30 August for the post of head of the province of Damietta, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has appointed Manal Awad Mikhail, a Christian woman who belongs to the community of the Copts — a religious minority of the country.
In 2017, Egypt has occupied 21-e a place in the list of countries persecuting Christians (World Watch List).
In December 2016, 29 people were killed and 47 injured when a suicide bomber attacked the Church of St. Peter and Paul in Cairo.