Prosecutors in Cairo have referred an alleged civil defamation claim against internationally renowned Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi to the Higher State Security Prosecution Service, which is a judicial branch concerned with cases related to national security.

Egypt imported US$5.3 billion worth of arms in 2015, more than any other developing country, according to a report released this month by Congressional Research Service, a public policy research arm of the United States Congress.

President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi held on Saturday morning a meeting with Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, Minister of Defence Sedki Sobhi, Foreign Minister Samih Shoukry, and the head of Al-Mukhabarat (Egyptian intelligence), according to a statement issued by the presidency.

Egypt’s Grand Mufti Ahmed Al-Tayyeb recently survived an assassination attempt, Minister of Culture Hilmi Nimnim has revealed.

Minister of Religious Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa announced on Friday that a specialised committee assigned to develop religious discourse and sermons will hold its first preparation meeting on 15 December, state media reported.

Egypt’s prosecution said on Wednesday it questioned policemen who had investigated Italian student Giulio Regeni days before his abduction, as part of a probe into his kidnapping and grisly murder.

Egyptian authorities have arrested 45 suspects accused of being involved in an illegal organ trafficking ring, announced Egypt’s Ministry of Health and the Administrative Control Authority (ACA), Egypt’s anti-corruption body.

The Administrative Control Authority announced it had detected, at dawn on Tuesday, the largest international network for trafficking in human organs, including Egyptians and Arabs.

Egypt’s Interior Ministry warned citizens against taking part in foreign polls that measure public opinion on economic, social and security issues in Egypt, in a statement issued Tuesday.

Two Egyptian rights groups warned on Wednesday against the marked increase in “arbitrary” travel bans used against activists, academics, intellectuals, media and political opposition figures over the past two years.