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Outcry over Egypts al-Jazeera trio’s sentencing

The seven-year jail terms handed out to three al-Jazeera journalists accused of supporting Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood have led to an international outcry.

US Secretary of State John Kerry described the sentences as “chilling and draconian”.

James Harding, the BBC’s Director of News, said it was an “act of intimidation against all journalists.”

Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were convicted of spreading false news on Monday.

The trio had denied the charges and are expected to appeal against the verdict.

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Egypt army chief al-Sisi may run for president

Egypt’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will run for president if the people request it and the military supports the bid, state media quote him saying.

“If I nominate myself, there must be a popular demand, and a mandate from my army,” state paper Al-Ahram quoted him as telling Egyptian officials.

The general feels he could not stand aside if there was palpable demand for him to run, an official told AFP.

Recent local reports have suggested the general is eyeing a presidential bid.

Reports of his latest comments come just days before a referendum on a new constitution, the first in a series of polls that the military-installed government says will restore elected rule in the wake of the army’s ousting of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July 2013.

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Egyptian army launches offensive against Sinai militants

At least nine Islamist militants have been killed in a major offensive by the Egyptian army in Sinai, security officials have said.

Eyewitnesses told the BBC that tanks and troops, backed by Apache helicopters, had struck the militants in towns along the Gaza Strip border.

The operation is said to be the biggest of its kind in recent years in Sinai.

Meanwhile, Egyptian soldiers defused mortars and other explosives found on a railway line near the Suez Canal.

There have been frequent attacks on pipelines and security forces since the uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

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Egypt attack on Suez Canal ship

Egyptian officials say they have foiled an attack on a container ship which was aimed at disrupting shipping in the busy Suez Canal.

Canal authority head Mohab Mamish said a “terrorist element” targeted a Panama-flagged vessel on Saturday, but it was undamaged.

There were reports of two blasts, but details of the attack are unclear.

Egypt’s Sinai has been hit by a wave of violence since Islamist President Mohammed Morsi was ousted from power.

The unconfirmed reports said there were two explosions at 12:30 GMT on Saturday as the ship, Cosco Asia, passed through the waterway.

“The situation was dealt with strictly by the armed forces,” Adm Mamish said in a statement.

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Egypt to try Ex-President Morsi for inciting murder

Egypt’s state prosecutor says he has referred ousted President Mohammed Morsi for trial on charges of inciting the murder of protesters.

The accusations relate to violence outside the presidential palace in Cairo last December when at least seven people were killed in clashes.

Fourteen other members of the Muslim Brotherhood are to stand trial on the same charges.

Mr Morsi has been held at a secret location since he was deposed in July.

He faces a number of charges but this case is his first referral for trial.

Since he was ousted from power, the military-backed interim government has cracked down on Brotherhood supporters, who are demanding Mr Morsi’s reinstatement.

Last month, hundreds of protesters died when security forces stormed pro-Morsi camps in the capital.

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