Mass with pope Francis in Egypt begins

Libya’s national team slid in the ranks in the group stage for the World Cup qualifiers after suffering a 3-0 defeat against Egypt on Monday. Fans packed squares in the country’s east and west, heartbroken as a defeat on the home front was sealed by a third goal from Ramadan Sobhi in the second half. Egypt scored twice near halftime in Benghazi through Ahmed Fotouh and Mostafa Mohamed, the team’s second straight win over Libya at the start of new coach Carlos Queiroz’s tenure.

It is estimated that 216,000 children have been abused clerics in the French Catholic Church since the 1950s. The inquiry that unearthed the scale of the abuse could also lead the way to reforms within the church.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said the Catholic Church needs to be more transparent about abuse scandals. He and the pope also criticized a lack of coherent EU immigration policy with regard to refugees.

The government had said it imposed the measure to fight terrorism, while critics said it granted President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi sweeping powers to crush dissent.

After the end of the state of emergency decree in Egypt, analysts and human rights organisations doubt that the situation on the ground will change. A more tangible signal would be the release of political prisoners.

Religious minorities in India have reported increased discrimination and violence since Narendra Modi took office in 2014. The pope wants to make an official trip to the South Asian nation, but has so far been shunned.

After a scathing report that revealed the abuse of over 330,000 children over 70 years, the church said it will sell its real estate assets or take loans to compensate the victims.

The Catholic Church imposes drastic restrictions on those who serve it. Unlike monks, priests do not take a vow of chastity but are bound to celibacy and therefore total abstinence. Yet many priests have active sex lives and are in loving heterosexual or homosexual relationships. For this special full-length documentary, French priests and their partners agreed to speak out about their double lives.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Saturday⁣

After being on hold for months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, French archaeological missions are back in Egypt, where many treasures are waiting to be discovered. Exploring the city of Luxor is a dream for many archaeologists, who each day hope their painstaking work will yield fresh treasures. A few kilometres from the Valley of the Kings, Isabelle Régen and her team are studying one of the most fascinating tombs discovered in the country. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Olivia Bizot.

Alaa Abdel Fatah was a prominent figure in the 2011 revolution that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak. The activist's family have long decried the conditions of his years-long detention.

A Cairo court has sentenced Egypt's revolution activist Alaa Abdel Fattah to 5 years behind bars for spreading “fake news”. Rights groups slammed the trial as a “sham”. Meanwhile, anti-crime protests in Goma turned deadly. Congolese police fired tear gas and live rounds while civilians set up road blocks and burnt tires. Finally, our reporters in Cote d’Ivoire meet with a standup comedian determined to use humour to break down stereotypes. He pokes fun at clichés about his notorious hometown, Abobo.