EgyptAir passenger plane crash over Mediterranean: no theory should be ruled out at the moment as the investigation is ongoing

EgyptAir airplane
(Image: The Telegraph)

Ahram-Online materials - CAIRO: An EgyptAir flight vanished early this morning en route from Paris to Cairo. Radar signals from flight MS804 were lost at 2:30am Cairo time, EgyptAir have said, around the time the flight entered Egyptian airspace over the Mediterranean.

The commercial flight left Paris at 11:09pm GMT and was due to land at Cairo airport at 03:15am local time.

Sources told Al-Ahram Arabic website that air traffic controllers in Athens had failed to establish communication with the pilot after the plane went off the radar.

Egypt: Court postponed Morsi's espionage case verdict

Ex-President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi during the court session
(Image: The Guardian)

Cairo Criminal Court has postponed the verdict of Egypt's ex-President Mohamed Morsi in the espionage case trial during the 23 April session. The verdict was postponed to 7 May.

Egypt's ousted Islamist backed President Mohamed Morsi is facing trial for several cases including the Qatar espionage case. Mr. Morsi, who is currently being held in the prison in the coastal city of Alexandria, was accused by the Prosecution General of using his presidential position to leak the secret and classified documents and sensitive information to Qataris with the assistance of his secretaries and some influential Muslim Brotherhood figures.

Saudi King Salman arrived in Egypt for a "historic visit"

Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
(Image: Daily Mail)

Saudi Arabia's King Salman Bin Abdel-Aziz arrives in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday, 7 April, in his first official visit to the biggest Northern African state since he ascended to the Saudi throne in January 2015.

The visit of Saudi monarch is expect to last for five days and was already called a "historic visit" by both Egyptian and Saudi Arabian officials.

Saudi King Salman was greeted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi upon his arrival on Thursday. Egyptian President and Saudi King had an official meeting and a plenary session on Friday, 8 April, aimed to discuss regional political, economic and social issues and also bilateral relations and economic cooperation. During Salman's visit to Egypt the heads of two states are expected to sign four funding accords worth roughly $22 billion, and these accords are expected to come into effect on Friday.

Egypt: EgyptAir passenger airplane hijacking in Cyprus is over, the hijacker arrested

Hijacked EgyptAir plane in Larnaca, Cyprus
(Image: Daily Mail)

EgyptAir passenger airplane Airbus 320, flight 181, was hijacked on Tuesday, 29 March, and changed its route to the city of Larnaca, Cyprus. The airplane took off in Borg El-Arab airport in Alexandria and was en route to Cairo early in the morning, as suddenly a man wearing a suicide belt took the control of the airplane and demanded the course to be changed to Cyprus.

The hijacker reportedly demanded first to head to Turkey, but the fuel was not enough, so the airplane had to land in Cyprus, according to the reports of some local media.

Egypt signs an agreement with the UK Control Risks company to evaluate Egyptian airports' security

Cairo International Airport
(Image: Cairo Airport Info)

Egypt signed a contract with the UK-based Control Risks company on Wednesday, 10 February, to evaluate security situation and measures at the Egyptian airports. The evaluation process will take place over two stages, according to the MENA news agency.

Control Risks is a global international consultancy company specializing on evaluation of safety and security measures. According to the Minister of Aviation of Egypt Hossam Kamel evaluation will take place over two stages. The first stage will include checking the airports of Cairo, Sharm El-Sheikh and Marsa-Alam, while the second phase will include the airports of Hurghada, Alexandria, Luxor and others.

Egypt: militants killed in Cairo attack against the police

Egyptian security forces
(Image: Al-Arabiya)

Egypt's Interior Ministry spokesperson reported that two militants were killed on Wednesday, 3 February, in the southern Cairo suburb of Maadi. The militants were reportedly preparing an attack against Egyptian police and Armed forces in retaliation for the earlier killing of the leader of the Agnad Masr militant group.

Egypt's Interior Ministry stated that the militants were planning to attack police and Armed Forces personnel and objects and that they were also planning to attack several public figures and officials, including politicians, high ranking police and military figures.

Egypt: Newly elected Parliament takes an oath after three years hiatus

Egypt's newly elected Parliament
(Image: Ahram Online)

Egypt's newly elected Parliament has finally taken an oath on Sunday, 10 January, marking the first session of a state legislative body after almost three years hiatus, as the previous Egyptian Parliament elected under the rule of the Islamist backed President Mohamed Morsi was dissolved by the decision of the High Constitutional Court.

