Roman Catholic cardinals prayed for divine help on Tuesday, hours before a conclave to elect a new pope to tackle the daunting problems facing the Church at one of the most difficult periods in its history.

A recently-founded political coalition has condemned the strikes initiated by a number of police stations in Egypt, saying that "[police] forces should not withdraw from their duty or refrain from the great service [of protecting the people]."

The Muslim Brotherhood has urged the revolutionary youth, as well as political and media figures, to condemn what it describes as recent acts of vandalism in Egypt.

A young Egyptian man, Karim Farghali, verbally attacked Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie late on Monday as the latter was having dinner with his family at a restaurant in the City Stars shopping mall in Cairo's Nasr City district.

Dar al-Ifta denied a story published on some websites that said it issued a fatwa saying actors who pretend to perform prayers in drama are sinful, state-run newspaper Al-Akhbar reported.

An Egyptian Foreign Ministry official says a man suspected of trying to spread Christianity in Libya has died in prison there.

The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, today issued the following statement congratulating Canadian Copts on the establishment of the first Coptic Orthodox diocese in Canada and the appointment of Bishop Mina:

The Coptic Youth Front has called for a protest on Monday in front of the Libyan embassy in Cairo protesting the death of Ezzat Hakim, an Egyptian Copt declared dead after allegedly being tortured by security in a prison in Benghazi.

Ezzat Hakim Atallah, one of the Coptic detainees in Libya accused of proselytizing, died from torture at the hands of the Libyan Preventive Security following his deportation from Benghazi to appear before the Attorney General.

Seven Islamist political parties have launched the Umma Alliance (Nation Alliance) announcing their collaboration to protect the "achievements of the January 25 Revolution" and stand against those who interrupt the "constitutional path that allows people to choose their ruler."

The media consultant of Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya's political arm, the Building and Development Party (BDP), denied Saturday his party is planning to replace the police with its popular committees, explaining that instead they are planning to cooperate with the Ministry of Interior in maintaining security through volunteers.

Pope Tawadros II announced on Saturday that three days of celebrations will be held to commemorate the first anniversary of the late Pope Shenouda III, beginning on Friday.

Cardinals will hold a last pre-conclave meeting on Monday to fine-tune a job description for the man they think would be best-suited to lead a Church hit by sexual abuse scandals around the world as well as allegations of corruption in the Vatican itself.

A prominent Salafi leader and former presidential hopeful Hazem Salah Abu Ismail warned Saturday of “popular” resistance to preempt any attempt by opposition groups or trials to impose a government to reinstate military rule.

Independent candidates came out as the winners in student union elections at Kafr al-Sheikh University Wednesday, soundly beating representatives from the Muslim Brotherhood.

One of Egypt's most senior Islamic authorities has played down concerns about sectarian division in the country.

The liberal Free Egyptians Party has condemned the "torture" of Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya for allegedly proselytising.

The Nour Party announced on Monday the launch of the National Council for Economic Development, as part of a bid to boost the nation's deteriorating economy.

Six Egyptian businessmen rank amongst the world's richest people, according to the 2013 Forbes billionaire rankings.

Workers from all Orascom companies will stage a march on Wednesday from the Nile City Towers building to the High Court Building in Downtown Cairo in order to protest the current travel ban placed by the prosecutor general on the current CEO of Orascom Construction Industries (OCI) Nassef Sawiris and his father, the former CEO of OCI, Onsi Sawiris.

Naguib Sawiris, Egypt's second richest man, currently residing in London, revealed on Tuesday he had 'no choice' but to leave Egypt because of the way the Muslim Brotherhood, the group which President Mohamed Morsi hails from, is running the country.