Turkey declared Egypt’s ambassador in Ankara as “persona non grata” in a reciprocal step after Cairo expelled its envoy, according to a statement of the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Saturday. The move comes few hours after Egypt expelled Turkey’s ambassador in Cairo Huseyin Avni Botsali, declaring him “persona non grata.”

Pakistan closed border with Afghanistan in the country’s northwest on Saturday ahead of protest against the American drone strikes, official sources said.

Egypt has told the Turkish ambassador to leave the country and downgraded relations between the two countries. Egypt’s foreign ministry blamed Turkey’s continued “interference” in its country’s internal affairs. Turkey’s diplomatic representation has been lowered to the level of charge d’affaires, the ministry said in a statement. Egypt has already recalled …