Islamic State fighters holed up in one of the militant group’s last major strongholds in northern Syria have 48 hours to leave the city, according to an ultimatum issued by the local military council of the United States-supported Syria Democratic Forces

Minya, Egypt - For Christians in Egypt, the possibility of martyrdom is not a remote one.

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi warned on Thursday against attempts to drive a wedge between Egyptians and vowed to holdviolators accountable amid a recent series of violent sectarian attacks in the country's south.

The latest in the wave of sectarian attacks on Coptic Christians in Minya Governorate happened Sunday night in Tahana El-Gabal village when a group of Muslims wielding knives and batons attacked the families of Coptic Christian priests and killed 27-year-old Fam Mary Khal. They also injured Rev. Metaous' father, Nagib Hanna, Rev. Boutrous' brother, Malak Aziz, and local priest Azza Jouma.

Minya’s parliamentarian submitted a formal request to Speaker of Egypt’s parliament to form a fact-finding mission to investigate the sectarian incidents witnessed in a village, said MP Margraet Azer.

Mufaddal Saifuddin, spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community, made a LE10 million donation to the Tahya Masr Fund on Tuesday during his meeting with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo.

An Egyptian delegation is set to participate in a Wednesday meeting that aims to combat extremist thoughts and draft media strategies for the international anti-Islamic State group coalition in Washington, a statement by Egypt’s foreign ministry read.

Anger is mounting amongst Minya's Copts after two incidents of sectarian violence, Bishop Macarius of Minya said in statements he made to Ahram Arabic website on Tuesday.

The Cairo Appeal Court assigned the session for the retrial of former president Mohamed Morsi and other leaders in the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood in the Itihadiya Palace case for 8 October, after the defendants’ lawyers’ appeals were accepted.

A Christian man has been stabbed to death in Egypt by a Muslim mob, a Coptic bishop has said. It's reported the attack happened on Sunday after local Muslim youths in the village of Tahna al-Jabal in Minya governorate began taunting the seven-year-old son of local priest Metaos Najib Hanna.

An Egyptian delegation is set to participate in a Wednesday meeting that aims to combat extremist thoughts and draft media strategies for the international anti-Islamic State group coalition in Washington, a statement by Egypt’s foreign ministry read.

Minya Prosecution on Wednesday has ordered the detention of eight suspects for four days pending investigations over the recent sectarian violence incidents that took place in the Upper Egyptian governorate, Youm7 reported.

Anger is mounting amongst Minya's Copts after two incidents of sectarian violence, Bishop Macarius of Minya said in statements he made to Ahram Arabic website on Tuesday.

Egypt's Grand Imam, one of the world’s highest Sunni Muslim authorities, has urged western countries to review laws and regulations that may affect the freedom of Muslims after a train attack in Germany was claimed by the Islamic State group.

Egypt's government said it would not backtrack on its controversial decision to standardise sermons at Friday prayers, adding that scripted sermons would only be a "guideline" until a final endorsement of the move.

A week ago, government authorities announced the decision to make all mosque preachers deliver an identical, government-approved sermon during Friday prayers. The sermons are to be written by officials from the Religious Endowments Ministry and senior clerics from Al-Azhar.

One person was killed and three were injured on Sunday night when anonymous assaulters attacked the families of two priests in Minya governorate.

Air strikes by the US-led coalition killed at least 21 civilians in and around a stronghold of the Islamic State group in northern Syria on Monday, a monitor said.

Mohamed Badie, the jailed head of Egypt’s outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, said Thursday that he was in good health but that his family had been barred from visiting him in prison. Badie made the assertions at a criminal court in southern Cairo, where he – along with 682 others – face charges of having incited and committed “acts of violence” following a 2013 military coup that unseated Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first freely-elected president and a Muslim Brotherhood leader.

A Muslim mob in southern Egypt stabbed a Coptic Christian to death over a personal feud, officials said Monday, stoking anger among Christians amid a spike in assaults on their community. Bishop Macarious of the southern Minya governorate said the mob attacked the families of two priests with knives and batons in the village of Tahna al-Gabal late Sunday.

Christians leave after Sunday service at the Al-Galaa Church at Samalout Diocese, in Minya governorate, south of Cairo, May 3, 2015. Copts have long complained of discrimination under successive Egyptian leaders and Sisi's actions suggested he would deliver on promises of being an inclusive president who could unite the country after years of political turmoil.