The Central Bank raised interest rates on Thursday, hoping to curb soaring inflation and slow a sliding pound currency, but the first increase in over a year is likely to hurt a very weak economy.

The British government has pledged to cooperate and to use its information and facilities for Egypt's request for legal and judicial assistance in returning funds smuggled abroad by members of Hosni Mubarak’s regime, according to Public Prosecution spokesperson Mostafa Dowidar.

Egypt's National Salvation Front criticized on Sunday the presidency's initiative to support women rights for ignoring the National Council for Women (NCW), considering this an attempt to create an alternative body to the council.

Upon the conclusion of student elections at Egyptian universities nationwide, the emergence of political forces other than the Muslim Brotherhood represents a fresh addition to the burgeoning student movement.

Egypt's chief public prosecutor, Talaat Ibrahim, ordered on Saturday investigating with political figures, parties and administrators of social networking pages, accusing them of calling for protests outside the Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters in Muqattam on Friday.

EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said on Saturday that she is concerned at reports of renewed violence in Cairo and at the general climate of increased domestic instability in Egypt.

Opposition protesters in Egypt have clashed with members of the governing Muslim Brotherhood in several towns, leaving scores of people injured.

President Mohamed Mursi will head an Egyptian delegation to the Arab Summit taking place in the Qatari capital next Tuesday, the Middle East News Agency reported an unnamed source as saying.

Two tourists, an Israeli man and a Norwegian woman, have been kidnapped by armed men in the Sinai peninsula in Egypt, security officials said.

Jordan's King Abdullah II has said Egypt's president has "no depth" of understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In interviews with The Atlantic magazine, the king said Mohamed Morsi was fixated on the Israelis, rather than looking at "the mess" on the Palestinian side.

Egypt has provided Britain with confidential information about eight local businessmen who have accounts in the UK, in the hopes that Britain would freeze their funds, said a judicial source.

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE)'s monetary policy committee raised its key lending rate and deposit rate by 50 points each to stand at 10.75 percent and 9.75 percent respectively, the committee reported following a Thursday meeting.

Minister of Justice Ahmed Mekki asked to be relieved of his duties during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, citing the lack of respect for the judiciary and its rulings.

The European Union warned Egypt on Wednesday it could lose funds from its 5 billion euro ($6.5 billion) aid package if democratic reforms fail to satisfy Brussels, and said Cairo has already lost some additional funding.

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has described calls to hold demonstrations in front of its Muqattam headquarters on Friday as a continuation of aggression, stressing on its right to defend itself.

Shura Council MPs slammed Prime Minister Hesham Qandil and his Cabinet over diesel fuel shortages and lackluster Sinai development during Tuesday’s session.

Members of the Police Officers Coalition in Alexandria launched a sit-in Tuesday, protesting the Interior Ministry’s decision to suspend a coalition spokesperson.

Mohamed Sayed, 22, has baked bread at his family's bakery in west Cairo for the past decade, but he fears this year may be his last. "We're going bankrupt," he said. "In fact, we're already at that stage."

Prime Minister Hisham Qandil inaugurated on Tuesday 19/3/2013 the 46th round of the Cairo International Fair.

President Mohamed Morsi arrived in India on Tuesday for a two-day visit, where he held talks with Indian leaders on enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two countries and discussed regional developments in Syria and Palestine.

WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers have seized upon a domestic spending bill as a chance to tighten controls on how Egypt's Islamist government can use well over $1 billion in military and other aid that Washington sends to Cairo each year.