Summit talks KING Hamad bin Eissa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain arrived in Cairo on Monday for an official visit and talks with President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi at Ittihadiya Palace in Heliopolis. The meeting addressed various aspects of the distinct Egyptian-Bahraini relations. Al-Sisi reiterated that the security of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Arab Gulf in general is integral to Egypt's national security. He expressed Egypt's commitment to supporting Bahrain's stability and to safeguarding its people. King Hamad stressed Bahrain's support for Egypt's counter-terrorism efforts and reiterated the need to coordinate between the two countries and among all Arab countries to wipe out the threat to the security and safety of the entire region. He also confirmed his country's commitment to strengthening relations with Egypt in all areas so as to further advancethe ongoing cooperation between the two countries. King Hamad lauded military cooperation between Egypt and Bahrain which was demonstrated recently by the participation of the Egyptian Armed Forces in the “Hamad 2” exercises in Bahrain this month, and which contributed to the exchange of expertise between the two countries in this field. The two leaders also discussed a number of topics on the agenda of the Arab Summit that will take place in Jordan on 29 March. They stressed the importance that the summit results in effective and practical resolutions commensurate with the challenges that the Arab region is facing and to restore Arab unity so as to enhance its ability to protect common interests and to decisively confront attempts at foreign intervention in its affairs. The two leaders affirmed their commitment to continue to coordinate before and during the summit in light of both countries' alignment in views on most regional and international issues. Found guilty FIFTY-SIX people were given prison sentences over a 2016 capsizing of a migrant boat off Egypt's Mediterranean coast that left around 200 people dead. The Court of Misdemeanours handed down the sentences on 26 March. A Rosetta court in the northern Beheira governorate handed sentences ranging from two to 13 years to the convicted and acquitted one woman. Those responsible were found guilty of manslaughter, negligence, endangering lives, using a vessel without a licence and not using adequate rescue equipment. The defendants can appeal. The migrant boat, which was carrying several hundred migrants from several countries, sailed from Egypt's Mediterranean port city of Rosetta and was heading to Italy before it capsized 12 kilometres off the Egyptian coast. The accident was one of the deadliest incidents involving migrants attempting a journey to Europe for better opportunities and living standards. In recent years, thousands of migrants and refugees from a variety of countries have attempted to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe, with an increasing number departing via smuggler boats from Egypt's northern coast. In November last year, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi ratified a law aimed at curbing irregular migration and cracking down on human smuggling. While the legislation does not punish migrants themselves, it imposes jail terms on those convicted of smuggling migrants or acting as brokers or facilitators. Buildings collapse TWO buildings collapsed in Cairo's Boulaq district leaving at least five injured, the Health Ministry announced on 26 March. It is not clear what caused the collapse. Another building fell two days earlier in Cairo's Garden City district. Building collapses have long been a problem in Egypt and are usually due to poor maintenance, violations of building codes, illegal extensions and lax construction. Tremor hits Egypt A SLIGHT tremor was registered in Egypt Friday night that measured 3.3 on the Richter scale, with no damage to life or property reported. The quake was registered at 8pm and its epicentre was 40 kilometres northwest of Suez. The quake went unnoticed by the majority of the population, as it has to register at least 4.0 on Richter to be felt, head of Egypt's National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics Hatem Ouda said. The most destructive earthquake in Egypt's modern history struck Cairo in October 1992, at a magnitude of 5.8, killing more than 500 people, injuring thousands and displacing tens of thousands.
