The Guardian Egyptian boat crash death toll rises as more bodies found in Nile Search parties have retrieved four more bodies from the Nile river after a boat collision earlier this week, bringing the death toll to 35, Egypt's health ministry has said. Ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar said on Saturday that search efforts are continuing. Egypt's president, Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, said he ordered a sum of 60,000 Egyptian pounds (£4,940) to be paid to each family of the deceased and called for measures to be taken to prevent future collisions. Prime minister Ibrahim Mahlab has formed a committee to review legislation related to Nile river management. Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/25/egyptian-nile-boat-crash-death-toll-rises Reuters Egypt extends state of emergency in North Sinai by three months Egypt said on Saturday it had extended by three months a state of emergency imposed on parts of Northern Sinai in October after Islamist militants stepped up attacks in the peninsula bordering Israel, Gaza and the Suez Canal. The decision, announced by Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab in a written decree on Saturday, will be implemented in Rafah, al-Arish, Sheikh Zuweid and surrounding areas starting on Sunday. It also extends a night-time curfew in place in the same areas. Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/07/25/uk-egypt-sinai-idUKKCN0PZ0R520150725 Shanghai Daily Egypt army kills 17 extremists in Sinai clashes The Egyptian armed forces killed 17 extremists during armed clashes on Saturday at Sheikh Zuweid city in the restive North Sinai bordering the Palestinian Gaza Strip and Israel, security forces told Xinhua. "The fierce confrontations went on for hours after militants attacked a military checkpoint south of Sheikh Zuweid and the military forces forced them to retreat and then attacked their hideout at a nearby town and killed 10 of them," the sources added. Meanwhile, air raids on militants at another town in Sheikh Zuweid killed seven of them, and the forces were still in tough conflicts with the militants. Read more: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=294205 The Economic Times Egyptian Rafale deal: French defence minister visits Cairo after delivery of first batch of jets French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian began a two-day visit to Cairo Saturday, just days after France delivered the first batch of 24 Rafale warplanes Egypt bought in a multi-billion-euro deal. Le Drian, who is on a tour of Africa, is to hold talks with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other Egyptian officials during his trip. The visit comes after Egypt took delivery of three of 24 Rafale fighter jets it bought from France in a 5.2-billion-euro ($5.6-billion). Read more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/48213762.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst BBC Egypt holds trial run on second Suez Canal The first cargo ships have passed through Egypt's second Suez Canal, amid tight security, ahead of the new waterway's official opening next month. Construction on the new lane, which runs alongside part of the existing canal, started less than a year ago. The 72km (44 mile) route allows two-way traffic and can accommodate larger vessels. Several container ships from around the world successfully navigated it on Saturday as part of a trial run. Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33666314
