Egypt: Brits Told To Stay In Red Sea Hotels

British tourists in a Red Sea resort have been advised to stay within the grounds of their hotels due to ongoing unrest in Egypt.

The Foreign Office (FCO) issued the advice for the resort of Hurghada, where violent clashes erupted earlier in the week in an area away from the main tourist section.

Other Egyptian resorts popular with UK holidaymakers, including Sharm el Sheikh, are unaffected.

The FCO advice said: "In Hurghada on August 14 there were some violent clashes, in an area away from tourist resorts. One man was killed.

"Hurghada police advised tourists to remain in hotel grounds. We advise you to follow their advice. You are strongly advised to avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings

"If you become aware of any nearby protests, leave the area immediately. Do not attempt to cross road blocks erected by the security forces or protesters."

The FCO has also advised against all but essential travel to Egypt, except for the Red Sea resorts, where it said enhanced security measures were in place to protect tourists.

UK tour operators Thomson and First Choice have 11,769 British holidaymakers in Egypt, many of them in Sharm el Sheikh.

A spokeswoman for the two companies said: "We are working with the FCO and monitoring the situation closely in Egypt.

"The majority of our customers are in Sharm el Sheikh which is a considerable distance - indeed, an eight-hour drive - from Cairo. There have been no related incidents in Sharm el Sheikh or any of the other popular Red Sea tourist areas."

Thomson and First Choice operate to four Egyptian resorts - Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada, Taba and Marsa Alam.

Thomson Airways has three return flights to Sharm el Sheikh today and two to Hughada. On Saturday, it has four return flights to Sharm el Sheikh, and five return flights to Sharm el Sheikh on Sunday.

The Thomson and First Choice spokeswoman said normal booking conditions regarding cancellation of holidays still apply for the four Egyptian resorts.

In light of the FCO travel advice, Thomson Cruises has changed its itinerary for an Egypt & the Holy Land voyage on the Thomson Celebration vessel starting next Monday.

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt: Call For 'March Of Anger' As UN Meets

Key Events In Egypt Since 2011

Updated: 12:32pm UK, Thursday 15 August 2013

January 25 - February 11, 2011 - Egyptians stage nationwide demonstrations against nearly 30 years of President Hosni Mubarak's rule. Hundreds of protesters are killed as Mubarak and his allies try to crush the uprising.

February 11 - Mubarak steps down and the military takes over. The military dissolves parliament and suspends the constitution, meeting two key demands of protesters.

November 28, 2011 - February 15, 2012 - Egypt holds multistage, weeks-long parliamentary elections.

In the lawmaking lower house, the Muslim Brotherhood wins nearly half the seats, and ultraconservative Salafis take another quarter.

The remainder goes to liberal, independent and secular politicians. In the largely powerless upper house, Islamists take nearly 90% of the seats.

May 23 - 24, 2012 - The first round of voting in presidential elections has a field of 13 candidates.

The Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq, the last prime minister under Mubarak, emerge as the top two finishers, to face each other in a run-off.

June 14 - The Supreme Constitutional Court orders the dissolving of the lower house of parliament.

June 16 - 17 - Egyptians vote in the presidential run-off between Morsi and Shafiq. Morsi wins with 51.7% of the vote.

June 30 - Morsi takes his oath of office.

November 19 - Members of liberal parties and representatives of Egypt's churches withdraw from the 100-member assembly writing the constitution, protesting attempts by Islamists to impose their will.

November 22 - Morsi unilaterally decrees greater powers for himself, giving his decisions immunity from judicial review and barring the courts from dissolving the constituent assembly and the upper house of parliament. The move sparks days of protests.

November 30  - Islamists in the constituent assembly rush to complete the draft of the constitution. Morsi sets a December 15 date for a referendum.

December 4 - More than 100,000 protesters march on the presidential palace, demanding the cancellation of the referendum and the writing of a new constitution. The next day, Islamists attack an anti-Morsi sit-in, sparking street battles that leave at least 10 dead.

December 15, December 22 - In the two-round referendum, Egyptians approve the constitution, with 63.8% voting in favour. Turnout is low.

January 25, 2013 - Hundreds of thousands hold protests against Morsi on the two-year anniversary of the start of the revolt against Mubarak, and clashes erupt in many places.

