BREAKING NEWS

Egypt lawyer appeals court ruling backing islands transfer to Saudi

CAIRO - An Egyptian human rights lawyer said on Monday he had launched an appeal against a court ruling which backed Cairo's proposed transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government announced last year a maritime demarcation accord with Saudi Arabia, which has given billions of dollars of aid to Egypt, ceding control of the islands to the Gulf kingdom.
The proposal angered many Egyptians and the issue was referred to the courts - irritating Riyadh and raising political tensions between two major Arab states and traditional allies.
The islands of Tiran and Sanafir, both uninhabited, are situated in the narrow entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba leading to Jordan and Israel.