Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

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Egypt's El-Sisi Nabs 3rd Term in Overwhelming Numbers

Even though economy is collapsing, voters hope president can offer security in war-torn Middle East

(Newser) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi easily won a third term in office this month, winning about 90% of the vote, according to a Monday announcement from election officials. But the Washington Post notes that emerging victorious in the election was the "easy part" for the 69-year-old leader, who's...

Famous Singer Sentenced to Jail for Insulting River

2nd Egyptian singer sentenced to jail time over a music video

(Newser) - To ancient Egyptians, the Nile River was the lifeblood of civilization. It's apparently no less dear to modern Egyptians, as a well-known pop singer has learned the hard way. Sherine Abdel-Wahab—described by the BBC as one of Egypt's most famous singers and a judge on the Arabic...

Egypt Gives Saudis 2 Strategic Islands

Territory ceded during royal visit to Cairo

(Newser) - A gift fit for a king? Saudi Arabia's King Salman is visiting Cairo, and Egypt has agreed to hand two small but strategic islands over to his country, the New York Times reports. The country's Cabinet announced on Saturday that it had agreed to give up control of...

This 'Slightly Used' President Was for Sale on eBay

Egypt's Abdel Fattah el-Sisi walked right into this one

(Newser) - Two months ago, Egypt's chief investigator said there was no evidence that the October crash of a Russian passenger plane in Sinai was a terrorist act. Now, in what the New York Times frames as an "unexpected admission," a reversal. In a wide-ranging speech on Wednesday, President...

10 Most Popular Leaders, According to Facebook

President Obama is the easy winner, but Queen Rania is in the top 10

(Newser) - Well, it's one way to measure world leaders: The PR firm Burson-Marsteller has taken a look at the Facebook pages of global bigwigs and provided a ranking based on their number of likes. Personal pages are counted separately from institutional pages, which is why President Obama's page and...

US Satellite Saw 'Heat Flash' Before Egypt Crash

Experts say bomb, sabotage could have brought down Russian jet

(Newser) - If ISIS really did bring down a Russian passenger jet in Egypt, it wasn't with a missile, according to American officials. US officials tell CNN and NBC News that an American infrared satellite detected a heat flash in the area at the time of the crash, but not the...

To Censor Article, Egypt Seizes Every Newspaper

Interview with former spy was apparently too dicey

(Newser) - Egypt swears that censorship is a thing of the past, but the government showed this week that it can still practice an old-school version when it wants. Authorities seized every copy of the newspaper Al Masry Al Youm, apparently because they felt an interview with a former spy revealed too...

Egypt Throws Book at 9 for Tahrir Square Sex Assaults

Court hands out life sentences in apparent crackdown

(Newser) - Faced with rampant and public sex assaults over the last three years, Egypt today threw out a decisive deterrent and sentenced nine men to hefty jail terms, reports the Guardian . Seven men were given life sentences—three of those received multiple life sentences, notes the AP —while another two...

'Jon Stewart of Egypt' Calls It Quits

Bassem Youssef says 'harassment' led to final decision

(Newser) - Looks like Bassem Youssef's reign as the "Egypt's Jon Stewart" is kaput. The popular TV personality and comedian said today in Cairo that he's ending the show—and won't be coming back this time, the Washington Post reports. He divulged little, but referred to "...

Egypt Military Chief Seeks Presidency

Al-Sisi expected to win easily

(Newser) - The most powerful man in Egypt has thrown his military fatigues aside to run for president. Field Marshal Abdul-Fattah al-Sisi, who led the overthrow of elected President Mohamed Morsi last summer, announced on TV late yesterday that he was stepping down as military chief to answer "the demand of...

In Surprise, Egypt's Government Resigns

Most media reports say it's so al-Sisi can run for president

(Newser) - In what the AP is calling a "surprise move," Egypt's interim PM today announced that the country's 7-month-old military-backed government will resign. Hazem el-Beblawi made the announcement regarding his Cabinet in a live TV address; it's unclear whether he'll helm the replacement government or...

Egypt Mess Is Obama's 'Greatest Failure'

Roger Cohen criticizes policy; Bret Stephens says US must 'hold its nose' and back military

(Newser) - What's happening in Egypt represents President Obama's "greatest failure," writes Roger Cohen in the New York Times . Obama's much-ballyhooed speech in Cairo in 2009, intended to begin healing rifts with the Muslim world, "stands now as a monument to America’s declining influence in...

Egypt Army Chief's Ominous Warning: 'State Collapse'

Violence rages for 6th day

(Newser) - As violent clashes in Egypt continue for a sixth day, the Army chief of staff has a dire warning for protesters: If there is no reconciliation, Egypt could see the "collapse of the state." Abdul-Fattah al-Sisi also wrote on the official Army Facebook page today that any attacks...

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