Egypt's army chief has given his clearest indication yet that he will run for president. General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, the man who ousted Mohamed Morsi following mass protests last July, appeared to tell military colleagues on Saturday that he would view a strong yes vote in this week's constitutional referendum as a mandate to run for office.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement on the celebration of Christmas by Orthodox Christians following the Julian calendar:

Michelle and I wish Coptic Orthodox Christians in the United States and around the world a joyous Christmas. On this special day, we celebrate the messages of peace and hope that continue to inspire congregations more than 2,000 years after Jesus’ birth. During this season, we reaffirm the commitment of the United States to work for the protection of Christians and other people of faith in Egypt and around the world. The freedom to practice our faiths is critical to stable, pluralistic, and thriving societies, and the United States will continue to be vigilant in its work to protect that freedom. We wish Coptic Christians the blessings of this season and join them in offering prayers for peace in the year ahead.

Egypt's Interior Ministry spokesman, Hani Abdel Latif, said that security services received information that non-state actors in the country are planning to assassinate deposed president Mohamed Morsi.

The US said Wednesday it is committed to its "longstanding relationship" with Egypt as it continues to voice alarm about the climate of freedom in the county.

The third round of the two-day trilateral meeting between the water ministers of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, that took place in Khartoum this week, ended without reaching a clear deal about any of the issues present on the meeting’s agenda. Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdel-Mottaleb, Sudan’s Minister of Water Resources and Electricity Moataz Moussa and Ethiopia’s Minister of Water and Energy Alemayehu Tegenu met three times since November to discuss the implementation of the recommendations made by the trilateral commission including experts from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan.

Medical professionals at around 70 percent of Egypt's public sector hospitals participated in a partial strike on Wednesday, according to the Egyptian Doctors Syndicate.

Egyptian political group the Way of the Revolution Front said on Wednesday that it would lobby for a no vote in next week's constitutional referendum.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Badr Abdel Aaty said that the Egyptian charge d’affaires to Tehran delivered the strongly worded letter of protest to officials of Iranian Foreign Ministry to stress rejection against Iran’s interference in Egyptian local affairs.

CAIRO: A military plane crashed on Wednesday afternoon in Dakahlia, causing no casualties or damages, according to an official military report.

April 6 Youth Movement said founder Ahmed Maher, member Mohamed Adel and political activist Ahmed Doma are again on hunger strike against the harsh conditions of their detention in Tora Prison.

Judicial sources at the Supreme State Security Prosecution said prosecutors received accusations against members of the 6 April Movement regarding espionage and receiving funds from foreign countries.

CAIRO: Member of the General Secretariat of the Supreme Commission for Elections Hesham Mokhtar said Egyptians abroad can print the voting card off the website of the Commission.

Interim President Adly Mansour amended the political rights law on Monday. Citizens can now vote at polling stations not affiliated to their registered addresses in the upcoming constitution referendum.

CAIRO: Head of Cairo University Gaber Nassar said the verdict obligating police to enter campuses, without permission of the university’s president, in case there are demonstrations, reaffirms the police’s responsibility to protect universities.

A court in Alexandria will issue its verdict in the retrial of two policemen accused of killing Khaled Said on 3 March.

CAIRO: The Revolution’s Candidate campaign said in a statement on Saturday that it has asked Defense Minister Gen. Abdel Fatah al-Sisi not to run for president, and to remain in his position as defense minister in order to maintain the prestige among Egyptians that he acquired when he backed the popular uprising on June 30.

QALYUBIA: A conference in the town of Kafr Shukr organized by the 50-member committee that amended the constitution had a large turnout on Saturday.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned Qatar’s ambassador to Egypt, Saif Moqadam Al-Boenain, for a meeting, according to a statement by a ministry spokesman on Saturday.

CAIRO: Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawy met on Sunday Minister for Administrative Development Hany Mahmoud to discuss regulations that would cap the maximum wage at 42,000 EGP (U.S. $6,027) per month.

Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan failed to reach an agreement in the tripartite negotiations regarding the construction of the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance dam, state news agency MENA reported.