Latest news with #Egyptian-British
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Mother of jailed UK-Egyptian hospitalised 242 days into hunger strike
Mother of jailed Egyptian democracy activist hospitalized after resuming hunger strike (AP) LONDON: The mother of Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah has been hospitalised 242 days into a hunger strike protesting her son's continued imprisonment in Egypt, her family said Thursday. Laila Soueif, 69, has been on hunger strike since September 29, 2024, the day her son was expected to be released after completing a five-year prison sentence. She resumed a full hunger strike last week after two months of easing her protest to a partial hunger strike. The academic and veteran activist was taken to a London hospital Monday with a "critically low" blood sugar level, her campaign group said in a brief statement. It is her second hospitalisation since February. Soueif's son Abdel Fattah was arrested in September 2019 and sentenced to five years for "spreading false news" after sharing a Facebook post about police brutality. A United Nations panel of experts on Wednesday determined his detention was arbitrary and illegal and called for his immediate release. Abdel Fattah, who has spent most of the past decade behind bars, has been on hunger strike himself since March 1 after learning his mother was hospitalised with dangerously low blood sugar and blood pressure, and given a glucose drip. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 노안+백내장 안보이는 답답함! 더는 방치 하지 마세요! 부산백내장노안 전문안과 더 알아보기 Undo Following her February hospitalisation, Soueif decided to ease her strike after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had pressed for her son's release in a call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. She began consuming 300 calories a day through a liquid nutritional supplement, still going without food until last week, when she returned to only consuming rehydration salts, tea without sugar and vitamins. Her family says she has lost over 40 percent of her bodyweight since September. Soueif has also since last week returned to protesting outside Downing Street for an hour every week day, demanding the British government do more to secure her son's freedom. Last week, Starmer's office again said the prime minister pressed for Abdel Fattah's release in a call with Sisi. Abdel Fattah, a 43-year-old writer and activist, has become a symbol of the plight of Egypt's political prisoners. A key figure in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, he has been detained under successive administrations since. Since 2022, Sisi's administration has released hundreds of detainees and pardoned several high-profile dissidents, including Abdel Fattah's lawyer Mohamed al-Baqer, but the activist's name has been repeatedly excluded.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Hunger-striking mum of jailed UK-Egyptian close to death: family
The mother of jailed Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah is close to death after 242 days on hunger strike, her daughter warned Friday. Laila Soueif, 69, was hospitalised Thursday in London with "critically low" blood sugar, having resumed her full hunger strike last week. Doctors gave "her proteins that help the body produce glucose", her anxious daughter Sanaa Seif said outside St Thomas hospital in London. "It worked for a couple of hours" but the "bottom line is, we're losing her, and... there is no time," Seif added, saying her mother was still refusing to accept glucose. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer "needs to act now, not tomorrow, not Monday. Now, right now," she said. "It's a miracle that we still have her, I'm really proud of her, and I want to remind Keir Starmer (of) his promise to us." Soueif's son Abdel Fattah was arrested in Egypt in September 2019 and sentenced to five years in prison on charges of "spreading false news" after sharing a Facebook post about police brutality. The 43-year-old writer and activist has become a symbol of the plight of thousands of political prisoners languishing in Egyptian jails. A United Nations panel of experts on Wednesday determined his detention was arbitrary and illegal and called for his immediate release. Soueif has been on hunger strike since September 29, 2024, the day her son was expected to be released after completing his five-year prison sentence. Abdel Fattah, who has spent most of the past decade behind bars, has also been on hunger strike himself since March 1 after learning his mother had been hospitalised with dangerously low blood sugar and blood pressure. Following her February hospitalisation, Soueif decided to ease her strike after Starmer said he had pressed for her son's release in a call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. She began consuming 300 calories a day through a liquid nutritional supplement, still going without food until last week, when she returned to consuming only rehydration salts, tea without sugar and vitamins. Her family says she has lost over 40 percent of her bodyweight since September. Last week, Starmer's office again said the prime minister had pressed for Abdel Fattah's release in a call with Sisi. A key figure in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, he has been detained under successive administrations since. Soueif's daughter said she had been in contact with the UK foreign ministry. "They know she's dying. They know in detail how she's dying," she said, visibly upset. A foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP they were "concerned to hear of Laila's hospitalisation" and continued to press for Abdel Fattah's release. cla/jkb/pdh/js
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How A Pregnancy Craving Led To One Of The Most Viral Chocolate Bars Of Our Time
