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Egypt postpones dispersing protest camps
Egypt postpones dispersing protest camps (AP) / 12 August 2013 Egyptian authorities on Monday postponed a move to disperse two Cairo sit-ins by supporters of the country’s ousted president to “avoid bloodshed,” an official said, as Islamist supporters stepped up rallies to demand his return to power. The postponement could, at least temporarily, defuse tensions that had escalated overnight as the country braced for a new bout of violence. Any moves by the police against the protesters would have set the stage for deadly clashes with tens of thousands gathered at the two Cairo sit-ins in support of ex-President Mohammed Mursi, ousted in a popularly supported coup on July 3. An Egyptian security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to reporters, said the decision to postpone an advance against the protest camps by Muslim Brotherhood supporters came after a plan on ending the sit-ins was leaked to the media. The security forces had planned to form cordons around the Cairo protest sites as early as dawn Monday, according to officials who spoke earlier to The Associated Press. The protesters have said they will not leave until Mursi is reinstated. Weeks of efforts by the international community to end the standoff and find a peaceful resolution have so far failed. Egypt’s interim prime minister warned just ahead of the Muslim Eid Al Fitr holiday that ended on Sunday that the government’s decision to clear the sit-ins was “irreversible.” Mursi was deposed after millions of Egyptians took to the streets on June 30 and for four days demanded that he step down over what they saw as his failure to act as the president of all Egyptians and his attempts to monopolise power and serve only his Muslim Brotherhood group’s interests. Mursi has not been seen since the military deposed him, disbanded his Islamists-dominated parliament and suspended the constitution. He is held incommunicado, along with some of his aides, while several top Brotherhood leaders and their Islamist allies are detained on charges of instigating deadly violence. Other Brotherhood figures, including the group’s top spiritual guide Mohammed Badie, are on the run or taking refuge amid tens of thousands of supporters at the sit-in in Cairo’s eastern Nasr City district, where a road intersection facing Rabaah Al Adawiya mosque has been turned to a heavily fortified tent city. The sit-in, along with a second one in Cairo’s twin city of Giza, are used as hotbeds for street rallies. The government says the protest camps are a “threat to national security.” On Monday, Brotherhood supporters also took to the streets in downtown Cairo and elsewhere in the country, chanting anti-military slogans and carrying pictures of Mursi. Meanwhile, an influential Brotherhood member, Mohammed El Beltagi, on Monday turned down an offer by the head of the Al Azhar, the Sunni world’s top religious institution, to negotiate a solution. El Beltagi said that top Al Azhar cleric Ahmed Al Tayyb was not an impartial mediator because he backed the coup. Another Brotherhood figure, Saad Emara, dismissed all efforts to negotiate a solution, saying the Brotherhood doesn’t recognise the “initiatives from the post-coup era.” “The key to a resolution is the return of legitimate institutions, including the president,” Emara told the AP. Earlier, Interior Ministry officials had said they were prepared for clashes that might be set off by the cordons and that ambulances were on hand to treat the wounded. A special force within the riot police trained for crowd dispersal was expected to deal with protesters. Continue reading
Sudan flood victims hits 150,000 and rising: UN
Sudan flood victims hits 150,000 and rising: UN (AFP) / 12 August 2013 The number of people affected by this month’s flooding in Sudan has climbed to around 150,000 and is expected to rise further, the United Nations said on Monday. More than half the victims, 84,000, are in the area around the capital Khartoum, said the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “More rains are expected in the coming days and the estimated number of affected people is likely to rise further as rains continue and as more information becomes available,” OCHA said in a press release. OCHA’s latest estimate follows intense rains on Friday night and is based on information from the Sudanese Red Crescent Society and other agencies. Heavy rains and flash floods began on August 1, initially affecting almost 100,000 people in several states. At least 26,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed, according to initial estimates cited by OCHA. Official Radio Omdurman reported on Sunday that the flooding killed 36 people in Nile state north of the capital. The UN and other agencies have provided aid including tents, plastic sheeting and drinking water, OCHA said. A volunteer youth group, Nafeer, said on Monday it had found 150 families “trapped” in the Al-Nizeila area on Khartoum’s outskirts. This year’s flooding is the worst in the capital region in years but water surges in rural areas of Sudan between June and October last year affected about 270,000 people and damaged more than 36,000 homes, according to figures cited by the UN. Continue reading
Prayers, hugs and lively outings mark Eid Al Fitr
Prayers, hugs and lively outings mark Eid Al Fitr Olivia Olarte-Ulherr and Nivriti Butalia / 9 August 2013 New clothes, henna on the palms of girls, good wishes exchanged all around, and a scrumptious feast with family and friends. Eid Al Fitr started early for the faithful who went out before 6am on Thursday for the prayer at Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi and their local mosques across the UAE. Apart from those going for prayer, the roads were clear in the morning. But by 9am, families started piling in their cars and heading out for Al Ain and Dubai to celebrate this holy occasion with relatives and friends. Mall of the Emirates in Dubai was packed, with stores such as The Body Shop and Bath And Body Works offering Eid greetings. As crowded though as the malls were, not everyone was making rounds of shops. Take Younous Ali from Pakistan, who said in Abu Dhabi, “Last year, our parents came to spend Eid with us. It’s our turn this year to go to their house in Al Ain. We have to leave early to avoid the rush later and also to help with the preparation.” In Al Falah City in the Capital, Emirati houses woke up early to prepare their homes for their guests in the evening. In the kitchen, Umm Abdulla was already hard at work preparing some traditional Arabic sweets assisted by her two elder daughters. “My parents, sisters, brothers and their families are coming tonight. Some of them are travelling all the way from Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai to come to my house so I am preparing a special meal for us. We will have ouzi (roasted lamb) and camel salona (camel in tomato sauce with vegetable and local spices) for tonight,” Umm Abdulla said. For Tareq and his family in Abu Dhabi, Eid celebration this year will be different. “My daughters are keen to see Scooby-Doo musical and I promised to take them to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre to see the show in the afternoon,” the Syrian national said. “I read that temperature will still be over 40 degrees Celsius today, it’s still too hot to go outdoors even in the evening so we’re not having our usual barbecue at the park. I also don’t want my wife to labour in the kitchen, so I’m taking them out to dinner in one of the Saadiyat Hotel’s restaurant,” Tareq shared. However, a few brave ones were undeterred by the soaring mercury, seeking shelter from the palm trees as they gather in groups at green patches across the city, taking pictures to commemorate this happy occasion. Others, meanwhile, sought refuge at the city malls, walking idly about, watching as shoppers rush for their last-minute purchases. By late afternoon, men and women in their best Eid clothes started arriving at the Abu Dhabi Corniche, carrying barbecue grills, pots and mats. “I am hoping to see fireworks tonight. This is my first Eid here and people said there are usually fireworks here and this is the best place to watch for them,” said Anil V. K. from India. Among the many commercial promotions on offer this Eid weekend, Emaar Retail LLC has advertised 24-hour movie screenings and activities at Dubai Ice Rink, for tourists and residents. KidZania®, the award-winning edutainment centre, is celebrating Eid Al Fitr till August 17, with a host of events including a fashion show, where the little ones can dress to impress to vie for a basket of goodies; an Eid Tent, featuring henna designers, and handicraft workshops, where children can create gifts such as jewellery, perfumes, and decorative knick-knacks, for their loved ones. The theatre in KidZania® will also showcase ‘Eid Screenings,’ starring Mansour, the animated local character. Sharjah’s Al Majaz Waterfront was another spot where families and visitors jammed up for postcard photos, rides and games for children and a quiet and leisurely evening.— news@khaleejtimes. com Continue reading
