Hot air balloon pilots in Egypt's city of Luxor are defending their colleague who survived this week's fatal crash that killed 19 tourists.

Secretary of State John Kerry met with Egyptian government officials and some opposition politicians Saturday on his first visit to Cairo as the top U.S. diplomat. The visit to Egypt came during political turmoil in the run-up to controversial parliamentary elections, scheduled to begin in April.

Swarms of locusts have been seen in several districts of Cairo on Saturday, including Moqatam and New Cairo.

The final draft of the freedom of information law will be put out for discussion in its final draft on 9 March, Justice Minister Ahmed Mekky said during a press conference.

Protesters blocked the railroad connecting Cairo to Port Said near Ismailia for three hours on Sunday responding to calls for civil disobedience.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday that the Egyptian Consulate in Benghazi, Libya secured the release of 20 Egyptian Copts from Libyan authorities. The ministry also said that 23 Egyptian citizens are still in Libya.

An Egyptian opposition leader said he and colleague Mohamed ElBaradei have turned down invitations to meet Secretary of State John Kerry when he visits Cairo because of US pressure.

The Egyptian government approved a draft law on Wednesday that will allow the state to issue Islamic bonds, or sukuk, a move that could help narrow a gaping budget deficit and boost foreign currency reserves that have fallen to critically low levels.

A strongly-worded letter requesting information about reports of systematic torture, at times leading to death, of Egyptian political activists has been sent to the Egyptian government by the Geneva-based Committee Against Torture.

The Egyptian Coalition for Children's Rights reported 13 children were among 56 people arrested in Tahrir Square and the surrounding area Tuesday and alleged violence was used against the minors.

Dozens of protesters attacked the Daqahliya governorate headquarters in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura on Wednesday evening to protest the state prosecution's decision to detain for four days those arrested in recent clashes with police.

Sayed Abdel Aal is the new head of the leftist-Tagammu Party after winning internal elections by a single vote Wednesday.

main opposition coalition has said it will boycott upcoming parliamentary elections, a decision likely to deepen the nation's political crisis and worsen an already troubled economy.

The Egyptian company whose hot air balloon crashed with the deaths of 19 tourists has defended its safety record despite revelations of previous accidents dating back to the 1990s, and one as recently as 2011 .

President Mohamed Morsi on Tuesday evening launched the first session of his 'national dialogue' initiative with representatives of political parties and groups to discuss guarantees for free and fair parliamentary elections slated for April.

In order to reduce Egypt's growing budget deficit, the government has proposed a package of reforms that includes raising taxes and cutting subsidies.

Almost 60 public figures signed a joint statement Tuesday, calling for a mass boycott of upcoming parliamentary elections. They also urged citizens to boycott voting to discredit the polls opposition parties claim will be a sham.

Officials at Egypt’s stock exchange have criticised a recent government decision to impose a 0.001 percent levy on investor trades, arguing that it will discourage traders, Ahram's Arabic website reported on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama urged Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to protect democratic principles in Egypt and work to build political consensus as he prepares for parliamentary elections.

The government has revealed 24 new measures as part of an economic reform programme aimed at kick-starting Egypt's struggling economy, which will be presented to the International Monetary Fund in order to obtain approval of a badly needed $4.8 billion loan.

President Mohamed Morsy's office invited "various national forces" to a dialogue session scheduled for Tuesday to discuss the parliamentary elections scheduled for 22 April.