CAIRO: Customs officers at Cairo International Airport foiled attempts to smuggle narcotic pills and underwater hunting rifles into the country.

An Egyptian passenger arriving from Poland was found hiding a large quantity of narcotic drugs in his luggage.

Another Egyptian traveler arriving from the US was found hiding seven underwater hunting rifles in his bags.

Customs authorities took legal measures against the two and referred them to the Public Prosecution Office.

AL-MUKALLA, Yemen: Hundreds of trucks and tankers full of supplies and fuel are stuck outside Houthi-controlled regions after the Yemeni militia prevented local traders from importing goods through the government-controlled port city of Aden in protest of the government’s decision to hike the customs exchange rate. 

DUBAI: In the early hours of Feb. 6, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southeast Turkiye and northwest Syria, leaving more than 25,000 dead and at least 80,000 injured. 

Humanitarian aid has been trickling into the region over recent days. However, there have been discrepancies in the scale of support reaching the two countries. 

In part, this is the result of logistical challenges in a region blighted by political divisions and poor infrastructure. But another factor is politics. 

CAIRO: Hot air balloon flights over some of Egypt’s most famous attractions have helped buoy a tourism boom in and around Luxor, according to officials.

More than 450 tourists recently took to the air in 25 balloons to get a bird’s-eye view of the area, including ancient temples and the River Nile.

Ahmed Aboud, a representative of a federation of hot air balloon companies in Luxor, said the city had witnessed an upsurge in visitors from around the world and that the flights were proving popular.

BEIRUT: A Lebanese religious leader on Sunday accused politicians of an abuse of their “power and influence” in obstructing the election of a new president and the work of state institutions.

In his Sunday sermon, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi said the Arab and international communities condemned their “corruption,” adding that parliament should convene as soon as possible and decide on a new presidential head.

He said: “Yes, the president is a Maronite, but the voters are not all Maronites and Christians.