In show of Pharaonic heritage, Egypt parades royal mummies

Five years ago, an actor of Middle Eastern descent arrived at a studio test for a major cable TV show that was looking to diversify its cast and was asked by the casting director what percentage Latino he was. “I’m not Latino,” he replied. “I’m Egyptian.” Without apologizing, the casting director said: “We can’t move you forward, unfortunately, because that’s not diverse.”

Terry George, the Oscar-winning writer-director whose work includes Hotel Rwanda and In the Name of the Father, will turn his creative hand to a real-life tale of death and deceit in early 20th century Egypt. George is teaming with Egyptian writer Marian Naoum to co-write the serial killer series The Alexandria Killings for Yalla Yalla, the Arabic content joint-venture between Dubai-based distributor Front Row Film Entertainment and sales and finance banner Rocket Science.

Lebanese actresses and real-life sisters, Manal and Nathalie Issa have been cast to play real-life sisters Yusra and Sarah Mardini in Netflix and Working Title's new drama The Swimmer. The film, which Welsh/Egyptian filmmaker Sally El Hosaini (My Brother the Devil) is directing, traces the incredible journey of the Mardini sisters who escaped war-torn Syria, dragging a dinghy of refugees to safety across the Aegean Sea, and made it all the way to the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Oscar-winning writer-director Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) and Egyptian writer Mariam Naoum (Between Two Seas) have been attached to co-write the serial killer series The Alexandria Killings from Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Rocket Science’s Middle East-based Yalla Yalla.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentOscar-winning Irish writer-director Terry George (“Hotel Rwanda,” “In The Name of The Father”) and Egyptian writer Mariam Naoum have teamed up to co-write Arabic serial killer series “The Alexandria Killings” on which George will serve as showrunner.The high-end show in Arabic and English is based the true story of shadowy Egyptian sisters Raya and Sakina Bint Hamman who in the 1920’s robbed and murdered at least 17 women and were subsequently sentenced

Egyptian Tortoise in Scotland.Fraser Gilchrist has been taking part in a captive breeding programme aimed at saving the miniature tortoises from extinction.There are estimated to be 7500 of the endangered species living in the wild, confined to a small coastal strip in Libya.Egyptian Tortoises are threatened by pollution, habitat destruction and poaching – and illegally collected animals can still be found in Egyptian and Libyan markets.Did you know you can keep up to date with the latest news

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentEgyptian heart surgeon-turned-satirist Bassem Youssef left Egypt in 2014 and relocated to the U.S. after his megahit show “El Bernameg” (“The Program”), on which he snarked at top pols of all stripes, became too dangerous to produce under the country’s current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.Youssef has since kept busy stateside.

Also Read: Helen Mirren Joins 'Shazam: Fury of the Gods' in Villain RoleOn October 6th, 1973, under cover of darkness, on Israel’s holiest day and during the month of Ramadan, the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan began a surprise attack on the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. Outnumbered and outgunned, Golda Meir confronts the immediate, clear and present danger of a ticking time bomb that she hoped never to face.

Sign up to the MySalford newsletter and don't miss a thing happening in and around the city

On Last Week Tonight, John Oliver returned after a week off with a lot to discuss from his blank void which the host described as “an Apple store that only sells sadness.”