INSIDER
Mother of Egyptian activist starts hunger strike to call for his release
Read full article: Mother of Egyptian activist starts hunger strike to call for his releaseThe mother of a prominent Egyptian rights activist has said that she has started a hunger strike to pressure authorities to release her son Alaa Abdel-Fattah, who rose to prominence with the 2011 pro-democracy uprisings that swept the Middle East and in Egypt toppled long-time President Hosni Mubarak.
US cites Egypt's help in Gaza as Washington sends full military aid despite human rights concerns
Read full article: US cites Egypt's help in Gaza as Washington sends full military aid despite human rights concernsThe Biden administration is sending Egypt its full $1.3 billion allocation of military aid.
Biden speaks with Netanyahu as US prods Israel and Hamas to come to agreement on cease-fire deal
Read full article: Biden speaks with Netanyahu as US prods Israel and Hamas to come to agreement on cease-fire dealPresident Joe Biden has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the United States presses Israel and Hamas to agree to a “bridging proposal” that could lead to a cease-fire in the war in Gaza.
US and other frustrated mediators call on Israel, Hamas to resume Gaza talks, saying, 'no excuses'
Read full article: US and other frustrated mediators call on Israel, Hamas to resume Gaza talks, saying, 'no excuses'Leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar are jointly demanding that Israel and Hamas return to stalled talks on the war in Gaza.
The Latest | US-built aid pier in Gaza will reopen for a few days, then be removed permanently
Read full article: The Latest | US-built aid pier in Gaza will reopen for a few days, then be removed permanentlySeveral U.S. officials say the pier built by the American military to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza will be reinstalled on the beach to be used for several days, but then the plan is to pull it out permanently.
Egypt swears in a new Cabinet as mounting economic challenges fuel public discontent
Read full article: Egypt swears in a new Cabinet as mounting economic challenges fuel public discontentEgypt’s new Cabinet has been sworn in and features major changes in the defense, foreign ministry and economy portfolios as the country faces mounting public discontent and conflicts in neighboring nations.
Blinken pushes Israel on postwar Gaza plans as pressure mounts on Hamas to accept cease-fire plan
Read full article: Blinken pushes Israel on postwar Gaza plans as pressure mounts on Hamas to accept cease-fire planU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged top Israeli officials to accept a plan for postwar Gaza as he pushed for more international pressure on Hamas to agree to a cease-fire proposal newly endorsed by the U.N. Security Council.
Blinken to push cease-fire proposal in eighth urgent Mideast trip since war in Gaza erupted
Read full article: Blinken to push cease-fire proposal in eighth urgent Mideast trip since war in Gaza eruptedSecretary of State Antony Blinken is returning to the Middle East on his eighth diplomatic mission to the region since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began in October.
Xi pledges more Gaza aid and talks trade at summit with Arab leaders
Read full article: Xi pledges more Gaza aid and talks trade at summit with Arab leadersChinese President Xi Jinping is calling for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and promising more humanitarian aid for people in Gaza.
Palestinian medics say Israeli airstrikes kill 35 in Gaza's Rafah as displaced people are hit
Read full article: Palestinian medics say Israeli airstrikes kill 35 in Gaza's Rafah as displaced people are hitPalestinian health workers say Israeli attacks have killed at least 35 people and hit tents for displaced people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Blinken says an Israeli assault on Gaza's Rafah would be a mistake and isn't needed to defeat Hamas
Read full article: Blinken says an Israeli assault on Gaza's Rafah would be a mistake and isn't needed to defeat HamasU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that a major Israeli ground assault on the southern Gaza town of Rafah would be “a mistake” and unnecessary to defeating Hamas.
The European Union announces an $8 billion aid package for Egypt as concerns mount over migration
Read full article: The European Union announces an $8 billion aid package for Egypt as concerns mount over migrationThe European Union has announced a 7.4 billion-euro or $8 billion aid package for cash-strapped Egypt as concerns mount that economic pressure and conflicts in neighboring countries could drive more migrants to European shores.
Qatar gets 'positive' response from Hamas on cease-fire plan as group reiterates its broader demands
Read full article: Qatar gets 'positive' response from Hamas on cease-fire plan as group reiterates its broader demandsKey mediator Qatar says Hamas’ response to the latest plan for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages was “generally positive.”.
Biden calls regional partners ahead of CIA chief's meeting in push for another Gaza hostage deal
Read full article: Biden calls regional partners ahead of CIA chief's meeting in push for another Gaza hostage dealPresident Joe Biden has spoken with his Egyptian and Qatari counterparts ahead of a trip by his CIA director meant to press toward a deal to secure the release of more hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a pause to fighting in Gaza.
