Egypt court suspends block on island transfer to Saudi

An Egyptian court suspended on Thursday a previous ruling freezing the controversial transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, which had provoked protests when announced earlier this year. The decision by the urgent matters court may be used by the government as a green light to go ahead with the transfer of the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia. In June, an administrative court had overturned a maritime border agreement, signed during a visit to Cairo by Saudi Arabia's King Salman in April, that handed the two islands to Riyadh.