February - March 2013 - Protests rage in Port Said and other cities for weeks, with dozens more dying in clashes.

April 7 - A Muslim mob attacks the main cathedral of the Coptic Orthodox Church as Christians hold a funeral and protest there over four Christians killed in sectarian violence the day before. Pope Tawadros II publicly blames Morsi for failing to protect the building.

June 23 - A mob beats to death four Egyptian Shi'ites in a village on the outskirts of Cairo.

June 30 - Millions of Egyptians demonstrate on Morsi's first anniversary in office, calling on him to step down. Eight people are killed in clashes outside the Muslim Brotherhood's Cairo headquarters.

July 1 - Huge demonstrations continue, and Egypt's powerful military gives the president and the opposition 48 hours to resolve their disputes, or it will impose its own solution.

July 2 - Military officials disclose main details of the army's plan if no agreement is reached: replacing Morsi with an interim administration, cancelling the Islamist-based constitution and calling elections in a year. Morsi delivers a late-night speech in which he pledges to defend his legitimacy and vows not to step down.

July 3 - Egypt's military chief announces that Morsi has been deposed, to be replaced by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court until new presidential elections. No time frame is given.

Muslim Brotherhood leaders are arrested. Tens of thousands of Morsi supporters remain camped out in two mass sit-ins in Cairo's streets.

July 4 - Supreme Constitutional Court Chief Justice Adly Mansour is sworn in as Egypt's interim president.

July 5 - Mansour dissolves the Islamist-dominated upper house of parliament as Morsi's supporters stage mass protests demanding his return. Clashes between pro and anti-Morsi groups in Cairo and Alexandria, and violence elsewhere leave at least 36 dead. A Brotherhood strongman, deputy head Khairat el-Shater, is arrested.

July 8 - Egyptian soldiers open fire on pro-Morsi demonstrators in front of a military base in Cairo, killing more than 50. Each side blames the other for starting the clash near the larger of the two sit-ins, near east Cairo's Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque.

Mansour puts forward a time line for amending the constitution and electing a new president and parliament by mid-February. The Brotherhood refuses to participate in the process.

July 9 - Mansour appoints economist Hazem el-Beblawi as prime minister and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei as vice president. A military announcement backs up the appointments.

July 26 - Millions pour onto the streets of Egypt after a call by the country's military chief for protesters to give him a mandate to stop "potential terrorism" by supporters of Morsi. Five people are killed in clashes.

Prosecutors announce Morsi is under investigation for a host of allegations including murder and conspiracy with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

July 27  - Security forces and armed men in civilian clothes clash with Morsi supporters outside the larger of the two major sit-ins in Cairo, killing at least 80 people.

July 30 - The EU's top diplomat Catherine Ashton holds a two-hour meeting with detained Morsi at an undisclosed location. She is one of a number of international envoys, including US Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, to visit Egypt to attempt to resolve the crisis.

August 7  - Egypt's presidency says that diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve the standoff between the country's military-backed interim leadership and the Muslim Brotherhood have failed.

August 11 - Egyptian security forces announce that they will besiege the two sit-ins within 24 hours to bar people from entering.

August 12 - Authorities postpone plans to take action against the camps, saying they want to avoid bloodshed after Morsi supporters reinforce the sit-ins with thousands more protesters.

August 14 - Riot police clear two sprawling encampments of supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, sparking running street battles that kill hundreds of people.

The presidency declares a month-long state of emergency across the nation as Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei resigns in protest over the assaults.

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sterilisation Case: Vasectomy Agreed By Court

A High Court judge has agreed to the sterilisation of a man because it is "in his best interests".

It is the first time a UK court has made such a decision.

Referred to as "DE", the 36-year-old has learning difficulties and already has a young son with his girlfriend.

The judge said that a vasectomy could take place after hearing that DE does not want to become a father again, and another child could cause him "psychological harm".

Experts said that DE was capable of consenting to sexual relationships but could not properly make decisions about contraception.

They said he could not be relied on to use condoms or other birth control methods effectively.

The case came to court because of evidence that DE lacks the capacity to decide whether or not to agree to the sterilisation.

