CAIRO // President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has issued a decree allowing him to repatriate foreign prisoners in Egypt – a move that could enable the release of journalists currently serving jail terms.
Three Al Jazeera journalists – Australian reporter Peter Greste, Canadian-Egyptian acting bureau chief Mohammed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohammed – were convicted on terrorism charges and for broadcasting false news in June.
Greste and Fahmy were sentenced to seven years in prison, while Mohammed received a 10-year sentence.
They were detained in December and convicted six months later of spreading lies to help a "terrorist organisation" – alluding to the Muslim Brotherhood outlawed after the army toppled Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013.
The Doha-based television network said the accusations against the journalists were absurd. Western governments and human rights groups have condemned the case, with the United Nations questioning Egypt’s reputation and the independence of its judiciary.
“The president issued a law on Wednesday allowing [him] to agree to surrender and transport non-Egyptian convicts and suspects to their countries to be tried or have their punishment implemented,” the official news agency Mena said.
“This decision comes in the framework of upholding the nation’s interests and preserving Egypt’s international image...” said presidential spokesman Alaa Yousef.
The report did not mention the Al Jazeera journalists.
Mr El Sisi said in July that he wished the imprisoned Al Jazeera journalists had been deported and not put on trial.
He initially reacted to their sentencing by saying he would not interfere in court verdicts, but his subsequent comments suggested he might use his presidential power to pardon the journalists, who have an appeals hearing set for January 1.
Qatar, which funds Al Jazeera, supports the Brotherhood.
Its relations with Egypt have been strained since Mr Morsi was removed following mass protests against his troubled one-year rule.
Mr El Sisi proceeded to crack down hard on Mr Morsi’s supporters in a campaign that has expanded to include secular and liberal activists, including some of the leading members of the 2011 popular uprising that ousted veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak.
* Reuters, with additional reporting from Associated Press
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Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
