Egypt's state news agency says a knife-wielding attacker has been shot and killed after he stabbed a guard at a Coptic church.

The debate on the drafting of a law that would regulate the construction of churches has intensified since the end of last week, generating more negative responses by Egyptian churches, as opposed to the praise they had given to the government’s initial draft law at the beginning of August.

Three army conscripts were killed and another 12 injured by an improvised explosive device (IED) that targeted their armoured vehicle in the North Sinai city of Al-Arish, several residents told Daily News Egypt Wednesday evening on condition of anonymity.

Security officials have identified the perpetrators of the assassination attempt on Egypt's former Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, an official source with Giza Security Directorate said on Tuesday.

Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail is making strenuous efforts to hammer out an agreement over the final version of the law on the building and reconstruction of churches, taking into account concerns from Church authorities that unnacceptable amendments have been introduced by parliament.

The debate on the drafting of a law that would regulate the construction of churches has intensified since the end of last week, generating more negative responses by Egyptian churches, as opposed to the praise they had given to the government’s initial draft law at the beginning of August.

Pastor Andrea Zaki, president of the Evangelical church in Egypt, called for an emergency board meeting on Monday night to discuss the recent debates surrounding the law on the construction of churches, local media reported.

Fighters of Libya's unity government, backed by US air strikes, have recaptured more ground from militants holed up in the centre of the coastal city of Sirte, loyalist forces said Monday.

Turkey said on Monday Islamic State (IS) jihadists must be totally pushed out of the Syrian border region, after a weekend suicide bombing in the city of Gaziantep blamed on the group left at least 54 dead.

The East Alexandria Court released on Sunday detainee Islam Khalil after he spent over one year in pretrial detention on bail of EGP 50,000, according to his brother Nour Khalil.

The German government has accused Turkey of being a hub for Islamist groups that allows them to further their aims across the Middle East, according to a leaked confidential document.

Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri called upon jihadists across the globe to reject the Islamic State and instead support the Afghan Taliban in a video released Sunday.

Egypt’s Orthodox Church released a statement objecting to the “complexities and obstacles” in the governmental amendments to a long-awaited bill on church building in the country, privately-owned Al-Shorouk reported.

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip launched a rocket that landed in the Israeli border town of Sderot on Sunday and Israeli aircraft and tanks responded by shelling the Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, the army and police said.

State-run newspaper Al-Ahram published on Sunday a report accusing the BBC of being part of a conspiracy against Egypt that aims to harm the country’s tourism sector.

The first three-day forum of Muslim- Christian Youth will kick off Friday in Al Azhar Sheikhdom, in cooperation with the World Council of Churches. The forum will be participated by 40 Muslim and Christian youths from 14 countries, Youm7 reported.

The current draft of churches building law would lead to major problems with the Salafists, said the Coptic Church’s lawyer Ehab Ramzy.

Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church and the Evangelical Church issued statements on Thursday slamming proposed amendments to the long-awaited church building draft law after Church officials met with state representatives on Wednesday at the cabinet headquarters.

Hostility is escalating and against the Muslims in the United since the beginning og the U.S. presidential race due to presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s remarks against the Muslims, said Al Azhar Observer Thursday.

Egypt’s affiliate of the Islamic State group has confirmed the death of its chief, which comes two weeks after the military announced the killing during an operation in the North Sinai.

Egypt is scheduled to vote as early as next month on a law that would ease the country’s historic restrictions on church construction.