CAIRO, May 13, 2013 (AFP) A cousin of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi went on trial in Egypt on Monday on charges of attempted murder in a case that has blocked his extradition to Libya. Ahmed Gaddaf Alddam is accused of opening fire on police when they went to detain him at his residence in Cairo in March in accordance with an Interpol arrest warrant. He is wanted in Libya for alleged counterfeiting, fo ...

ISTANBUL, May 10, 2013 (AFP) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) drastically lowered on Friday its overall growth outlook in 2013 for the countries in which it operates, particularly for Russia and Egypt. The EBRD slashed a January forecast of 2013 growth of 3.1 percent to 2.2 percent for all countries in its activity zone spreading from Eastern Europe to Central Asia and to the sout ...

CAIRO, May 08, 2013 (AFP) The editor of an Egyptian newspaper and a reporter will face trial for publishing a "false report that could disturb public peace," a judicial official said on Wednesday. Magdy al-Gallad, editor of the daily Watan newspaper, and journalist Ahmed Khatib, were charged over a report that a militant cell arrested last year had a hit list comprising 100 Egyptian figures. Since the elect ...

JERUSALEM, April 21, 2013 (AFP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed Israel would "exact a price" from the Gaza militants who recently fired missiles from Sinai at the southern resort city of Eilat. "Last week missiles were fired from Sinai at Eilat," Netanyahu said at the start of his weekly cabinet meeting shortly before the arrival of US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel for a three-day ...

CAIRO, April 21, 2013 (AFP) Hot air balloon flights resumed in the city of Luxor on Sunday, nearly two months after a deadly accident killed 19 tourists, Egyptian officials told AFP. Four flights took off from the ancient temple city, with around 70 tourists on board, said Ahmed Abboud who heads the Balloon Flights union. "Egyptian authorities have tightened security measures, including a review by an aviat ...

CAIRO, April 20, 2013 (AFP) Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi is set to announce a cabinet reshuffle, a presidential aide said on Saturday, but it is unlikely to meet opposition demands for a complete overhaul of the government. Morsi wrote on his Twitter account that he would make "a ministerial change" and replace provincial governors, adding the posts would go to "those who are most qualified." A president ...

DUBAI, April 2, 2013 (AFP) The International Monetary Fund could change the size of a $4.8 billion financing programme for Egypt, its Middle East director said on Tuesday ahead of fresh talks in Cairo on the package in the coming days. "The size may vary. It's a question of needs and what's required," Masood Ahmed told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of regional finance ministers in Dubai. Ahmed is ...

 CAIRO, March 25, 2013 (AFP) A warning from President Mohamed Morsi that political figures could be sanctioned if found to have stirred up unrest in Egypt drew the ire of the opposition and newspapers on Monday. "If investigations prove that certain political figures are implicated, the necessary measures will be taken against them, whatever their status," Morsi said on his Twitter account on Sunday, also c ...

by Haitham El-Tabei CAIRO, March 22, 2013 (AFP) Opposition protesters clashed with Islamists near the headquarters of Egypt's ruling Muslim Brotherhood in the capital on Friday, injuring more than 120 people, state news agency MENA reported. The violence erupted after activists marched to the building guarded by police and Brotherhood members. More than 120 people were hurt as the two sides pelted each othe ...

by Naharnet Newsdesk NEW DELHI, March 19, 2013 (AFP) Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi called Tuesday for an urgent halt to the "bloodshed" in Syria after holding talks with Indian leaders in New Delhi. Morsi, who arrived in India late Monday for a two-day visit, told reporters that the global community must work together to end the "bloodshed in Syria and find a peaceful solution". The statements by Egypt' ...

By EMAN EL-SHENAWI March 18, 2013 We’ve heard of the jinx of the Sphinx, mystic curses from the lands of Ancient Egypt and the odd sprinkle of magic over all things mysterious. But recent claims from a prominent Egyptian preacher have perhaps reached new heights. Beware, viewers watching Egyptian satellite channels – warns preacher Safwat Hegazy – for you could be “watching Pharaoh’s spell” at work. This we ...

 CAIRO, March 17, 2013 (AFP) Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court began hearings Sunday on an appeal lodged on behalf of the Islamist president against a lower court's cancellation of a controversial parliamentary election he had called for April. The Egyptian State Lawsuit Authority lodged the appeal against the March 6 court order on Wednesday, arguing that President Mohamed Morsi had acted within his sov ...