The occupancy rates in Luxor hotels rose to 64 percent, Luxor tourism police announced Thursday. The increase comes in conjunction with the mid-school year vacation, which will extend until mid-February. The total number of guests in Luxor hotels stands at 2,505, including 523 foreigners and 1,982 Egyptians. The occupancy rate by foreigners stands at 13 percent, compared to 51 percent by Egyptians, according to the statistics of the Luxor Tourism and Antiquities Police Department.

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ordered on Saturday that EGP 1 billion from the Long Live Egypt Fund be assigned to build 100,000 affordable housing units.

The body of an Italian graduate student who disappeared last month has been found with multiple stab wounds, cigarette burns and other signs of torture and a "slow death" on a roadside on the outskirts of Cairo, an Egyptian prosecutor said Thursday. Giulio Regeni, a 28-year-old Cambridge University PhD candidate who had been researching labor rights in Egypt, went missing on Jan. 25, the fifth anniversary of the popular uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak. His body was found Wednesday.

Dozens of Copts in Samalout demonstrated in front of the police station demanding the return of a Coptic minor girl who disappeared last week.

The fugitive terrorist Asem Abdul Maguid who belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood called members and supporters of the terrorist organization to carry weapon and lead a civil war in Egypt if there is no revolution against current regime.

Coptic Orthodox Church announced that Father Elijah of St. Mina monastery is the new Bishop of Jerusalem. It’s worth mentioning that Pope Tawadros has traveled to Jerusalem to attend the funeral of former Bishop of Jerusalem Abba Abraham. The new Bishop will be ordained on February 28.

In his weekly sermon, Pope Tawadros II, invited the people to practice meekness before fasting. Pope added that a meek person is beloved by the others for several good features.

Expiatory Fatawa and Militant Opinions Observatory of Egyptian Fatwa House warned against a new Android application of ISIS radio that is used to spread its ideology among its members and supporters.

Father Poulos Halim, spokesman for the Coptic Orthodox Church, said that the church is holding seminar for nuns of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Pope has delivered a speech about arts in the holy bible.

In his interview with Copts United, Dr. Michel Fahmy, writer and researcher, denounced preventing funeral prayers for non-Orthodox Christians inside Coptic churches and described it as intolerance that doesn’t respect humanity.

Coptic church celebrates the feast of St. Paul of Thebes, commonly known as Paul, the First Hermit, on February 9th.

Lawyer Hamdy Asiouty told Copts United that it’s shameful to arrest 4 Coptic children on charges of defamation of religions for a 20 seconds video in which they criticize ISIS.

George William, coordinator of “Copts of Minya” coalition, told Copts United that the coalition is organizing a conference in Dir Barsha village in Minya about “how to resist atheism and extremism”.

Arab struggle newspaper said that Egypt is currently suffering from extremism, which made the Egyptian president call for the renewal of the religious discourse.

Greek Theologian called Demetrius invited Pope Tawadros to lead a revolution in the Coptic church following the invitation of the Egyptian president to renew the religious discourse in Egypt.

Reuters news agency said that Pope Francis is going to participate in a movie for the first time. The religious movie is called "Behind the Sun" and tells the story of a family adventure to meet with Jesus Christ. In the movie, the Pope is going to deliver a speech about how and where to find Jesus Christ.

The monastery of the Great Saint Anthony in the Red Sea celebrated the feast of the founder of monasticism in the world Saint Anthony.

Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States of America organized the first spiritual gathering for the youth of the United States and Canada, entitled: “How to make a decision?”

The 13th session of the Ecumenical Dialogue Commission of the Coptic Orthodox Church started on Sunday between the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Catholic Church. It’s hosted this year by the Coptic Orthodox Church of St. Mark Center, Nasr City.

Rev. Samy Hanna, pastor of the Apostolic Church in El Bayadeya, Minya, accused the Coptic church of sectarianism after it refused to hold funeral prayers for Christian married couple who belong to the Apostolic Church.

Beni Mazar Court sentenced a Coptic teacher for 3 years in prison on charges of contempt of the Islamic religion.