Egypt Today's world news brief

CAIRO – 15 December 2017: Egypt Today brings you the latest top of the hour news from around the world over the past 24 hours in this round-up.

Middle East

Abdel Aal to AIPU: We support all stances rejecting US decision

Egyptian Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal expressed the support of the Egyptian people to all the Arab, Islamic and international stances which reject the US decision recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He stressed the condemnation of the Egyptian people of this irresponsible decision.

This came during the speech delivered by Abdel Aal within the framework of his participation in the urgent session of the Arab Inter-parliamentary Union (AIPU) held on Thursday in the Moroccan capital Rabat to probe consequences of the US decision on Jerusalem and mechanisms to encounter it.


Parliament Speaker, Ali Abdel Ail. File photo

Egypt opens Rafah crossing Saturday for 4 days

Egypt on Thursday decided to open the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip in both directions for four days starting Saturday.

The decision allows the crossing of stranded people and students. It also allows humanitarian aid into the coastal enclave.


An Egyptian soldier keeps watch at the closed Rafah border crossing, between southern Gaza Strip and Egypt November 6, 2014. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa


Shoukry: Jerusalem decisions of OIC summit complement each other

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said the decisions on Jerusalem issued by the emergency meeting of the Arab League ministerial council and the extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) complement each other.

In statements to MENA on Thursday, Shoukry said all parties exerted strenuous efforts with the aim of protecting the holy city of Jerusalem and keep its identity and legal status.


Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting about the situation in Libya in the Manhattan borough of New York February 18, 2015. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Egypt supports reforms in the African Union: FM

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry took part in the closing session of the African Union on Thursday. He expressed Egypt’s eagerness to reinforce the working methods of the Permanent Representatives Committee at the African Union in a manner that would bridge the gap in member states’ views to endorse decrees and execute the African policies.

The Joint Retreat between the Permanent Representatives and the African Union Commission Working Methods was held in Cairo from Sunday December 10 through Thursday December 14 to review, evaluate, and come up with recommendations on the working methods and strategic partnerships within the African Union.


Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry delivering a speech in the closing session of the Joint Retreat between the Permanent Representatives and the African Union Commission, Wednesday, December 14, 2017 – Press Photo

Europe

Ukraine leader welcomes EU's extension of sanctions on Russia

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday the EU's decision to extend economic sanctions on Russia was "an important political decision" on behalf of his country.

The EU announced the six-month extension earlier in the day of the sanctions imposed in retaliation for Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backing of separatist rebels in Ukraine's eastern Donbass region.


FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko addresses the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, October 11, 2017. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

Poland's new PM sees punishment from Brussels coming

Poland's new prime minister said on Thursday he expected the European Commission to launch an unprecedented punishment procedure against Warsaw next week after months of wrangling over the rule of law.

Several thousand people gathered in Poland's largest towns on Thursday evening to protest against a judiciary system overhaul, while the upper chamber of parliament discussed the proposed legislation.


Newly appointed Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki reacts after receiving his nomination from President Andrzej Duda (not pictured) during a government swearing-in ceremony in Warsaw, Poland, December 11, 2017. Agencja Gazeta/Slawomir Kaminski via R

Britain's May defeated in parliament over Brexit blueprint

Prime Minister Theresa May's government was defeated on Wednesday, when lawmakers forced through changes to its Brexit blueprint that ministers said could endanger Britain's departure from the European Union.

In a blow to May, already weakened after losing her Conservative Party's majority in a June election, the 650-seat parliament voted 309 to 305 in favour of an amendment to hand lawmakers more say over a final exit deal with the EU.


Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street in London, December 11, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

United States

New York woman charged with laundering money to help IS

U.S. prosecutors said Thursday that they had charged a Long Island, New York woman with laundering more than $85,000 in fraudulently obtained money through Bitcoin to help Islamic State.

Zoobia Shahnaz, 27, was arrested Wednesday on charges of bank fraud, conspiracy and money laundering, the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget Rohde in Brooklyn announced. Shahnaz pleaded not guilty on Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Tomlinson in Central Islip, New York, according to John Marzulli, a spokesman for Rohde's office.


Bitcoin - Wikimedia

Google crunches data to help NASA find two new planets

Alphabet Inc's Google and NASA said on Thursday that advanced computer analysis identified two new planets around distant stars, including one that is part of the first star system with as many planets as Earth's solar system.

The research by Google and the University of Texas at Austin that used data from NASA raised the prospects of new insights into the universe by feeding data into computer programs that can churn through information faster and more in-depth than humanly possibly, a technique known as machine learning.


FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is shown reflected on an adjacent office building in Irvine, California, U.S. August 7, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo