Egypt

Cairo Oct 6 (Reuters) - Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati told Sky News Arabia on Wednesday that he signed a draft law lifting immunity on everyone facing prosecution over the Beirut blast case.

The blast, which happened on August 4th 2020, left more than 200 dead.

He added in an interview that the constitution stipulated that senior government officials must be tried in front of a special tribunal.

06 Oct 2021; MEMO: Claims being made against Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Egypt are "contradictory", Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported a defence attorney saying yesterday.

Calling for his client, former acting Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood Mahmoud Ezzat, to be acquitted, Muntaser Al-Zayyat said the claims against him "are contradictory and lack material proofs."

The Egyptian Public Prosecution set 19 December for Izzat's retrial on charges of "spying with Hamas".

CAIRO, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Egypt is finalising arrangements to start supplying gas to Lebanon soon under a plan to help ease Lebanon's power crisis, the two countries' energy ministers said after meeting on Tuesday.

Under an agreement announced last month, Egypt will supply natural gas to Lebanon via a pipeline that passes through Jordan and Syria to help to boost Lebanon's electricity output. The deal, agreed by all four countries, is part of a U.S.-backed plan to address Lebanon's power shortages. 

05 Oct 2021; MEMO: The President of Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court has sent a message to human rights advocates to stay silent.

"Stay quiet, it is better for you. Egypt is a leading nation in respecting human rights," Counsellor Said Marei told a TV station in Egypt.

05 Oct 2021; MEMO: Egyptian political activist Mohamed Walid has completed two years in pretrial detention after being arrested in September 2019 at Cairo Airport.

Walid was on his way to Saudi Arabia, where he worked, after returning from a holiday in Egypt after being forcibly disappeared during which time he was tortured.

According to another party cofounder, Elham Aidaros, on the day he went missing, Walid had his passport stamped and was inside the airport.

04 Oct 2021; MEMO: Egypt has been selected as a nominee to host the COP27 UN climate conference 2022 set to be held in Glasgow in November.

The summit works towards actioning the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and is hosted by a different country each year representing a different region in the world.

04 Oct 2021; MEMO: Sources have told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that plans are underway to improve a secret cooperation agreement between Egypt and Italy in which Cairo will continue to accept returned refugees attempting to reach Europe in exchange for military and security incentives from the European country.

CAIRO, October 3. /TASS/: The former president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in August via Uzbekistan, using a presidential helicopter and subsequently a plane of Kazakhstan’s FlyJet air carrier, a source close the ex-leader was quoted as saying by Afghanistan’s Hashte Subh Daily.

CAIRO, October 3. /TASS/: The first parliamentary election in the history of Qatar was held on Saturday, with a turnout of more than 44%, the Qatar News Agency reported.

The vote count is still in process.

Voters were to elect 30 parliamentarians, who will comprise two thirds of the parliament. In accordance with the country’s constitution, one third will be appointed by the Emir of Qatar. A total of 233 candidates are taking part in the polls. About 10% of candidates are women.

30 Sep 2021; MEMO: Egyptian authorities yesterday unfroze the funds of Alaa and Gamal, the sons of the late President Hosni Mubarak, and their families, after a decision issued by the Examination and Investigation Commission.

The ruled included: "Ending the prohibition order No. 3 of 2011, related to each of Muhammad Hosni Al-Sayed Mubarak, and his wife Suzanne Saleh Mustafa Thabet, Alaa and Gamal Mubarak."