Cairo - Egypt's cabinet approved on Wednesday amendments to the country's antiquities law, raising the maximum sentence for the illegal trade in antiquities from seven years to life imprisonment, state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported today. The amendments, which are pending parliament approval, also include fines for harassing tourists at archaeological sites ranging from EGP 3,000 to EGP 10,000. Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Enany said at a press conference on Wednesday that since the 2011 revolution, there has been a rise in antiquities theft and illegal digging for artefacts. Last December,the U.S. has entered into a bilateral agreement with a Middle Eastern country to stop the importation of smuggled artifacts.