Blinken sees a path to Gaza peace, reconstruction and regional security after his Mideast tour
Read full article: Blinken sees a path to Gaza peace, reconstruction and regional security after his Mideast tourU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has wrapped up his latest urgent Mideast tour in talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
France's Macron seeks international support for his proposal to build a coalition against Hamas
Read full article: France's Macron seeks international support for his proposal to build a coalition against HamasFrench President Emmanuel Macron is promoting — with little success so far — the creation of an international coalition to fight the armed Palestinian group Hamas.
At Cairo summit, even Arab leaders at peace with Israel expressed growing anger over the Gaza war
Read full article: At Cairo summit, even Arab leaders at peace with Israel expressed growing anger over the Gaza warEgypt and Jordan have harshly criticized Israel over its actions in Gaza at a summit in Cairo.
Gaza carnage spreads anger across Mideast, alarming US allies and threatening to widen conflict
Read full article: Gaza carnage spreads anger across Mideast, alarming US allies and threatening to widen conflictWithin hours of a blast said to have killed hundreds at a Gaza hospital, protesters hurled stones at Palestinian security forces in the occupied West Bank and at riot police in neighboring Jordan.
Israel will let Egypt deliver some aid to Gaza, as doctors struggle to treat hospital blast victims
Read full article: Israel will let Egypt deliver some aid to Gaza, as doctors struggle to treat hospital blast victimsIsrael says will allow Egypt to deliver limited quantities of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the first crack in a 10-day seal on the territory.
Biden didn't make Israeli-Palestinian talks a priority. Arab leaders say region now paying the price
Read full article: Biden didn't make Israeli-Palestinian talks a priority. Arab leaders say region now paying the priceThe explosion of Israeli-Palestinian violence has Arab leaders faulting a Biden administration policy that moved away from big U.S. pushes for a broad Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.
Biden will head to Israel and Jordan as concerns mount that Israel-Hamas conflict will spread
Read full article: Biden will head to Israel and Jordan as concerns mount that Israel-Hamas conflict will spreadPresident Joe Biden will travel to Israel and Jordan Wednesday to meet with both Israeli and Arab leadership, as concerns increase that the raging Israel-Hamas war could expand into a larger regional conflict.
Biden considering trip to Israel in the coming days, but travel isn't final, according to AP source
Read full article: Biden considering trip to Israel in the coming days, but travel isn't final, according to AP sourcePresident Joe Biden is considering a trip to Israel in the coming days, but nothing has been finalized.
Israeli evacuation call in Gaza hikes Egypt's fears of a mass exodus of refugees into its territory
Read full article: Israeli evacuation call in Gaza hikes Egypt's fears of a mass exodus of refugees into its territoryIsrael’s call for half of the Gaza Strip’s population to evacuate south is hiking Egypt’s fears of a massive influx of refugees across the border into its territory.
In Egypt, rights group says 73 supporters of challenger in December presidential election arrested
Read full article: In Egypt, rights group says 73 supporters of challenger in December presidential election arrestedA rights group says Egyptian authorities have detained at least 73 people campaigning for a challenger to incumbent President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in the December election.
Egypt sets a presidential election for December with el-Sissi likely to stay in power until 2030
Read full article: Egypt sets a presidential election for December with el-Sissi likely to stay in power until 2030Egypt says it will hold a presidential election over three days in December with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi highly likely to prolong his stay in power until 2030.
The US says Egypt's human rights picture hasn't improved, but it's withholding less aid regardless
Read full article: The US says Egypt's human rights picture hasn't improved, but it's withholding less aid regardlessThe Biden administration will withhold less military aid from Egypt over its human rights abuses this year.
Sudan’s military leader visits Egypt on his first trip abroad since his country plunged into war
Read full article: Sudan’s military leader visits Egypt on his first trip abroad since his country plunged into warSudan’s top military officer has made a one-day visit to Egypt on his first trip abroad since his country plunged into large-scale conflict this year.
One of the Egyptian activists behind the 2011 uprising freed from prison after presidential pardon
Read full article: One of the Egyptian activists behind the 2011 uprising freed from prison after presidential pardonOne of the Egyptian activists behind the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak has walked free from prison under a presidential pardon after spending nearly 10 years behind bars.
