Mysterious, pyramid-like structures spotted in the Egyptian desert by an amateur satellite archaeologist might be long-lost pyramids after all, according to a new investigation into the enigmatic mounds.

Angela Micol, who last year found the structures using Google Earth 5,000 miles away in North Carolina, says puzzling features have been uncovered during a preliminary ground proofing expedition, revealing cavities and shafts.

"Moreover, it has emerged these formations are labeled as pyramids on several old and rare maps," Micol told Discovery News.

Located about 90 miles apart, the two possible pyramid complexes appeared as groupings of mounds in curious positions.

One site in Upper Egypt, just 12 miles from the city of Abu Sidhum along the Nile, featured four mounds with an unusual footprint.

Some 90 miles north near the Fayum oasis, the second possible pyramid complex revealed a four-sided, truncated mound approximately 150 feet wide and three smaller mounds in a diagonal alignment.

"The images speak for themselves," Micol said when she first announced her findings. "It's very obvious what the sites may contain, but field research is needed to verify they are, in fact, pyramids,"

First reported by Discovery News, her claim gained widespread media attention and much criticism.

Authoritative geologists and geo-archaeologists were largely skeptical and dismissed what Micol called "Google Earth anomalies" as windswept natural rock formations -- buttes quite common in the Egyptian desert.

"After the buzz simmered down, I was contacted by an Egyptian couple who claimed to have important historical references for both sites," Micol said.

The couple, Medhat Kamal El-Kady, former ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, and his wife Haidy Farouk Abdel-Hamid, a lawyer, former counselor at the Egyptian presidency and adviser of border issues and international issues of sovereignty, are top collectors of maps, old documents, books and rare political and historical manuscripts.

El-Kady and Farouk have made important donations to the Egyptian state and the U.S. Library of Congress. Their various gifts to the Library of Alexandria include Al-Sharif Al-Idrissi's map of the Earth drawn for King Roger II of Sicily in 1154.

According to the couple, the formations spotted by Micol in the Fayum and near Abu Sidhum were both labeled as pyramid complex sites in several old maps and documents.

"For this case only, we have more than 34 maps and 12 old documents, mostly by scientists and senior officials of irrigation," El-Kady and Farouk told Discovery News.

For the site near the Fayum, they cited three maps in particular -- a map by Robert de Vaugoudy, dating from 1753, a rare map by the engineers of Napoleon Bonaparte, and a map and documents by Major Brown, general of irrigation for Lower Egypt in the late 1880s.

Source: http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/long-lost-pyramids-found-130715.htm

There is negativity and revolution in the world, and alll you do is naively spread positivity? You are scum.

Egypt's health ministry said that 30 people were killed and over 200 injured on Friday during violent clashes between supporters and opponents of deposed President Morsi. Some of the worst violence was reported in Alexandria, where 12 lost their lives.

Tens of thousands of people marched across the country in what the Muslim Brotherhood movement has called a "Friday of Rage". 

Street battles broke out in at least eight areas of Cairo and in other parts of the country, with some celebrating the fall of the democratically elected leader and others who feared the return of military rule Egypt has struggled to put in the past.

The clashes accelerated as the supreme leader of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood Mohammed Badie addressed the protesters proclaiming that his followers would not give up street action until the return of the president.

“God make Morsi victorious and bring him back to the palace,” Badie roused supporters at a Cairo mosque during what was his first appearance since the overthrow. “We are his soldiers we defend him with our lives.”

After Badie’s speech, a large crowd of Islamists moved across 6th October Bridge over the Nile toward Tahrir Square, where scores of Morsi’s opponents had been massed all day.

In Cairo, three hours of street fighting eased after the army deployed troops and vehicles, to keep rival sides apart, Reuters reports.

In total five people were killed and another 199 injured when the Muslim Brotherhood attacked in the area of the Oct 6th Bridge, Al Arabiya says citing Egypt's ambulance service.

Also three people were fatally shot outside Cairo’s Republican Guard barracks where Morsi is being held. The army has denied responsibility for the shooting but the incident sparked outrage that has yet to subside. It was not immediately clear whether other security forces may have been behind the shooting.

A car was set on fire amid a barrage of fireworks put to use as weapons. Later reports suggested that further shots and tear gas had been fired.

Helicopters were flying overhead as ambulances tried to tend to the wounded, according to RT's Paula Slier.

Despite suspending the Egyptian constitution after removing Morsi from power, the army has pledged to hold democratic elections and maintain an interim government, although a timetable has yet to be released. A new prime minister could be named as early as Saturday, Reuters reports.

Protesters were also spotted hurling stones off a bridge while fireworks went off. Thick plumes of black smoke emanated from small street fires as Egyptians scattered in different directions. Gunshots have also been reported throughout the country.

Helicopters are flying overhead and ambulances are arriving on the scene according to RT's Paula Slier.

Despite suspending the Egyptian constitution after removing Morsi from power, the army has pledged to hold democratic elections and maintain an interim government, although a timetable has yet to be released. A new prime minister could be named as early as Saturday, Reuters reports.

Protesters were also spotted hurling stones off a bridge while fireworks went off. Thick plumes of black smoke emanated from small street fires as Egyptians scattered in different directions. Gunshots have also been reported throughout the country.

