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DEMOCRACY

Swedish tour operators end Egypt season

Swedish tour operators Apollo, Ving and Fritidsresor have cancelled all trips to Egypt for the rest of the winter season, as they continue to repatriate Swedish tourists who remain in the country.

For those travelers who have booked a trip to Egypt, the travel firms are working lay on additional flights and new hotel rooms, primarily in the Canary Islands.

“All passengers will of course be offered open re-routing,” Fritidsresor said in a statement.

While unrest continues in Egypt, Swedish tour operators are are working to complete the repatriation of the Swedes currently on holiday in the country. The foreign ministry however expects several thousand will remain in Egypt at the end of the week.

The evacuation of Swedish tourists from Egypt is reported to progressing smoothly, the major tour operators stated on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, 800 Ving tourists were flown back to Sweden and during the week several extra flights will be laid on to bring home Swedes from resorts in Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh.

Apollo on Tuesday flew home all of its passengers who had been in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and on Thursday around 1200 people who had been in Hurghada will be flown home.

Both Ving and Apollo announced that they expect to fly home their remaining passengers on Saturday.

The foreign ministry estimates that, despite the efforts, 2000-3000 Swedes will remain in Egypt at the end of the week. This is due to the fact that in addition to charter travellers there are number of people travelling independently in the country.

The ministry is follow developments, but there are currently no plans to lay on extra services aside from charter tour firm.

“We have made no amendments to our travel advice,” said Camilla Åkesson Lindblom at the foreign ministry’s press service.

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PROTESTS

Clashes mar rally against far right in north-west France

Riot police clashed with demonstrators in the north-western French city of Rennes on Thursday in the latest rally against the rise of the far-right ahead of a national election this month.

Clashes mar rally against far right in north-west France

The rally ended after dozens of young demonstrators threw bottles and other projectiles at police, who responded with tear gas.

The regional prefecture said seven arrests were made among about 80 people who took positions in front of the march through the city centre.

The rally was called by unions opposed to Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National party (RN), which is tipped to make major gains in France’s looming legislative elections. The first round of voting is on June 30.

“We express our absolute opposition to reactionary, racist and anti-Semitic ideas and to those who carry them. There is historically a blood division between them and us,” Fabrice Le Restif, regional head of the FO union, one of the organisers of the rally, told AFP.

Political tensions have been heightened by the rape of a 12-year-old Jewish girl in a Paris suburb, for which two 13-year-old boys have been charged. The RN has been among political parties to condemn the assault.

Several hundred people protested against anti-Semitism and ‘rape culture’ in Paris in the latest reaction.

Dominique Sopo, president of anti-racist group SOS Racisme, said it was “an anti-Semitic crime that chills our blood”.

Hundreds had already protested on Wednesday in Paris and Lyon amid widespread outrage over the assault.

The girl told police three boys aged between 12 and 13 approached her in a park near her home in the Paris suburb of Courbevoie on Saturday, police sources said.

She was dragged into a shed where the suspects beat and raped her, “while uttering death threats and anti-Semitic remarks”, one police source told AFP.

France has the largest Jewish community of any country outside Israel and the United States.

At Thursday’s protest, Arie Alimi, a lawyer known for tackling police brutality and vice-president of the French Human Rights League, said voters had to prevent the far-right from seizing power and “installing a racist, anti-Semitic and sexist policy”.

But he also said he was sad to hear, “anti-Semitic remarks from a part of those who say they are on the left”.

President Emmanuel Macron called the elections after the far-right thrashed his centrist alliance in European Union polls. The far-right and left-wing groups have accused each other of being anti-Semitic.

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