Al Jazeera condemns Egypt's decision to add some of its journalists to a terrorism blacklist
Read full article: Al Jazeera condemns Egypt's decision to add some of its journalists to a terrorism blacklistThe pan-Arab news network Al Jazeera has condemned a recent decision by Egyptian authorities to brand some of its journalists as terrorists.
Sudan's neighbors meeting in Cairo for summit agree to Egypt's initiative to try to end conflict
Read full article: Sudan's neighbors meeting in Cairo for summit agree to Egypt's initiative to try to end conflictLeaders from Sudan’s seven neighboring countries agreed to a new Egyptian-led international initiative to resolve the deepening conflict in the Northeast African country.
Egypt's leader makes surprise visit to Saudi Arabia
Read full article: Egypt's leader makes surprise visit to Saudi ArabiaThe leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia have met in the Gulf kingdom in the first face-to-face discussions between the two men in months as the North African country battles a domestic economic crisis.
Egypt's president praises UAE, seeking to heal Gulf aid rift
Read full article: Egypt's president praises UAE, seeking to heal Gulf aid riftEgyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has offered a monologue of praise for the United Arab Emirates, seeking to repair a rift between Cairo and the Gulf Arab states that have supplied billions of dollars in aid to his nation.
Arab leaders warn Israeli actions threaten regional turmoil
Read full article: Arab leaders warn Israeli actions threaten regional turmoilDozens of leaders and senior officials from Arab and Islamic countries have condemned recent Israeli measures in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, where violence has surged between Israel and the Palestinians.
India, Egypt to promote trade, investment, fight terrorism
Read full article: India, Egypt to promote trade, investment, fight terrorismIndia and Egypt have agreed to increase trade during a visit by the Egyptian president that underscores Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to build ties with other emerging economies.
Family: Egypt activist very, very thin after hunger strike
Read full article: Family: Egypt activist very, very thin after hunger strikeThe family of imprisoned Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah says they were allowed to see him for the first time in nearly a month and that he is “very, very thin” after ending a hunger strike that prompted widespread concern for his health.
Climate talks host Egypt gets green energy, transport deals
Read full article: Climate talks host Egypt gets green energy, transport dealsEgypt, the host of this year’s U.N. climate talks, is racking up a number of deals to green its energy and transport systems still heavily reliant on heavily polluting fossil fuels.
Clock ticking for jailed Egypt activist on hunger strike
Read full article: Clock ticking for jailed Egypt activist on hunger strikeThe family of one of Egypt’s top jailed pro-democracy activists warn that the clock is ticking on his life as they plead with world leaders at the U.N. climate conference to press Egypt for his release.
Takeaways: Calls for reparations, emissions cuts at COP27
Read full article: Takeaways: Calls for reparations, emissions cuts at COP27Reparations to poor countries suffering the impacts of climate change and calls to drastically slash greenhouse emissions are two of the biggest storylines the first day of the U.N. climate summit, known as COP27.
Amnesty: Egypt has days to save jailed activist's life
Read full article: Amnesty: Egypt has days to save jailed activist's lifeThe head of Amnesty International says that the proceedings of COP27 will be stained by the death of one of Egypt's leading rights activists on a hunger and water strike in prison if Egyptian authorities do not release him within days.
Senator's human rights objections block some US aid to Egypt
Read full article: Senator's human rights objections block some US aid to EgyptA veteran senator's objections over Egypt's human rights record have trimmed a symbolically significant $75 million off annual U.S. military aid to that country.
Amnesty says Egypt trying to cover up rights violations
Read full article: Amnesty says Egypt trying to cover up rights violationsAmnesty International has accused Egypt of attempting to cover up “unrelenting violations of human rights" ahead of the Arab country's hosting of the world climate summit.
Coptic Christian family loses 6 members in Egypt church fire
Read full article: Coptic Christian family loses 6 members in Egypt church fireFor Mariam Habeib, the grief is never ending: She lost her older sister, two nieces and a niece’s three young children in an intense fire that engulfed a church in Egypt’s capital during a recent service, killing 41 people.
Safety concerns after deadly fire rips through Egypt church
Read full article: Safety concerns after deadly fire rips through Egypt churchResidents of a Cairo neighborhood say they are in shock a day after a devastating fire ripped through a Coptic Orthodox church, killing 41 worshippers, including at least 15 children.
Fire at Cairo Coptic church kills 41, including 15 children
Read full article: Fire at Cairo Coptic church kills 41, including 15 childrenA fire ripped through a packed Coptic Orthodox church during morning services in Egypt’s capital, killing 41 worshippers, including at least 15 children, and injuring 16 others.
