the United Arab Emirates was among major Gulf states to sever ties with Doha in an unprecedented regional crisis. Etihad said flights would stop on Tuesday, after the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain said they would cut all air, land and sea links with Qatar within 24 hours. Etihad, which operates four return flights to Doha daily, said the measure will be in place "until further notice". Qatar Airways also announced that it has suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia with immediate affect. "Qatar Airways has suspended all flights to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" until 1159 GMT the same day, a statement from the Doha-based carrier said. A spokeswoman added that it was unclear if the suspension would be extended. Other carriers from the three Gulf countries, including Dubai's Emirates, are likely to announce similar measures. The unprecedented measures against Doha include ordering Qatari citizens to leave within 14 days and banning citizens of the three Gulf states from travelling to Qatar. Doha airport, along with airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, have become major hubs after Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways seized a significant chunk of transcontinental travel on routes linking Western countries with Asia and Australasia. (AFP)

Etihad, Qatar Airways suspend flight ops to deepen regional ban rift

<p>An Egyptian human rights lawyer and would-be presidential candidate went on trial on Monday in a case where a guilty verdict would deprive him of the right to stand for election.</p>

<p>A judge in a Cairo court adjourned the trial of Khaled Ali, who is charged with offending public decency, to July 3.</p>

<p>Ali, 45, was detained last week in what rights group Amnesty International said was part of a campaign of intimidation aimed at discouraging participation in the election, due to take place next summer.</p>

<p>He was released on bail 24 hours later.</p>

<p>The charge he faces relates to a photograph in which he appears to make an obscene hand gesture on the steps of a Cairo court house. Ali denies the authenticity of the photo.</p>

<p>He did not attend court on Monday.</p>

<p>If convicted, Ali could face up to two years in prison, a fine of up to 5,000-10,000 Egyptian pounds ($250-$550), or both. He would also be barred from running for the presidency.</p>

<p>Since toppling Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has overseen a crackdown against Islamists and secular opponents in which hundreds have been killed and thousands jailed.</p>

<p>Sisi, 62, says he is a bulwark of stability in a region that has slipped into chaos since the 2011 Arab Spring revolts, prioritising security over civil rights.</p>

<p>He is widely expected to stand for re-election next summer.</p>

<p>Ali gained prominence in January after defending a case against a government plan to transfer two uninhabited Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, a deal that prompted mass protests.</p>

<p>He ran for the presidency in 2012 and came in seventh with more than 100,000 votes in a 13-candidate race. He was the youngest candidate, having just turned 40 at the time, the minimum age required to run.</p>

<p>Ali attracted young leftwing voters but most of his support base at the time chose to boycott the election which was being held under the rule of a transitional military council.</p>

<p>He established his socialist credentials when in 2010 he won a case forcing the government to raise the minimum wage to 1,200 Egyptian pounds ($66.50) per month and later went on to co-found the leftwing Bread and Freedom Party.</p>

<p>Eight party members have been detained since April on charges including &quot;misusing social media to incite against the state&quot; and &quot;insulting the president&quot;, its legal adviser said.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Khaled Ali was charged with offending public decency. Critics say it's an attempt to intimidate him from running for office

An Egyptian human rights lawyer and would-be presidential candidate went on trial on Monday in a case where a guilty verdict would deprive him of the right to stand for election. A judge in a Cairo court adjourned the trial of Khaled Ali, who is charged with offending public decency, to July 3. Ali, 45, was detained last week in what rights group Amnesty International said was part of a campaign of intimidation aimed at discouraging participation in the election, due to take place next summer. He was released on bail 24 hours later. The charge he faces relates to a photograph in which he appears to make an obscene hand gesture on the steps of a Cairo court house. Ali denies the authenticity of the photo. He did not attend court on Monday. If convicted, Ali could face up to two years in prison, a fine of up to 5,000-10,000 Egyptian pounds ($250-$550), or both. He would also be barred from running for the presidency. Since toppling Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has overseen a crackdown against Islamists and secular opponents in which hundreds have been killed and thousands jailed. Sisi, 62, says he is a bulwark of stability in a region that has slipped into chaos since the 2011 Arab Spring revolts, prioritising security over civil rights. He is widely expected to stand for re-election next summer. Ali gained prominence in January after defending a case against a government plan to transfer two uninhabited Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, a deal that prompted mass protests. He ran for the presidency in 2012 and came in seventh with more than 100,000 votes in a 13-candidate race. He was the youngest candidate, having just turned 40 at the time, the minimum age required to run. Ali attracted young leftwing voters but most of his support base at the time chose to boycott the election which was being held under the rule of a transitional military council. He established his socialist credentials when in 2010 he won a case forcing the government to raise the minimum wage to 1,200 Egyptian pounds ($66.50) per month and later went on to co-found the leftwing Bread and Freedom Party. Eight party members have been detained since April on charges including "misusing social media to incite against the state" and "insulting the president", its legal adviser said. (Reuters)

Trial of Egyptian rights lawyer with presidential ambitions starts

<p>Egypt has banned 21 websites, including the main website of Qatar-based al Jazeera television, for &quot;supporting terrorism&quot;, state news agency MENA and security sources said on Wednesday.</p>

<p>Reuters tried to access five websites named by local Egyptian newspapers and broadcasters, including the Al Jazeera website, and found them all inaccessible.</p>

<p>There was no immediate official comment available. An official from the National Telecom Regulatory Authority could not confirm or deny the news, but said: &quot;So what if it is true? It should not be a problem.&quot;</p>

<p>MENA cited a senior security source as saying the websites, which also included some Egypt-focused websites hosted abroad such as Masr Al Arabiya that the government says are financed by Qatar, were blocked because they supported terrorism.</p>

<p>&quot;A senior security source said 21 websites have been blocked inside Egypt for having content that supports terrorism and extremism as well (as) publishing lies,&quot; MENA said.</p>

<p>The security source said legal action would be taken against the websites, MENA reported.</p>

<p>Two security sources told Reuters the websites were blocked for being affiliated with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood or for being funded by Qatar.</p>

<p>Cairo accuses Qatar of supporting the Brotherhood, which was ousted from power in Egypt in 2013 when the military removed elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi following mass protests against his rule.</p>

<p>However, Mada Masr, an Egyptian news website based inside the country which describes itself as progressive and has no Islamist or Qatari affiliations, was also inaccessible on Wednesday.</p>

<p>The Huffington Post&#39;s Arabic website also was inaccessible, although the international version was accessible.</p>

<p>Mada and the Huffington Post were not named by security sources - who said there were 21 websites but named only five - as part of the list of blocked websites.</p>

<p>The block follows similar actions taken earlier on Wednesday by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates who got into a war of words with Qatar and blocked Al Jazeera and other websites.</p>

<p>Qatar said hackers had posted fake remarks by its emir against US&nbsp;foreign policy but the Saudi and UAE state-run media reported the comments anyway.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


The media censorship comes for allegedly 'having content that supports terrorism and extremism as well (as) publishing lies'

Egypt has banned 21 websites, including the main website of Qatar-based al Jazeera television, for "supporting terrorism", state news agency MENA and security sources said on Wednesday. Reuters tried to access five websites named by local Egyptian newspapers and broadcasters, including the Al Jazeera website, and found them all inaccessible. There was no immediate official comment available. An official from the National Telecom Regulatory Authority could not confirm or deny the news, but said: "So what if it is true? It should not be a problem." MENA cited a senior security source as saying the websites, which also included some Egypt-focused websites hosted abroad such as Masr Al Arabiya that the government says are financed by Qatar, were blocked because they supported terrorism. "A senior security source said 21 websites have been blocked inside Egypt for having content that supports terrorism and extremism as well (as) publishing lies," MENA said. The security source said legal action would be taken against the websites, MENA reported. Two security sources told Reuters the websites were blocked for being affiliated with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood or for being funded by Qatar. Cairo accuses Qatar of supporting the Brotherhood, which was ousted from power in Egypt in 2013 when the military removed elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi following mass protests against his rule. However, Mada Masr, an Egyptian news website based inside the country which describes itself as progressive and has no Islamist or Qatari affiliations, was also inaccessible on Wednesday. The Huffington Post's Arabic website also was inaccessible, although the international version was accessible. Mada and the Huffington Post were not named by security sources - who said there were 21 websites but named only five - as part of the list of blocked websites. The block follows similar actions taken earlier on Wednesday by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates who got into a war of words with Qatar and blocked Al Jazeera and other websites. Qatar said hackers had posted fake remarks by its emir against US foreign policy but the Saudi and UAE state-run media reported the comments anyway. (Reuters)

Egypt blocks 21 websites, including Al Jazeera: State news agency

<p>A bomb blast at a church north of Cairo killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens who had gathered for Palm Sunday mass, state media reported, in the latest apparent attack on Egypt&#39;s Coptic Christians.</p>

<p>Some 40 people were wounded in the blast, which struck at a Coptic Church in the Nile Delta City of Tanta, 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Cairo, the reports said.</p>

<p>A medical official at a hospital in Tanta confirmed to AFP that at least 13 people had been killed.</p>

<p>Palm Sunday is one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar, marking the triumphant entrance of Jesus to Jerusalem.</p>

<p>The state-run Nile television channel said the blast struck the Mar Girgis Coptic Church in Tanta just before 10:00 am (0800 GMT).</p>

<p>Provincial governor Ahmad Deif told the channel that at least 42 people were wounded and that the explosion occurred inside the church.</p>

<p>&quot;Either a bomb was planted or someone blew himself up,&quot; Deif said, adding that security forces had searched the church and surrounding areas for additional explosive devices.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Sunday&#39;s blast.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Copts, who make up about one tenth of Egypt&#39;s population of more than 92 million and who celebrate Easter next weekend, have been targeted by several attacks in recent months.</p>

<p>Jihadists and Islamists accuse them of supporting the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which ushered in a deadly crackdown on his supporters.</p>

<p>In December, a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group killed 29 worshippers during Sunday mass in Cairo.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The bombing of the church within a compound that also holds the seat of the Coptic papacy was the deadliest attack against the minority in recent memory.</p>

<p>A spate of jihadist-linked attacks in Egypt&#39;s restive Sinai Peninsula, including the murder of a Copt in the city of El Arish whose house was also burned, have led some Coptic families to flee their homes.</p>

<p>About 250 Christians took refuge in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya after IS released a video in February calling for attacks on the religious minority.</p>

<p>Egypt&#39;s army is waging a counter-insurgency against an IS affiliate in Sinai, which has claimed scores of attacks against police and army positions. &nbsp;</p>

<p>President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who as army chief helped the military to remove Morsi, defended his security forces in a televised address soon afterwards.</p>

<p>&quot;(The attacks aim to) destabilise the fabric of Egypt... to give the impression that one group isn&#39;t protected as it should be,&quot; Sisi said at the time.</p>

<p>Following Morsi&#39;s ouster, mobs attacked dozens of churches and Christian properties.</p>

<p>Pope Francis is due to visit Cairo on April 28-29 to show solidarity with Egypt&#39;s Christian community.</p>

<p>The pontiff will visit the site of the December church attack next to Saint Mark&#39;s Coptic Orthodox&nbsp;Cathedral -- the seat of Coptic Christian Pope Tawadros II.</p>

<p>(AFP)</p>


The blast happened in the Egyptian city of Tanta, north of Cairo

A bomb blast at a church north of Cairo killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens who had gathered for Palm Sunday mass, state media reported, in the latest apparent attack on Egypt's Coptic Christians. Some 40 people were wounded in the blast, which struck at a Coptic Church in the Nile Delta City of Tanta, 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Cairo, the reports said. A medical official at a hospital in Tanta confirmed to AFP that at least 13 people had been killed. Palm Sunday is one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar, marking the triumphant entrance of Jesus to Jerusalem. The state-run Nile television channel said the blast struck the Mar Girgis Coptic Church in Tanta just before 10:00 am (0800 GMT). Provincial governor Ahmad Deif told the channel that at least 42 people were wounded and that the explosion occurred inside the church. "Either a bomb was planted or someone blew himself up," Deif said, adding that security forces had searched the church and surrounding areas for additional explosive devices. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Sunday's blast. Copts, who make up about one tenth of Egypt's population of more than 92 million and who celebrate Easter next weekend, have been targeted by several attacks in recent months. Jihadists and Islamists accuse them of supporting the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which ushered in a deadly crackdown on his supporters. In December, a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group killed 29 worshippers during Sunday mass in Cairo. The bombing of the church within a compound that also holds the seat of the Coptic papacy was the deadliest attack against the minority in recent memory. A spate of jihadist-linked attacks in Egypt's restive Sinai Peninsula, including the murder of a Copt in the city of El Arish whose house was also burned, have led some Coptic families to flee their homes. About 250 Christians took refuge in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya after IS released a video in February calling for attacks on the religious minority. Egypt's army is waging a counter-insurgency against an IS affiliate in Sinai, which has claimed scores of attacks against police and army positions. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who as army chief helped the military to remove Morsi, defended his security forces in a televised address soon afterwards. "(The attacks aim to) destabilise the fabric of Egypt... to give the impression that one group isn't protected as it should be," Sisi said at the time. Following Morsi's ouster, mobs attacked dozens of churches and Christian properties. Pope Francis is due to visit Cairo on April 28-29 to show solidarity with Egypt's Christian community. The pontiff will visit the site of the December church attack next to Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral -- the seat of Coptic Christian Pope Tawadros II. (AFP)

Egypt: At least 22 killed, several injured in blast near church

<p>Five-times world champions Brazil have returned to what they will consider their rightful place at the top of the FIFA rankings for the first time in seven years.</p>

<p>Indian football team achieved its best-ever FIFA ranking in over two decades as it jumped to 101 in the latest list released.&nbsp;India has jumped 31 places from its last rank of 132nd in the previous month. The Indian team is ranked 11th in Asia.</p>

<p>Brazil has enjoyed an impressive revival since Tite replaced Dunga as their national team coach last year, winning all nine matches they have played under his leadership including eight World Cup qualifiers.</p>

<p>They continued their run in March with a 4-1 win in Uruguay and 3-0 win over Paraguay to become the first side to book their place at next year&#39;s World Cup in Russia with four games to spare.</p>

<p>Brazil, who replaced arch-rivals Argentina at the top, previously led the rankings going into the 2010 World Cup where they were eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.</p>

<p>Since then, they have suffered a string of embarrassments, with elimination by Paraguay at successive Copa America tournaments in 2011 and 2015 and their infamous 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi-final.</p>

<p>Argentina lost their place after last week&#39;s 2-0 defeat in Bolivia which has left them struggling to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.</p>

<p>Four of the top five teams in the rankings announcement by FIFA on Thursday, are from South America. Chile are fourth, Colombia fifth and Germany sandwiched in between in third.</p>

