Gunman kills two Christians at alcohol store south of Cairo
A masked gunman shot dead two Christian brothers at their alcohol shop south of Cairo on Monday, security sources said.
Egypt
Top Hamas official says Palestinian unity deal collapsing
Hard-line Hamas Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar said on Thursday that the reconciliation deal with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction was collapsing, just 10 weeks after the agreement was reached.
Christmas High Alert: Churches Tightening Church Security in Pakistan, Egypt
This Christmas season Christians in Pakistan and Egypt are on high alert. They are asking their governments to help provide tightened security for worship services.
US vetoes UN call for withdrawal of Trump Jerusalem decision
The United States was further isolated on Monday over President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital when it blocked a United Nations Security Council call for the declaration to be withdrawn.
Mike Pence delays Middle East trip until after Senate tax reform vote
Vice President Mike Pence will postpone his trip to Egypt and Israel until after the Senate votes on the GOP’s tax reform bill, according to a statement released by his team Monday.
UN Security Council to vote Monday on rejecting US Jerusalem decision
The United Nations Security Council will vote Monday on a draft resolution that would reject US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, diplomats said.
Palestinian leader Abbas in Cairo, Istanbul to rally region over Jerusalem
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday intensified efforts to rally Middle Eastern countries against US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, setting up talks with Arab leaders beginning in Cairo.
Putin visits Egypt in sign of closer ties
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Egypt on Monday, where he signed a deal to advance plans for a nuclear reactor but disappointed his hosts by delaying the resumption of direct flights that were suspended after the 2015 bombing of a Russian passenger plane.
Putin declares victory against ‘terrorists’ in Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared victory against ‘terrorists’ in Syria on Monday during a surprise visit to a Russian military base in the county, where he also announced a partial pullout of Russian troops.
Egypt uncovers ancient tombs at Luxor
Archaeologists in Egypt have displayed items, including a mummy, from one of two previously unexplored tombs in the ancient Nile city of Luxor.
Egypt’s Sisi invites Abbas to Cairo to discuss Trump’s Jerusalem move
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has invited Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to Cairo on Monday to discuss US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a presidential statement said on Sunday.
Europe, Arabs to unite against Israel at UN Security Council
European countries, Egypt and Russia are slated to rail against US President Donald Trump’s declaration that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital, when the United Nations Security Council holds a meeting on the matter in New York on Friday.
After More Than 20 Years: Egyptian Churches Finally Allowed to Rebuild
After waiting more than two decades, churches in Egypt finally are allowed to rebuild their houses of worship, according to World Watch Monitor.
Is Trump eyeing a plan to expand a Palestinian state into Sinai?
US President Donald Trump could be eyeing an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal that would include transferring sections of the Sinai Desert from Egypt to a newly created Palestinian state, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reported on Saturday.
Hamas and Fatah ask Egypt to postpone transfer of responsibility for Gaza
Hamas and Fatah on Wednesday asked Egypt to postpone the transfer of responsibility for the Gaza Strip from Hamas to the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority.
Kerry: Israel, Egypt, Saudis pushed US to bomb Iran before nuke deal
Former Secretary of State John Kerry said both Israel and Egypt pushed the United States to ‘bomb Iran’ before the 2015 nuclear deal was struck.
Egypt reeling from attack on mosque in Sinai that killed 305
Egypt was reeling Sunday from the horrific militant attack on a mosque in northern Sinai that killed 305 people two days earlier — the deadliest assault by Islamic extremists in its modern history and a grim milestone in a long-running fight against the insurgency led by an Islamic State affiliate.
Lebanon’s Saad Hariri returns to Beirut amid Saudi resignation saga
Saad Hariri returned to Lebanon late Tuesday for the first time since he stunned his country by announcing from Saudi Arabia that he was quitting as prime minister more than two weeks ago.
House panel OKs bill to sanction financial backers of Hamas
A Republican-led House panel delivered a blunt bipartisan warning to Qatar on Wednesday, backing legislation that would slap sanctions on any countries or individuals providing financial and material support to the Islamic militant group Hamas.
Why Abbas Was Secretly Summoned To Saudi Arabia
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was unexpectedly summoned this week to Saudi Arabia for impromptu meetings with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed. The Palestinian leader received the call while in Egypt, where he discussed with his counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi efforts to jump-start peace negotiations with Israel as well as the unity deal recently forged between Abbas’ Fatah faction and Hamas, which was brokered by Cairo.