CAIRO - Seated beside the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar in the heart of Islamic Cairo Wednesday, Danish Foreign Minister Lene Espersen apologised for the publication of cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohamed by some Danish newspapers, which offended a billion Muslims across the world.

The European Union has granted Egypt 609 million euros to be spent between 2009 and 2013, with most of the money to be spent on economic and social development projects, the government said on Monday.

CAIRO - The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) rejects any kind of foreign intervention in Egypt's internal affairs whatever its source or content, according to a senior NDP official.

CAIRO - A Cairo court Tuesday sentenced a deputy minister of culture and ten others to three years in jail for negligence that led to the theft of a painting worth $55 million from an Egyptian museum in August.

CAIRO-President Hosni Mubarak Monday discussed with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad el-Hariri the latest developments

NIGER - An out-of-sorts Egypt side fell behind to a stunning Niger goal in their Sunday's African Cup of Nations qualifier match. Egypt slumps to last place in the group after a draw and a loss in its opening two qualifying matches.

CAIRO: US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Michael Posner concluded his visit to Egypt with a press conference on Oct. 9 in which he discussed the human rights issues that were addressed during his visit.

CAIRO - One of the new owners of an independent newspaper, whose editor-in-chief was sacked last week, sold Sunday his share to a co-partner, who rejected demands by the newspaper's staff to reinstate its editor.

MANSOURA - Police Sunday seven members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, one day after the group announced it would field candidates in the parliamentary elections.

Nobel Prize winner and reformist leader Mohamed ElBaradei's calls for boycotting parliamentary elections received a major blow Saturday when the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's most important opposition party, announced that it would compete in the November poll.

CAIRO — Human Rights Watch urged Egypt on Friday to stop shooting foreign migrants who try to cross into Israel, as the African country began chairing the United Nations' refugee agency.

CAIRO: Executive director and the new co-owner of daily independent Al-Dostor newspaper Reda Edward claimed in a recent TV interview that advertisers had called for sacking of outspoken editor-in-chief Ibrahim Eissa citing his use of “repulsive” language.

In statements, Ambassador Mohamed Abdel-Hakam, the Assistant Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs, Egyptian Expatriates, Immigration and Refugees, warned that illegal immigration attempts will be doomed and the persons involved will be punished according to the target countries' laws in this regard.

CAIRO: “It’s an exciting time to be alive,” former US President Bill Clinton said at a talk on social responsibility and philanthropy at the Semiramis Intercontinental on Tuesday.

CAIRO — A leading Egyptian newspaper editor said Tuesday he had been sacked, in what observers say is a campaign to restrict media freedoms ahead of elections next month.

CAIRO: Two men sit at a Cairo café playing backgammon. Their conversation quickly turns to politics and this November’s Parliamentary vote. One of the men, 63, remarks that Egyptians are “politically conscious, but politically inactive.” His playing partner nods in silent agreement.

MOSCOW/LONDON- Mobile phone operator Vimpelcom is expected to unveil a deal to buy control of Egypt's Orascom Telecom and Italy's Wind on Monday in what could create the world's fifth-largest mobile operator.

CAIRO - Egypt's leading independent newspaper says its mogul publisher has fired the daily's chief editor, known as an outspoken government critic.

Eleven Egyptian policemen were injured in Cairo on Sunday after Egyptian club Al-Ahly defeated Tunisia's Esperance in the first leg of the Orange CAF Champions League semi-finals, played at the 75,000-seater Cairo Stadium.

CAIRO - President Hosni Mubarak Sunday called on governors to help ease the voting process in the upcoming legislative elections, and urged them to take "all necessary steps" to guarantee fair and free elections.

If November parliamentary elections are rigged by the government, the legitimacy of Egypt's next president--who must be sworn in before the national assembly--could be called into question, MPs affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) opposition movement warned at a symposium on Saturday.