<p>Egypt are Africa&#39;s best-placed team in 19th while Asia&#39;s top side are 28th-placed Iran.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Top ten rankings</strong>--(previous month&#39;s places in brackets)</p>

<p>1. Brazil (2)</p>

<p>2. Argentina (1)</p>

<p>3. Germany (3)</p>

<p>4. Chile (4)</p>

<p>5. Colombia (7)</p>

<p>6. France (6)</p>

<p>7. Belgium (5)</p>

<p>8. Portugal (8)</p>

<p>9. Switzerland (11)</p>

<p>10. Spain (10)</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Egypt are Africa's best-placed team in 19th, while Asia's top side are 28th-placed Iran

Five-times world champions Brazil have returned to what they will consider their rightful place at the top of the FIFA rankings for the first time in seven years. Indian football team achieved its best-ever FIFA ranking in over two decades as it jumped to 101 in the latest list released. India has jumped 31 places from its last rank of 132nd in the previous month. The Indian team is ranked 11th in Asia. Brazil has enjoyed an impressive revival since Tite replaced Dunga as their national team coach last year, winning all nine matches they have played under his leadership including eight World Cup qualifiers. They continued their run in March with a 4-1 win in Uruguay and 3-0 win over Paraguay to become the first side to book their place at next year's World Cup in Russia with four games to spare. Brazil, who replaced arch-rivals Argentina at the top, previously led the rankings going into the 2010 World Cup where they were eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. Since then, they have suffered a string of embarrassments, with elimination by Paraguay at successive Copa America tournaments in 2011 and 2015 and their infamous 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi-final. Argentina lost their place after last week's 2-0 defeat in Bolivia which has left them struggling to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Four of the top five teams in the rankings announcement by FIFA on Thursday, are from South America. Chile are fourth, Colombia fifth and Germany sandwiched in between in third. Egypt are Africa's best-placed team in 19th while Asia's top side are 28th-placed Iran. Top ten rankings--(previous month's places in brackets) 1. Brazil (2) 2. Argentina (1) 3. Germany (3) 4. Chile (4) 5. Colombia (7) 6. France (6) 7. Belgium (5) 8. Portugal (8) 9. Switzerland (11) 10. Spain (10) (Reuters)

Brazil tops FIFA football rankings, India ranked 101

<p>US President Donald Trump set human rights scandals aside to welcome Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to the White House Monday, the first such visit from an Egyptian president in almost a decade.</p>

<p>Greeting Sisi warmly in the Oval Office, Trump heaped praise on the former general&#39;s leadership as he sought to mend ties strained by crackdowns, revolution and counter-revolution.</p>

<p>&quot;You have a great friend and ally in the United States and in me,&quot; Trump told Sisi, sweeping aside his predecessor Barack Obama&#39;s concerns about Sisi&#39;s purge of political opponents and rights activists.</p>

<p>The meeting symbolises the Egyptian leader coming in from the cold, after years of being kept at arm&#39;s length by Washington.</p>

<p>Trump is betting that Egypt can be a partner in achieving two key goals: restarting the Middle East peace process and tackling jihadist groups.</p>

<p>&quot;I just want to let everybody know that we are very much behind President al-Sisi -- he has done a fantastic job in a very difficult situation,&quot; Trump said.</p>

<p>The last time an Egyptian president was at the White House was in 2010, when Hosni Mubarak attended Middle East peace talks alongside Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian leaders.</p>

<p>Within months, Mubarak was ousted by a popular uprising, as the Arab Spring swept across the region.</p>

<p>Obama had angered allies in Egypt&#39;s powerful military by putting his finger on the scales, warning them against quashing protests by force.</p>

<p>In the months and years that followed, the Egypt-US relationship was strained further as a broadly Islamist and then a ilitary government -- led by Sisi -- took charge.</p>

<p>Hundreds of demonstrators were killed and thousands jailed during the accompanying crackdown, prompting Obama to freeze military aid to Egypt -- worth roughly a billion dollars a year.</p>

<p>Egypt&#39;s pivotal regional role meant that aid was fully reinstated in 2015, but diplomatic relations remained difficult.</p>

<p><strong>Common cause</strong>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The catalyst for Trump and Sisi&#39;s friendship has been a common hardline stance against jihadist groups, which Sisi described as &quot;a satanic ideology&quot; during brief remarks at the White House.</p>

<p>The former New York property tycoon and the former Egyptian army general, who had no plans for a joint press conference, previously met in September when Trump&#39;s campaign was still in full swing.</p>

<p>Trump at the time called Sisi a &quot;fantastic guy.&quot;</p>

<p>Sisi was reportedly the first to call Trump to offer his congratulations on his November election win.</p>

<p>In one of several public appearances, Trump gave only the slightest hint of areas of difference.</p>

<p>&quot;We have many things in common, We have a few things that we don&#39;t agree on,&quot; he said. &quot;I think that this is going to be a very productive day.&quot;</p>

<p>Asked directly whether human rights were discussed, Trump declined to answer.</p>

<p>Ahead of the meeting, a senior administration official said the topic would be handled in a &quot;private, more discreet way.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;We believe it&#39;s the most effective way to advance those issues to a favorable outcome.&quot;</p>

<p>That stance was slammed by rights groups, who say tens of thousands of opponents have been arrested or are facing criminal charges.</p>

<p>&quot;Inviting al-Sisi for an official visit to Washington as tens of thousands of Egyptians rot in jail and when torture is again the order of the day is a strange way to build a stable strategic relationship,&quot; said Sarah Margon, Washington director of Human Rights Watch.</p>

<p>Egypt&#39;s own watchdog said in a report last year that it raised 266 cases of enforced disappearances with the interior minister.</p>

<p>But Trump&#39;s White House, which hailed the visit as a success, in a statement late Monday applauded Sisi&#39;s &quot;courageous efforts to promote moderate understandings of Islam, and the leaders agreed on the necessity of recognizing the peaceful nature of Islam and Muslims around the world.&quot;</p>

<p><strong>&nbsp;Making peace</strong></p>

<p>The thorny issue of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process was also on the agenda, the White House statement said.</p>

<p>Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab states to have signed peace treaties with Israel and would likely be considered key players in any renewed peace effort.</p>

<p>Jordan&#39;s King Abdullah will visit the White House on Wednesday, as Trump -- a self-declared expert dealmaker -- looks to make the deal of all deals.</p>

<p>A senior administration official described &quot;very positive discussions&quot; between the US and Egyptian leaders both on Middle East peace and fighting jihadists.</p>

<p>But experts warn that Sisi may be unable to deliver what Trump wants on either dossier.</p>

<p>&quot;Sisi&#39;s brutal repression has made Egypt a mass-production facility for violent extremism,&quot; said Michele Dunne of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, she added, &quot;Egypt&#39;s leadership has become irrelevant to peace efforts in the region.&quot; &nbsp;</p>

<p>(AFP)</p>


The meeting symbolises the Egyptian leader coming in from the cold, after years of being kept at arm's length by Washington

US President Donald Trump set human rights scandals aside to welcome Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to the White House Monday, the first such visit from an Egyptian president in almost a decade. Greeting Sisi warmly in the Oval Office, Trump heaped praise on the former general's leadership as he sought to mend ties strained by crackdowns, revolution and counter-revolution. "You have a great friend and ally in the United States and in me," Trump told Sisi, sweeping aside his predecessor Barack Obama's concerns about Sisi's purge of political opponents and rights activists. The meeting symbolises the Egyptian leader coming in from the cold, after years of being kept at arm's length by Washington. Trump is betting that Egypt can be a partner in achieving two key goals: restarting the Middle East peace process and tackling jihadist groups. "I just want to let everybody know that we are very much behind President al-Sisi -- he has done a fantastic job in a very difficult situation," Trump said. The last time an Egyptian president was at the White House was in 2010, when Hosni Mubarak attended Middle East peace talks alongside Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian leaders. Within months, Mubarak was ousted by a popular uprising, as the Arab Spring swept across the region. Obama had angered allies in Egypt's powerful military by putting his finger on the scales, warning them against quashing protests by force. In the months and years that followed, the Egypt-US relationship was strained further as a broadly Islamist and then a ilitary government -- led by Sisi -- took charge. Hundreds of demonstrators were killed and thousands jailed during the accompanying crackdown, prompting Obama to freeze military aid to Egypt -- worth roughly a billion dollars a year. Egypt's pivotal regional role meant that aid was fully reinstated in 2015, but diplomatic relations remained difficult. Common cause The catalyst for Trump and Sisi's friendship has been a common hardline stance against jihadist groups, which Sisi described as "a satanic ideology" during brief remarks at the White House. The former New York property tycoon and the former Egyptian army general, who had no plans for a joint press conference, previously met in September when Trump's campaign was still in full swing. Trump at the time called Sisi a "fantastic guy." Sisi was reportedly the first to call Trump to offer his congratulations on his November election win. In one of several public appearances, Trump gave only the slightest hint of areas of difference. "We have many things in common, We have a few things that we don't agree on," he said. "I think that this is going to be a very productive day." Asked directly whether human rights were discussed, Trump declined to answer. Ahead of the meeting, a senior administration official said the topic would be handled in a "private, more discreet way." "We believe it's the most effective way to advance those issues to a favorable outcome." That stance was slammed by rights groups, who say tens of thousands of opponents have been arrested or are facing criminal charges. "Inviting al-Sisi for an official visit to Washington as tens of thousands of Egyptians rot in jail and when torture is again the order of the day is a strange way to build a stable strategic relationship," said Sarah Margon, Washington director of Human Rights Watch. Egypt's own watchdog said in a report last year that it raised 266 cases of enforced disappearances with the interior minister. But Trump's White House, which hailed the visit as a success, in a statement late Monday applauded Sisi's "courageous efforts to promote moderate understandings of Islam, and the leaders agreed on the necessity of recognizing the peaceful nature of Islam and Muslims around the world." Making peace The thorny issue of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process was also on the agenda, the White House statement said. Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab states to have signed peace treaties with Israel and would likely be considered key players in any renewed peace effort. Jordan's King Abdullah will visit the White House on Wednesday, as Trump -- a self-declared expert dealmaker -- looks to make the deal of all deals. A senior administration official described "very positive discussions" between the US and Egyptian leaders both on Middle East peace and fighting jihadists. But experts warn that Sisi may be unable to deliver what Trump wants on either dossier. "Sisi's brutal repression has made Egypt a mass-production facility for violent extremism," said Michele Dunne of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Meanwhile, she added, "Egypt's leadership has become irrelevant to peace efforts in the region." (AFP)

In landmark meeting, Trump hails Sisi's 'fantastic job' in Egypt

<p>Once a flourishing community, only a handful of Egyptian Jews, mostly elderly women, remain in the Arab world&#39;s most populous country, aiming at least to preserve their heritage.</p>

<p>Egypt still has about a dozen synagogues, but like many of the country&#39;s monuments they need restoration. Part of the roof of a synagogue in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria caved in last year.</p>

<p>In downtown Cairo, a bustling street lined with old hotels and shops leads to an imposing stone building modelled after an ancient Egyptian temple: The Sha&#39;ar Hashamayim synagogue, built around 1900. Inside, Magda Haroun carefully unrolls Torah scrolls kept in the synagogue&#39;s ark.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The synagogue is mostly empty these days, but Haroun, 65, remembers when its benches were filled with worshippers, including her late father Shehata Haroun, a celebrated lawyer.</p>

<p>Haroun carries the title of president of Cairo&#39;s Jewish community -- six elderly women including herself and her mother -- and says her task is to preserve a centuries-old heritage. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;It&#39;s my duty, for future generations,&quot; she says. Her mother Marcelle Haroun, 91, cries when she discusses her community&#39;s fading past. &quot;According to the stories, Jews lived in Egypt since the pharaohs. Do you want to make centuries of history vanish?&quot; she says.</p>

<p>There were between 80,000 and 120,000 Jews in Egypt up until the mid-20th century.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They had an impact that far exceeded their numbers in trade and even cinema, with actress and singer Leila Murad dominating the silver screen in the 1940s and 1950s.But the Arab-Israeli war of 1948 led to the disintegration of the community, with many leaving Egypt or being forced out under the regime of president Gamal Abdel Nasser.</p>

<p>Today, the Jews of Egypt are estimated to number 18, with 12 of them in the coastal city of Alexandria.</p>

<p>Magda Haroun&#39;s dream is for Jewish artefacts to be seen by the public, perhaps in a planned museum of Egyptian civilisation.</p>

<p>Officially, the government now makes no distinction between Pharaonic, Islamic, Coptic and Jewish heritage, and the antiquities ministry has come up with the funds to fix the roof of Alexandria&#39;s synagogue.</p>

<p>&quot;The (antiquities) minister promised me that a museum of civilisations will open, representing all the civilisations of Egypt,&quot; said Magda Haroun.</p>

<p>The Egyptian civilisation museum partially opened in February with a small exhibition but there are no definite plans as yet for displaying Jewish artefacts in it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However the minister, Khaled el-Enany, told AFP that in early 2016 he set up a committee to list &quot;all the Jewish monuments and Jewish collections that are in the synagogues&quot;. But on a public level, many Egyptians still have a mixed view of their Jewish compatriots.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;It remains a complicated question,&quot; says Amir Ramses, who made a 2013 documentary, &quot;The Jews of Egypt&quot;, on the community`s history.&nbsp;&quot;Mentioning the Jews in Egypt was a taboo,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Just screening the film in Cairo cinemas was a struggle before he eventually obtained clearance. When it was shown, the culture ministry requested that it be introduced as a work of the director&#39;s &quot;imagination&quot; rather than a documentary.</p>

<p>Although the tiny community has been spared recent attacks by jihadists targeting Christians, the Sha&#39;ar Hashamayim synagogue was attacked in 2010.&nbsp;</p>

<p>An assailant hurled a suitcase containing a homemade bomb at the synagogue&#39;s entrance, causing no damage.&nbsp;<br />
Some in the community prefer to keep a low profile.</p>

<p>The head of Alexandria&#39;s Jewish community, Youssef Gaon, wanted to be quoted as little as possible when interviewed by AFP.</p>

<p>Gaon simply said he &quot;trusts&quot; the Egyptian government will help restore the country&#39;s Jewish heritage.</p>

<p>(AFP)</p>


There were between 80,000 and 120,000 Jews in Egypt up until the mid-20th century. Today, the Jews of Egypt are estimated to number 18

