Dozens of Egyptians tore down, stomped on and burnt election banners bearing the name and face of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in the coastal city of Marsa Matrouh on Monday night, soon after he announced his bid for a third term.
Videos widely shared on social media showed residents attending a rally organised by Mostaqbal Watan, Egypt’s pro-Sisi ruling majority party.
Earlier on Monday, Mr El Sisi had announced his intention to run for a third term in office.
Thousands of his supporters had assembled at main squares in cities across the country before the announcement on Monday night, where they waved flags as giant screens broadcast the President's address to the nation.
But in Marsa Matrouh, in a rare display of public dissent, crowds were calling for Mr El Sisi’s removal, with some tearing down banners hung in the square before stepping on them as they chanted. One of the banners was burnt in the middle of one of the city's main squares.
“Burn it down, burn it down,” some protesters could be heard saying in footage shared on social media.
The Egyptian Ministry of Interior denied the gatherings on Monday night were politically motivated, claiming a fight broke out between fans of Libyan poets who were visiting Marsa Matrouh, which is about 230km from the Egypt-Libya border.
On Tuesday morning, an Arabic hashtag translating to “#TheInteriorMinistryStatement” was one of Egypt’s top trending topics as human rights activists, media organisations and witnesses from the rally contested the government’s claims.
“The celebration in which the party wanted to show the province’s support for the regime turned into a demonstration against it,” wrote Matrouh resident Shirin Arafah on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, in a message accompanied by a clip of the protest.
In July, hundreds gathered outside Marsa Matrouh's largest police station after a Bedouin man was shot and killed by a police officer in the city.
The protests resulted in the killing of another police officer before authorities arrested five protesters as well as the officer who shot the Bedouin man.
The December elections come as the country of 105 million people is gripped in economic crisis, with the Egyptian pound having lost half its value since March last year and inflation hitting record highs.
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
The squad traveling to Brazil:
Faisal Al Ketbi, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Khalfan Humaid Balhol, Khalifa Saeed Al Suwaidi, Mubarak Basharhil, Obaid Salem Al Nuaimi, Saeed Juma Al Mazrouei, Saoud Abdulla Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Zayed Saif Al Mansoori, Saaid Haj Hamdou, Hamad Saeed Al Nuaimi. Coaches Roberto Lima and Alex Paz.
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to donate
Text the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
6025 - Dh 20
2252 - Dh 50
2208 - Dh 100
6020 - Dh 200
*numbers work for both Etisalat and du
MWTC
Tickets start from Dh100 for adults and are now on sale at www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. Three-day and travel packages are also available at 20 per cent discount.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
