Connect with us

Culture

Hundreds of tourists evacuated from Egypt hotel after two deaths

Published

on

Tour operator Thomas Cook is evacuating all of its customers from a hotel in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Hurghada after two Britons died there this week under unclear circumstances.

The move came after John and Susan Cooper, from Burnley, England, died while staying at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel. They were on a holiday with other family members.

Their daughter, Kelly Ormerod, was with her parents and her three children when tragedy struck.

John Cooper, 69, died in his hotel room while her 63-year-old mother, a Thomas Cook employee, was taken to hospital, Ormerod said from Egypt.

“As a family we are devastated. Mum and Dad meant the world to me and the children, and we are in utter shock over what has happened and what is happening,” Ormerod told the Lancashire-based radio station 2BR. “Prior to going on holiday, Mum and Dad were fit and healthy. They had no health problems at all.”

Read Also: South Africa named the world’s top adventure destination for 2018

Thomas Cook said in a statement on Thursday that the “circumstances of their deaths are still unclear” and that it has “also received further reports of a raised level of illness among guests.”

The decision to evacuate 301 holiday makers from the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel is a “precautionary measure,” the company said, adding that the guests, of various nationalities, will be offered alternative hotels or the option to return home.

“We continue to work closely with the hotel and are supporting the authorities with their investigations,” it said. Customers due to arrive in the hotel in the next four weeks will be offered alternative options.

The Steigenberger Aqua Magic was last audited by Thomas Cook in July and received an overall score of 96 percent.

Culture

Actress Yvonne Nelson lambasts Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo, labels his regime ‘8 years of lies’

Published

on

Ghanaian actress and filmmaker, Yvonne Nelson, has lambasted President Nana Akufo-Addo over a viral video from the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Tema General Hospital where a nurse is seen lamenting the deplorable condition of the health facility.

In the video which has brought in a lot of criticism for the government of the day, the nurse is heard saying babies are at the risk of losing their lives due to a power cut at the facility and the general insensitivity of government to the health sector.

The video which was made at the hospital, captured some mothers fanning their new born babies with cloth because of the heat in the wards after the electricity went out.

Before the latest video, there was public outrage over a blackout at the same hospital with many Ghanaian citizens taking to social media to voice out their anger and frustration at the power blackouts across the country.

Their anger was further intensified when it was reported that a newborn baby had died due to the erratic power supply situation at the facility, according to a news report by an Accra-based television station, GHOne TV.

“Erratic power cut on Tuesday evening plunged the neonatal unit of Tema General Hospital into chaos, resulting in the heartbreaking loss of a newborn,” the channel reported on Wednesday as well.

“The neonatal unit, where infants requiring intensive care are housed, relies heavily on electricity to sustain life-saving equipment such as oxygen support and emergency care devices.

“The generator intended to provide backup power for the unit is prone to shutting down when overloaded,” the report said.

While reacting to the video, Nelson took to her verified X account to express her displeasure at the Akufo-Addo government, describing it as “eight years of lies.”

The bitter actress said she was lost for words to describe the situation, and ended up calling the country’s leaders “wicked and heartless”.

“I don’t even know what to type. Our Leaders are WICKED”.

The veteran actress also used the opportunity to call out President Akufo-Addo and questioned how he sleeps at night, considering the poor infrastructure in the country.

“@NAkufoAddo how do you sleep at night? 8 years of lies. #DUMSORMUSTSTOP,” she wrote.

Continue Reading

Culture

Moroccans celebrate ‘special towncrier’ who works only during Ramadan

Published

on

Moroccans have continued to celebrate a “special towncrier” otherwise known as “Nafar”, who works only during the Ramadan period.

The Nafar, Naoufal Boukhriss, whose seasonal job lasts for one month and ends once Eid al-Fitr is declared, signalling the end of the holy month, is seen as a rare occupation as he “walks the paths and alleys in the early hours of the morning, starting at three am,” alerting faithful to the morning prayers and the Suhoor which is the meal to be taken before commencement of the day’s fasting.

According to Boukhriss who operates in the ancient Moroccan city of Rabat, the “Nafar plays a certain tune with a long trumpet-like instrument to wake people up for the suhoor meal before Muslims start their day of fasting during Ramadan.”

Nafar is the Moroccan way of calling someone who does this job, but the name of this profession differs from country to country. It shares the same name as the instrument in Moroccan Arabic,” he said.

“This craft, once a widespread Ramadan tradition in the past, has become rare today, as it has gradually disappeared with the emergence of technology and new urban areas.

“This (Nafar) is currently only found in the old city. As for the upscale neighborhoods, most of them do not accept the presence of the Nafar, because they say that they have a phone and an alarm clock that they use,” Boukhriss explained.

Local media reports that as a symbol of tradition, Boukhriss usually wears a special set of traditional clothes before he goes on his rounds in the old city.

“He dons a long shirt or ‘Jallaba’, a headpiece or ‘Tarbouch’, leather slippers ‘Belgha’ and white socks.

“While walking through the alleys, Boukhriss plays a special tune that notifies people of the time of suhoor, which is different from the ones they perform inside the mosque.

“Boukhriss considers this work as a reward from God. In return, residents thank him with food, sugar, or a share of money.”

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

Metro1 hour ago

Egypt’s population growth declines by 1.4%

Egypt’s planning ministry has announced that the country’s population went down to its lowest rate of population increase in decades...

VenturesNow4 hours ago

Binance vs Nigeria: Court adjourns hearing on right abuses 

The office of Nigeria’s National Security Adviser and an anti-graft agency— the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC)— have been...

Strictly Personal16 hours ago

Off we go again with public shows, humbug and clowning, By Jenerali Uliwengu

The potential contestants in the approaching elections are already sizing themselves up and assessing their chances of fooling their people...

Musings From Abroad17 hours ago

UAE’s IRH to consider stake in Zambia’s Lubambe copper mine

A division of the International Holding Company of Abu Dhabi, International Resources Holding (IRH), has announced that it plans to...

Sports17 hours ago

Paris Olympics: Nigeria’s D’Tigress in ‘group of death’, to battle Australia, France, Canada

Nigeria’s women national basketball team, D’Tigress, have been drawn in what many term the group of death after they were...

Tech17 hours ago

Egyptian AI-powered ed-tech startup Sprints raises $3m to scale up platform

Egyptian AI-powered ed-tech startup, Sprints, has announced raising $3 million bridge round of funding to help it scale up its...

Culture17 hours ago

Actress Yvonne Nelson lambasts Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo, labels his regime ‘8 years of lies’

Ghanaian actress and filmmaker, Yvonne Nelson, has lambasted President Nana Akufo-Addo over a viral video from the Neo-natal Intensive Care...

Metro18 hours ago

Zambia, Botswana sign cooperation instruments to enhance trade

Zambia and close neighbours, Botswana, have signed 10 instruments of cooperation aimed at enhancing trade relations between the two countries....

VenturesNow19 hours ago

Kenya, Uganda settle oil import dispute

In an effort to patch things up between the two neighbours, Kenya will permit Uganda’s landlocked state oil company to...

VenturesNow1 day ago

No plan to increase taxes, Nigeria’s revenue chief says

The head of Nigeria’s revenue agency, Zacch Adedeji, has reaffirmed that there is no plan for the introduction of new...

Trending