Once a flourishing community, only a handful of Egyptian Jews, mostly elderly women, remain in the Arab world's most populous country, aiming at least to preserve their heritage. Egypt still has about a dozen synagogues, but like many of the country's monuments they need restoration. Part of the roof of a synagogue in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria caved in last year. In downtown Cairo, a bustling street lined with old hotels and shops leads to an imposing stone building modelled after an ancient Egyptian temple: The Sha'ar Hashamayim synagogue, built around 1900. Inside, Magda Haroun carefully unrolls Torah scrolls kept in the synagogue's ark. The synagogue is mostly empty these days, but Haroun, 65, remembers when its benches were filled with worshippers, including her late father Shehata Haroun, a celebrated lawyer. Haroun carries the title of president of Cairo's Jewish community -- six elderly women including herself and her mother -- and says her task is to preserve a centuries-old heritage. "It's my duty, for future generations," she says. Her mother Marcelle Haroun, 91, cries when she discusses her community's fading past. "According to the stories, Jews lived in Egypt since the pharaohs. Do you want to make centuries of history vanish?" she says. There were between 80,000 and 120,000 Jews in Egypt up until the mid-20th century. They had an impact that far exceeded their numbers in trade and even cinema, with actress and singer Leila Murad dominating the silver screen in the 1940s and 1950s.But the Arab-Israeli war of 1948 led to the disintegration of the community, with many leaving Egypt or being forced out under the regime of president Gamal Abdel Nasser. Today, the Jews of Egypt are estimated to number 18, with 12 of them in the coastal city of Alexandria. Magda Haroun's dream is for Jewish artefacts to be seen by the public, perhaps in a planned museum of Egyptian civilisation. Officially, the government now makes no distinction between Pharaonic, Islamic, Coptic and Jewish heritage, and the antiquities ministry has come up with the funds to fix the roof of Alexandria's synagogue. "The (antiquities) minister promised me that a museum of civilisations will open, representing all the civilisations of Egypt," said Magda Haroun. The Egyptian civilisation museum partially opened in February with a small exhibition but there are no definite plans as yet for displaying Jewish artefacts in it. However the minister, Khaled el-Enany, told AFP that in early 2016 he set up a committee to list "all the Jewish monuments and Jewish collections that are in the synagogues". But on a public level, many Egyptians still have a mixed view of their Jewish compatriots. "It remains a complicated question," says Amir Ramses, who made a 2013 documentary, "The Jews of Egypt", on the community`s history. "Mentioning the Jews in Egypt was a taboo," he said. Just screening the film in Cairo cinemas was a struggle before he eventually obtained clearance. When it was shown, the culture ministry requested that it be introduced as a work of the director's "imagination" rather than a documentary. Although the tiny community has been spared recent attacks by jihadists targeting Christians, the Sha'ar Hashamayim synagogue was attacked in 2010. An assailant hurled a suitcase containing a homemade bomb at the synagogue's entrance, causing no damage. Some in the community prefer to keep a low profile. The head of Alexandria's Jewish community, Youssef Gaon, wanted to be quoted as little as possible when interviewed by AFP. Gaon simply said he "trusts" the Egyptian government will help restore the country's Jewish heritage. (AFP)

Egypt's last Jews aim to keep alive heritage

<p>Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president overthrown in 2011 and the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring uprisings that swept the region, was freed on Friday after six years in detention, his lawyer said.</p>

<p>He left the Maadi Military Hospital in Cairo where he had been detained, heading to his home in Heliopolis.</p>

<p>&quot;Yes, he is now in his home in Heliopolis,&quot; Mubarak&#39;s lawyer, Farid El Deeb told Reuters when asked if Mubarak had left the hospital. Heliopolis is an upscale neighbourhood where the main presidential palace from which Mubarak once governed is located.</p>

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<h5>The 88-year-old was cleared of the final murder charges against him this month, after facing trial in a litany of cases ranging from corruption to the killing of protesters whose 18-day revolt stunned the world and ended his 30-year rule</h5>
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<p>The 88-year-old was cleared of the final murder charges against him this month, after facing trial in a litany of cases ranging from corruption to the killing of protesters whose 18-day revolt stunned the world and ended his 30-year rule.</p>

<p>Mubarak was initially arrested in April 2011, two months after leaving office, and has since been held in prison and in military hospitals under heavy guard.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Mubarak was the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring uprisings

Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president overthrown in 2011 and the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring uprisings that swept the region, was freed on Friday after six years in detention, his lawyer said. He left the Maadi Military Hospital in Cairo where he had been detained, heading to his home in Heliopolis. "Yes, he is now in his home in Heliopolis," Mubarak's lawyer, Farid El Deeb told Reuters when asked if Mubarak had left the hospital. Heliopolis is an upscale neighbourhood where the main presidential palace from which Mubarak once governed is located. The 88-year-old was cleared of the final murder charges against him this month, after facing trial in a litany of cases ranging from corruption to the killing of protesters whose 18-day revolt stunned the world and ended his 30-year rule × The 88-year-old was cleared of the final murder charges against him this month, after facing trial in a litany of cases ranging from corruption to the killing of protesters whose 18-day revolt stunned the world and ended his 30-year rule. Mubarak was initially arrested in April 2011, two months after leaving office, and has since been held in prison and in military hospitals under heavy guard. (Reuters)

Former Egypt leader Hosni Mubarak freed six years after overthrow: Lawyer

<p>National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (NMEC) is a new addition to the list of Egypt&rsquo;s museums.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As part of the International Campaign for the Establishment of the Nubia Museum in Aswan and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, UNESCO has paired with the Egyptian government on the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Recently inaugurated in the ancient Fustat city, location of the original city of Cairo, NMEC will become the first museum devoted entirely to&nbsp;Egyptian civilization. Though it was conceptualised much earlier, the museum was put on hold because of the 2011 revolution.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The expansive Museum is spread across 25-acres and is home to more than 50,000 artefacts. The premises also includes the ancient Ain Basira natural lake.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It promises to offer a narrative that will give the viewers an entry into the the roots and origin of one of the world&rsquo;s first civilisations. The NMEC will showcase Egyptian civilization from prehistoric times to the present day, using a multidisciplinary approach that highlights the country&rsquo;s tangible and intangible heritage.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Historically, Egypt has influenced several world cultures, providing building blocks for Greek and Roman culture, and, through them, influenced all of the Western tradition, as per Khan academy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NMEC has been designed by Egyptian architect El Ghazzali Kosseiba. The exhibition spaces are being designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. For those who are looking to explore the museum, it is right behind the famous <em>Amr Ibn El Aas </em>Mosque. Entry and photography is free for everyone until the end of February, after which entry will be set at EGP 30 for Egyptians and EGP 60 for foreigners, according to the Museum&rsquo;s Facebook page.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These are some pictures from the Museum:&nbsp;</p>

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<p>(WION)</p>


The museum is house to more than 50,000 artefacts and the ancient natural lake of Ain Basira

National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (NMEC) is a new addition to the list of Egypt’s museums. As part of the International Campaign for the Establishment of the Nubia Museum in Aswan and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, UNESCO has paired with the Egyptian government on the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo. Recently inaugurated in the ancient Fustat city, location of the original city of Cairo, NMEC will become the first museum devoted entirely to Egyptian civilization. Though it was conceptualised much earlier, the museum was put on hold because of the 2011 revolution. The expansive Museum is spread across 25-acres and is home to more than 50,000 artefacts. The premises also includes the ancient Ain Basira natural lake. It promises to offer a narrative that will give the viewers an entry into the the roots and origin of one of the world’s first civilisations. The NMEC will showcase Egyptian civilization from prehistoric times to the present day, using a multidisciplinary approach that highlights the country’s tangible and intangible heritage. Historically, Egypt has influenced several world cultures, providing building blocks for Greek and Roman culture, and, through them, influenced all of the Western tradition, as per Khan academy. NMEC has been designed by Egyptian architect El Ghazzali Kosseiba. The exhibition spaces are being designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. For those who are looking to explore the museum, it is right behind the famous Amr Ibn El Aas Mosque. Entry and photography is free for everyone until the end of February, after which entry will be set at EGP 30 for Egyptians and EGP 60 for foreigners, according to the Museum’s Facebook page. These are some pictures from the Museum: National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (Facebook) × National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (Facebook) × National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (Facebook) × National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (Facebook) × National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (Facebook) × National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (Facebook) × (WION)

Inside the newly opened National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation

<p>Omar Abdel-Rahman, the Muslim cleric known as &quot;the blind sheikh&quot; who was convicted of conspiracy in the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing and of planning a broader &quot;war of urban terrorism&quot; in the United States, died on Saturday in a North Carolina prison, authorities said.</p>

<p>Abdel-Rahman, 78, died of natural causes at 9:40 a.m. (1440 GMT) at a medical centre at a federal prison compound in Butner, North Carolina, according to Greg Norton, a spokesman.</p>

<p>The cleric, who had diabetes and coronary artery disease, had been incarcerated at the complex for nearly 10 years, Norton said.</p>

<p>Earlier, the cleric&#39;s son Ammar said his family had received a phone call in Eygpt from a U.S. representative saying his father had died.</p>

<p>The Egyptian-born Abdel-Rahman remained a spiritual leader for radical Muslims even after more than 20 years in prison.</p>

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<h5>As an adult he became associated with the fundamentalist Islamic Group and was imprisoned and accused of issuing a fatwa leading to the 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat</h5>
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<p>With his long grey beard, sunglasses and red and white clerical cap, the charismatic Abdel-Rahman was the face of radical Islam in the 1980s and 1990s. He preached a fiery brand of Islam that called for the death of people and governments he disapproved of and the installation of an Islamic government in Egypt. His following was tied to fundamentalist killings and bomb attacks around the world.</p>

<p>&quot;Abdel-Rahman was at the vortex of some of the bloodiest and most consequential terrorist incidents of the 1990s - incidents that would establish the patterns of global terrorism that continue to bedevil us today,&rdquo; said Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at Georgetown University in Washington.</p>

<p>&ldquo;He was a tireless and enthusiastic in projecting his message of violence and hatred,&rdquo; said Hoffman, who served on the U.S. government&rsquo;s commission that reviewed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington and over Pennsylvania.</p>

<p>Abdel-Rahman, who was born in a village along the Nile on May 3, 1938, lost his eyesight due to childhood diabetes and grew up studying a Braille version of the Koran.</p>

<p>As an adult he became associated with the fundamentalist Islamic Group and was imprisoned and accused of issuing a fatwa leading to the 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, against whom he had railed for years. The sheikh said he was hung upside-down from the ceiling, beaten with sticks and given electric shocks while held but he was eventually acquitted and went into self-imposed exile in 1990.</p>

<p>He managed to get to New York after the U.S. Embassy in Sudan granted him a tourist visa in 1990 - despite the fact that he was on the State Department&#39;s list of people with ties to terror groups.</p>

<p>U.S. authorities blamed a computer error for the visa, but the mistake was compounded in 1991 when Abdel-Rahman was given a green card and permanent U.S. resident status. The New York Times reported the CIA had approved the visa application for Abdel-Rahman, who had supported the anti-Soviet mujahedin in Afghanistan during the 1980s.</p>

<p>Abdel-Rahman preached his radical message and lived in the New York City borough of Brooklyn and nearby Jersey City, New Jersey, building a strong following among fundamentalist Muslims. Even in exile, he remained a force in the Middle East, where followers listened to cassette tapes and radio broadcasts of his sermons decrying the Egyptian government and Israel.</p>

<p>While in the United States Abdel-Rahman and his disciples would be linked to the 1990 slaying in New York of militant Rabbi Meir Kahane, the 1992 killing of an anti-fundamentalist writer in Egypt and attacks on foreign tourists in Egypt.</p>

<p>U.S. authorities took action in 1992 by revoking Abdel-Rahman&#39;s green card on the grounds that he had lied about a bad check charge in Egypt and about having two wives when he entered the country. He was facing the possibility of deportation when a truck bomb went off in the basement parking garage of the World Trade Center on Feb. 26, 1993, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 in an attack that made Americans realize that they were not immune to international terrorism.</p>

<p>Four months later Abdel-Rahman was arrested and went on trial with several followers in 1995, accused of plotting a day of terror for the United States - assassinations and synchronized bombings of the U.N. headquarters, a major federal government facility in Manhattan and tunnels and a bridge linking New York City and New Jersey.</p>

<p>The indictment said Abdel-Rahman and his followers planned to &quot;levy a war of urban terrorism against the United States&quot; as part of a jihad - or holy war - to stop U.S. support for Israel and change its overall Middle East policy.</p>

<p>The defendants were not directly charged with the 1993 World Trade Center attack but were convicted of conspiring with those who did carry out the bombing.</p>

<p>Abdel-Rahman&#39;s convictions also included plotting to kill Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during a visit to the United States in 1993, a Jewish New York state legislator and a Jewish New York State Supreme Court justice.</p>

<p>Much of the case against Abdel-Rahman and his followers was based on video and audio recordings made with the help of a bodyguard for the sheikh who became an FBI informant. A video also showed four defendants mixing fertilizer and diesel fuel for bombs.</p>

<p>After a nine-month trial, the sheikh and nine followers were found guilty in October 1995 on 48 of 50 charges.</p>

<p>He did not testify at his trial but at a sentencing hearing Abdel-Rahman gave a passionate speech of more than 90 minutes through a translator, proclaiming his innocence and denouncing the United States as an enemy of his faith.</p>

<p>&quot;I have not committed any crime except telling people about Islam,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Abdel-Rahman was still an important figure in radical Islam even after years in prison. A year before his al Qaeda followers pulled off the most destructive assault on U.S. soil, the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Osama bin Laden had pledged a jihad to free Abdel-Rahman from prison. When Mohammed Mursi, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, began his short-lived presidency of Egypt in 2012, he said winning the sheikh&#39;s freedom would be a priority and the jihadists who attacked an Algerian oilfield and took hostages in 2013 also demanded his release.</p>

<p>In 2006 one of Abdel-Rahman&#39;s lawyers, Lynne F. Stewart, was sentenced to 28 months in prison for helping smuggle messages from the cleric to his followers in Egypt.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


The charismatic, Egyptian-born Omar Abdel-Rahman was the face of radical Islam in the 1980s and 1990s

