Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church has announced it is withdrawing from talks on a new constitution, saying Islamist domination of the drafting body made its participation "pointless," Egypt's state news agency said.

In a major policy turaround, the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's most powerful political force, has asked its second in command, Khairat El-Shater, to resign from the organisation inorder to run for president in the elections set for May.

Hundreds of Christian pilgrims marked Palm Sunday in the Holy Land on Sunday, holding masses and processions retracing Jesus' triumphant return to Jerusalem. Palm Sunday marks the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem, where he was greeted by cheering crowds bearing palm fronds, according to the Bible.

Nour Party president, Emad Abdel-Ghafour, said on Sunday that the largest Salafist party has yet to officially endorse a presidential contender, refuting reports that it would back up businessman Khairat El-Shater, who has just parted ways with the Muslim Brotherhood – by mutual consent – in order to run for president.

The Holy Virgin and Anba Bola church in the village of Kidwan, Minya, was attacked this morning, and its contents completely destroyed. Fr Angelius Naim, the church’s priest told Watani that he left the church this morning after he had performed the funeral service for a 23-year old Coptic woman. A few hours later

Fury engulfed Egypt once the names of the 100-member constituent assembly tasked with drafting the constitution were announced last weekend. The list of names included some 60 Islamists, among them 37 MPs, all of whom were selected the previous day by Parliament during a joint session of both its houses. The other members included public figures, also selected by Parliament. Only six Copts were chosen; among them Rafiq Samuel Habib who is the second man in the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party

Prominent Egyptian Coptic-Christian thinker Michael Fahmy is calling for the establishment of a "Christian Brotherhood" along the same lines as Egypt's well-known Muslim Brotherhood movement. The idea is not a new one. In late 2007, Coptic journalist Joseph Nagy made asimilar proposal. The idea, however, was quickly shot down by both the Mubarak regime and Egypt's official Coptic Church under recently-deceased Pope Shenouda III.

The name and face of the Muslim Brotherhood leader, businessman Khairat El-Shater, has dominated the political sphere for weeks now, and for good reason. The multimillionaire has unrivaled leverage within the organisation and its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, and enjoys enormous influence over the Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau and Shura Council, the two highest bodies within the group. But what has really gripped the attention of pundits and the media have been the slew of leaks from the Brotherhood that El-Shater may be the organisations' candidate for president, despite earlier promises that it would not be fielding a nominee.

Egypt's Coptic Church on Thursday issued a statement criticising the system used to form Egypt's recently-established constituent assembly, tasked with drafting a new national constitution. Half the members of the 100-seat assembly were drawn from Egypt's first post-Mubarak parliament – roughly three quarters of which is controlled by Islamist parties – and half from among non-parliamentarians.

The People's Assembly on Thursday lifted parliamentary immunity from Salafist Nour Party MP Anwar El-Balkimy following publication of a report into his conduct by parliament's legislative affairs committee. Parliamentary speaker and senior Muslim Brother Saad El-Katatni said El-Balkimy had request the move so he could fight the lawsuit against him.

Salafist presidential hopeful Hazem Saleh Abu-Ismail has denied rumours that he is ineligible to run as a candidate because his mother holds US citizenship. Media reports circulating since Wednesday evening claimed that Abu-Ismail's mother is an American citizen are completely false, Abu-Ismail said. Other reports claimed that his wife holds US citizenship as well.

The Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt announced Tuesday that it formed a committee to study candidates to replace the late Pope Shenouda III. The decision came after a meeting of the Holy Synod chaired by the acting pope, Bishop Pachomius, and attended by a large number of Coptic bishops from inside and outside Egypt.

The Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, launched a sharp attack on media outlets on Monday, accusing them of tarnishing the image of the group. “The devil inspires the media to create an image of the Brotherhood as a substitute of the National Democratic Party (NDP) that will destroy the country,” said Badie in a symposium in Beni Suef city, south of Cairo, marking the inauguration of the group’s headquarters in the governorate.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Shura Council decided to postpone until Tuesday 3 April a meeting to discuss the group's decision on the endorsement of a presidential candidate from inside or outside of the group. Ahmed Abdel Rahman, a council member, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the meeting was postponed for "more pondering," adding that "all the cards are on the table."

Mohamed Badie, the Muslim Brotherhood's supreme guide, has said the Egyptian media is being driven by the devil into opposing his group. "The devil is plying his trade again, but this time to make the media convince Egyptians that the Brotherhood [and the FJP] is the new National Democratic Party (NDP) that will destroy the country."

The seeming honeymoon between the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s most formidable political faction, and the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) appears to be ending – or at least experiencing some turbulence. Recent statements issued by the two groups reveal mounting tension, the extent of which remains unclear.

The Muslim Brotherhood and the Freedom and Justice Party rejected on Monday what they called “threats” by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which had advised the group in a statement issued Sunday to “avoid undesired past mistakes.” President Gamal Abdel Nasser had brutally purged the group in 1954, following a failed assassination attempt on him that he accused the group of perpetrating. The Brotherhood denied the accusation at the time, saying it helped Nasser overthrow King Farouk in 1952.

An MP from Jama’a al-Islamiya’s Construction and Development Party and member of the constituent assembly, Hani Noureddin, said Monday that his party “won’t give up the application of the Sharia and will defend the second article of the (1971) constitution,” which stipulates that the principles of Islamic law are the main source of legislation. Noureddin told Al-Masry Al-Youm that there is no disagreement among political powers over the second article, adding that his party is open to suggestions that are in accordance with the principles of Islamic law.

A senior Muslim Brotherhood member and businessman, who at this time last year had just been released from Tora prison, launched over the weekend the Egyptian Business Development Association (Ebda) to act as a channel of communication between investors and the government. “We want a renaissance of Egypt’s economy through encouraging investment, developing human capital, and helping to create economic decisions,” founder Hassan Malek said.

Since the fall of Mubarak in February 2011, Egyptians have carried the thought of a new constitution in the forefront of their minds. The issue polarised the country during a referendum on amendments called by Egypt's ruling military council, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), in March 2011.

MP Mohamed Emadeddin, a member of Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee and a leader in the Muslim Brotherhood, stated Monday evening that the Islamist group will consider three names in their bid to select a candidate for Egypt's upcoming presidential polls, according to Ahram's Arabic-language portal. The short-list includes Mohamed Mursi, chairman of the Brotherhood's political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party; Saad El-Katatni, the parliamentary speaker, and the group's deputy guide, Khairat El-Shater.