Egypt queries Mursi over documents leaked to Al Jazeera

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h1 class="entry-title" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-image: url(http://www.punchng.com/wp-content/themes/punch/images/dots-horizontal.gif); background-position: 0% 100%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; border-top-color: rgb(255, 1, 1) !important; border-top-style: solid !important; border-top-width: 1px !important; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 9px 4px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Egypt is investigating jailed ex-president Mohamed Mursi in connection with documents that judicial investigators say were leaked to the Qatar-based Al Jazeera satellite news channel, security sources said on Thursday.</span></h1> <div class="entry-content" style="overflow: hidden;"> <div id="nrelate_flyout_placeholder"> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><em>Reuters</em> reports that relations between Qatar, a Gulf Arab state, and Egypt have been tense since mid-2013 when then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi toppled the Islamist Mursi after mass protests against his rule. Qatar supported Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mursi is being questioned in connection with his secretary’s daughter who is suspected of leaking sensitive security documents to Al Jazeera, the security sources said.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“The security officials recorded a phone call between the daughter of Mursi’s secretary and an Egyptian journalist who works for Al Jazeera in which the woman said she wants to give him important security documents,” said a security official.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Mursi is being investigated to find out if he knew about this phone call or if he had leaked these documents to his secretary,” the official added. “We also know that the woman had been trying to send the documents to the Qatari intelligence.”</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The satellite channel said in response: “Any information Al Jazeera receives is handled with the highest standard of journalistic ethics. We do not therefore comment on sources, or pass information to governments.”</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Al Jazeera has been banned from Egypt over what Cairo says is its support for Islamists. Al Jazeera says it aims for balanced news coverage airing all points of view.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sisi went on to election as president while Mursi has been jailed on suspicion of inciting violence and various other offences. He and other Brotherhood leaders could face a life sentence or the death penalty if convicted.</span></div> </div> </div> </div>

Egypt queries Mursi over documents leaked to Al Jazeera

Egypt is investigating jailed ex-president Mohamed Mursi in connection with documents that judicial investigators say were leaked to the Q...

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Ebola: Corpse flown from Egypt denied entry at Kano airport

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="itemHeader"> <div class="itemTitle" style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Ebola: Corpse flown from Egypt denied entry at Kano airport</span><br /> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="5 Unbelievably Giant Airplanes" border="0" src="http://i.nster.net/04/91/049129_250x250.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; max-height: 100%; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;" title="5 Unbelievably Giant Airplanes" /></span></div> </div> <div class="item-info" style="margin-bottom: 15px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />Aviation authorities, on Wednesday night, turned back a corpse flown into the country from Egypt, at  the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="itemDateCreated" style="display: inline-block; margin: 0px 7px 0px 0px;"><span class="icon-calendar-empty" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-image: none; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat repeat; display: inline; height: auto; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;"></span> </span></span></div> <div class="itemBody" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> <div class="itemFullText"> <div style="margin-bottom: 10px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Airport officials disallowed the family of the deceased from collecting the body flown in aboard Egypt Air at about 11.30 p.m.</span></div> <center style="height: 0px; margin: auto; overflow: hidden; width: auto;"> <div style="padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 10px; text-align: left;"> </div> <div id="ebzNative"> </div> </center> <div style="margin-bottom: 10px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Airport sources confided in newmen that the stand was in compliance with the directives of the Federal Government that banned the transportation of corpses within and outside the country.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 10px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The source explained that “though Egypt is not among the countries with the Ebola outbreak, it is better to take precautionary measures by not entertaining any exception in the movement of corpses in the country.”</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 10px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The source revealed that the corpse is that of a Nigerian who had gone to the Egypt for medical treatment.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 10px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When contacted,  aviation spokesman, Alhaji Yakubu Datti, declined comment, advising, however, to contact the Federal Ministry of Health.</span></div> </div> <div class="clr" style="border: none; clear: both; float: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </div> <div class="itemContentFooter" style="border-top-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin: 16px 0px 4px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;"> </div> </div> </div>

Ebola: Corpse flown from Egypt denied entry at Kano airport

Ebola: Corpse flown from Egypt denied entry at Kano airport Aviation authorities, on Wednesday night, turned back a corpse flown int...