Omar Abdel-Rahman, the Muslim cleric known as "the blind sheikh" who was convicted of conspiracy in the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing and of planning a broader "war of urban terrorism" in the United States, died on Saturday in a North Carolina prison, authorities said. Abdel-Rahman, 78, died of natural causes at 9:40 a.m. (1440 GMT) at a medical centre at a federal prison compound in Butner, North Carolina, according to Greg Norton, a spokesman. The cleric, who had diabetes and coronary artery disease, had been incarcerated at the complex for nearly 10 years, Norton said. Earlier, the cleric's son Ammar said his family had received a phone call in Eygpt from a U.S. representative saying his father had died. The Egyptian-born Abdel-Rahman remained a spiritual leader for radical Muslims even after more than 20 years in prison. As an adult he became associated with the fundamentalist Islamic Group and was imprisoned and accused of issuing a fatwa leading to the 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat × With his long grey beard, sunglasses and red and white clerical cap, the charismatic Abdel-Rahman was the face of radical Islam in the 1980s and 1990s. He preached a fiery brand of Islam that called for the death of people and governments he disapproved of and the installation of an Islamic government in Egypt. His following was tied to fundamentalist killings and bomb attacks around the world. "Abdel-Rahman was at the vortex of some of the bloodiest and most consequential terrorist incidents of the 1990s - incidents that would establish the patterns of global terrorism that continue to bedevil us today,” said Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at Georgetown University in Washington. “He was a tireless and enthusiastic in projecting his message of violence and hatred,” said Hoffman, who served on the U.S. government’s commission that reviewed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington and over Pennsylvania. Abdel-Rahman, who was born in a village along the Nile on May 3, 1938, lost his eyesight due to childhood diabetes and grew up studying a Braille version of the Koran. As an adult he became associated with the fundamentalist Islamic Group and was imprisoned and accused of issuing a fatwa leading to the 1981 assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, against whom he had railed for years. The sheikh said he was hung upside-down from the ceiling, beaten with sticks and given electric shocks while held but he was eventually acquitted and went into self-imposed exile in 1990. He managed to get to New York after the U.S. Embassy in Sudan granted him a tourist visa in 1990 - despite the fact that he was on the State Department's list of people with ties to terror groups. U.S. authorities blamed a computer error for the visa, but the mistake was compounded in 1991 when Abdel-Rahman was given a green card and permanent U.S. resident status. The New York Times reported the CIA had approved the visa application for Abdel-Rahman, who had supported the anti-Soviet mujahedin in Afghanistan during the 1980s. Abdel-Rahman preached his radical message and lived in the New York City borough of Brooklyn and nearby Jersey City, New Jersey, building a strong following among fundamentalist Muslims. Even in exile, he remained a force in the Middle East, where followers listened to cassette tapes and radio broadcasts of his sermons decrying the Egyptian government and Israel. While in the United States Abdel-Rahman and his disciples would be linked to the 1990 slaying in New York of militant Rabbi Meir Kahane, the 1992 killing of an anti-fundamentalist writer in Egypt and attacks on foreign tourists in Egypt. U.S. authorities took action in 1992 by revoking Abdel-Rahman's green card on the grounds that he had lied about a bad check charge in Egypt and about having two wives when he entered the country. He was facing the possibility of deportation when a truck bomb went off in the basement parking garage of the World Trade Center on Feb. 26, 1993, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 in an attack that made Americans realize that they were not immune to international terrorism. Four months later Abdel-Rahman was arrested and went on trial with several followers in 1995, accused of plotting a day of terror for the United States - assassinations and synchronized bombings of the U.N. headquarters, a major federal government facility in Manhattan and tunnels and a bridge linking New York City and New Jersey. The indictment said Abdel-Rahman and his followers planned to "levy a war of urban terrorism against the United States" as part of a jihad - or holy war - to stop U.S. support for Israel and change its overall Middle East policy. The defendants were not directly charged with the 1993 World Trade Center attack but were convicted of conspiring with those who did carry out the bombing. Abdel-Rahman's convictions also included plotting to kill Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during a visit to the United States in 1993, a Jewish New York state legislator and a Jewish New York State Supreme Court justice. Much of the case against Abdel-Rahman and his followers was based on video and audio recordings made with the help of a bodyguard for the sheikh who became an FBI informant. A video also showed four defendants mixing fertilizer and diesel fuel for bombs. After a nine-month trial, the sheikh and nine followers were found guilty in October 1995 on 48 of 50 charges. He did not testify at his trial but at a sentencing hearing Abdel-Rahman gave a passionate speech of more than 90 minutes through a translator, proclaiming his innocence and denouncing the United States as an enemy of his faith. "I have not committed any crime except telling people about Islam," he said. Abdel-Rahman was still an important figure in radical Islam even after years in prison. A year before his al Qaeda followers pulled off the most destructive assault on U.S. soil, the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Osama bin Laden had pledged a jihad to free Abdel-Rahman from prison. When Mohammed Mursi, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, began his short-lived presidency of Egypt in 2012, he said winning the sheikh's freedom would be a priority and the jihadists who attacked an Algerian oilfield and took hostages in 2013 also demanded his release. In 2006 one of Abdel-Rahman's lawyers, Lynne F. Stewart, was sentenced to 28 months in prison for helping smuggle messages from the cleric to his followers in Egypt. (Reuters)

'Blind sheikh' convicted in 1993 World Trade Centre bombing dies in US prison

<p>Gunmen killed eight police late Monday in an attack on a checkpoint in el-Wadi el-Gedid province in southwest Egypt, the interior ministry said.</p>

<p>Two of the attackers were killed when security forces fought back, and three other security personnel were injured, the ministry said in a statement.</p>

<p>The attack took place on al-Naqab checkpoint, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from el-Kharga city, the capital of the province, the ministry said.</p>

<p>Jihadists have killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen since the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which was followed by a bloody crackdown on his supporters.</p>

<p>Most of the attacks have taken place in the north of the Sinai Peninsula, which borders Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Attacks have occurred in other parts of the country, including Cairo.</p>

<p>(AFP)</p>


Two of the attackers were killed when security forces fought back, and three other security personnel were injured

Gunmen killed eight police late Monday in an attack on a checkpoint in el-Wadi el-Gedid province in southwest Egypt, the interior ministry said. Two of the attackers were killed when security forces fought back, and three other security personnel were injured, the ministry said in a statement. The attack took place on al-Naqab checkpoint, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from el-Kharga city, the capital of the province, the ministry said. Jihadists have killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen since the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which was followed by a bloody crackdown on his supporters. Most of the attacks have taken place in the north of the Sinai Peninsula, which borders Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Attacks have occurred in other parts of the country, including Cairo. (AFP)

Gunmen kill 8 policemen in southwest Egypt

<p>Egyptian police has killed ten terrorists in raids in Egypt&#39;s restive North Sinai, the interior ministry said.</p>

<p>The terrorists were involved in the attack that targeted a security checkpoint in North Sinai&#39;s capital and largest city Al-Arish last Monday that left eight policemen and one civilian dead.</p>

<p>The police forces launched raids in Al-Arish and ten terrorists were killed in exchange of fire, the ministry statement said.</p>

<p>Egypt&#39;s North Sinai has been the stage for many terrorists attacks since the January 2011 revolution that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak.</p>

<p>The attacks, mainly targeting police and military, increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.</p>

<p>The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished hideouts that belonged to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>


The terrorists were involved in killing nine people including eight security personnel last week

Egyptian police has killed ten terrorists in raids in Egypt's restive North Sinai, the interior ministry said. The terrorists were involved in the attack that targeted a security checkpoint in North Sinai's capital and largest city Al-Arish last Monday that left eight policemen and one civilian dead. The police forces launched raids in Al-Arish and ten terrorists were killed in exchange of fire, the ministry statement said. Egypt's North Sinai has been the stage for many terrorists attacks since the January 2011 revolution that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak. The attacks, mainly targeting police and military, increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule. The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished hideouts that belonged to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip. (PTI)

Egypt: Police kill 10 terrorists in restive North Sinai

<p>Most of us are just back from a long weekend, having celebrated the New Year with family and friends. The Gregorian calendar is generally accepted around the world, where January 1 is the standard first day of the year. &nbsp;</p>

<p>However, there are many countries that follow different calendars to kick-start their New Year. Did you know that Greece shifted to the Gregorian calendar only in 1923, while Thailand&rsquo;s conversion was as recent as 1941, and till then, they had different dates to mark New Year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These are some of the days when New Year is celebrated around the world:</p>

<h2>Chinese New Year&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Celebrated on different dates every year, the New Year&rsquo;s date falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 21, depending on when the new moon of the first lunar month falls. The 15-day observance is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays and is known as &lsquo;Spring Festival&rsquo;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Chinese New Year (Getty)</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2>Seollal</h2>

<p>Several Southeast Asian cultures celebrate New Year&rsquo;s Day on the Lunar New Year on February 8. In South Korea, the New Year marks a three-day holiday where families give thanks to a bountiful year. Many dress up in colourful attire called hanbok, while others perform an ancient tea offering ritual called &#39;Charye&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Korean New Year (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Songkran</h2>

<p>Songkran, Thai New Year, is celebrated from April 13 to 15. People celebrate the day by throwing water on each other, as it is symbolic of hope, and a call for rain. Buddha statues and images are also cleansed for good luck and prosperity.</p>

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<p>Thai New Year (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Nyepi</h2>

<p>Balinese New Year falls on March 9, marking the first day of the lunar-based Saka Calendar, which is followed by Balinese and Javanese cultures. The day is celebrated as a day of self-reflection and rest, but there are fire rituals that are practiced. Business in the regions comes to a standstill during the New Year.</p>

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<p>Balinese New Year (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Nowruz&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Nowruz is celebrated by both Zoroastrian and Baha&rsquo;i communities as New Year&rsquo;s Day. Celebrated on March 20, the date marks arrival of Spring. Iranian and Persian New Year is celebrated with people engaging in cleaning their homes and exchanging sweets.</p>

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<p>Nowruz (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Ugaadhi</h2>

<p>The southern Indian states of Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh celebrate Ugaadhi according to their lunar-based calendar as their New Year&rsquo;s Day. Gudi Padwa (in Maharashtra) and Cheti Chand (for Sindhi-speaking Indian communities) New Year&rsquo;s festivities also fall on this day.</p>

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<h2>Aluth Avurudda</h2>

<p>Aluth Avurudda is a Sinhalese festival, which coincides with Tamil New Year&rsquo;s Day and is celebrated by most people in Sri Lanka. &nbsp;Unlike other cultures, the day marks the end of the harvest season. It also coincides with one of two instances when the sun is directly above Sri Lanka. &nbsp;Locals celebrate the day by opening their front doors to encourage visits by family and friends.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Aluth Avurudda (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Puthandu</h2>

<p>Puthandu, Tamil New Year, is celebrated every year on April 14. Tamil Nadu is a southern Indian state. People dress up in new clothes, with music, sweets and rice flour kolams (street art) a staple during the celebrations. April 14 is also New Year date for some areas of Sri Lanka and members of the Tamil diaspora in Malaysia and Singapore.</p>

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<p>Rangoli made in Puthandu festival (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Enkutatash</h2>

<p>The Ethiopian New Year, Enkutatash, means the &lsquo;gift of jewels&rsquo;. Celebrated on September 11, it marks the start of Spring festival. Some cities in the country have religious celebrations, although it is not exclusively a religious holiday.</p>

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<h2>Diwali</h2>

<p>Diwali is an important Hindu festival in India. The festival of lights marks the start of a new year. The festival is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains around the world. Marwari and Gujarati communities in north India, celebrate the day by giving thanks to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.</p>

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<h2>Rosh Hashanah</h2>

<p>The Jewish New Year is celebrated as Rosh Hashanah, a two-day holiday from October 2 to 4. It commemorates the end of the seven days of Creation from the Book of Genesis. Celebrated with a lot of fanfare, it is believed that in the days following the creation of the universe, God was yet to determine the fate of mankind.</p>

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<p>Annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Ra's as-Sanah al-Hijriyah&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Islamic New Year is the first day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic Calendar. It celebrates emigration of Prophet Mohammed from Mecca to Medina, known as Hijra. &nbsp;According to the calendar each day begins at sunset, with the New Year itself ushered by the first sighting of the moon.</p>

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<p>Islamic New Year (Getty)</p>
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<h2>Aboriginal Murador New Year</h2>

<p>The Western Australian Aboriginal tribe of Murador celebrates New Year&rsquo;s Day on October 30, as per the Gregorian calendar. An important day in the tribe&rsquo;s calendar, this marks a time for friendship, reconciliation, and giving thanks to the year that has gone by. The Murador people are now an extinct tribe, though their culture lives on in artifacts and text.</p>

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<p>(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)</p>


Different cultures follow different calendars, with the New Year even celebrated as late as on October 30

Most of us are just back from a long weekend, having celebrated the New Year with family and friends. The Gregorian calendar is generally accepted around the world, where January 1 is the standard first day of the year. However, there are many countries that follow different calendars to kick-start their New Year. Did you know that Greece shifted to the Gregorian calendar only in 1923, while Thailand’s conversion was as recent as 1941, and till then, they had different dates to mark New Year. These are some of the days when New Year is celebrated around the world: Chinese New Year Celebrated on different dates every year, the New Year’s date falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 21, depending on when the new moon of the first lunar month falls. The 15-day observance is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays and is known as ‘Spring Festival’. Chinese New Year (Getty) × Seollal Several Southeast Asian cultures celebrate New Year’s Day on the Lunar New Year on February 8. In South Korea, the New Year marks a three-day holiday where families give thanks to a bountiful year. Many dress up in colourful attire called hanbok, while others perform an ancient tea offering ritual called 'Charye'. Korean New Year (Getty) × Songkran Songkran, Thai New Year, is celebrated from April 13 to 15. People celebrate the day by throwing water on each other, as it is symbolic of hope, and a call for rain. Buddha statues and images are also cleansed for good luck and prosperity. Thai New Year (Getty) × Nyepi Balinese New Year falls on March 9, marking the first day of the lunar-based Saka Calendar, which is followed by Balinese and Javanese cultures. The day is celebrated as a day of self-reflection and rest, but there are fire rituals that are practiced. Business in the regions comes to a standstill during the New Year. Balinese New Year (Getty) × Nowruz Nowruz is celebrated by both Zoroastrian and Baha’i communities as New Year’s Day. Celebrated on March 20, the date marks arrival of Spring. Iranian and Persian New Year is celebrated with people engaging in cleaning their homes and exchanging sweets. Nowruz (Getty) × Ugaadhi The southern Indian states of Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh celebrate Ugaadhi according to their lunar-based calendar as their New Year’s Day. Gudi Padwa (in Maharashtra) and Cheti Chand (for Sindhi-speaking Indian communities) New Year’s festivities also fall on this day. Gudi Padwa (DNA) × Aluth Avurudda Aluth Avurudda is a Sinhalese festival, which coincides with Tamil New Year’s Day and is celebrated by most people in Sri Lanka. Unlike other cultures, the day marks the end of the harvest season. It also coincides with one of two instances when the sun is directly above Sri Lanka. Locals celebrate the day by opening their front doors to encourage visits by family and friends. Aluth Avurudda (Getty) × Puthandu Puthandu, Tamil New Year, is celebrated every year on April 14. Tamil Nadu is a southern Indian state. People dress up in new clothes, with music, sweets and rice flour kolams (street art) a staple during the celebrations. April 14 is also New Year date for some areas of Sri Lanka and members of the Tamil diaspora in Malaysia and Singapore. Rangoli made in Puthandu festival (Getty) × Enkutatash The Ethiopian New Year, Enkutatash, means the ‘gift of jewels’. Celebrated on September 11, it marks the start of Spring festival. Some cities in the country have religious celebrations, although it is not exclusively a religious holiday. Enkutatash (Others) × Diwali Diwali is an important Hindu festival in India. The festival of lights marks the start of a new year. The festival is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains around the world. Marwari and Gujarati communities in north India, celebrate the day by giving thanks to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Diwali (Getty) × Rosh Hashanah The Jewish New Year is celebrated as Rosh Hashanah, a two-day holiday from October 2 to 4. It commemorates the end of the seven days of Creation from the Book of Genesis. Celebrated with a lot of fanfare, it is believed that in the days following the creation of the universe, God was yet to determine the fate of mankind. Annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage (Getty) × Ra's as-Sanah al-Hijriyah Islamic New Year is the first day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic Calendar. It celebrates emigration of Prophet Mohammed from Mecca to Medina, known as Hijra. According to the calendar each day begins at sunset, with the New Year itself ushered by the first sighting of the moon. Islamic New Year (Getty) × Aboriginal Murador New Year The Western Australian Aboriginal tribe of Murador celebrates New Year’s Day on October 30, as per the Gregorian calendar. An important day in the tribe’s calendar, this marks a time for friendship, reconciliation, and giving thanks to the year that has gone by. The Murador people are now an extinct tribe, though their culture lives on in artifacts and text. Aboriginal Murador New Year (Others) × (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

