A British woman accused of attempting to smuggle hundreds of banned painkillers into Egypt has been sentenced to three years in jail.
The woman, 33-year-old Laura Plummer from Hull, northern England, was arrested in October at Hurghada airport, in the Red Sea area, after she was found to be carrying 290 tramadol tablets in her suitcase.
On Monday, Ms Plummer’s trial was adjourned as she broke down in tears in the dock after accidentally pleading guilty due to a translation mix-up.
The trial was rescheduled with a new interpreter on Tuesday, where a judge handed her three years in prison.
Her family said her lawyers have lodged an immediate appeal.
Ms Plummer had insisted that the tramadol tablets were for her Egyptian partner, Omar Abdel Aziz, known as “Caboo”, 31, who suffers from chronic back pain.
Tramadol is legal in Britain on prescription, but illegal in Egypt where it is known to be used as a heroin substitute.
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British woman faces drug smuggling trial in Egypt
UK woman arrested in Egypt for carrying painkillers
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Ms Plummer had flown into Hurghada for a two-week holiday with Mr Aziz.
She was held at the airport on October 9 on suspicion of what Egyptian authorities consider drug trafficking.
After being detained, Ms Plummer signed her name beneath a 38-page statement in Arabic, believing that she would then be able to leave. Since then, however, she has been held in jail.
She claimed she had “no idea” the drugs were banned in the country.
Her local member of parliament in the UK, Karl Turner, said her family described Ms Plummer as “very naïve”.
"Her father said to me 'look, the truth is she wouldn't know tramadol from a panadol. She wouldn't have a clue that she was doing something unlawful'," Mr Turner said.
Ms Plummer, a shop worker, met Mr Aziz four years ago and flew to Egypt four times a year to visit him.
Her father, Nevile Plummer, said his daughter's hair had started falling out due to stress.
“I don’t think she’s tough enough to survive it,” he said.
"They [her mother and sisters] say she’s unrecognisable”, he added. “When they've seen her, she’s like a zombie.”
Ms Plummer's mother, Roberta Sinclair, travelled to Egypt for the hearings.
There had been concerns that she could face up to 25 years in jail, or even the death penalty.
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Company%20Profile
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
EXPATS
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The biog
Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb
Age: 57
From: Kalba
Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge
Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
GRAN%20TURISMO
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Company%20Profile
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.