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Putin vows to boost arms sales to Egypt's Sisi

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vertical-align: middle;"> <cite class="byline vcard top-line" style="font-style: normal;"><abbr style="display: block;">2 hours ago</abbr></cite><span class="bottom-line" style="display: block;"></span></div> </span></span></div> <div class="yom-share-btns-container light" id="mediacontentsharebuttons-light" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 0.7692em; position: absolute; right: 0px;"> <div class="share-btns-int-container" style="display: table-cell; float: right; padding-left: 10px;"> <div class="share-btns" role="menu" style="display: table; width: 140px;"> <ul style="float: right; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> <li class="share-btn tumblr ios7" style="display: inline-block; list-style: none; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;"><a data-share-key="tumblr" data-share-pos="top" data-share-sec="sh-lt" href="https://www.tumblr.com/share/photo?clickthru=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.yahoo.com%2Fegypts-sisi-visits-putin-arms-purchase-talks-150438527.html%3Fsoc_src%3Dmediacontentstory&caption=Russian%20President%20Vladimir%20Putin%20on%20Tuesday%20promised%20Egyptian%20counterpart%20Abdel%20Fattah%20al-Sisi%20to%20speed%20up%20the%20delivery%20of%20billions%20of%20dollars%20in%20arms%20and%20invited%20Cairo%20to%20forge%20free%20trade%20ties%20with%20a%20Moscow-led%20customs%20bloc.%20%20The%20two%20strong-willed%20leaders%20have%20developed%20a%20warm%20working%20relationship%20since%20Putin%20gave%20his%20backing%20to%20Sisi%27s%20presidential%20run%20during%20the%20Egyptian%27s%20visit%20to%20Moscow%20in%20February.%20%20We%20are%20delivering%20weapons%20to%20Egypt.%20%20%22All%20the%20people%20of%20Egypt%20are%20closely%20watching%20my%20visit%20and%20expecting%20a%20high%20level%20of%20cooperation%20between%20our%20states%2C%22%20Russian%20state%20news%20agencies%20quoted%20Sisi%20as%20telling%20Putin.&source=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.yimg.com%2Fbt%2Fapi%2Fres%2F1.2%2FewYW4VrkzB1EvFlCmrvLVg--%2FYXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYwMA--%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen_us%2FNews%2Fafp.com%2FPart-PAR-Par7949297-1-1-0.jpg" role="link" style="display: inline-block; 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outline: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L) during their meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei residence in Sochi on August 12, 2014 during the Egyptian leader&#39;s first official visit to Russia" class="inview" height="379px" src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Wd4UAExJ5fnAEcjenJ8OEA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTM3OTtweG9mZj01MDtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz02NzQ-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/Part-PAR-Par7949297-1-1-0.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: translate3d(0px, 0px, 0px); -webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; min-height: 1px; opacity: 1 !important; text-align: left; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important; width: 718px;" width="674px" /></span></a></div> <span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-small" style="background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; 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float: left; list-style: none; margin-right: 10px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 100px;"><div class="img-wrap-16x9" style="height: 0px; padding-bottom: 56px; position: relative;"> <a data-rapid_p="7" data-ylk="rspns:xpnd;t1:a3;t2:ct-mod;t3:ld;sec:ct-mod;slk:expand;elm:tl;elmt:ct;itc:1;g:ab7dd89b-fe7a-3b73-9a45-23a0d3ad6610;aid:2044e280-6fb0-323a-b993-0739cdd548cd;ct:4;cpos:1;" href="http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-sisi-visits-putin-arms-purchase-talks-150438527.html#" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;"><img class="inview" data-src-2x="" height="83.25" src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/uNO5gX1MRsicgLA_vYqfOQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTgzLjI1O3B5b2ZmPTE1O3E9NzU7dz0xNDg-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/Part-PAR-Par7949279-1-1-0.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: translateZ(0px); -webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; min-height: 1px; opacity: 1 !important; text-align: left; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important; width: 100px;" width="148" /></span></a></div> <span class="icon-white-slideshow-tiny icon-slideshow" style="background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; bottom: 3px; cursor: pointer; height: 14px; left: 3px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; width: 20px; z-index: 1;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.</span></span></li> <li class="go-to-slideshow-lightbox get-lbdata-from-dom image" data-uuid="0edf6299-2509-3457-807f-0487fba30b93" style="border: 1px solid rgb(58, 58, 58); cursor: pointer; float: left; list-style: none; margin-right: 10px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 100px;"><div class="img-wrap-16x9" style="height: 0px; 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width: 100px;" width="148" /></span></a></div> <span class="icon-white-slideshow-tiny icon-slideshow" style="background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; bottom: 3px; cursor: pointer; height: 14px; left: 3px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; width: 20px; z-index: 1;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.