January 1 is not New Year's Day for everyone

<p>Egypt confirmed on Sunday that it had arrested an Al Jazeera news producer, accusing him of &quot;provoking sedition&quot; on behalf of the Qatar-based broadcaster that it considers a mouthpiece of the banned Muslim Brotherhood.</p>

<p>Judicial sources said Mahmoud Hussain, who was detained on Friday, was being held on charges of disturbing public security and spreading false news.</p>

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<h5>Al Jazeera denied the &#39;fabricated charges&#39; and demanded Hussain&#39;s immediate release, adding that he was in Egypt on vacation and not work</h5>
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<p>The Interior ministry said in a statement that Al Jazeera officials &quot;had ordered some individuals collaborating with the channel inside the country to continue implementing its media plan of provoking sedition, incitement against the state, and spreading chaos through broadcasting false news&quot;.</p>

<p>It identified Hussain as a person implementing that plan for the channel which is not allowed to operate inside Egypt.</p>

<p>Al Jazeera issued a statement later on Sunday denying the &quot;fabricated charges&quot; brought against Hussain and demanding his immediate release, adding that he was in Egypt on vacation and not for work.</p>

<p>&quot;(Hussain) is a news producer in the Al Jazeera Arabic newsroom and not a correspondent supervisor as alleged by the statement ... (he) would not have travelled through the airport at Egypt if he was undertaking any illegal activities as alleged by the MOI statement,&quot; the statement said.</p>

<p>The broadcaster expressed concerns over Hussain&#39;s safety.</p>

<p>&quot;Al Jazeera holds the Egyptian authorities against subjecting Mahmoud to torture or extracting any information from him by force,&quot; it said.</p>

<p>Egypt has arrested several Al Jazeera reporters over the past two years, raising concerns over the freedom of journalists working in the country.</p>

<p>In May, a Cairo court recommended the death penalty against two of them, charged in absentia with endangering national security by leaking state secrets to Qatar.</p>

<p>The Brotherhood is a Qatar-backed movement that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has cracked down on since an army takeover in 2013 stripped former president Mohammed Mursi - a prominent member of the group - of power following mass protests against his rule.</p>

<p>Thousands of Brotherhood supporters including Mursi are in jail and Egypt has designated the group, which says it is non-violent, a terrorist organisation.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Judicial sources said Mahmoud Hussain was being held on charges of disturbing public security and spreading false news

Egypt confirmed on Sunday that it had arrested an Al Jazeera news producer, accusing him of "provoking sedition" on behalf of the Qatar-based broadcaster that it considers a mouthpiece of the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Judicial sources said Mahmoud Hussain, who was detained on Friday, was being held on charges of disturbing public security and spreading false news. Al Jazeera denied the 'fabricated charges' and demanded Hussain's immediate release, adding that he was in Egypt on vacation and not work × The Interior ministry said in a statement that Al Jazeera officials "had ordered some individuals collaborating with the channel inside the country to continue implementing its media plan of provoking sedition, incitement against the state, and spreading chaos through broadcasting false news". It identified Hussain as a person implementing that plan for the channel which is not allowed to operate inside Egypt. Al Jazeera issued a statement later on Sunday denying the "fabricated charges" brought against Hussain and demanding his immediate release, adding that he was in Egypt on vacation and not for work. "(Hussain) is a news producer in the Al Jazeera Arabic newsroom and not a correspondent supervisor as alleged by the statement ... (he) would not have travelled through the airport at Egypt if he was undertaking any illegal activities as alleged by the MOI statement," the statement said. The broadcaster expressed concerns over Hussain's safety. "Al Jazeera holds the Egyptian authorities against subjecting Mahmoud to torture or extracting any information from him by force," it said. Egypt has arrested several Al Jazeera reporters over the past two years, raising concerns over the freedom of journalists working in the country. In May, a Cairo court recommended the death penalty against two of them, charged in absentia with endangering national security by leaking state secrets to Qatar. The Brotherhood is a Qatar-backed movement that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has cracked down on since an army takeover in 2013 stripped former president Mohammed Mursi - a prominent member of the group - of power following mass protests against his rule. Thousands of Brotherhood supporters including Mursi are in jail and Egypt has designated the group, which says it is non-violent, a terrorist organisation. (Reuters)

Egypt confirms Al Jazeera producer's arrest for 'provoking sedition'

<p>Egyptian security forces were hit by two roadside bombings in a single day on Friday that killed six policemen and wounded six in Cairo and the north of the country, security sources and officials said.</p>

<p>The attacks come as the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi faces an insurgency waged by Islamist groups.</p>

<p>In the first incident, on Friday morning, a recently emerged Egyptian militant group claimed responsibility for a bomb in Cairo that the interior ministry said killed six policemen and wounded three others at a checkpoint on a main road leading to the Pyramids.</p>

<p>The Hasm Movement, which has claimed several attacks in Egypt in recent months, said it set off the bomb which, security sources said, also injured four civilians.</p>

<p>Eyewitness Ahmed Al-Deeb described a scene of carnage, with dead and dying policemen lying next to wrecked cars. One of the policemen had blast fragments in his chest and two more had lost legs, he told Reuters Television.</p>

<p>The second attack came on Friday evening in the Kafr El Sheikh governorate in the Nile Delta, where a roadside bomb killed a civilian and injured three policemen, security sources said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.</p>

<p>The bomb was detonated remotely as a police car drove by, but it exploded seconds after the vehicle passed, sparing the lives of the officers, the sources said.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Sinai insurgency</strong></p>

<p>The government is taking on militants in the Sinai Peninsula, where militants loyal to Islamic State are based, and Islamist groups elsewhere in the country.</p>

<p>Security forces killed three gunmen on Tuesday in a raid on a hideout in southern Egypt they said was used by Hasm, which they described as an armed wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood says it is a peaceful organisation.</p>

<p>Hasm, the Arabic word for decisiveness, has accused judges of sentencing thousands of innocent people to death, or jailing them for life, at the behest of the military.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Egyptian judges have issued death sentences against hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood supporters since 2013, when President</p>

<p>Mohamed Mursi, a member of the group, was overthrown by the army and arrested.</p>

<p>The Brotherhood, which won Egypt`s first free elections after the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak`s 30 years in power, has since been banned and its leaders and members have largely been imprisoned or driven into exile or underground.</p>

<p>Since the crackdown, other small groups, including Hasm, have emerged. Hasm claimed responsibility in September for an assassination attempt on a senior prosecutor.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Militants loyal to Islamic State based in the Sinai have killed hundreds of soldiers and police.</p>

<p>Judges, policemen and senior officials have been targeted by radical Islamists angered by long prison sentences imposed on members of the Brotherhood.</p>

<p>(Reuters)<br />
<br />
<br />
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The attacks come as the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi faces an insurgency waged by Islamist groups

Egyptian security forces were hit by two roadside bombings in a single day on Friday that killed six policemen and wounded six in Cairo and the north of the country, security sources and officials said. The attacks come as the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi faces an insurgency waged by Islamist groups. In the first incident, on Friday morning, a recently emerged Egyptian militant group claimed responsibility for a bomb in Cairo that the interior ministry said killed six policemen and wounded three others at a checkpoint on a main road leading to the Pyramids. The Hasm Movement, which has claimed several attacks in Egypt in recent months, said it set off the bomb which, security sources said, also injured four civilians. Eyewitness Ahmed Al-Deeb described a scene of carnage, with dead and dying policemen lying next to wrecked cars. One of the policemen had blast fragments in his chest and two more had lost legs, he told Reuters Television. The second attack came on Friday evening in the Kafr El Sheikh governorate in the Nile Delta, where a roadside bomb killed a civilian and injured three policemen, security sources said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. The bomb was detonated remotely as a police car drove by, but it exploded seconds after the vehicle passed, sparing the lives of the officers, the sources said. Sinai insurgency The government is taking on militants in the Sinai Peninsula, where militants loyal to Islamic State are based, and Islamist groups elsewhere in the country. Security forces killed three gunmen on Tuesday in a raid on a hideout in southern Egypt they said was used by Hasm, which they described as an armed wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood says it is a peaceful organisation. Hasm, the Arabic word for decisiveness, has accused judges of sentencing thousands of innocent people to death, or jailing them for life, at the behest of the military. Egyptian judges have issued death sentences against hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood supporters since 2013, when President Mohamed Mursi, a member of the group, was overthrown by the army and arrested. The Brotherhood, which won Egypt`s first free elections after the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak`s 30 years in power, has since been banned and its leaders and members have largely been imprisoned or driven into exile or underground. Since the crackdown, other small groups, including Hasm, have emerged. Hasm claimed responsibility in September for an assassination attempt on a senior prosecutor. Militants loyal to Islamic State based in the Sinai have killed hundreds of soldiers and police. Judges, policemen and senior officials have been targeted by radical Islamists angered by long prison sentences imposed on members of the Brotherhood. (Reuters)

Roadside bombings in Egypt kill 6 policemen, 1 civilian

<p>At least 25&nbsp;people were killed and over 30 injured&nbsp;during&nbsp;Sunday mass inside a Cairo church today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The explosion took place at St Mark&#39;s Cathedral, main Coptic Christian cathedral, in central Cairo, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health, PTI reported.</p>

<p>There was no immediate claim of responsibility.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A bomb was lobbed into a chapel near the cathedral&#39;s outer wall, PTI reported. According to officials, most of the dead are women and children.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The toll is likely to rise, officials said.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BREAKING VIDEO inside <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/church?src=hash">#church</a> after <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BOMB?src=hash">#BOMB</a> blast <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Egypt?src=hash">#Egypt</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cairo?src=hash">#Cairo</a>&rsquo;s main coptic <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Christian?src=hash">#Christian</a> cathedral Saint Marcs <a href="https://t.co/s3vhBr8R7v">pic.twitter.com/s3vhBr8R7v</a></p>
&mdash; Europe 2424 (@europe2424) <a href="https://twitter.com/europe2424/status/807891740380303360">December 11, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p>The attack came two days after six policemen were killed in an attack elsewhere in Cairo.</p>

<p>St Peter&#39;s Church is beside St Mark&#39;s Cathedral, which is the seat of Egypt&#39;s Orthodox Christian church and is home to the office of its spiritual leader, Pope Tawadros II.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The presidency has declared national mourning after the attack.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from PTI)</p>


The incident came two days after six policemen were killed in an attack in Cairo on Friday

At least 25 people were killed and over 30 injured during Sunday mass inside a Cairo church today. The explosion took place at St Mark's Cathedral, main Coptic Christian cathedral, in central Cairo, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health, PTI reported. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. A bomb was lobbed into a chapel near the cathedral's outer wall, PTI reported. According to officials, most of the dead are women and children. The toll is likely to rise, officials said. BREAKING VIDEO inside #church after #BOMB blast #Egypt at #Cairo’s main coptic #Christian cathedral Saint Marcs pic.twitter.com/s3vhBr8R7v — Europe 2424 (@europe2424) December 11, 2016 × The attack came two days after six policemen were killed in an attack elsewhere in Cairo. St Peter's Church is beside St Mark's Cathedral, which is the seat of Egypt's Orthodox Christian church and is home to the office of its spiritual leader, Pope Tawadros II. The presidency has declared national mourning after the attack. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Egypt bomb blast: 25 killed, 30 injured at main Coptic cathedral in Cairo

<p>Egypt&#39;s Ibrahim Hamadtou with no arms represented his country at the Paralympic Games of Rio 2016. The 43-year-old became a YouTube sensation after he showcased his amazing athletic skills, clenching the paddle between his teeth.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Ibrahim Hamad (AFP)</p>
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<p>Ibrahim lost his arms as a kid in a train accident when he was ten years old but never lost passion for the sport. As a kid he stayed at home for three years out of embarrassment&nbsp;but challenged himself to overcome his physical disability. Working his way out of depression, he practiced day in and out to use to use his disability to his advantage. It took him a while to hold a TT bat with his mouth but has now become a world-class player and a Paralympian to top it.<br />
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<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aDdh2439hnU" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>(Source: ITTF official YouTube channel)<br />
<br />
Ibrahim is a symbol of inspiration for many like him who want to go beyond adversities to make a name for themselves. Though he didn&rsquo;t collect any medal&nbsp;at the Paralympic Games, his life is nothing short of achieving the unattainable.&nbsp;</p>


Ibrahim Hamadtou, who hails from Egypt, is an inspiration for all

Egypt's Ibrahim Hamadtou with no arms represented his country at the Paralympic Games of Rio 2016. The 43-year-old became a YouTube sensation after he showcased his amazing athletic skills, clenching the paddle between his teeth. Ibrahim Hamad (AFP) × Ibrahim lost his arms as a kid in a train accident when he was ten years old but never lost passion for the sport. As a kid he stayed at home for three years out of embarrassment but challenged himself to overcome his physical disability. Working his way out of depression, he practiced day in and out to use to use his disability to his advantage. It took him a while to hold a TT bat with his mouth but has now become a world-class player and a Paralympian to top it. (Source: ITTF official YouTube channel) Ibrahim is a symbol of inspiration for many like him who want to go beyond adversities to make a name for themselves. Though he didn’t collect any medal at the Paralympic Games, his life is nothing short of achieving the unattainable.

