EGYPT

Using Koranic verses and the call to prayer as mobile phone ringtones is inappropriate and violates the sanctity of the word of God, Egypt's highest religious legal authority, Mufti Ali Gomaa, said on Wednesday.

Palestinian high-school student Fida Hejji died of cancer waiting for Israeli permission to go to an Israeli hospital for treatment.

A senior U.S. envoy told the Palestinian president on Thursday that Washington is working hard to find a way to broker a resumption of peace talks with Israel, a senior Palestinian official said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to launch an immediate and powerful response to any rocket fire at Israel after days of increased tension along the border with Hamas-ruled Gaza.

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gave no indication on Monday of any resumption soon of peace talks with Israel, despite optimism of progress voiced by officials on both sides. Abbas met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, but did not make any comment at a brief news conference about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal for an Egyptian-hosted summit with Abbas.Israel, Egypt and the United States wa...

National Bank of Egypt and Banque Misr, the country's first and second biggest banks by assets, said they had agreed to accept real estate in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars in public sector debt.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has proposed an Egyptian-hosted summit with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as a possible way to resume stalled peace talks, Israeli officials said on Thursday.

Israeli and Palestinian officials suggested on Wednesday progress had been made towards resuming negotiations following Egyptian-Israeli talks on a year-long deadlock in the Middle East peace process.

From the German town that unwittingly advertised pornography on its website to the American who interrupted his wedding to update his Facebook and Twitter accounts, the world was full of weird stories in 2009.

Soheila, an Egyptian village housewife, traded her kidney for $2,185 to pay off debt -- the best option the desperate mother of three could find to keep food on the family table.

A rare U.S. nickel that was owned over the years by an infamous Egyptian King and a Los Angeles sports team owner, and was the centerpiece in an episode of a popular television series, is expected to sell for $3 million or more in an auction in Orlando, Florida on January 6, 2010. The little coin with the big value is a 1913-dated Liberty Head nickel, one of only five known of that specific date and design.

Egypt's Orascom Telecom (ORTE.CA) (ORTEq.L) said on Monday its Algerian unit had paid about $120 million against back taxes Algeria says it owes, but that it had filed an appeal and hoped to recover the amount.

Egypt's Orascom Telecom (ORTE.CA) (ORTEq.L) said on Monday it had suspended talks on the sale of its internet subsdiary LINKdotNet until it resolves a dispute with France Telecom FTA.PA.

A South Korean group won a landmark deal to build and operate four nuclear reactors for the United Arab Emirates, beating more favored U.S. and French rivals to one of the Middle East's biggest ever energy contracts.

A South Korean group won a landmark deal to build and operate four nuclear reactors for the United Arab Emirates, beating more favoured U.S. and French rivals to one of the Middle East's biggest ever energy contracts.

A South Korean consortium has won a $40 billion contract to build several nuclear reactors for the United Arab Emirates, industry sources said on Sunday.

Egypt's Orascom Telecom (OT) (ORTE.CA)(ORTEq.L) said on Thursday it has obtained a month-long waiver from major lenders that will enable it to go ahead with a $800 million capital increase.

Next year will be crucial for global nuclear non-proliferation efforts and all eyes will be on the United States and Russia to see if the two top atomic powers can reach a deal to reduce their arsenals.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held marathon talks with cabinet ministers on Monday but without any announcement for a prisoner swap with Gaza's Hamas rulers to secure the release of a captured soldier.

Egypt's main opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, announced results on Monday of a controversial election for its governing body, with analysts saying the group's old guard won the bulk of seats.

Egypt's fixed-line monopoly Telecom Egypt (ETEL.CA) (ETELq.L) will need to provide mobile services to compensate for declining landline subscriptions, a company executive was quoted on Monday as saying.