EGYPT: 26 SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER SUEZ PLOT

An Egyptian criminal court sentenced 26 militants to death for founding a "terror group" that aimed to target ships in the Suez canal, judicial sources said.
Prosecutors also accused the defendants of making rockets and explosives while monitoring various security headquarters to plan attacks on them, the sources said.
The defendants were condemned for "founding and leading a terror group that aimed to attack people's freedom, damage national unity and (attack) the Suez canal waterway", according to one source.
The court referred the verdict to the mufti, a top Islamic official who under Egyptian law has to validate the sentence, and set March 19 for the final verdict.
The defendants have the right to appeal.
An Al-Qaeda-inspired group, Furqan Brigades, attacked vessels passing through the canal last year and have vowed to conduct more attacks in the future.
However it was not clear if those sentenced are linked to that group.