Senior local and international clerics underlined on Thursday the role of religious authorities in combating violence and terrorism and promoting coexistence during an international gathering in Cairo hosted by Egypt's Al-Azhar.

Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb inaugurated on Wednesday the fifth round of dialogue between eastern and western religious leaders. This comes as Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Egypt on Friday. “The Caliphate era was being ruled by certain legislations suited to its era regarding non-Muslims and their rights in the Caliphate; however, it makes sense, and according to Islam as well, that if the political system changes, many related legislations change with it,” Al-Tayeb said in his speech.

The two church bombings that killed dozens in Egypt this month targeted unity among Muslims and Christians in the most populous Arab nation, Coptic Pope Tawadros II said Tuesday.

The Islamic State-affiliated group Sinai Province released a statement on Wednesday declaring its responsibility for the car bomb that targeted members of prominent North Sinai tribe al-Tarbiyeen. The statement added that the name of the suicide bomber was Abu Qodma el-Seinway who targeted a gathering of tribe members. The militant group alleged that the attack left 70 dead, though official security sources cite four tribesmen killed.

Roman Catholic Pope Francis delivered on Tuesday a televised speech addressing the Egyptian people ahead of his upcoming two-day visit to the country on Friday; the first visit by a Roman Catholic pope since his predecessor John Paul II visited Cairo in 2000.

Nina Käsehage has conducted 175 interviews with Salafists in Europe. Ths has given her a deep insight into their lifestyle and way of thinking. She finds it regrettable that the whole group gets lumped together. Deutsche Welle: You have been interested in Islam for many years. How did you manage to make contact with Salafists in Europe? Nina Käsehage: I started in 2011 by leading a survey on conversions to Islam within Germany [...] My goal was to interview converts who were genuine German nationals because I wanted to deconstruct the preconception that a conversion to Islam is at the same time accompanied by a distancing from democracy.

Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II met with the emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, on Monday morning, according to Al-Ahram Arabic news website.

A Cairo criminal court issued on Monday a preliminary death sentence to 20 defendents undergoing retrial for involvement in an attack on a Kerdasa police station in August 2013 in which 12 policemen were killed, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.

Pope Francis on Saturday described some of Europe's refugee centres as "concentration camps", as he paid tribute to an unknown Christian woman slain for her faith in front of her Muslim husband. "These refugee camps -- so many are concentration camps, crowded with people... because international accords seem more important than human rights," Francis said in impromptu remarks at a ceremony in memory of modern-day Christian martyrs.

Another victim of the Tanta church blast has died on Sunday, raising the total number of victims to 29. The body of Victor Mina is expected to arrive in Tanta for burial at Mar Girguis Church on Sunday evening. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing on Palm Sunday, leaving 29 victims and 90 wounded.

Security apparatuses based in South Sinai killed on Wednesday afternoon the perpetrator of the attack against a security checkpoint near St. Catherine's Monastery in South Sinai. According to a resident who preferred to remain anonymous, the perpetrator had managed to flee the scene following the Tuesday night attack but was unable to remain hidden due to an intensive security sweep in the el-Sabia region.

The Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA) sent a letter to the Egyptian Travel Agencies Association (ETAA) to promote the visit of Roman Catholic Pope Francis at the end of April in a bid to increase tourism. The letter sent by the ETA directed companies to promote the visit in neighbouring and European countries in order to attract tourists to partake in the Pope’s mass, which will be held on 29 April. Head of the ETA, Hisham El Demery, said that the authority is coordinating with the private sector in the marketing of tourism products in all events that take place in Egypt.

A man suspected of involvement in the bombing of Mar Girgis Cathedral in Tanta on 9 April has turned himself in to a prosecutor’s office in Upper Egypt's Qena governorate, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported Wednesday. Mahmoud Mohamed Ali Hussein, who holds a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Science, has been transferred to the State Security headquarters for investigations.

A non-commissioned police officer was killed and other three officers were injured on Tuesday night in a militant attack that targeted a security checkpoint located on the road to St. Catherine's Monastery in South Sinai, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria will hold an open funeral tonight for people to offer their condolences and grieve for the martyrs killed in the bombing of the cathedral on Palm Sunday, said Hegomen Rowais Morcos, churchwarden and spokesman for the cathedral In a statement to al-Masry al-Youm, Morcos said the cathedral welcomes all security officials and leaders in the province, headed by Governor of Alexandria Mohamed Sultan and Major General Mostafa Al-Nimr, head of the Security Directorate, as well as popular, executive and religious leaderships.

Allawi said he got the information on Monday from Iraqi and regional contacts knowledgeable about Iraq. "The discussion has started now," Allawi said. "There are discussions and dialogue between messengers representing Baghdadi and representing Zawahiri," referring to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi and Ayman al Zawahiri, the head of al Qaeda.

In an impromptu Easter Sunday speech, Pope Francis on Sunday encouraged people to hold fast in their "fearful hearts" to faith despite all the wars, sickness and hatred in the world, acknowledging that many wonder where God is amid so much evil and suffering. Tens of thousands of faithful braved heavy security checks — and, later, a brief downpour from what had been sunny skies — to enter St. Peter's Square where Francis celebrated Mass on the steps leading to St. Peter's Basilica.

The National Security Prosecution decided on Sunday to detain three suspects for 15 days pending investigations on accusations of involvement in the Palm Sunday terrorist attacks on two churches in Tanta and Alexandria, which killed at least 45. According to state media, the three suspects face charges of joining an outlaw group that “aims at obstructing the rule of law and preventing state institutions from working, as well as assaulting the personal freedoms of citizens, especially Christian citizens, attacking their houses of worship and properties, in addition to targeting public institutions with the aim of destroying the state and jeopardising public order by using terrorism as a means to achieve their goals.”

The main suspect in the bombing of St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria was an accountant working in Kuwait who was deported to Egypt after confirming his ties with the Islamic State terrorist organization, Al-Qabas Kuwaiti newspaper reported on Tuesday.