Egypt

CAIRO (AP) — Yemen’s Houthis criticized a new U.S.-led task force that will patrol the Red Sea following a series of attacks by the Iran-backed rebels in a waterway that’s essential to global trade.

Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator and spokesman, said late Friday that the U.S. move in the Red Sea, which comes amid a cease-fire in the country’s civil war, contradicts Washington’s claim of supporting the U.N.-brokered truce.

The task force “enshrines the aggression and blockade on Yemen,” he claimed on his Telegram social media account.

13 April 2022; MEMO: Egypt is expected to become the largest issuer of sovereign debt among emerging markets with issues amounting to $73 billion during the current fiscal year, says S&P Global Ratings, the international credit rating agency. This will exceed what it borrowed last year through the sale of bonds by about $10bn.

14 April 2022; MEMO: The Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) and Italy's Eni yesterday signed an agreement to maximise gas production and the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Egypt to Europe.

The agreement was signed in the Egyptian capital city of Cairo by EGAS Chairman, Magdy Galal, and Eni's Director General of natural resources, Guido Brusco, in the presence of Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, Petroleum Minister, Tarek El-Molla, and Eni CEO, Claudio Descalzi.

CAIRO, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Ten people were killed in a bus crash in southern Egypt on Wednesday, a spokesperson with the governor's office of Aswan Province told Xinhua.

Five Egyptians and five tourists, including four French and one Belgian, died after a tourist bus heading to Aswan Province was hit by a lorry, according to the spokesperson.

More than a dozen French and Belgian tourists had broken bones and bruises after the accident, and they were taken to a local hospital for treatment and are now in stable condition, the spokesperson said.

13 April 2022; MEMO: EgyptAir announced yesterday that it was resuming daily flights from Cairo to Moscow's Domodedovo airport on Friday after resolving outstanding issues related to insurance with Russia, Anadolu reported.

Last February, EgyptAir halted flights to Moscow, following the Russian military intervention in Ukraine, without giving an explanation.

13 April 2022; MEMO: The Egyptian Cabinet approved a draft bill on criminalising child marriage.

The draft law stipulates that the marriage contracts for those under the age of 18 may not be certified.

Those who ignore the law can be jailed for at least one year and a fine of 50,000-200,000 Egyptian pounds ($2,700-$10,800).

The child shall not be held criminally or civilly liable for this crime, however, the criminal case arising from this crime shall not expire with the passage of time.

12 April 2022; MEMO: Egyptian economic expert Ayman Hadhoud, who worked with the Reform and Development Party, has passed away after having been forcibly disappeared in February, Middle East Observer reported.

11 April 2022; MEMO: A leading Egyptian pro-democracy activist who has been imprisoned for more than 3 1/2 years has obtained a British passport, his family announced Monday. The move is likely meant to pressure Egyptian authorities to release him, reports AP.

10 April 2022; MEMO: Egypt's annual urban consumer price inflation accelerated in March to 10.5%, its highest in nearly three years and faster than analysts had expected, data from the state statistics agency CAPMAS showed on Sunday, as reported by Reuters.

The inflation figure, up from 8.8% in February, was greater than a median forecast of 10% in a Reuters poll of 14 analysts.

09 April 2022; MEMO: The Egyptian Supreme State Security Criminal Court at the Tura Courts Complex, south of Cairo, issued a judgment on Thursday convicting defendants in the case known in the media as "returnees from Kuwait" with penalties ranging from life to rigorous imprisonment.

The judgment issued, headed by counsellor Moataz Khafagy, included 14 defendants from the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood group opposed to the ruling, which the Egyptian authorities classify as "terrorists", according to Egyptian media.