Three people have been killed and a number others have been injured after a man opened fire in a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht, reports Dutch media outlet HLN. According to Dutch police, the man who was in a tram in Utrecht pulled out a gun and started shooting people. The shooter, who was arrested several hours later, has been identified as 37-year-old Turkish-born Gokmen Tanis. The motive for the attack is currently unclear. Police say it may be related to ‘family issues’ as opposed to terrorism. One witness told NRC that a man got up and started shooting “with a big gun” people around him. “[He] seemed to be aiming at people sitting on the benches…the conductor did not open the [tram] doors right away. Two boys next to me kicked a window broke and I fled outside,” said the witness to NRC. Anti-terror police arrived at the scene shortly after the incident. A terrorist motive is being investigated, announced Utrecht Police. The police is investigating the shooting at the #24oktoberplein in Utrecht this morning. An possible terrorist motif is part of the investigation. — Politie Utrecht…
Hepatitis C Campaign to Test Foreigners Living in Egypt
According to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah’s speech at the final session of the Arab and African Youth forum in Aswan, foreigners residing in Egypt are to be screened as part of the “100 Million Lives” initiative’s new phase. Launched in October 2018, 100 Million Seha (Health) is the country’s largest ever anti-hepatitis campaign, and had screened nearly 30 million Egyptians as of last month. The national campaign is part of President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi’s initiative announced earlier in February 2018 to free the country from the disease by 2020. It is taking place from October 2018 until April 2019 in all of Egypt’s governorates, targeting people between the ages of 19-59. According to a statement made by the Health Minister Hala Zayed, 30,375 million Egyptian citizens have participated in the ”100 Million Seha (Health)” campaign to test for hepatitis C (HCV). Although the campaign had for goal to detect and treat 50 million then 100 million, its current target is still considered a partial success. Egyptians were urged to get tested at workplaces, in malls and in neighborhood communities. Many volunteers were trained and given testing kits to carry out the test…
US Report Criticizing Egypt’s Human Rights Record Rejected by Egypt
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry stated that the US State Department’s annual Human Rights Report on Egypt was “not objective” and makes unsubstantiated claims about the state of human rights in Egypt. In a statement, the ministry that the report relies on false information provided by non-governmental organisations with other political motives and that fail to provide evidence for their allegations. “The report made no mention of the efforts by the Egyptian government to strengthen human rights in all their facets and implement constitutional guarantees in this regard,” the statement said. “The report also failed to mention the major achievements made in enhancing religious freedoms and providing equal economic and social rights to all citizens.” The statement also touched upon the importance of respecting the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of any country. The U.S. annual report on Egypt’s human rights records described the presidential election held in March 2018 as “unfair competition.” The report also added that the human rights violations in Egypt include unlawful or arbitrary killings, “forced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detention, harsh and life-threatening prison conditions, arbitrary arrest and detention, political prisoners, arbitrary or unlawful interference with…
Arab and African Youth Platform Hopes to “Bridge the Gap” Between the Youth and Policy Makers
The Arab and African Youth Platform kicks off in Aswan on Monday and will run until 18 March after President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi announced the city as the capital for African youth during the last World Youth Forum. In its first edition, the conference aims to shed light on potential and current advancements in research, healthcare, technology and science in the Arab World and Africa. Participants representing different countries from both regions hope to find solutions to region-specific and international challenges. According to the World Youth Forum’s website, “The Arab and African Youth Platform will hold various sessions, workshops, and roundtable, which will bridge the gap between our young promising leaders and top policy and decision makers.” United Nations’ Commission of Africa (UNCOA) revealed that the youngest population in the world exists in Africa and its growing at a high rate. In 2017, around 41 percent of the continents population was under 15 years old and 19.4 percent were between the ages of 15 and 24, “Africa’s Youth and Prospects for Inclusive Development” study reported. “It is clear then that by sheer numbers alone, the choices, opportunities and constraints of…
‘Egg Boy’ a Hero in Egypt after Egging Racist Australian Senator