Russia FM visits Egypt, part of Africa trip amid Ukraine war
Read full article: Russia FM visits Egypt, part of Africa trip amid Ukraine warRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials as his country seeks to break diplomatic isolation and sanctions by the West over its invasion of Ukraine.
France, Egypt pressed on missing backpacker as leader visits
Read full article: France, Egypt pressed on missing backpacker as leader visitsThe family of a French backpacker who went missing in Egypt have used a Paris visit by the Egyptian president to press for an investigation into the 27-year-old traveler's disappearance.
Serbia, Egypt agree to boost cooperation amid war in Ukraine
Read full article: Serbia, Egypt agree to boost cooperation amid war in UkraineEgypt and Serbia have agreed to boost political, economic and other cooperation as the two countries look for ways to deal with the global impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Climate aid, war fallout feature at Berlin climate talks
Read full article: Climate aid, war fallout feature at Berlin climate talksOfficials from 40 countries are meeting in Berlin to discuss how to stay focused on fighting climate change while the world reels from the economic fallout of the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
World leaders descend on UAE to pay respects to late ruler
Read full article: World leaders descend on UAE to pay respects to late rulerAn array of presidents and prime ministers were descending on the United Arab Emirates from around the world to pay their respects to the federation’s late ruler and greet his successor, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Egypt frees 3 as president appears to reach out to critics
Read full article: Egypt frees 3 as president appears to reach out to criticsThe head of a journalists’ union says Egyptian authorities have freed three journalists — the latest in a string of releases as President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi appears to be reaching out to critics of his administration.
Blinken set to see Israelis, Arabs wary about Iran, Ukraine
Read full article: Blinken set to see Israelis, Arabs wary about Iran, UkraineU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will try to use his three-nation tour of the Middle East and North Africa to reassure wary Israelis and Arabs that the Biden administration is committed to the region’s security at a time when Washington is confronting multiple foreign policy challenges.
World leaders at France summit mull ways to protect oceans
Read full article: World leaders at France summit mull ways to protect oceansWorld leaders are trying to save the planet’s oceans in talks on France’s Atlantic coast aimed at fighting overfishing and plastic pollution, and finding fairer ways to manage the seas.
World leaders: Who's coming, who isn't to Beijing Olympics
Read full article: World leaders: Who's coming, who isn't to Beijing OlympicsThe U.S., Britain and a handful of others aren’t sending dignitaries to the Beijing Winter Games as part of a diplomatic boycott, but the Chinese capital is still attracting an array of world leaders for Friday’s opening ceremony.
US halts Egypt military aid over rights after huge arms sale
Read full article: US halts Egypt military aid over rights after huge arms saleThe Biden administration says it has cancelled $130 million in military aid to Egypt over human rights concerns just three days after greenlighting a massive $2.5 billion arms sale to the country.
US man charged with secretly aiding Egyptian interests
Read full article: US man charged with secretly aiding Egyptian interestsA New York man has been arrested on charges that he worked as a secret agent of the Egyptian government, including by gathering information about the political opponents of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
Egyptian ex-lawmaker and journalists get prison sentences
Read full article: Egyptian ex-lawmaker and journalists get prison sentencesAn Egyptian court has sentenced a prominent human rights lawyer to five years in prison for his conviction on charges that rights advocates have decried as baseless and politically motivated.
US, Egypt tackle myriad irritants in strategic talks
Read full article: US, Egypt tackle myriad irritants in strategic talksThe United States and Egypt are putting a brave face on strains in their relationship as domestic Egyptian developments and regional crises test long-standing ties between the countries.
Egypt leader, Biden adviser hold talks on regional tensions
Read full article: Egypt leader, Biden adviser hold talks on regional tensionsPresident Joe Biden’s national security adviser has held talks with Egypt’s president that focused on regional tensions and the ties between Washington and its Mideast ally.
Biden adviser headed to Egypt as Israel-Hamas tensions rise
Read full article: Biden adviser headed to Egypt as Israel-Hamas tensions risePresident Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan is heading to Cairo for talks with Egyptian government officials about rising tensions between Israel and Hamas.
Pompeo got $5,800 whisky gift from Japan, but where is it?
Read full article: Pompeo got $5,800 whisky gift from Japan, but where is it?The State Department says it's looking into the apparent disappearance of a nearly $6,000 bottle of whisky given more than two years ago to then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by the government of Japan.
