A powerful explosion rocked the Police Academy in Cairo's Fifth Settlement area, resulting in the deaths of a police officer and two security personnel, according to the Egyptian ministry of interior.
The blast, which occurred at about midnight local time, was attributed to a gas leak during maintenance work in a storage centre in an open area within the academy grounds. Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion that reverberated throughout the surrounding area.
The ministry confirmed the casualties, saying that “a gas explosion occurred during maintenance work in one of the warehouses on an open area inside the Police Academy, resulting in the death of a police officer and two individuals”.
As news of the incident spread, Egyptians took to social media to express their shock and sadness.
Reactions among the populace varied, with some expressing grief over the loss of life, while others called for greater transparency from the government regarding the details of the explosion, which remain very scant.
The Police Academy, in the eastern part of the Egyptian capital, is a prominent training centre for law enforcement personnel.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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