Seventeen-year-old Will Connolly, or ‘Egg Boy’ as he has became known on social media, has quickly become a hero and a symbol against racism on social media after he smashed an egg on the head of Australian Senator Fraser Anning. A teenager smashed egg on Australian Senator Fraser Anning’s head following his disgusting comments in the wake of #NewZealandTerroristAttack. Fraser immediately turned and attacked the boy. Thank you, egg boy. pic.twitter.com/K5VmBkFgGF — Sana Jamal (@Sana_Jamal) March 16, 2019 #Eggboy was the number one trending hashtag in Egypt on Saturday and Sunday morning, with Egyptians using the hashtag to share videos and memes of Connolly breaking the egg on Senator Anning’s head. Egyptian social media users on both Twitter and Facebook have praised Egg Boy for his “bravery” and his stance against racism, with many calling him a hero who deserves being awarded for his actions. #eggboy he is not Muslim but he don’t like racism, he only defends of humanity pic.twitter.com/q1Lklu8CTT — سارة .🌵 (@ssn942) March 16, 2019 “God bless you,” wrote a number of Egyptians on social media. “He deserved a Nobel Prize,” wrote others. May God bless you…
‘No Flag of Gays’: Egyptians Checked for ‘Rainbow Flags’ at Red Hot Chili Peppers Concert
On Friday night, American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers performed a concert for more than 10,000 people with the Pyramids of Giza in the background. Some concertgoers have posted on social media their bewilderment after being asked by policemen upon entry whether they have any “flag of gays”. On Twitter, Samer Al-Atrush wrote that the concert had high security. Among the items banned, Al-Atrush tweeted, were rainbow flags often used in support of the LGBTIQ+ community. Entering Red Hot Chili Peppers concert at Cairo Pyramids. Police officer asks: “you have no flags?” Asked what type of flags responds: “flag for the gays. Not allowed.” — Samer Al-Atrush (@SameralAtrush) March 15, 2019 “Entering Red Hot Chili Peppers concert at Cairo Pyramids. Police officer asks: “you have no flags?” Asked what type of flags responds: “flag for the gays. Not allowed,” wrote Al-Atrush in one Tweet. “Three colours for the gays” he explained…” Another social media user, Eduard Cousin, also tweeted that he was asked if he has any flags with him. Officer at entrance of #redhotchilipeppers concert asks if we have any flags with us: “With the colors, for the…
Four Egyptians Among New Zealand Mosque Terror Victims
UPDATE: New Zealand’s authorities notified the Egyptian embassy that four Egyptian expatriates were killed in the shootings, Egyptian ambassador Tareq al-Wiseimy told the Egyptian Ministry of Emigration on Saturday. The Egyptian victims include Munir Suleiman, Ahmed Hamal al-Din Abdul Ghani, Ashraf Morsi, and Ashraf Al-Masri. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi released a statement condemning “in the strongest terms possible” the terrorist attack that targeted two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. In his statement, which followed reports that four Egyptian men were among the victims, the Egyptian President denounced the attack as “vicious” and one that was aimed at “shaking the conscience of humanity”. President Sisi stressed the importance of international cooperation to confront all forms of terrorism, violence and extremism. Earlier on Saturday, Egypt’s Ministry of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs said it had been informed that a number of Egyptians were among the New Zealand Mosque terror victims, with the names still unidentified. In a later statement, Egypt’s government confirmed that four Egyptian citizens were among the victims. The victims were identified as Munir Suleiman, Ahmed Hamal al-Din Abdul Ghani, Ashraf Morsi, and Ashraf Al-Masri. The Ministry was initially contacted by an…
Egypt Condemns New Zealand Mosque Massacres
Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Friday morning condemning the terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand which killed at least 49 people and injured 39 others. In a statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that its thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and that it condemns the attack in the strongest possible terms. “The attack serves as a reminder of the importance of continued and intensified efforts internationally to address terrorism which has no religion, and to counter all forms of violence and extremism,” said the Ministry, adding that the attack was a “vile terrorist attack that contravenes all humanitarian principles”. Meanwhile, Egyptian diplomats in New Zealand are following the situation closely and are providing support to any Egyptians who may have been impacted by the attack. The massacre at Al-Noor and Linwood Mosques in Christchurch killed 49 men, women and children, with fears that the death toll may increase overnight. Leaders from around the world have condemned the terrorist attack, with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel calling it an attack on Muslims, New Zealand’s democracy and its open,…
Italy – Marsa Alam Direct Flights to Start Operating in April
According to Italian news agency Di Viaggi, regular flights from Rome and Naples will be heading to the coastal city of Marsa Alam starting April 1. It is expected that the summer period will see 22 weekly flights between both Egypt and Italy, rendering the latter the first European market of reference, surpassing Germany in the number of tourist trips. Three new routes will be run by AirCairo: Bergamo-Sharm El Sheikh by March 31st and Rome and Naples to Marsa Alam at the beginning of April. The flights will be run by AirCairo which is a low fare airline based in Cairo founded in 2013 and which is 60 percent owned by EgyptAir. From November 2017 to December 2018, the Egyptian carrier flew about 1.6 million total passengers with 120 thousand being from Italy. This number is expected to increase by 20 percent in the summer season. The airline announced its expansion plans in Rome following steady increase of routes from major Italian cities (Milan Malpensa, Bergamo, Venice, Bologna, Rome, Naples and Bari) to the more touristy Egyptian destinations (from Sharm to Marsa Alam to Hurgada and Borg El Arab) since October 2017….