Blinken claims progress in effort to boost Gaza truce
Read full article: Blinken claims progress in effort to boost Gaza truceU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has wrapped up a two-day Mideast mission, winning valuable diplomatic support and hundreds of millions of dollars of pledges from Arab allies as he moved to shore up the cease-fire that ended an 11-day war between Israel and the Gaza Strip’s militant Hamas rulers.
With ship now freed, a probe into Suez Canal blockage begins
Read full article: With ship now freed, a probe into Suez Canal blockage beginsEver Given, a Panama-flagged cargo ship, is seen in Egypt's Great Bitter Lake Tuesday, March 30, 2021. Experts have boarded Ever Given container ship that had blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week before it was dislodged. A canal pilot says engineers are inspecting the Ever Given for damage and trying to determine why it ran aground. Global legal firm Clyde and Co. said the Ever Given's owner likely would pay Egypt's canal authority for the assistance already rendered to the vessel. He stood before a sign that said: "Welcome to the Suez Canal: Egypt's lifeline of peace, prosperity and development."
Trains crash in southern Egypt, killing at least 32
Read full article: Trains crash in southern Egypt, killing at least 32(AP Photo)CAIRO – Two trains crashed Friday in southern Egypt, killing at least 32 people and injuring 165, authorities said in the latest of a series of deadly accidents on the country’s troubled railways. Those remarks came a day after a passenger train collided with a cargo train, killing at least 12 people. AdA year earlier, two passenger trains collided just outside Alexandria, killing 43. In 2016, at least 51 people were killed when two commuter trains collided near Cairo. Egypt’s deadliest train crash was in 2002, when over 300 people were killed after fire broke out in a train traveling from Cairo to southern Egypt.
EXPLAINER: What we know about a ship blocking the Suez Canal
Read full article: EXPLAINER: What we know about a ship blocking the Suez CanalThis photo released by the Suez Canal Authority on Thursday, March 25, 2021, shows Lt. Gen. Ossama Rabei, head of the Suez Canal Authority, investigating the situation with the Ever Given, a Panama-flagged cargo ship, after it become wedged across the Suez Canal and blocking traffic in the vital waterway. Over its 150-year history, Egypt's Suez Canal has seen wars and crises — but nothing quite like the stranding of the Ever Given. The vessel entered the canal from the Red Sea on Tuesday morning and ran aground 45 minutes later. While the supersize of ships can increase their risk of running aground in the Suez Canal, boats just as big buffeted by winds just as strong have passed through the waterway without incident before. President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi poured $8.2 billion into a lavish expansion of the canal that was unveiled in 2015.
Shipping losses mount from cargo vessel stuck in Suez Canal
Read full article: Shipping losses mount from cargo vessel stuck in Suez CanalThis satellite image from Cnes2021, Distribution Airbus DS, shows the cargo ship MV Ever Given stuck in the Suez Canal near Suez, Egypt, Thursday, March 25, 2021. (Cnes2021, Distribution Airbus DS via AP)ISMAILIA – Dredgers, tugboats and even a backhoe failed to free a giant cargo ship wedged in Egypt’s Suez Canal on Thursday. The Suez Canal Authority said one idea the team discussed was scraping the bottom of the canal around the ship. “BSM’s continuing priorities are to safely re-float the vessel and for marine traffic in the Suez Canal to resume,” it said without providing timeframe. Opened in 1869, the Suez Canal is a crucial link for oil, natural gas and cargo.
Massive cargo ship becomes wedged, blocks Egypt's Suez Canal
Read full article: Massive cargo ship becomes wedged, blocks Egypt's Suez CanalIn this photo released by the Suez Canal Authority, a boat navigates in front of a massive cargo ship, named the Ever Green, rear, sits grounded Wednesday, March 24, 2021, after it turned sideways in Egypts Suez Canal, blocking traffic in a crucial East-West waterway for global shipping. (Suez Canal Authority via AP)DUBAI – A skyscraper-sized container ship has become wedged across Egypt's Suez Canal and blocked all traffic in the vital waterway, officials said Wednesday, threatening to disrupt a global shipping system already strained by the coronavirus pandemic. Ad“The Suez Canal will not spare any efforts to ensure the restoration of navigation and to serve the movement of global trade,” vowed Lt. Gen. Ossama Rabei, head of the Suez Canal Authority. Opened in 1869, the Suez Canal provides a crucial link for oil, natural gas and cargo. Ad“It’s because of the breakneck pace of global shipping right now and shipping is on a very tight schedule,” he said.
