Stay updated with breaking news from Heba ahmed. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
Mahmud Hams/Getty ImagesThe author of this report is anonymous for their safety.RAFAH—Even if you’ve scraped together enough money to bribe your way out of war-torn Gaza before an expected final ground invasion by Israel, your problems aren’t over.An acute cash shortage across the enclave means people cannot access the money in their own accounts to pay soaring prices for food and fuel, or to hand over large sums to secure their passage through the Rafah crossing and into the safe haven of Egypt ....
Some people think such features will make everyday life easier, and safer, but digital rights experts say the potential for surveillance is a threat to basic rights amid a broader crackdown on dissent and free speech during Sisi's 10-year rule. "Planting surveillance cameras across the city gives authorities an unparalleled ability to police public spaces and crack down on citizens who wish to protest or exercise their right to peaceful assembly," said Marwa Fatafta, a policy manager at digital rights group Access Now. ....
The gleaming tower blocks and high-tech facilities of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi s flagship new capital are a far cry from Cairo s congested streets and crumbling facades. In the New Administra. ....