</span></span></li> <li class="go-to-slideshow-lightbox get-lbdata-from-dom image" data-uuid="6856af29-e224-324b-8a02-422c4a434bf8" style="border: 1px solid rgb(58, 58, 58); cursor: pointer; float: left; list-style: none; margin-right: 10px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 100px;"><div class="img-wrap-16x9" style="height: 0px; padding-bottom: 56px; position: relative;"> <a data-rapid_p="9" data-ylk="rspns:xpnd;t1:a3;t2:ct-mod;t3:ld;sec:ct-mod;slk:expand;elm:tl;elmt:ct;itc:1;g:ab7dd89b-fe7a-3b73-9a45-23a0d3ad6610;aid:6856af29-e224-324b-8a02-422c4a434bf8;ct:4;cpos:1;" href="http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-sisi-visits-putin-arms-purchase-talks-150438527.html#" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;"><img class="inview" data-src-2x="" height="83.25" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/zvwquOoW2htFrSLyhPPOJQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTgzLjI1O3B5b2ZmPTE1O3E9NzU7dz0xNDg-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/Part-PAR-Par7949267-1-1-0.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: translateZ(0px); -webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; min-height: 1px; opacity: 1 !important; text-align: left; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important; width: 100px;" width="148" /></span></a></div> <span class="icon-white-slideshow-tiny icon-slideshow" style="background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; bottom: 3px; cursor: pointer; height: 14px; left: 3px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; width: 20px; z-index: 1;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.</span></span></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="body yom-art-content clearfix" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1407867931019_1496" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article" style="margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px 10px; zoom: 1;"> <div class="yom-ad yom-ad-LREC" id="yom-ad-LREC" style="border: none; clear: both; float: right; height: 250px; margin: 0px 0px 1.1em 10px; max-height: 250px; text-align: center; visibility: inherit; width: 300px;"> <div class="darla" id="sb_rel_yom-ad-LREC-iframe" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); display: inline-block; height: 250px; position: relative; visibility: inherit; width: 300px; z-index: 9;"> <iframe allowtransparency="true" async="" frameborder="no" hidefocus="true" id="yom-ad-LREC-iframe" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://l.yimg.com/rq/darla/2-8-1/html/r-sf.html" style="display: block; height: 250px; left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; max-height: none; max-width: none; min-height: 0px; position: absolute; text-align: left; top: 0px; visibility: inherit; width: 300px; z-index: 10;" tabindex="-1"></iframe></div> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday promised Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to speed up the delivery of billions of dollars in arms and invited Cairo to forge free trade ties with a Moscow-led customs bloc.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The two strong-willed leaders have developed a warm working relationship since Putin gave his backing to Sisi's presidential run during the Egyptian's visit to Moscow in February.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Russian television showed the former field marshal descending the ramp of his plane and immediately being greeted with a display of heavy tanks and armoured vehicles assembled on the apron of the Sochi airport.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"We are actively developing our military and technological cooperation," Putin later told Sisi at the Russian president's Black Sea resort summer residence.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"We signed a corresponding protocol in March. We are delivering weapons to Egypt. We are ready to expand this cooperation."</span></div> <div class="body-related" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 7.5px; margin-left: 7.5px; position: relative;"> <a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp portrait onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-pos="1" data-rapid_p="10" data-uuid="2044e280-6fb0-323a-b993-0739cdd548cd" data-ylk="t1:a3;t2:ct-mod;t3:embd;sec:ct-mod;slk:expand;elm:img;elmt:ct;itc:1;g:ab7dd89b-fe7a-3b73-9a45-23a0d3ad6610;aid:2044e280-6fb0-323a-b993-0739cdd548cd;ct:4;cpos:1;" href="http://news.yahoo.com/lightbox/russian-president-vladimir-putin-r-egyptian-counterpart-abdel-photo-150438725.html" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Egyptian&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"> <span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: 0px; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span><img alt="Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Egyptian&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb inview" data-src-2x="" height="442" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/yLXxei9iZ_HvAvBUgU5GPQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTQ0MjtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/Part-PAR-Par7949279-1-1-0.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: translateZ(0px); -webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div> </a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L) walk on t …</span></div> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sisi in turn thanked Putin for being the first leader to invite him for a visit outside the Arab world since his swearing-in as head of state.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"All the people of Egypt are closely watching my visit and expecting a high level of cooperation between our states," Russian state news agencies quoted Sisi as telling Putin.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"I expect us to meet their expectations."