US: Human rights will be 'central' to relations with Egypt
Read full article: US: Human rights will be 'central' to relations with EgyptWASHINGTON – The Biden administration on Tuesday told Egypt that human rights will be “central” to its policy in dealing with the key Arab state and major American partner in the Middle East. It was not immediately clear how the new emphasis on human rights would manifest itself. The Trump administration had largely given Egypt's leadership a pass on human rights. Ad“The secretary raised concerns over human rights, which he emphasized would be central to the U.S.-Egypt bilateral relationship, and Egypt’s potential procurement of Su-35 fighter aircraft from Russia,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. However, rights groups accused authorities of targeting families of activists and rights defenders living abroad, in an apparent attempt to intimidate critics.
The Latest: China's northeast outbreaks appear under control
Read full article: The Latest: China's northeast outbreaks appear under controlCambodia on Sunday received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine, a donation of 600,000 doses from China, the country's biggest ally. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)BEIJING — China appears to have stamped out its latest coronavirus outbreaks centered on the northeast, reporting no new cases of local infection in its latest daily report. ___TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has unveiled its second homemade coronavirus vaccine and says it has begun human trials, state TV reported Sunday. ___JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s Food and Drug Authority has announced an emergency use authorization to give the COVID-19 vaccine produced by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. to people over 60. ___KABUL, Afghanistan — Some 500,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine arrived Sunday in Afghanistan from the government in India.
Sudan says it signs pact on normalizing ties with Israel
Read full article: Sudan says it signs pact on normalizing ties with IsraelJustice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari signed the deal with visiting U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, according to the prime minister's office. Abdulbari said Sudan welcomed “the rapprochement" with Israel and other countries as well as the beginning of diplomatic relations. Although Sudan is not a regional powerhouse, establishing ties with Israel is deeply symbolic. During his visit, Mnuchin met with Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of the ruling sovereign council, and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in August became the first top U.S. diplomat to visit Sudan since 2005, when Condoleezza Rice visited.
Italian returns French Legion award after el-Sissi gets one
Read full article: Italian returns French Legion award after el-Sissi gets oneROME – A prominent Italian journalist has returned his Legion of Honor to the French Embassy to protest the awarding of the prize to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi during his protest-marred visit to Paris last week. El-Sissi’s state visit sparked protests by human rights activists incensed that French President Emmanuel Macron had rolled out the red carpet while el-Sissi presides over the heaviest crackdown on dissent in Egypt’s modern history. The award ceremony was held without the press before a Sept. 7 dinner at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris. “France is on the front lines for human rights and makes no compromises,” he tweeted after Augias returned his prize. During the visit, France and Egypt signed contracts for French development aid and hospital and transport cooperation.
Protesters demonstrate against el-Sissi's visit to France
Read full article: Protesters demonstrate against el-Sissi's visit to FranceA woman holds a placard as she stages a protest against the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi by the National Assembly in Paris, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)PARIS – French protesters and human rights activists demonstrated outside the National Assembly in Paris on Tuesday in opposition to the state visit of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi even though he wasn't inside. El-Sissi's visit is in its second and final day. The protesters, who carried placards reading “Egypt, Human Rights Emergency,” were also angry at French President Emmanuel Macron for rolling out the red carpet to the Egyptian leader, whom they view as a human rights abuser. Despite human rights groups’ criticism, el-Sissi signed contracts with French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Tuesday for French development aid and hospital and transport cooperation.
Final goodbye: Recalling influential people who died in 2020
Read full article: Final goodbye: Recalling influential people who died in 2020The world also said goodbye to U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement who died in July. Other former political figures who died this year include Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, New York Mayor David Dinkins, Arizona Gov. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2020 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___David Stern, 77. The guitarist who supplied the scratching, seething sound that fueled the highly influential British punk band Gang of Four. He fused African rhythms with funk to become one of the most influential musicians in world dance music.
Egypt's El-Sissi, France's Macron at odds over human rights
Read full article: Egypt's El-Sissi, France's Macron at odds over human rightsFrench President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Siss gesture upon el-Sissi arrival at the Elysee palace, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020 in Paris. Macron welcomed el-Sissi at the Elysee Palace at the start of the Egyptian president's two-day state visit to France. Yet Macron ruled out making France's cooperation with Egypt on economy and defense conditional on human rights issues, because Egypt is France's key partner in the fight against extremism and for the stability of the region. "The rank of religious values is much higher than human values ... they are holy and above all other values," he added. That's what was brought by the philosophy of the Enlightment and the foundation of the universalism of human rights.”Under France's secularism, blasphemy is allowed in France, Macron stressed.