Recent parliamentary elections held in Egypt in two stages were the final step of the political roadmap declared by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi at the beginning of his presidential term.

Egypt: Cairo is among the world's best cities to launch startups

The city of Cairo
(Image: Expat and Offshore)

EgyptIndependent - CAIRO: Despite the deteriorating economic situation in the country, Egyptian entrepreneurs seem to be gearing up to change current circumstances.

According to a recent Forbes article, young Egyptians are paving the way for new ventures as the American business magazine names Cairo one of the top 10 cities across the globe to launch a startup.

Pointing out the reasons behind what makes each city one of the best places to launch a startup, Seedstars World founder Alisee de Tonnac told Forbes that Egypt’s young, brilliant minds are helping to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit that tranforms innovative ideas into concrete businesses.

Egypt: at least 16 people killed in Cairo restaurant attack

Egyptian policemen standing at the entrance of the attacked
restaurant in Cairo
(Image: BBC)

At least sixteen people were killed and three people were injured in an attack on Cairo restaurant on Friday, 4 December.

An explosion inside of the restaurant building was caused by the firebombs, Egyptian officials stated. The Molotov cocktails were thrown inside of the building from outside. As the restaurant, located in Cairo central Agouza district, was in the basement and had only one exit, the fire and smoke spread fast, while the people inside the restaurant appeared to be trapped.

Egypt: low turnout at the parliamentary election may strengthen El-Sisi

Egyptian parliamentary election
(Image: Middle East Monitor)

Reuters - CAIRO: Turnout was so low in the first round of Egypt's parliamentary elections, that satirist Bassem Youssef derided it as an ingenious strategy to show the world Egypt had rid itself of its notorious overcrowding.

Empty polling stations highlight disillusionment with Egypt's chaotic political transition but could have the surprise effect of bolstering President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's authority by suggesting that, four years after they revolted against one-man-rule, Egyptians still look to the presidency as the main seat of power.

Egypt: Parliamentary election to get underway towards the new Parliament

Egyptian Parliament
(Image: Ahram Online)

Ahram-Online - CAIRO: Competition for seats in Egypt’s parliament with 6,000 candidates – independent and on party lists – starts Saturday, when doors open for foreign-based Egyptians to cast ballots in the first stage of the elections marking the crucial last step of a roadmap that has lasted for over two years.

The roadmap, which was backed by most political forces and state institutions including the army, ended the rule of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and dismantled the Islamist-dominated Shura Council (parliament's upper house and only house operating back then) immediately on 3 July, 2013.

Egypt wins a seat on UN Security Council

UN Security Council
(Image: Egyptian Streets)

Egyptian Streets - CAIRO: Egypt officially locked a two-year, non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council after 179 of the 193 UN member states voted in favor of its membership on Thursday.

Egypt was vying for one of two seats allotted to the Africa Group, while Senegal won the second seat with 187 votes in its favor. Ukraine, Uruguay and Japan also secured the three other available seats on the Council, representing the Eastern European, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Asia-Pacific regions, respectively.

Israel reopens its embassy in Egypt after four years closure

Israeli Director-General of Foreign Ministry Dore Gold at the
opening ceremony of Israeli Embassy in Cairo
(Image: Times of Israel)

Israel has reopened its Embassy in Cairo after the four year closure, according to the Wednesday's statement of Israeli Prime Minister spokesman to the Arab media Ofir Gendelman.

Israeli Embassy was located in the premises in Giza, along the Nile Corniche, but it was forced to close in the aftermath of the massive unrests and anti-Israeli protests in Cairo in September 2011.

Hundreds of Egyptians protested against Israel and stormed the Tel-Aviv mission in Cairo after Israeli military accidently killed six Egyptian border soldiers in a fire against the Sinai based militants. Angered protesters demanded end of diplomatic relation with the neighboring country, and the situation was extremely tense.

Egypt's President Sisi to meet Palestinian President Abbas in Cairo

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
(Image: Times of Israel)

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi meets with Palestinian President Mahnoud Abbas in Cairo on Thursday, 10 September, according to the state-owned MENA news agency.

Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Mahmoud Abbas are expected to discuss the latest developments and state of affairs in Palestine and in the region and the further cooperation between the two countries.

Egypt: Huge explosion in Greater Cairo left 29 injured and was claimed by ISIS

An exposion site in Greater Cairo
(Image: Ahram Online)

Huge explosion occurred in Greater Cairo early on Thursday, 20 August, when a car bomb went off in front of the State Security Building in Qaliubiya’s Shubra El-Kheima district. Shubra El-Kheima is located north of Cairo and is considered being a part of Greater Cairo. An explosion was so powerful that it was heard in many districts of Cairo including Dokki, Zamalek and Downtown, according to the accounts of Cairo residents.

An explosion left 29 people injured, among them 6 policemen and police officers and 7 conscripts. Other wounded are civilians. The blast left no deaths, according to Egypt’s Ministry of Interior. Egyptian Ministry of Health in its turn reported that most of the wounded received minor injuries. They were treated at the nearby hospital, while some of the injured were released from the hospitals and sent home.

Egypt: Minor clashes occurred in the country on the second anniversary of Rabaa protest dispersal

Minor rally on the anniversary of Rabaa Al-Adaweya
protest dispersal in Cairo
(Image: Daily News of Egypt)

Minor clashes occurred in Cairo and in several other Egyptian cities on Friday 14 August, as Muslim Brotherhood and Mohamed Morsi supporters gathered for the second anniversary of violent dispersal of sit-ins in Cairo’s Rabaa Al-Adaweya and Al-Nahda squares.

Two years ago Egyptian security and Armed Forces have dispersed massive pro-Morsi and pro-Muslim Brotherhood sit-ins in Cairo’s Nasr City, on the Rabaa Al-Adaweya Square, and on Al-Nahda Square in Giza, as the massive crackdown of Islamists followed these events throughout the country.

Egyptian President El-Sisi will meet with the Russian President Putin

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Russian
President Vladimir Putin
(Image: Ashram Online)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will meet with the Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss cooperation of the two states, according to the official spokesperson of Egypt's head. 
Spokesperson of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, 7 August, that Russia and Egypt are discussing possible meeting of Presidents. It was stated that this meeting is being prepared through diplomatic channels, but thevdate has not yet agreed upon.

Egypt officially opens the New Suez Canal

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi with the child during the
ceremony
(Image: Voice of America)

Egypt officially opened a major extension of the Suez Canal on Thursday, 6 August. The Canal’s extension deepens the main waterway providing ships with a 35 km channel, parallel to Suez Canal.

Official ceremony of inauguration of the New Suez Canal was planned in advance and was held on Thursday with the unprecedented security measures due to the situation in the country.

At the inauguration ceremony, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi appeared first in his military uniform, welcoming the guests and high officials and delegates from the foreign countries. He arrived in the helicopter and then welcomed the guests aboard a historic royal yacht.

Egypt: clashes erupted between Muslim Brotherhood supporters and police in Cairo on the first day of Eid

Violent clashes in Cairo on the first day of Eid
(Image: Khaleedji News)

Two violent set of clashes between the Muslim Brotherhood supporters and Egyptian security forces erupted on Friday, 17 July, in Cairo’s Giza, marking the first day of Eid Al-Fitr celebrations. These clashes left at least seven people dead and three people injured, according to the officials.

The first set of violent clashes erupted in the working district of Talbiyah in Cairo’s Giza, early in the morning, right after the Eid prayers held in the mosques. Several dozens of Muslim Brotherhood supporters staged a protest demanding cancelling of the death sentences for Egypt’s former President Mohamed Morsi and other Muslim Brotherhood leaders. 

Egypt: police officer injured in an explosion in Cairo Heliopolis district

Explosion on the Roxy Square in Cairo
(Image: Daily News of Egypt)

An explosion occurred on Thursday, 16 July, on the Roxy Square in Cairo’s upscale district of Heliopolis. The bomb was reportedly planted in front of the building located on the square, and it was detonated on afternoon.

Low ranking police officer was injured as a result of the bombing, according to Egyptian authorities. The officer was transferred to the hospital for the further treatment.

The area of an explosion was sealed off and cordoned by Egypt’s police and security forces, while the team of explosive experts arrived for the examination.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for this bombing till now.