The Sun. Equinox. Winter solstice. Karnak. Luxor.

Via Cecilia Udden

Main Headlines

 Monday

• Egyptian presidency approves US-Egypt agreements US-Egypt cooperation agreements
• El-Sisi issues a decree to create a new police rank with arrest powers
• New militant group in Sinai splinters off Ansar Beit-al-Maqdis
• Court revision of electoral constituencies law makes it constitutional: Official
• Muslim clerics slam Interpol bid on Egypt-born preacher
• Archaeologists unveiled a restored colossal statue of Pharaoh Amenhotep III
• Authorities delay newspaper from printing due to security concerns
• Egypt’s top religious authority condemns Sydney’s attack
• Forensics: Three suspects in Cairo alleged gay bathhouse were sexually assaulted

 Tuesday

• Egyptian court overturns seizure of some Muslim Brotherhood’s asset
• 312 Egyptian Islamists to face military courts
• 17 ‘terrorists’ killed and 11 arrested in North Sinai within two days
• British Embassy in Egypt resumes all services
• Egyptian court recognises two Morsi-era killed protesters as martyrs of January 25 uprising
• Egypt denies reports about Egyptian initiative to solve the Syrian crisis

 Wednesday

• Two Egyptian and two UAE military officers die in a plane crash
• Azhar University expels 71 students over on-campus violence
• Police academy expels 40 Brotherhood – linked cadets
• Egypt’s unprofitable national airline hires U.S. firm for restructuring
• Assad’s cousin heads Syrian delegation to Egypt
• Egypt signs first gas fracking contract with Apache and Shell
• Librarian referred to trial for atheism
• Egypt doubles airport capacity of Red Sea tourist hub
• Egypt sends men arrested over “gay bath house orgy” to trial

Thursday

• Special forces deployed to secure Cairo embassies
• 41 Muslim Brotherhood supporters sentenced to prison for torching 5 churches
• New constituency law sets stage for long-awaited parliamentary election
• Trial is postponed for US navy engineer accused of leaks to Egypt
• Egyptian courts acquit 191 alleged Muslim brotherhood members
• Nine “terrorists” killed, 12 arrested in a cross fire with armed forces
• Bodies of two Emirati military personnel who died in military plane crash in Egypt were to be repatriated to UAE
• Israel gas deals with Egypt, Turkey will happen, US envoy says
• Salafi Nour Party criticizes electoral constituencies law

 Friday

• El-Sisi assures Obama of Egypt’s commitment to democracy
• New United States ambassador arrives in Cairo
• Egyptian plane held in Sweden was returned to Cairo
• Two policemen injured dispersing Brotherhood protest in Alexandria
• Policeman shot dead in Egypt’s Nile Delta
• Egypt antiquity ministry slams US mission after “million mummy” controversy‪
• Egypt’s gays go deeper underground, fearing crackdown

 Saturday 

• Egypt receives 10 Apache helicopters from the United States
• Egypt’s Sisi meets Qatari envoy, signaling possible detente
• Fitch upgrads Egypt’s credit rating one step to B
• Egypt says it backs the Palestinian draft UN resolution
• US is ‘disappointed’ with Egypt for denying entry to an American scholar
• Egypt’s prosecution argues Alaa Abdel-Fattah and co-defendants are not true revolutionaries ‪
• Former Egyptian presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq is elected head of new political party
• Egypt to open Rafah border on Sunday and Monday
• Over 150 arrested for “debauchery” in Egypt in past 18 months – right groups ‪

Sunday 

• Egypt’s Intelligence Chief is removed
• Qatar gives ‘full support’ to Egypt’s Sisi
• Egyptian police raid alleged Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis cell in the Nile Delta
• Egypt’s crackdown on gays continues, as bathhouse’s trial opens
• Egypt police hail arrest of 10,000 ‘terrorists, rioters, Facebook admins’ ‪in 2014
• Two Egyptian policemen were detained on rape charge
• Egypt’s Sisi to visit China
• Egyptian court lifts ban on granting citizenship to Palestinians
• Egyptian judge accused of bias declines to step down from Brotherhood trial

Good Reports

• Egyptian jihadists thank U.S. State Department for “terrorist” designation. Ishaan Tharoor
• Atheists cafe is just one target in fight against illegal business, say officials. Mada Masr
• It’s all about the sauce. Ligaya Mishan
• Three arrested in Egypt speaking English. Egyptian Streets

Good Read

• The Tin Pot Dictatorships of Egypt and Turkey. Steven Cook
• Egypt and Israel: Sinai’s heat thaw the cold peace Zack Gold
• Egypt in the past 10 days. Zeinobia
• Requiems and dreams: The struggle for Egypt’s memory. Sally Toma
• The Coptic Church and Politics in Egypt Georges Fahmi
• Egypt’s relationship with the Pentagon after Hagel’s departure . Mohamed Elmenshawy
• Egypt killed Islam in the West. H.A. Hellyer
• A crowning end: On the life and death of Sabah. Kinda Hassan

 Plus

• Readout of President Obama’s call with of Egypt’s Al-Sisi of Egypt
• Ancient pharaoh statue rises again in Egypt Katia Hetter

Poll

• Sisi’s approval rating may show signs of slipping, new poll suggests

Finally, here are Jayson Casper’s prayers for Egypt