</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Russia has jumped at the chance to grab a bigger slice of the Egyptian arms market after the United States suspended some of its weapons deliveries in the wake of Sisi's crackdown on the former Islamic government last year.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cairo hosted the Russian defence and foreign ministers in November -- the first such visit since the Soviet era -- for discussions on an Egyptian arms purchase plan.</span></div> <div class="body-related" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 7.5px; margin-left: 7.5px; position: relative;"> <a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-pos="2" data-rapid_p="11" data-uuid="0edf6299-2509-3457-807f-0487fba30b93" data-ylk="t1:a3;t2:ct-mod;t3:embd;sec:ct-mod;slk:expand;elm:img;elmt:ct;itc:1;g:ab7dd89b-fe7a-3b73-9a45-23a0d3ad6610;aid:0edf6299-2509-3457-807f-0487fba30b93;ct:4;cpos:2;" href="http://news.yahoo.com/lightbox/russian-president-vladimir-putin-r-egyptian-counterpart-abdel-photo-150438725.html" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Egyptian&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"> <span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: 0px; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span><img alt="Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Egyptian&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb inview" data-src-2x="" height="200" src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/FSgdX9rWvLj0hMNELywXsQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIwMDtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/Part-PAR-Par7949293-1-1-0.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: translateZ(0px); -webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div> </a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L) stand nex …</span></div> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow's Vedemosti business daily reported after those talks that Russia and Egypt were nearing a $3 billion (2.2 billion-euro) advanced missiles and warplanes deal that would be financed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The report said Moscow and Cairo had already either "initialled or signed" contracts for the purchase of Mig-29 fighters and Russian attack helicopters as well as coastal defence systems.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Egypt is most interested in air defence systems," said Moscow's World Arms Trade Analysis Centre chief Igor Korotchenko.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"I think that the signing of actual contracts is just a question of time," the analyst said in a telephone interview. "A political-level agreement has already been reached."</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- Free trade zone -</span></div> <div class="body-related" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 7.5px; margin-left: 7.5px; position: relative;"> <a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp portrait onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-pos="3" data-rapid_p="12" data-uuid="6856af29-e224-324b-8a02-422c4a434bf8" data-ylk="t1:a3;t2:ct-mod;t3:embd;sec:ct-mod;slk:expand;elm:img;elmt:ct;itc:1;g:ab7dd89b-fe7a-3b73-9a45-23a0d3ad6610;aid:6856af29-e224-324b-8a02-422c4a434bf8;ct:4;cpos:3;" href="http://news.yahoo.com/lightbox/russian-president-vladimir-putin-r-egyptian-counterpart-abdel-photo-155745819.html" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Egyptian&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"> <span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: 0px; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span><img alt="Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Egyptian&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb inview" data-src-2x="" height="328" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/yBExyd0He5IeAXvnxDFXTA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTMyODtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/Part-PAR-Par7949267-1-1-0.jpg" style="-webkit-transform: translateZ(0px); -webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div> </a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L) walk on t …</span></div> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Putin noted that Egypt could purchase a fifth of Russia's total wheat exports and was eager to help fill the void left by Moscow's sanctions on US and European produce and meat.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Russian leader also invited Cairo to establish a free trade zone between Egypt and a customs union Russia has forged with ex-Soviet Belarus and Kazakhstan.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">State media did not report Sisi's response to the invitation -- if any. But it said he in turn told Putin that Russia was welcome to play a greater role in Egypt's recently unveiled "new Suez Canal" project.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Closer agricultural and military trade ties between Cairo and Moscow -- strategic partners during parts of the Cold War -- are unlikely to play well in Washington amid the effective freeze in East-West relations brought on by the Ukraine crisis.</span></div> <div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1407867931019_1495" style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Putin has responded to his diplomatic isolation from the United States and its EU allies by striking a massive gas deal with China and inviting Latin American countries to sell their agricultural goods to Russia on preferential terms.</span></div> </div> </div>

Putin vows to boost arms sales to Egypt's Sisi

  By  Dmitry Zaks 2 hours ago . . . . Moscow (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on...

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