Egypt

27 Aug 2020; MEMO: An Egyptian court sentenced a man to 15 years in jail after he claimed that he received revelation from God and attempted to make changes to the Muslim holy book, the Quran.

The Port Said Criminal Court convicted Nakkash, 40, after he was arrested and confronted with the accusations made against him.

He was charged with violating the law regulating the printing of copies of the Quran.

Cairo, Aug 27 (AP) Egypt's election commission said Wednesday it would refer to prosecutors about 54 million people who did not vote in elections earlier this month for two-thirds of the Senate, the upper and mainly powerless chamber of the country's Parliament.

The development is unlikely to lead to actual trials as Egypt's judiciary does not have the financial means needed to prosecute such a large majority of the voters.

CAIRO, Aug 24 (NNN-MENA) – Egyptian and French foreign ministers discussed, on Sunday, regional crises, including the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as well as, the latest developments in war-torn Libya and blast-stricken Lebanon, said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, in a statement.

Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, and his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, stressed the necessity of preserving the principle of the two-state solution, to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

CAIRO (AP) — Pope Francis on Saturday urged Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to continue talks to resolve their years-long dispute over a massive dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile that has led to sharp regional tensions and fears of military conflict.

Francis, speaking to a crowd gathered at St. Peter’s Square on an official Catholic feast day, said he was closely following negotiations between the three countries over the dam.

12 Aug 2020; MEMO: For the first time in five months, Egyptian authorities yesterday opened the Rafah Crossing for Palestinian travellers from and the besieged Gaza Strip.

In a brief statement, the Palestinian Interior Ministry in Gaza said: “Egyptian authorities opened the crossing exceptionally after a five-month closure.”

On Monday, the Interior Ministry announced the names of the people who would be allowed to travel through the crossing, which is due to remain open for three days.

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians began voting on Tuesday for members of a newly created second chamber of parliament, with restrictive measures in place aimed at curbing a resurgence of novel coronavirus infections.

The Council of Senators will be an advisory body without legislative powers. It will include 200 elected members and 100 appointed by the president.

As in Egypt’s main parliamentary chamber, supporters of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are expected to dominate.

11 Aug 2020; MEMO: Egypt has set-up a high follow-up committee to check dangerous shipments in all of its airports, Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Manar announced on Sunday.

10 Aug 2020; MEMO: Egyptian authorities have extended the detention of Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein for 45 days adding to the already 1,300 days he has spent behind bars.

Hussein was arrested on 20 December 2016 while he was in Egypt visiting his family and accused of “incitement” and “spreading false news”.

CAIRO (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) is appealing for $15 million to cover emergency health needs in Lebanon following the Beirut port explosion that hit amid an economic crisis and rising coronavirus cases.

The blast, which killed more than 150 and injured more than 5,000, also destroyed 17 containers holding WHO medical supplies including personal protective equipment, the agency’s regional office for the Middle East said in a statement late on Thursday.

CAIRO, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian and Greek foreign ministers signed here on Thursday an agreement on the demarcation of the maritime borders between the two countries and setting up an exclusive economic zone between them in the Mediterranean Sea.

The deal allows both Egypt and Greece to maximize the use of available resources in the exclusive economic zone between them, particularly the potential oil and gas reserves, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in a joint press conference with his visiting Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias.