Egypt’s Sisi Officially Submits Candidacy for Presidential Elections

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. (AFP)
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. (AFP)
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Egypt’s Sisi Officially Submits Candidacy for Presidential Elections

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. (AFP)
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. (AFP)

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi submitted on Wednesday his official papers to run for re-elections in the March presidential polls.

His legal representative Dr. Mohammed Bahaeddine Abou Shaqa presented the papers to the National Elections Commission, announced Alaa Fouad, an aide at the authority.

The Commission will continue to receive candidacy requests until January 29.

Sisi had announced earlier on Wednesday the appointment of Mahmoud Karam as general coordinator of his electoral campaign.

Abou Shaqa was appointed his legal representative, as well as the official spokesmen of the campaign, said the president on his official Facebook page.

Sisi had announced last week his intention to run for re-election.



Heavy Israeli Strikes Shake Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

Flames rise after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Flames rise after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
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Heavy Israeli Strikes Shake Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

Flames rise after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Flames rise after an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Strong explosions in Beirut's southern suburbs began near midnight and continued into Sunday after Israel's military urged residents to evacuate areas in Dahiyeh.

Photos and video showed the blasts illuminating the southern suburbs, and sparking flashes of red and white visible from several kilometers away. They followed a day of sporadic strikes and the nearly continuous buzz of reconnaissance drones.

Israel's military confirmed it was striking targets near Beirut and said about 30 projectiles had crossed

from Lebanon into Israeli territory, with some intercepted.

The strikes reportedly targeted a building near a road leading to Rafik Hariri International Airport, and another building formerly used by the Hezbollah-run broadcaster Al-Manar. Social media reports claimed that one of the strikes hit an oxygen tank storage facility, but this was later denied by the owner of the company Khaled Kaddouha.

Shortly thereafter, Hezbollah claimed in a statement that it successfully targeted a group of Israeli soldiers near the Manara settlement in northern Israel “with a large rocket salvo, hitting them accurately.”

Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Saturday that Israel had killed 440 Hezbollah fighters in its ground operations in southern Lebanon and destroyed 2,000 Hezbollah targets. Hezbollah has not released death tolls.

Israel says it stepped up its assault on Hezbollah to enable the safe return of tens of thousands of citizens to homes in northern Israel, bombarded by the group since last Oct. 8.

Israeli authorities said on Saturday that nine Israeli soldiers had been killed in southern Lebanon so far.