A court in Cyprus on Wednesday remanded an Egyptian national in custody on suspicion of hijacking an EgyptAir aircraft with a fake suicide belt and diverting it to the east Mediterranean island.

The suspect, whom Cypriot and Egyptian authorities have identified as Seif Eldin Mustafa, 59, surrendered on Tuesday after commandeering the domestic Alexandria-Cairo flight and diverting it to Larnaca in Cyprus with 72 passengers and crew on board.

All hostages were released unharmed. The apparent suicide vest was a thick white belt with pockets holding containers and wires protruding, and that police say was fake. - Reuters