Egypt, UK Hold Seminar on Fighting Terrorism

Egyptian-British Seminar on Counterterrorism - Military spokesperson's Facebook page
Egyptian-British Seminar on Counterterrorism - Military spokesperson's Facebook page
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Egypt, UK Hold Seminar on Fighting Terrorism

Egyptian-British Seminar on Counterterrorism - Military spokesperson's Facebook page
Egyptian-British Seminar on Counterterrorism - Military spokesperson's Facebook page

Egypt and the UK coordinated on Tuesday to exchange security expertise in their fight against terrorism during a seminar organized by the Armed Forces in Cairo.

Military officials and academics from both countries attended the Egyptian-British Seminar for Counterterrorism 2022, which is held as part of joint efforts between both countries to counter mutual challenges.

Speaking at the gathering, Chairman of the Military Intelligence Service Maj. Gen. Khaled Megawer welcomed the British delegation, stressing the importance of exchanging expertise to keep abreast of developments regarding terrorism.

Megawer discussed Egypt’s success story in fighting terrorism, which he said relies on scientific basis to face the root causes of the phenomenon.

British Air Marshal Joy Martin Sampson, Senior Advisor to the British Chief of Defense Staff for Middle East and North Africa, hailed the strategic relations with Egypt, stressing the importance of cooperation to fight terrorism, according to a statement by the Egyptian Military spokesperson.

Also, Qudsi Rasheed, deputy head of Mission at the British embassy in Cairo, said terrorism is a cross border issue that requires joint action. The seminar included a number of lectures that focus on threats and challenges posed by terrorism.

It also discussed the psychological and social dimensions of this phenomenon, as well as cyber security.

The event was attended by representatives from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry and the Interior Ministry, in addition to chiefs from the Armed Forces, professors, students, Sinai elders, and some members of parliament.



UN Rights Chief ‘Gravely Concerned’ by Lebanon Escalation

Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
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UN Rights Chief ‘Gravely Concerned’ by Lebanon Escalation

Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)

The UN rights chief on Tuesday voiced concern about the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, where his office said nearly 100 people had been reported killed by Israeli airstrikes in recent days, including women, children and medics.

Israel has been locked in fighting with Lebanese armed group Hezbollah since Oct. 2023, and fighting has escalated dramatically since late September of this year.

"UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk is gravely concerned by the escalation in Lebanon with at least 97 people reportedly killed in Israeli airstrikes between the 22nd and 24th of November," Jeremy Laurence, a spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, told a Geneva press briefing.

He said that at least seven paramedics had been reported killed in three Israeli strikes in the south of Lebanon on Nov. 22-23, adding to 226 healthcare worker deaths since Oct. 7, 2023. He did not specify how many of the recent deaths had been verified by UN human rights monitors.

Israel says it targets military capabilities in Lebanon and Gaza and takes steps to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians. It accuses Hezbollah, like Hamas, of hiding among civilians, which they deny.