If you're a chocolate lover with a social media account, you've probably indulged in, seen, or simply heard of Dubai chocolate. Arguably the most viral chocolate bars of our time, Dubai chocolate bars have an endearing origin story. As the name suggests, Dubai chocolate was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to satisfy a pregnancy craving that Egyptian-British mother-to-be Sarah Hamouda had back in 2021. While pregnant, Hamouda and her husband began a chocolatier business known as Fix Dessert Chocolatier to channel her cravings into a marketable reality. Pregnancy cravings often meld unlikely food pairings that may or may not be appetizing to the rest of us. But Hamouda's craving for a dessert-stuffed chocolate bar was a near-instant hit. While cream, syrup, and nut-butter-stuffed chocolates are nothing new, Fix chocolates draw from the flavors and recipes of the Middle East to create two desserts in one ultra-chunky, colorful, and creatively named chocolate bar. While the pistachio- and knafeh-filled Dubai chocolate is the most globally popular, Fix Dessert Chocolatier also offers a Biscoff cheesecake spread-stuffed bar and a "Cereously Chewsy" bar stuffed with Nutella, brownies, custard, and cereal, to name a few. In a 2024 interview with CNN, Hamouda revealed that the brand had seen an exponential increase in demand thanks to the bars becoming a viral sensation on TikTok. The small home-kitchen-based chocolatier cranks out 500 chocolate bars per day, which usually sell out in a matter of minutes. Read more: Where To Buy Dubai Chocolate In The US, And How Much It Costs The chocolate was well-received locally, but it took a TikTok video of Fix customer and food influencer Maria Vehera breaking apart and munching on these colorful and decadent creations for it to become the global sensation it is today. Since publishing the video on TikTok in 2024, it's received 126.5 million views and inspired countless foodies, chocolatiers, and even popular grocery chains to come up with their own versions. Since 500 chocolate bars a day isn't nearly enough to satisfy the global demand for Dubai chocolate, we've done a bit of research on where to buy Dubai chocolate in the U.S., including how much it costs. Local chocolate shops and online vendors sell high-quality dupes for around $25, only $5 more than Fix. Additionally, the wholesale giant, Costco, has created a new box of chocolate to mimic the viral treat. We've even come up with our own Dubai chocolate recipe to try at home. Pistachio cream like this Gusto Etna pistachio butter, UniqBite toasted kataifi, and even premade Gusto Etna Dubai pistachio chocolate bar filling are all available for purchase on Amazon. These chocolate bars are in such high demand that we've covered rumors of it causing a pistachio shortage. You can always opt for more plentiful fillings like Biscoff cookie butter or Nutella and brownie filings that are also part of Fix's delectable chocolate creations. Read the original article on Tasting Table.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
UN panel says Egyptian dissident illegally detained, urges release
A UN panel of independent human rights investigators said that prominent Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah is illegally detained by Egyptian authorities and urged the government to release him immediately, his family said on Wednesday. Abdel-Fattah, a key figure in Egypt's 2011 anti-government uprising, was expected to be released from prison after his sentence ended in September, but he remains in custody in Egypt. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) said that Abdel-Fattah is arbitrarily detained and that Egyptian authorities have an obligation to release him immediately under international law, according to a legal opinion shared with his lawyers. The panel, which consists of five independent rights experts, "concluded that Alaa's continued imprisonment is arbitrary and illegal." "The UN Working Group has delivered a clear and unequivocal decision: Alaa Abdel-Fattah's detention is arbitrary and in breach of international law. Egypt is now obligated to release Alaa immediately," his lawyer, Can Yeğinsu, said in a statement. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomed the panel's decision and urged Egypt to respect it without further delay. Abdel-Fattah has been on hunger strike for nearly three months. His mother, Laila Soueif, has also been on hunger strike since September 29, the date his prison sentence was due to end. In 2013, Abdel-Fattah was arrested while protesting and jailed for five years. Months after his release, he was arrested again and sentenced to another five years in prison on charges of spreading fake news, an accusation his family dismisses as politically motivated. Egypt's rights record under incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi has drawn international criticism amid a crackdown on dissidents.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mother of jailed Egyptian-UK activist returns to full hunger strike
The mother of jailed Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah announced on Tuesday that she was returning to a full hunger strike to protest against her son's lengthy imprisonment in Egypt. Laila Soueif, 69, eased her strike in March after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had "pressed" for Fattah's release in a call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. She began consuming 300 calories a day through a liquid nutritional supplement but still went without food. With her son still languishing in jail two months later, Soueif said it was time to return to taking just rehydration salts, tea without sugar and vitamins. "I'm going to be on full hunger strike, which means I take zero calories," she told AFP outside Downing Street, home to Starmer's official residence. Soueif said she would also return to protesting outside Downing Street for an hour every day during the week, following a brief pause after Starmer's intervention. The London-based mother began her protest on September 29, 2024, which she said marked the day Fattah was due to be released after completing a five-year sentence. Fattah, 43, a pro-democracy and rights campaigner, was arrested by Egyptian authorities in September 2019 and given a five-year sentence for "spreading false news". He was a key figure in the 2011 revolt that toppled Egyptian autocrat Hosni Mubarak and was given UK citizenship in 2022 through his British-born mother. Fattah launched his own hunger strike on March 1 after hearing about his mother's admission to hospital, which he continues, according to the campaign group. Soueif, a mathematician and activist, was in February admitted to a London hospital with dangerously low blood sugar and blood pressure, and given a glucose drip. pdh/jkb/gil