#BeTheChange: He plays table tennis with his mouth and foot

Manar Sarhan disinfects her hands after filling a patient&#39;s tooth, readying to catch the Euro 2016 match and analyse it for a newspaper as Egypt&#39;s first woman in mainstream football punditry.<br />
<br />
Sarhan, 27, appears weekly on the private CBC television channel to comment on matches, a rare sight in a field monopolised by former football players, all of them men.<br />
<br />
&quot;I chose dentistry as a career with my mind, but football is my passion and love,&quot; Sarhan said in a private clinic where she freelances as a dentist.&nbsp;&quot;I tried to play football in the beginning but I didn&#39;t find a good opportunity in Egypt and I think specialising in analysing football makes up a lot for it,&quot; she says, after examining a patient.<br />
<br />
Sarhan began working in journalism as a volunteer in 2002, using a basic camera to capture footage for the website of her favourite Egyptian club: Zamalek.&nbsp;Sarhan began writing for the independent Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper and the popular Fil Goal website before she was picked up by satellite sports programmes.<br />
<br />
By day, Sarhan works in a government medical centre and chips in at a clinic owned by one of her friends. At night, she clears her schedule to follow games and to read the latest in the world of football.<br />
<br />
&quot;I&#39;m a dentist by day, and a football commentator by night,&quot; Sarhan says, laughing as she packs her medical instruments.<br />
<br />
&quot;The effort put into commentary is more in spite of the return being lower,&quot; she says.&nbsp;A profitable profession, dentistry is respected by Egyptians. It was not easy to enter the sports commentary world, especially as a woman.<br />
<br />
&quot;The field is already difficult for male youths, so what about a girl?&quot; says Sarhan, who decorates her bedroom with posters of Egyptian and European football players.<br />
<br />
&quot;I was mocked in the beginning. They would tell me &#39;Girls belong in kitchens&#39;,&quot; she says.&nbsp;Her large following on Twitter suggests otherwise.<br />
<br />
<strong>Dreams beyond Egypt</strong>&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Top European clubs and their games are popular viewing in Egypt, and Sarhan has proven to be an expert in the field.&nbsp;Ibrahim Fayek, an anchor at CBC, says hosting Sarhan was &quot;very strange&quot; in the beginning because she is &quot;a lady and a dentist&quot;.&nbsp;Now, he says, he is doing his best to keep her on his show as competitors try to poach her.<br />
<br />
&quot;Manar has an expansive and deep understanding of football and she presents a different type of football analysis. Her explanation of the different teams&#39; plans and tactics surprised me,&quot; Fayek said.<br />
<br />
At home, Sarhan sits close to a large screen broadcasting Belgium against Wales, jotting down statistics on passing and the players&#39; movements.&nbsp;Nearby lies an old copy of Britain&#39;s World Soccer magazine, with the cover featuring Zinedine Zidane, who she said inspired her love for Real Madrid.<br />
<br />
&quot;I would watch a match twice before writing any comprehensive technical analysis,&quot; she says.<br />
<br />
Her passion for football inspired Sarhan to learn Spanish so she could track La Liga and the club she supports from original sources.&nbsp;She plans to also learn Italian and Portuguese to expand the sphere of European football that she can follow.&nbsp;Sarhan also follows Spanish youth matches and teams that are less well-known to be able to keep abreast of up-and-coming talents.&nbsp;In one corner of her house rests a ball which her mother says Sarhan still kicks around in the hallway.<br />
<br />
&quot;Manar has loved football since she was a child. I wanted her to continue her studies in her profession, but she is happy commentating,&quot; her mother Magda al-Hawary says with evident pride.<br />
<br />
Sarhan&#39;s dream goes beyond Egypt&#39;s borders.&nbsp;&quot;My dream is to work in the field of European football in Spain itself, to become international.&quot;<br />
<br />
(AFP)

'I chose dentistry as a career... but football is my passion and love,' says 27-year-old Sarhan

Manar Sarhan disinfects her hands after filling a patient's tooth, readying to catch the Euro 2016 match and analyse it for a newspaper as Egypt's first woman in mainstream football punditry. Sarhan, 27, appears weekly on the private CBC television channel to comment on matches, a rare sight in a field monopolised by former football players, all of them men. "I chose dentistry as a career with my mind, but football is my passion and love," Sarhan said in a private clinic where she freelances as a dentist. "I tried to play football in the beginning but I didn't find a good opportunity in Egypt and I think specialising in analysing football makes up a lot for it," she says, after examining a patient. Sarhan began working in journalism as a volunteer in 2002, using a basic camera to capture footage for the website of her favourite Egyptian club: Zamalek. Sarhan began writing for the independent Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper and the popular Fil Goal website before she was picked up by satellite sports programmes. By day, Sarhan works in a government medical centre and chips in at a clinic owned by one of her friends. At night, she clears her schedule to follow games and to read the latest in the world of football. "I'm a dentist by day, and a football commentator by night," Sarhan says, laughing as she packs her medical instruments. "The effort put into commentary is more in spite of the return being lower," she says. A profitable profession, dentistry is respected by Egyptians. It was not easy to enter the sports commentary world, especially as a woman. "The field is already difficult for male youths, so what about a girl?" says Sarhan, who decorates her bedroom with posters of Egyptian and European football players. "I was mocked in the beginning. They would tell me 'Girls belong in kitchens'," she says. Her large following on Twitter suggests otherwise. Dreams beyond Egypt Top European clubs and their games are popular viewing in Egypt, and Sarhan has proven to be an expert in the field. Ibrahim Fayek, an anchor at CBC, says hosting Sarhan was "very strange" in the beginning because she is "a lady and a dentist". Now, he says, he is doing his best to keep her on his show as competitors try to poach her. "Manar has an expansive and deep understanding of football and she presents a different type of football analysis. Her explanation of the different teams' plans and tactics surprised me," Fayek said. At home, Sarhan sits close to a large screen broadcasting Belgium against Wales, jotting down statistics on passing and the players' movements. Nearby lies an old copy of Britain's World Soccer magazine, with the cover featuring Zinedine Zidane, who she said inspired her love for Real Madrid. "I would watch a match twice before writing any comprehensive technical analysis," she says. Her passion for football inspired Sarhan to learn Spanish so she could track La Liga and the club she supports from original sources. She plans to also learn Italian and Portuguese to expand the sphere of European football that she can follow. Sarhan also follows Spanish youth matches and teams that are less well-known to be able to keep abreast of up-and-coming talents. In one corner of her house rests a ball which her mother says Sarhan still kicks around in the hallway. "Manar has loved football since she was a child. I wanted her to continue her studies in her profession, but she is happy commentating," her mother Magda al-Hawary says with evident pride. Sarhan's dream goes beyond Egypt's borders. "My dream is to work in the field of European football in Spain itself, to become international." (AFP)

Egyptian dentist becomes country's first-ever female football pundit

Egypt has asked the International Monetary Fund for financial support as it struggles to strengthen its economy, the IMF said on Tuesday.<br />
<br />
The Fund plans to send a staff team to the country at the end of this month to review the situation and begin consultations, it said.<br />
<br />
According to some media reports, Egypt is seeking a loan program of $7 billion.<br />
<br />
&quot;The Egyptian authorities have asked the IMF to provide financial support for their economic program,&quot; said Masood Ahmed, director of the IMF middle-east and central-Asia department, said in a statement.<br />
<br />
&quot;We welcome this request, and look forward to discussing policies which can help Egypt meet its economic challenges. Our goals are to help Egypt return to economic stability and to support strong, sustainable and job-rich growth.&quot;<br />
<br />
In late 2012 Egypt, under former president Mohamed Morsi, had reached a tentative deal to borrow $4.8 billion from the IMF to buoy the country&#39;s sagging finances after the revolution that brought him to power.<br />
<br />
However, negotiations were stymied in part by Egypts resistance to reforms and political instability, which eventually led to Morsi&#39;s overthrow by the military in July 2013.<br />
<br />
The subsequent government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi turned to the wealthy governments of the Gulf for billions of Dollars to stabilise the country.<br />
<br />
But it continues to struggle, and the central bank devalued the Egyptian Pound by nearly 15 per cent in March.<br />
<br />
(AFP)

IMF plans to send a team to the country at the end of this month to review the situation and begin consultations

Egypt has asked the International Monetary Fund for financial support as it struggles to strengthen its economy, the IMF said on Tuesday. The Fund plans to send a staff team to the country at the end of this month to review the situation and begin consultations, it said. According to some media reports, Egypt is seeking a loan program of $7 billion. "The Egyptian authorities have asked the IMF to provide financial support for their economic program," said Masood Ahmed, director of the IMF middle-east and central-Asia department, said in a statement. "We welcome this request, and look forward to discussing policies which can help Egypt meet its economic challenges. Our goals are to help Egypt return to economic stability and to support strong, sustainable and job-rich growth." In late 2012 Egypt, under former president Mohamed Morsi, had reached a tentative deal to borrow $4.8 billion from the IMF to buoy the country's sagging finances after the revolution that brought him to power. However, negotiations were stymied in part by Egypts resistance to reforms and political instability, which eventually led to Morsi's overthrow by the military in July 2013. The subsequent government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi turned to the wealthy governments of the Gulf for billions of Dollars to stabilise the country. But it continues to struggle, and the central bank devalued the Egyptian Pound by nearly 15 per cent in March. (AFP)

Egypt seeks financial support from International Monetary Fund

Egypt announced on Tuesday it is nominating former minister and ambassador Moushira Khattab for the post of UNESCO director general.<br />
<br />
A former ambassador to South Africa, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Khattab was family and population minister between 2009 and 2011 under now-deposed president Hosni Mubarak.&nbsp;She also served as secretary general of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood in Egypt.<br />
<br />
&quot;Egypt will nominate ambassador Moushira Khattab for director general of UNESCO,&quot; said a statement from the office of Prime Minister Sherif Ismail.<br />
<br />
The mandate of UNESCO&#39;s current director general, Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, expires in 2017.&nbsp;Bokova is among the candidates to succeed UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, whose mandate runs out this year.<br />
<br />
She was elected head of the Paris-based UNESCO in 2009, becoming the first woman to lead the UN agency. She was re-elected in 2013 for a second four-year term.&nbsp;Qatar&#39;s ambassador to Paris announced in December that his country would be putting up a candidate for the position, nominating culture minister Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari.<br />
<br />
(AFP)

A former ambassador to South Africa, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, she was family and population minister between 2009 and 2011

Egypt announced on Tuesday it is nominating former minister and ambassador Moushira Khattab for the post of UNESCO director general. A former ambassador to South Africa, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Khattab was family and population minister between 2009 and 2011 under now-deposed president Hosni Mubarak. She also served as secretary general of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood in Egypt. "Egypt will nominate ambassador Moushira Khattab for director general of UNESCO," said a statement from the office of Prime Minister Sherif Ismail. The mandate of UNESCO's current director general, Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, expires in 2017. Bokova is among the candidates to succeed UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, whose mandate runs out this year. She was elected head of the Paris-based UNESCO in 2009, becoming the first woman to lead the UN agency. She was re-elected in 2013 for a second four-year term. Qatar's ambassador to Paris announced in December that his country would be putting up a candidate for the position, nominating culture minister Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari. (AFP)

Egypt former minister Moushira Khattab nominated for top UNESCO job

The United Nations Security Council failed on Saturday to condemn the violence and unrest in Turkey, after Egypt objected to a statement that called on all parties to &quot;respect the democratically elected government of Turkey,&quot; diplomats said.<br />
<br />
The US-drafted statement, seen by Reuters, also expressed grave concern over the situation in Turkey, urged the parties to show restraint, avoid any violence or bloodshed, and called for an urgent end to the crisis and return to rule of law.<br />
<br />
Statements by the 15-member Security Council have to be agreed by consensus.<br />
<br />
&quot;We proposed different language that respects democratic and constitutional principles, but the Americans refused to engage,&quot; Egypt&#39;s UN ambassador Amr Aboulatta told Reuters.<br />
<br />
?Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is a former general who overthrew elected President Mohamed Mursi, of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, in 2013 after mass protests against Mursi. Turkey provided support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.<br />
<br />
Diplomats said Egypt asked for a call for all parties to &quot;respect the democratically elected government of Turkey&quot; to be removed from the draft statement, saying the council is &quot;in no position to qualify, or label that government - or any other government for that matter - as democratically elected or not&quot;.<br />
<br />
After the United States and Britain objected to the proposed change to the text, Egypt proposed that the council call on the parties in Turkey to &quot;respect the democratic and constitutional principles and the rule of law,&quot; diplomats said.<br />
<br />
Negotiations on the text ended at this point, diplomats said.<br />
<br />
The Egyptian foreign ministry said that it was &quot;surprised that its proposed amendment was not taken up, and with the claim that it is obstructing the release of the statement.&quot;<br />
<br />
Turkish forces loyal to President Tayyip Erdogan largely crushed an attempted military coup on Saturday after crowds answered his call to take to the streets in support of the government and dozens of rebels abandoned their tanks.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)

Egyptian diplomats said the UN council is in no position to qualify or label any government as democratically elected or not

The United Nations Security Council failed on Saturday to condemn the violence and unrest in Turkey, after Egypt objected to a statement that called on all parties to "respect the democratically elected government of Turkey," diplomats said. The US-drafted statement, seen by Reuters, also expressed grave concern over the situation in Turkey, urged the parties to show restraint, avoid any violence or bloodshed, and called for an urgent end to the crisis and return to rule of law. Statements by the 15-member Security Council have to be agreed by consensus. "We proposed different language that respects democratic and constitutional principles, but the Americans refused to engage," Egypt's UN ambassador Amr Aboulatta told Reuters. ?Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is a former general who overthrew elected President Mohamed Mursi, of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, in 2013 after mass protests against Mursi. Turkey provided support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Diplomats said Egypt asked for a call for all parties to "respect the democratically elected government of Turkey" to be removed from the draft statement, saying the council is "in no position to qualify, or label that government - or any other government for that matter - as democratically elected or not". After the United States and Britain objected to the proposed change to the text, Egypt proposed that the council call on the parties in Turkey to "respect the democratic and constitutional principles and the rule of law," diplomats said. Negotiations on the text ended at this point, diplomats said. The Egyptian foreign ministry said that it was "surprised that its proposed amendment was not taken up, and with the claim that it is obstructing the release of the statement." Turkish forces loyal to President Tayyip Erdogan largely crushed an attempted military coup on Saturday after crowds answered his call to take to the streets in support of the government and dozens of rebels abandoned their tanks. (Reuters)

