Alexandria Ports Authorities decided on Monday, April 8 to stop all ship movements in two ports due to a sandstorm blocking vision. All ship movements will be halted in the ports of Dekheila and Boughazi until the attainment of clear vision to facilitate ship docking and unloading their cargo, said head of the Alexandrian Ports Authorities as reported by the Middle East News Agency. He added that this move came in order to avoid collision of ships and maintain safety of the maritime navigation.

Five Italian fishing boats with 37 crew aboard were detained in Egypt after an inspection by an Egyptian military vessel in international waters, Italian officials said on Thursday, Reuters reports. Giovanni Tumbiolo, president of the fishing industry association in the Sicilian town of Mazara del Vallo, the home port of the vessels, told TGCom 24 television they had been taken to Alexandria but he had few details on the incident. "It is very strange that they were asked to follow the Egyptian naval vessel to Alexandria," he said. The foreign ministry in Rome said Italy's ambassador in Cairo was in touch with Egyptian officials. Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi, who had just returned from a visit to Cairo, would contact his counterpart in Egypt, it added.

BP has reported a major new gas find in the Nile Delta region offshore Egypt. Named Hodoa, the discovery has been drilled in the West Mediterranean Deepwater concession in the Nile Delta located about 80 kilometres (50 miles) offshore north-west from Alexandria and BP said the find is the first Oligocene deepwater find in the West Nile Delta region. Source: Offshore 247, www.offshore247.c...

ALEXANDRIA (EGALY )