People have been running in a disorientated manner through plumes of thick smoke, with some traffic caught in the middle and lots of small fires being started. Protesters hurled stones from the bridge as the fireworks went off.

The loud bangs emanating from the fireworks have been interspersed with gunshots, according to eyewitnesses.

A large pro-Morsi crowd had been heading in the direction of the state 'Maspero' TV building and gathered outside in the vicinity of anti-Morsi crowds, fueling fears that violent encounter would occur as they edged closer towards the square. Some injuries were reported at the TV station. As protesters later moved towards he bridge, crowds at Maspero thinned out.

Military helicopters flew overhead as a large pro-Morsi crowd headed in the direction of the state 'Maspero' TV building in Cairo. Three people were reportedly killed when violence broke out with the anti-Morsi crowds not far away.

In addition to Friday's violence in the capital, the Sidi Jaber district of Alexandria was badly hit, as pro-Morsi protesters lobbed stones and Molotov cocktails at police cars blocking the streets. At least 12 people have been killed in Alexandria, according to Reuters.

Five police officers were killed in separate incidents in the North Sinai town of El Arish. It was not immediately clear whether the attacks were linked to Mursi's ouster.

RT’s correspondent in Egypt also reported violent demonstrations in Giza as she accidently walked into clashes there.

Over the course of the protests, according to Ministry of Health data released on June 30, 62 people have died and more than 2500 have been injured. At least 39 people have been killed since Sunday, and as many as 160 instances of sexual assault have been reported.

Source: http://rt.com/news/clashes-cairo-protesters-gunfire-713/

President Barack Obama said he was “deeply concerned” about the Egyptian military’s ouster of President Mohamed Morsi from power.

In an evening statement released by the White House, Obama also said that he had directed his administration to review the legal implications of Wednesday’s events in Egypt and whether they would affect U.S. aid to the country.

Here’s the full statement:

As I have said since the Egyptian Revolution, the United States supports a set of core principles, including opposition to violence, protection of universal human rights, and reform that meets the legitimate aspirations of the people. The United States does not support particular individuals or political parties, but we are committed to the democratic process and respect for the rule of law. Since the current unrest in Egypt began, we have called on all parties to work together to address the legitimate grievances of the Egyptian people, in accordance with the democratic process, and without recourse to violence or the use of force.

The United States is monitoring the very fluid situation in Egypt, and we believe that ultimately the future of Egypt can only be determined by the Egyptian people. Nevertheless, we are deeply concerned by the decision of the Egyptian Armed Forces to remove President Morsy and suspend the Egyptian constitution. I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process, and to avoid any arbitrary arrests of President Morsy and his supporters. Given today’s developments, I have also directed the relevant departments and agencies to review the implications under U.S. law for our assistance to the Government of Egypt.

The United States continues to believe firmly that the best foundation for lasting stability in Egypt is a democratic political order with participation from all sides and all political parties —secular and religious, civilian and military. During this uncertain period, we expect the military to ensure that the rights of all Egyptian men and women are protected, including the right to peaceful assembly, due process, and free and fair trials in civilian courts. Moreover, the goal of any political process should be a government that respects the rights of all people, majority and minority; that institutionalizes the checks and balances upon which democracy depends; and that places the interests of the people above party or faction. The voices of all those who have protested peacefully must be heard – including those who welcomed today’s developments, and those who have supported President Morsy. In the interim, I urge all sides to avoid violence and come together to ensure the lasting restoration of Egypt’s democracy.

No transition to democracy comes without difficulty, but in the end it must stay true to the will of the people. An honest, capable and representative government is what ordinary Egyptians seek and what they deserve. The longstanding partnership between the United States and Egypt is based on shared interests and values, and we will continue to work with the Egyptian people to ensure that Egypt’s transition to democracy succeeds.

Source: http://au.businessinsider.com/obama-statement-egypt-morsi-takeover-mohamed-coup-aid-2013-7

South African ex-President Nelson Mandela is spending a fourth day in a Pretoria hospital where he is being treated for a recurrent lung infection.

The office of President Jacob Zuma says the 94-year-old remains in a serious but stable condition.

Relatives, including his ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, visited the ailing former leader on Monday.

He has been in intensive care since he was admitted to hospital on Saturday, for the third time this year.

In December, Mr Mandela spent 18 days undergoing treatment for a lung infection and gallstones.

The foundation led by retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu has issued a statementdescribing Mr Mandela as an "extraordinary gift".

"As the beloved father of our nation, Nelson Mandela once again endures the ravages of time in hospital," the foundation said.

"Our prayers are for his comfort and his dignity."

There are first signs that his family may have begun to gather at his bedside, the BBC's Andrew Harding, in Pretoria, reports.

On Monday, Mr Mandela's ex-wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, visited him. His grand-daughters have also been coming and going, our correspondent says.

The leader's eldest daughter, Zenani Mandela-Dlamini, has returned to South Africa from Argentina, where she is the ambassador, to visit her father.

His wife, Graca Machel, cancelled a scheduled appearance in London on Saturday to remain at her husband's bedside.