Egypt blocks UN call to respect 'democratically elected' government in Turkey

In what is being termed as first such visit in nearly a decade, Egypt&#39;s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to revive peace efforts with the Palestinians.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The trip came amid talk of renewing an Arab peace initiative and with Israel&#39;s military having recently saluted &quot;unprecedented&quot; intelligence cooperation with Egypt to combat the Islamic State (IS) group.<br />
<br />
Speaking to journalists alongside Netanyahu before their meeting in Jerusalem, foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said it was a &quot;crucial and challenging juncture for the Middle East&quot;.<br />
<br />
Resolving the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict would have a &quot;far-reaching and dramatic and positive impact on the overall conditions of the Middle East region,&quot; he said.<br />
<br />
&quot;Egypt remains ready to contribute toward achieving this goal,&quot; Shoukry&nbsp;asserted.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<strong>Netanyahu urges Palestinians to engage in direct negotiations&nbsp;</strong><br />
<br />
Netanyahu for his part welcomed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi&#39;s &quot;recent offer of Egyptian leadership and efforts to advance peace with the Palestinians and a broader peace in our region.&quot;<br />
<br />
He also called on Palestinians to engage in direct negotiations as he has repeatedly done in the past.<br />
<br />
Palestinian leaders say years of talks with the Israelis have not ended the occupation and have instead pursued international diplomacy to promote their cause.<br />
<br />
Shoukry also held discussions with Palestinian leaders during a visit to the West Bank city of Ramallah on June 29.<br />
<br />
Sisi said in May that there was a &quot;real opportunity&quot; for an Israeli-Palestinian deal that could lead to warmer ties between his country and Israel. He urged both sides to seize what he said was a &quot;real opportunity&quot; and hailed Egypt&#39;s peace deal with Israel.<br />
<br />
<strong>&#39;Laying foundation&#39; for talks</strong><br />
<br />
Egypt&#39;s foreign ministry said Shoukry and Netanyahu would discuss &quot;laying the foundation and specifics of confidence-building between Palestinians and Israelis to create a supportive environment to resume direct negotiations between them with the aim of reaching a comprehensive and just solution.&quot;<br />
<br />
Israeli public radio said the trip was also partly intended to prepare the groundwork for a possible visit by Netanyahu to Cairo, but officials have yet to comment on the report.<br />
<br />
In 1979, Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with neighbouring Israel after years of conflict, and it remains an influential player in the region.<br />
<br />
Their ties have however been formally cold over Israel&#39;s policies towards the Palestinians, and relations further soured after the June 2012 election of the Muslim Brotherhood&#39;s Mohamed Morsi as Egyptian president.<br />
<br />
After president Hosni Mubarak&#39;s ouster in the 2011 revolution, protesters stormed Israel&#39;s embassy in September that year amid clashes with police.<br />
<br />
Morsi was ousted in July 2013 by then army chief Sisi, who was elected Egypt&#39;s president in 2014.<br />
<br />
In June, representatives from 28 Arab and Western countries, the Arab League, European Union and the United Nations met in Paris to discuss ways to help advance peace efforts.<br />
<br />
Israel strongly opposes that initiative, which is being promoted by France.<br />
<br />
Netanyahu has, at the same time, spoken of reviving a long-dormant Arab peace initiative dating to 2002.<br />
<br />
The proposal essentially calls for Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories and resolve the issue of refugees with the Palestinians, leading to the creation of a Palestinian state, in exchange for normalised relations with Arab countries.<br />
<br />
<strong>&#39;Existential threat&#39;&nbsp;</strong><br />
<br />
But some analysts have questioned whether Netanyahu&#39;s comments were a bid to fend off international critics over his appointment of hardline Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his opposition to the French plan.<br />
<br />
He has said he would seek changes to the Arab proposal. The Arab League has said the terms cannot be changed.<br />
<br />
There have been repeated warnings that Israeli settlement building and Palestinian attacks are eroding the possibility of a two-state solution, especially with peace efforts at a standstill since April 2014.<br />
<br />
Violence since October has killed at least 214 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese.<br />
<br />
Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities.<br />
<br />
Others were shot dead during protests and clashes, while some were killed by Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip.<br />
<br />
Egypt and Israel have cooperated in other areas, particularly with jihadists in Egypt&#39;s Sinai Peninsula having pledged allegiance in November 2014 to the Islamic State group.<br />
<br />
In April, the Israeli military&#39;s deputy chief of staff spoke of an &quot;unprecedented level of cooperation&quot; with Egypt, mainly regarding intelligence.<br />
<br />
Shoukry said the situation in the Middle East was &quot;becoming ever more volatile and dangerous, particularly as the phenomenon of terrorism continues to grow and proliferate, representing an existential threat to the peoples of the region and the world at large.&quot;<br />
<br />
(AFP)&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;

In 1979, Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with neighbouring Israel after years of conflict

In what is being termed as first such visit in nearly a decade, Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to revive peace efforts with the Palestinians. The trip came amid talk of renewing an Arab peace initiative and with Israel's military having recently saluted "unprecedented" intelligence cooperation with Egypt to combat the Islamic State (IS) group. Speaking to journalists alongside Netanyahu before their meeting in Jerusalem, foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said it was a "crucial and challenging juncture for the Middle East". Resolving the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict would have a "far-reaching and dramatic and positive impact on the overall conditions of the Middle East region," he said. "Egypt remains ready to contribute toward achieving this goal," Shoukry asserted. Netanyahu urges Palestinians to engage in direct negotiations Netanyahu for his part welcomed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's "recent offer of Egyptian leadership and efforts to advance peace with the Palestinians and a broader peace in our region." He also called on Palestinians to engage in direct negotiations as he has repeatedly done in the past. Palestinian leaders say years of talks with the Israelis have not ended the occupation and have instead pursued international diplomacy to promote their cause. Shoukry also held discussions with Palestinian leaders during a visit to the West Bank city of Ramallah on June 29. Sisi said in May that there was a "real opportunity" for an Israeli-Palestinian deal that could lead to warmer ties between his country and Israel. He urged both sides to seize what he said was a "real opportunity" and hailed Egypt's peace deal with Israel. 'Laying foundation' for talks Egypt's foreign ministry said Shoukry and Netanyahu would discuss "laying the foundation and specifics of confidence-building between Palestinians and Israelis to create a supportive environment to resume direct negotiations between them with the aim of reaching a comprehensive and just solution." Israeli public radio said the trip was also partly intended to prepare the groundwork for a possible visit by Netanyahu to Cairo, but officials have yet to comment on the report. In 1979, Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with neighbouring Israel after years of conflict, and it remains an influential player in the region. Their ties have however been formally cold over Israel's policies towards the Palestinians, and relations further soured after the June 2012 election of the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi as Egyptian president. After president Hosni Mubarak's ouster in the 2011 revolution, protesters stormed Israel's embassy in September that year amid clashes with police. Morsi was ousted in July 2013 by then army chief Sisi, who was elected Egypt's president in 2014. In June, representatives from 28 Arab and Western countries, the Arab League, European Union and the United Nations met in Paris to discuss ways to help advance peace efforts. Israel strongly opposes that initiative, which is being promoted by France. Netanyahu has, at the same time, spoken of reviving a long-dormant Arab peace initiative dating to 2002. The proposal essentially calls for Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories and resolve the issue of refugees with the Palestinians, leading to the creation of a Palestinian state, in exchange for normalised relations with Arab countries. 'Existential threat' But some analysts have questioned whether Netanyahu's comments were a bid to fend off international critics over his appointment of hardline Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his opposition to the French plan. He has said he would seek changes to the Arab proposal. The Arab League has said the terms cannot be changed. There have been repeated warnings that Israeli settlement building and Palestinian attacks are eroding the possibility of a two-state solution, especially with peace efforts at a standstill since April 2014. Violence since October has killed at least 214 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese. Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities. Others were shot dead during protests and clashes, while some were killed by Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip. Egypt and Israel have cooperated in other areas, particularly with jihadists in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula having pledged allegiance in November 2014 to the Islamic State group. In April, the Israeli military's deputy chief of staff spoke of an "unprecedented level of cooperation" with Egypt, mainly regarding intelligence. Shoukry said the situation in the Middle East was "becoming ever more volatile and dangerous, particularly as the phenomenon of terrorism continues to grow and proliferate, representing an existential threat to the peoples of the region and the world at large." (AFP)

Egypt foreign minister on rare Israel visit to revive peace talks

Aircraft debris believed to have come from an EgyptAir crash in May has washed up on a beach near Tel Aviv, an official in the Israeli premier&#39;s office said Friday.<br />
<br />
&quot;Debris have been collected and there is a high probability that these originate from the Egyptian plane,&quot; the official in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s office said.<br />
<br />
Netanyahu has instructed that the plane parts found on a beach in the coastal town of Netanya on Thursday be handed over to Egypt, he said.<br />
<br />
Experts are still investigating the cause of the May 19 crash of the Airbus A320 which went down in the eastern Mediterranean on a flight from Paris to Cairo, killing all 66 people on board.<br />
<br />
Investigators have said the plane&#39;s wreckage showed signs of fire, while a data recorder has confirmed that smoke alarms had been activated.<br />
<br />
(AFP)&nbsp;

Experts are still investigating the cause of the May 19 crash of the Airbus A320 which went down in the eastern Mediterranean

Aircraft debris believed to have come from an EgyptAir crash in May has washed up on a beach near Tel Aviv, an official in the Israeli premier's office said Friday. "Debris have been collected and there is a high probability that these originate from the Egyptian plane," the official in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said. Netanyahu has instructed that the plane parts found on a beach in the coastal town of Netanya on Thursday be handed over to Egypt, he said. Experts are still investigating the cause of the May 19 crash of the Airbus A320 which went down in the eastern Mediterranean on a flight from Paris to Cairo, killing all 66 people on board. Investigators have said the plane's wreckage showed signs of fire, while a data recorder has confirmed that smoke alarms had been activated. (AFP)

Probable EgyptAir crash debris recovered on Israeli beach

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday ruled out a reconciliation with Egypt despite a diplomatic blitz that has seen Ankara mend fences with Russia and Israel.<br />
<br />
Ties between Turkey and Egypt ruptured in 2013 after the military ousted elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, a close ally of Erdogan&#39;s AKP government.<br />
<br />
Observers had suggested a rapprochement may be on the cards after last week saw Turkey restore ties with Russia and Israel following bitter diplomatic rows, seeking to boost trade and shore up its regional clout.<br />
<br />
But Erdogan said Tuesday that a thaw with Egypt&#39;s &quot;oppressive regime&quot; should not be expected any time soon.<br />
<br />
&quot;The context with Egypt is different from the approaches undertaken with Russia and Israel,&quot; the Turkish strongman told journalists in comments cited by Dogan news agency.<br />
<br />
He stressed that Turkey&#39;s dispute was with Egypt&#39;s government, not its people, and repeated his condemnation of the crackdown on Morsi&#39;s Muslim Brotherhood.<br />
<br />
&quot;Sentences handed down to Morsi and his friends have been based on fabrications,&quot; he said.<br />
<br />
&quot;These people are our brothers, we cannot accept these decisions by an oppressive regime.&quot;<br />
<br />
Erdogan has previously condemned the &quot;coup&quot; against Morsi, and in a show of solidarity at rallies, he often uses a four-finger hand gesture known as &quot;Rabia&quot;, seen as a symbol of the Muslim Brotherhood.<br />
<br />
Saudi Arabia, an increasingly close Turkish ally that is one of the main backers of Egypt&#39;s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, is keen to see the two nations reconcile.<br />
<br />
(AFP)

Ties between Turkey and Egypt ruptured in 2013 after the military ousted elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday ruled out a reconciliation with Egypt despite a diplomatic blitz that has seen Ankara mend fences with Russia and Israel. Ties between Turkey and Egypt ruptured in 2013 after the military ousted elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, a close ally of Erdogan's AKP government. Observers had suggested a rapprochement may be on the cards after last week saw Turkey restore ties with Russia and Israel following bitter diplomatic rows, seeking to boost trade and shore up its regional clout. But Erdogan said Tuesday that a thaw with Egypt's "oppressive regime" should not be expected any time soon. "The context with Egypt is different from the approaches undertaken with Russia and Israel," the Turkish strongman told journalists in comments cited by Dogan news agency. He stressed that Turkey's dispute was with Egypt's government, not its people, and repeated his condemnation of the crackdown on Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood. "Sentences handed down to Morsi and his friends have been based on fabrications," he said. "These people are our brothers, we cannot accept these decisions by an oppressive regime." Erdogan has previously condemned the "coup" against Morsi, and in a show of solidarity at rallies, he often uses a four-finger hand gesture known as "Rabia", seen as a symbol of the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia, an increasingly close Turkish ally that is one of the main backers of Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, is keen to see the two nations reconcile. (AFP)

Turkey's Erdogan rules out Egypt thaw

<p>Egyptian investigators said on Saturday the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of crashed EgyptAir flight MS804 was now in a condition to extract recordings.<br />
<br />
The investigative committee said in a statement that, after repairs, the CVR was in a condition to retrieve information that could help explain why the Airbus A320 jet plunged into the sea on May 19, killing all 66 people on board.<br />
<br />
The committee said its members were planning to return to Cairo to continue reading and analysing the flight data recorder and CVR at the central department for aircraft accidents at Egypt&#39;s Ministry of Civil Aviation.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)</p>


The information may help explain why the Airbus A320 jet plunged into the sea

Egyptian investigators said on Saturday the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of crashed EgyptAir flight MS804 was now in a condition to extract recordings. The investigative committee said in a statement that, after repairs, the CVR was in a condition to retrieve information that could help explain why the Airbus A320 jet plunged into the sea on May 19, killing all 66 people on board. The committee said its members were planning to return to Cairo to continue reading and analysing the flight data recorder and CVR at the central department for aircraft accidents at Egypt's Ministry of Civil Aviation. (Reuters)

