Egypt is stepping up efforts to control rampant piracy of copyrighted material, officials said Thursday, after the United States put the country on a watch list of 12 countries that could bring economic sanctions.

North Korean de facto head of state  Kim Jong-Nam arrived in Egypt on Thursday for a visit that will include talks with President Hosni Mubarak, the official MENA news agency reported.

Revenues from Egypt’s Suez Canal have risen 9.7 percent this year to $4.17 billion, said the canal’s chief Thursday.