A politician expelled from the Muslim Brotherhood is finding support among liberals and Islamists alike in his bid for Egypt's presidency, challenging the group he helped lead with a message that spans divisions in a polarized society.

The head of Nour Party, Emad Eddin Abdel Ghaffour, arrived at the Rafah border crossing Saturday leading a delegation of Salafi leaders on their way to the Gaza Strip, security sources in North Sinai said. Abdel Ghaffour will visit Gaza to discuss the alleged abduction of three Egyptian officers who disappeared after the breakout of Egypt's 25 January revolution. They are believed to have been kidnapped by Salafi-oriented Palestinian factions.

Muslim Brotherhood's presidential hopeful, Mohamed Mursi, said during a press conference on Saturday that he would resign as the chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) should he emerge as the winner in Egypt's elections, due to start on 23 May.

Supporters of excluded presidential hopeful Hazem Salah Abu Ismail began a sit-in in Tahrir Square Saturday morning, as the square became quiet and traffic almost returned to normal following a mass protest on Friday.

Father Pachomious, the acting pope, has agreed to establish a large museum to display the belongings of late Pope Shenouda III at the Father Bishoy Cathedral in Wadi al-Natron, the state news agency reported Saturday.

One day after Tuesday's decision by the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC) to uphold a ruling that disqualified him from the presidential race, Khairat El-Shater told a rally that the decision was unjust but insisted, "it's not about me, it's about Egypt."

Al-Nour Party MP Anwar El-Balkimy, who became known as "Nose job" Salafist MP, apologised on-air in today's session of the People's Assembly — Egypt's lower house of parliament — for lying about alleged facial injuries in March. He claimed he was victim of a violent attack while the truth was he underwent plastic surgery on his nose.

The man thrust unexpectedly into the limelight as the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate to lead Egypt is a mild-mannered figure whose low public profile may leave him struggling against more forceful rivals vying for the votes of Islamists and others.

A number of of Al-Azhar students and political activists called for a protest Friday in front of Al-Azhar's administrative office after Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa made a rare visit to Jerusalem Wednesday for the inauguration of the Imam Ghazali chair of Islamic studies under the auspices of the Jordanian Al-Bayt Foundation.

Muslim Brotherhood leader Khairat al-Shater shrugged off his disqualification from the presidential race as “a crime,” accusing the ruling military junta of interfering with the presidential election process and stalling “a genuine” handover of power to civilians.

A former Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide said Tuesday he is praying that the Brotherhood’s presidential bid will fail.

The Muslim Brotherhood has announced that Mohamed Morsy, chairman of its Freedom and Justice Party, will replace former deputy Supreme Guide Khairat al-Shater as its candidate for the presidential election slated for May.

The head of the legal committee for the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) declared Tuesday on their official webpage ikhwanonline.com, that the legal status of their presidential hopeful Khairat El-Shater was sound and described his elimination from the presidential race as a "scandalous political plan."

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood on Tuesday denied news reports that group leader Mohamed Badie had proposed an initiative to open talks with all Egyptian political orientations in an effort to reach consensus on a single presidential candidate and on the reformulation of the constituent assembly tasked with drafting a new constitution.

Recently disqualified presidential hopeful Hazem Salah Abu Ismail said Monday that the Presidential Elections Commission’s documents proving his mother’s American citizenship are “nonsense and fraudulent,” posting annotated photocopies on his Facebook page.

Hundreds of supporters of presidential hopeful Sheikh Hazem Abu-Ismail began an open ended sit-in on Monday night, insisting that they will not leave until the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC) announces its decision about his appeal.

One month after the regime of former President Hosni Mubarak fell, in March 2011, Hassan Malek was released from jail. He had spent four years and three months in prison, alongside 39 others, including Muslim Brotherhood leader and, until yesterday, presidential candidate Khairat al-Shater, on charges of illegally funding the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that was banned under Mubarak, and for alleged money laundering.

Tareekh Al-Batareka (History of the Patriarchs) by Sawiris Ibn El-Mokafaa, verified by Abdel-Aziz Gamaleddin, Cairo: General Organisation for Cultural Palaces (GOCP), 2012. 10 volumes

Investors affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood plan to launch a chain store in two months, which they expect to acquire a great share of the retail market in Egypt.

Muslim Brotherhood MP Mohamed El-Beltagi has condemned Sunday's meeting between military chief Tantawi and party representatives to discuss the constituent assembly. The constitutional crisis "could have been a chance to correct past mistakes" without referring to the military council, he said Monday on his personal Facebook profile.

Ninety-nine Christian pilgrims returned to Egypt from Jeruslaem on Monday on an Aarsena flight after celebrating Easter.