Egyptian Artists Add Festive Mood to Presidential Elections

 Egyptian actor Adel Imam/AFP
Egyptian actor Adel Imam/AFP
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Egyptian Artists Add Festive Mood to Presidential Elections

 Egyptian actor Adel Imam/AFP
Egyptian actor Adel Imam/AFP

During the past three days of elections, a large number of Egyptian artists voted for the new President in a festive mood.

Their fame on television and cinema screens was therefore transmitted to polling stations across the country, and was quickly spread in short videos or photos on the social media.

One of those leading artists is actor Adel Imam, also nicknamed the Zaeem or the leader. Imam was filmed on Wednesday telling an employee responsible for checking names at the voters’ list, “eating pasta and stuffed zucchini was behind your obesity.”

The employee then replied to Imam that sitting down for long hours to watch his plays was behind her obesity.

Then the two were filmed while laughing at the jokes they made.

Some social media users also spread the photo of actor Lublouba while kissing the voting paper. She was then quoted as saying, “I kissed the paper because I was happy I voted. I did not know someone was taking a photo.”

Egyptian belly dancer, Sama el-Masry drove the attention of the media by attending one of the polling stations riding a motorcycle.

Voters raced to take photos with her before she casted her vote.

At one of the polling station in Misr al-Gadida, actress Laila Elwi spread an optimistic mood when she said, “Today, Egypt is happy to have you.”
Some voters had offered Elwi roses after she casted her vote.

Also, some reports said that Egyptian actor Hussein Fahmy has casted his voted twice, the first time in the UAE and the second time inside Egypt.

However, following the news, the National Elections Authority (NEA) held a press conference asserting that it was impossible for any voter to cast his ballot more than once because the NEA systematically removed the names of those who voted abroad from the voter database after the end of polls outside Egypt.

Popular singer Hakim was seen touring the streets of west Cairo in a convertible car, singing a song entitled “Abo el Regoula,” he had released this month calling on Egyptians to cast their votes.



Jordan Describes Shooting near Israeli Embassy as ‘Terrorist Attack’

Police vehicles on a street near the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak
Police vehicles on a street near the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak
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Jordan Describes Shooting near Israeli Embassy as ‘Terrorist Attack’

Police vehicles on a street near the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak
Police vehicles on a street near the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak

Jordan described Sunday’s shooting near the heavily fortified Israeli embassy in the capital Amman as a “terrorist attack”.
Jordan's communications minister, Mohamed Momani, said the shooting is a “terrorist attack” that targeted public security forces in the country. He said in a statement that investigations into the incident were under way.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, security sources described the incident as “an individual and isolated act, unrelated to any organized groups”.
The sources added that preliminary investigations indicated that the attacker was “under the influence of drugs”.
A gunman was dead and three Jordanian policemen were injured after the shooting near the Israeli embassy in Sunday's early hours, a security source and state media said.
Police shot a gunman who had fired at a police patrol in the affluent Rabiah neighborhood of the Jordanian capital, the state news agency Petra reported, citing public security, adding investigations were ongoing.
The gunman, who was carrying an automatic weapon, was chased for at least an hour before he was cornered and killed just before dawn, according to a security source.
"Tampering with the security of the nation and attacking security personnel will be met with a firm response," Momani told Reuters, adding that the gunman had a criminal record in drug trafficking.
Jordanian police cordoned off an area near the heavily policed embassy after gunshots were heard, witnesses said. Two witnesses said police and ambulances rushed to the Rabiah district, where the embassy is located.
The area is a flashpoint for frequent demonstrations against Israel.