Egypt investigators to fix voice recorder from crashed jet that killed 66

Data from one of the black boxes of a crashed EgyptAir plane showed smoke alarms had sounded on board, while soot was found on the wreckage, an Egyptian-led investigative committee said today.<br />
<br />
The black box had been retrieved from the bottom of the Mediterranean after the Airbus A320 with 66 people on board plunged into the sea on May 19 while heading to Cairo from Paris.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
It had recorded the flight&#39;s data from its departure until it &quot;stopped at an altitude of 37,000 feet (11,250 metres),&quot; the committee said in a statement.<br />
<br />
&quot;Recorded data is showing a consistency with Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) messages of lavatory smoke and avionics smoke,&quot; it said, two days after the damaged recorder was repaired in France.<br />
<br />
Investigators had previously announced that the plane&#39;s automated ACARS sent signals indicating smoke alarms on board the plane before it went down.<br />
<br />
&quot;Parts of the front section of the aircraft showed signs of high temperature damage and soot,&quot; the committee statement added.<br />
<br />
Egyptian investigators had confirmed that the aircraft had made a 90-degree left turn followed by a 360-degree turn to the right before hitting the sea.<br />
<br />
The plane was carrying 40 Egyptians, 15 French, two Iraqis, two Canadians and one passenger each from Algeria, Belgium, Britain, Chad, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan.<br />
<br />
The repair work of the cockpit voice recorder, the second black box, was underway at the France&#39;s Bureau d&#39;Enqu?tes et d&#39;Analyses pour la s?curit? de l&#39;aviation civile (BEA) air safety agency.<br />
<br />
The device had been found broken into pieces but salvage experts managed to retrieve the recorder&#39;s memory unit, Egypt&#39;s civil aviation ministry had said.<br />
<br />
The committee statement said the search remained for the remains of the passengers and crew.<br />
<br />
It &quot;will continue till the full recovery of all the remains at the crash location,&quot; it said.<br />
<br />
Both Egyptian and French judiciary have opened investigations into the mysterious incident, without ruling out that it had been deliberately downed.<br />
<br />
The crash follows the bombing of a Russian passenger over Egypt&#39;s restive Sinai Peninsula last October, killing all 224 passengers and crew.<br />
<br />
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for that attack, but there has been no such claim linked to the EgyptAir crash, and the group usually swiftly claims responsibility for large scale attacks.<br />
<br />
Egypt&#39;s aviation minister had initially said an attack was the more likely explanation, but President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said there was no theory being favoured yet.<br />
<br />
EgyptAir said last week advance compensation payments of $25,000 will be offered to families of the 66 people killed in the crash.<br />
<br />
The payments are separate to those expected from insurance companies on behalf of various parties depending on the investigation into the disaster.<br />
<br />
(AFP)

Data from one of the blackboxes of EgyptAir Airbus A320 revealed that parts of the front section showed signs of high temperature and soot

Data from one of the black boxes of a crashed EgyptAir plane showed smoke alarms had sounded on board, while soot was found on the wreckage, an Egyptian-led investigative committee said today. The black box had been retrieved from the bottom of the Mediterranean after the Airbus A320 with 66 people on board plunged into the sea on May 19 while heading to Cairo from Paris. It had recorded the flight's data from its departure until it "stopped at an altitude of 37,000 feet (11,250 metres)," the committee said in a statement. "Recorded data is showing a consistency with Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) messages of lavatory smoke and avionics smoke," it said, two days after the damaged recorder was repaired in France. Investigators had previously announced that the plane's automated ACARS sent signals indicating smoke alarms on board the plane before it went down. "Parts of the front section of the aircraft showed signs of high temperature damage and soot," the committee statement added. Egyptian investigators had confirmed that the aircraft had made a 90-degree left turn followed by a 360-degree turn to the right before hitting the sea. The plane was carrying 40 Egyptians, 15 French, two Iraqis, two Canadians and one passenger each from Algeria, Belgium, Britain, Chad, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan. The repair work of the cockpit voice recorder, the second black box, was underway at the France's Bureau d'Enqu?tes et d'Analyses pour la s?curit? de l'aviation civile (BEA) air safety agency. The device had been found broken into pieces but salvage experts managed to retrieve the recorder's memory unit, Egypt's civil aviation ministry had said. The committee statement said the search remained for the remains of the passengers and crew. It "will continue till the full recovery of all the remains at the crash location," it said. Both Egyptian and French judiciary have opened investigations into the mysterious incident, without ruling out that it had been deliberately downed. The crash follows the bombing of a Russian passenger over Egypt's restive Sinai Peninsula last October, killing all 224 passengers and crew. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for that attack, but there has been no such claim linked to the EgyptAir crash, and the group usually swiftly claims responsibility for large scale attacks. Egypt's aviation minister had initially said an attack was the more likely explanation, but President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said there was no theory being favoured yet. EgyptAir said last week advance compensation payments of $25,000 will be offered to families of the 66 people killed in the crash. The payments are separate to those expected from insurance companies on behalf of various parties depending on the investigation into the disaster. (AFP)

EgyptAir black box confirms smoke on board: probe

Normalisation&nbsp;of&nbsp;relations&nbsp;between&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;and&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;has&nbsp;started,&nbsp;Turkish&nbsp;Prime&nbsp;Minister&nbsp;Binali&nbsp;Yildirim&nbsp;said&nbsp;on&nbsp;Tuesday,&nbsp;adding&nbsp;that&nbsp;an<br />
improvement&nbsp;in&nbsp;ties&nbsp;with&nbsp;all&nbsp;Black&nbsp;Sea&nbsp;and&nbsp;Mediterranean&nbsp;countries&nbsp;was&nbsp;an&nbsp;important&nbsp;goal.<br />
<br />
&quot;We&nbsp;will&nbsp;increase&nbsp;our&nbsp;friends&nbsp;and&nbsp;reduce&nbsp;our&nbsp;enemies.&nbsp;Our&nbsp;efforts&nbsp;in&nbsp;this&nbsp;direction&nbsp;will&nbsp;continue&nbsp;without&nbsp;slowing&nbsp;down.&nbsp;Not&nbsp;only&nbsp;with&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;or&nbsp;Egypt&nbsp;but&nbsp;also&nbsp;improving&nbsp;ties&nbsp;with&nbsp;all&nbsp;Black&nbsp;Sea&nbsp;and&nbsp;Mediterranean&nbsp;countries&nbsp;will&nbsp;be&nbsp;our&nbsp;most&nbsp;important&nbsp;goal,&quot;&nbsp;Yildirim&nbsp;told&nbsp;members&nbsp;of&nbsp;his&nbsp;ruling&nbsp;AK&nbsp;Party&nbsp;in&nbsp;parliament.<br />
<br />
Yildirim&nbsp;was&nbsp;speaking&nbsp;a&nbsp;day&nbsp;after&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;announced&nbsp;the&nbsp;restoration&nbsp;of&nbsp;diplomatic&nbsp;ties&nbsp;with&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;and&nbsp;following&nbsp;a&nbsp;letter&nbsp;from&nbsp;Turkish President&nbsp;Tayyip&nbsp;Erdogan&nbsp;to&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;President&nbsp;Vladimir&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;which&nbsp;expressed&nbsp;regret&nbsp;over&nbsp;the&nbsp;downing&nbsp;of&nbsp;a&nbsp;warplane&nbsp;last&nbsp;year,&nbsp;seeking&nbsp;to mend&nbsp;strained&nbsp;alliances.<br />
<br />
&quot;Communication&nbsp;between&nbsp;two&nbsp;leaders&nbsp;(Tayyip&nbsp;Erdogan&nbsp;and&nbsp;Vladimir&nbsp;Putin)&nbsp;which&nbsp;was&nbsp;continuing,&nbsp;finally&nbsp;gave&nbsp;results.&nbsp;It&nbsp;seems&nbsp;that&nbsp;mutual&nbsp;correspondence&nbsp;seems&nbsp;to&nbsp;thaw&nbsp;relations&nbsp;between&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;and&nbsp;Turkey.&nbsp;Thus&nbsp;we&nbsp;can&nbsp;say&nbsp;normalisation&nbsp;of&nbsp;relations&nbsp;with&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;has&nbsp;started&quot;&nbsp;Yildirim&nbsp;added.<br />
<br />
Kremlin&nbsp;spokesman&nbsp;Dmitry&nbsp;Peskov,&nbsp;however,&nbsp;told&nbsp;journalists&nbsp;on&nbsp;a&nbsp;conference&nbsp;call&nbsp;on&nbsp;Tuesday&nbsp;it&nbsp;would&nbsp;take&nbsp;more&nbsp;than&nbsp;a&nbsp;few&nbsp;days&nbsp;to&nbsp;mend&nbsp;Russia&#39;s&nbsp;relations&nbsp;with&nbsp;Ankara.<br />
<br />
Russian&nbsp;President&nbsp;Vladimir&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;had&nbsp;said&nbsp;an&nbsp;apology&nbsp;from&nbsp;Erdogan&nbsp;was&nbsp;the&nbsp;condition&nbsp;for&nbsp;repairing&nbsp;relations&nbsp;between&nbsp;the&nbsp;two&nbsp;countries, which&nbsp;were&nbsp;poisoned&nbsp;when&nbsp;the&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;jet&nbsp;was&nbsp;shot&nbsp;down&nbsp;near&nbsp;the&nbsp;Syrian-Turkish&nbsp;border&nbsp;in&nbsp;November.<br />
<br />
Putin&nbsp;and&nbsp;Erdogan&nbsp;will&nbsp;hold&nbsp;a&nbsp;telephone&nbsp;conversation&nbsp;at&nbsp;Moscow&#39;s&nbsp;initiative&nbsp;on&nbsp;Wednesday,&nbsp;Peskov&nbsp;added.<br />
<br />
?(Reuters)&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&nbsp;

'Improving?ties with?all?Black?Sea?and?Mediterranean?countries?will?be our?most?important?goal,? says Turkish PM Binali?Yildirim

Normalisation of relations between Turkey and Russia has started, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday, adding that an improvement in ties with all Black Sea and Mediterranean countries was an important goal. "We will increase our friends and reduce our enemies. Our efforts in this direction will continue without slowing down. Not only with Russia or Egypt but also improving ties with all Black Sea and Mediterranean countries will be our most important goal," Yildirim told members of his ruling AK Party in parliament. Yildirim was speaking a day after Turkey announced the restoration of diplomatic ties with Israel and following a letter from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to Russian President Vladimir Putin which expressed regret over the downing of a warplane last year, seeking to mend strained alliances. "Communication between two leaders (Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin) which was continuing, finally gave results. It seems that mutual correspondence seems to thaw relations between Russia and Turkey. Thus we can say normalisation of relations with Russia has started" Yildirim added. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, told journalists on a conference call on Tuesday it would take more than a few days to mend Russia's relations with Ankara. Russian President Vladimir Putin had said an apology from Erdogan was the condition for repairing relations between the two countries, which were poisoned when the Russian jet was shot down near the Syrian-Turkish border in November. Putin and Erdogan will hold a telephone conversation at Moscow's initiative on Wednesday, Peskov added. ?(Reuters)

Turkey steps up to mend strained ties with Russia

An Egyptian court on Tuesday quashed a government decision to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, judicial sources said, over-ruling a deal that had sparked public outrage.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced the controversial accord in April during a visit to Cairo by Saudi King Salman.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
A judge told AFP that the decision by the State Council, Egypt&#39;s highest administrative court, &quot;cancels the signing&quot; of the deal, which put two islands in the Straits of Tiran under Riyadh&#39;s control.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The handover prompted an outcry from many Egyptians and sparked protests against Sisi.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
A court last month sentenced 51 people to two years in jail for taking part in protests against the accord.<br />
<br />
In the lead-up to the protests, police already made dozens of arrests to discourage a repeat of a large rally on April 15 at which demonstrators chanted for the &quot;fall of the regime&quot;.<br />
<br />
Egypt&#39;s appeals court in May overturned five-year jail terms for 47 people convicted of taking part in non-authorised protests, but upheld fines of more than $11,000 each.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Tuesday&#39;s ruling on the islands deal is not final and may be challenged by the government.<br />
<br />
Lawyer Khaled Ali, who brought the case, told AFP the court&#39;s verdict &quot;shows that the two territories are Egyptian... and cannot be given away&quot;.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Saudi Arabia is one of Sisi&#39;s main regional backers, and the kingdom has provided Egypt with billions of dollars worth of aid and investment since the former army chief took power.<br />
<br />
Although generations of Egyptians have grown up believing the islands belonged to Egypt, Cairo insists they have always been Saudi territory, which was leased to it in 1950 following a request by Riyadh.<br />
<br />
Many Egyptians view Tiran and Sanafir with patriotic fondness because of the islands&#39; association with the four wars Egypt fought with Israel between 1948 and 1973.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Lying at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, the islands can be used to control access to the Israeli port of Eilat. They were captured by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war before being returned to Egypt under the 1979 Camp David Accords.<br />
<br />
Cairo says the transfer agreement was based on a presidential decree issued by now ousted leader Hosni Mubarak who in 1990 even informed the United Nations about the matter.<br />
<br />
Critics accuse Sisi of &quot;selling&quot; the islands in return for Saudi investments.<br />
<br />
The judge, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, said Tuesday&#39;s verdict stressed that the two territories remain &quot;Egyptian&quot;.<br />
<br />
(AFP)

The islands,Tiran and Sanafir, have a patriotic significance for many Egyptians and the accord to handover the islands had sparked protests

An Egyptian court on Tuesday quashed a government decision to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, judicial sources said, over-ruling a deal that had sparked public outrage. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced the controversial accord in April during a visit to Cairo by Saudi King Salman. A judge told AFP that the decision by the State Council, Egypt's highest administrative court, "cancels the signing" of the deal, which put two islands in the Straits of Tiran under Riyadh's control. The handover prompted an outcry from many Egyptians and sparked protests against Sisi. A court last month sentenced 51 people to two years in jail for taking part in protests against the accord. In the lead-up to the protests, police already made dozens of arrests to discourage a repeat of a large rally on April 15 at which demonstrators chanted for the "fall of the regime". Egypt's appeals court in May overturned five-year jail terms for 47 people convicted of taking part in non-authorised protests, but upheld fines of more than $11,000 each. Tuesday's ruling on the islands deal is not final and may be challenged by the government. Lawyer Khaled Ali, who brought the case, told AFP the court's verdict "shows that the two territories are Egyptian... and cannot be given away". Saudi Arabia is one of Sisi's main regional backers, and the kingdom has provided Egypt with billions of dollars worth of aid and investment since the former army chief took power. Although generations of Egyptians have grown up believing the islands belonged to Egypt, Cairo insists they have always been Saudi territory, which was leased to it in 1950 following a request by Riyadh. Many Egyptians view Tiran and Sanafir with patriotic fondness because of the islands' association with the four wars Egypt fought with Israel between 1948 and 1973. Lying at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, the islands can be used to control access to the Israeli port of Eilat. They were captured by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war before being returned to Egypt under the 1979 Camp David Accords. Cairo says the transfer agreement was based on a presidential decree issued by now ousted leader Hosni Mubarak who in 1990 even informed the United Nations about the matter. Critics accuse Sisi of "selling" the islands in return for Saudi investments. The judge, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, said Tuesday's verdict stressed that the two territories remain "Egyptian". (AFP)

Egypt court quashes handover of two Red Sea Islands to Saudi

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