Egypt

The China Fortune Land Development Company (CFLD) agreed to provide $20 billion for the currently unnamed city, after a meeting between heads of the firm and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.

This follows a previous commitment of $15 billion from another Chinese state-owned company, bringing the project close to its $45 billion budget requirements for phase I.

While the military did not specifically name the group, ISIS claimed responsibility for Friday's attack that left at least 12 soldiers and 15 of the assailants dead.

According to the army statement, released Saturday, the three-hour air operation targeted several concentrations of militants, destroyed ammunition and weapons storage facilities, destroyed seven vehicles and killed an unspecified number of militants.

Battle for control

The attackers hit the checkpoint using four-wheel drive vehicles, the Egyptian military said.

It said Abu Duaa al-Ansari was killed in a series of air strikes on fighters of the Sinai Province - or Ansar Beit al-Maqdis - group.

The air strikes targeted jihadist strongholds near the town of El-Arish.

Sinai Province is Egypt's most active insurgent group and has been linked to deadly attacks in Sinai and Cairo.

The Egyptian military said: "The raids left more than 45 terrorists killed, dozens of others injured and several arms caches destroyed."

Hisham Geneina was fired in March by President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi after estimating corruption had cost Egypt $67.6bn (£51.3bn) over four years.

He was sentenced to a year in jail and fined $2,200 but told he could avoid prison if he paid an additional $1,100, judicial sources said.

His lawyer said he would appeal.

Lawyer Ali Taha said prosecutors had failed to prove their accusations and said the case for the defence had not been examined. Reporters were not allowed to attend the sentencing at a Cairo court.

Initial reports from Egypt said the pilot of the Kogalymavia airline had asked to make an emergency landing.

But minister Hossam Kamal said there had been no sign of any problems on board the flight.

Lufthansa and Air France-KLM said they would avoid the route while the cause of the crash was investigated.

A claim by a group allied to the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Sinai that it brought down the plane has been dismissed by Russia and Egypt.

The five women and one man were taken off the presidential airplane and lowered to the tarmac on mobile platforms Friday.

Mexico's health secretary said the victims had suffered burns, respiratory problems or fractures in the attack Sunday.

The Foreign Relations Department updated its travel advisory on Egypt, advising Mexicans to "reconsider or postpone their plans to travel to Egypt."

The five women and one man were taken off the presidential airplane and lowered to the tarmac on mobile platforms Friday.

Mexico's health secretary said the victims had suffered burns, respiratory problems or fractures in the attack Sunday.

The Foreign Relations Department updated its travel advisory on Egypt, advising Mexicans to "reconsider or postpone their plans to travel to Egypt."

The Rafah border crossing opened Monday for four days, allowing Palestinians to travel in both directions. Crossing director Khaled al-Shaer says some 20,000 people have applied to exit the coastal strip. Gazans seeking medical care and students are among those expected to cross.

Rafah is Gaza's only gateway to the outside world with no Israeli control. Egypt has kept it mostly closed since the militant Hamas group seized control of the area in 2007. 

The officials, who spoke under condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to reporters, say investigations are underway Sunday and the wounded have been taken to a hospital.

Egypt has been battling an Islamic insurgency in northern Sinai for years, but attacks against the army and police increased after the July 2013 ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

The Islamic State affiliate based in Sinai has claimed a series of large-scale assaults there.

The state-run MENA news agency reported Morsi made the comments at a court hearing Saturday. He requested permission to receive outside food and described the prison food as "a crime committed against his rights."

MENA said the former president added that he was diabetic and that he was suffering from low-blood sugar. It said Morsi requested to meet with a medical team.

The judge said he would allow Morsi's defense team to meet with their client.