A routine was in place to stop the man meeting his girlfriend without supervision to "keep them safe", the court was told.

It is hoped the vasectomy will give the man greater independence.

More follows...

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tributes For Sky Cameraman Killed In Cairo

The Chief Executive of BSkyB has paid tribute to Sky News cameraman Mick Deane, who was shot dead while covering unrest on the streets of Egypt.

Jeremy Darroch expressed his "deepest sympathy" to the 61-year-old's family, adding that the cameraman's death is a reminder of "the bravery and commitment that journalists often show each and every day."

"Like everyone at Sky I was extremely saddened to hear that our colleague Mick Deane had been killed covering the unrest in Cairo," Mr Darroch said.

"Our deepest sympathy and thoughts go to Mick's family in obviously what is a very, very difficult time. We'll be doing whatever we can to help them and Mick's colleagues in the Sky News team.

"Sky News and other news organisations throughout the world play a vital role in bringing information and insight to us all, and in showing the truth in events that occur throughout the world.

"But the tragic events and Mick's death I think also remind us that this is often dangerous work, and of the bravery and commitment that journalists show often each and every day in their search for the truth."

Mick Dean has been described as an inspiring mentor

The married father of two was part of a Sky News team covering the ongoing violence in Cairo. The rest of the news team was unhurt.

Mr Deane had worked for Sky for 15 years, based in Washington and then Jerusalem.

The Head of Sky News, John Ryley, described Mr Deane as the very best of cameramen, a brilliant journalist and an inspiring mentor to many.

"Mick Deane was a really lovely, lovely guy. He was great fun to work with; he was an astonishingly good cameraman who took some brilliant pictures.

"But he also had a first class editorial brain. He had brilliant ideas. He was also good fun after the job was done. He was laid back, and I'm really going to miss him, like lots of people here."

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall called Mr Deane "a friend, brave as a lion but what a heart... what a human being".

He added: "Micky was humorous in a dry way, he was wise and when you're on the road with small teams, people like that are diamonds to be with.

"Our hearts go out to his family. He died doing what he'd done so brilliantly for decades."

 Prime Minister David Cameron said: "I want to say how sorry I am about the death of Mick Deane.

"It is an incredibly brave and important job he was doing. It is essential that cameramen are in places like Egypt because otherwise none of us would know what is happening.

"But obviously our thoughts should be with his family and friends at this very, very difficult time for them."

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

'James Bond' Skydiver Dies In Alps Accident

The British skydiver who parachuted into the 2012 Olympic Stadium dressed as James Bond has been killed in an accident.

Mark Sutton, 41, died yesterday after crashing into a mountain near Martigny in the Swiss Alps.

He had been invited to take part in an event with 19 other wingsuit pilots, which involved being filmed jumping from helicopters.

Wingsuits are special jump suits which increase the surface area of the body and act like a parachute wing, allowing users to glide through the air at high speeds.

The ridge in the Valais canton where Mr Sutton crashed

Mr Sutton had been practising a dangerous discipline in the sport known as terrain flying, which involves flying in close proximity to cliffs and mountains.

The accident happened on the first day of the thee-day event in the Valais canton, near the French border. Rescuers believe Mr Sutton died on impact, though the exact cause of the accident is not yet clear. Swiss police are still trying establish how the accident happened.

Five days ago he posted an update to his Facebook profile: "The sun comes out for a beautiful day in Chamonix, two base wingsuit flights from Brevent then a spectacular paraglide with Mont Blanc and the glaciers glistening in the background."

Mark was one of the world's most accomplished wingsuit pilots

Mr Sutton took part in one of the most memorable sequences of the Olympics opening ceremony when, dressed as James Bond, he parachuted into the stadium alongside Gary Connery, who was dressed as the Queen.

He doubled for actor Daniel Craig for a section of the London Games curtain-raiser which saw the spy jump alongside the Queen with Union flag-emblazoned parachutes after flying to Stratford by helicopter from Buckingham Palace.

He was also co-pilot and teammate during Mr Connery's successful attempt to become the first person in the world to safely land a wingsuit without a parachute.

One billion people watched Mr Sutton parachute into the Olympic stadium

Speaking to Sky News after the event he said: "It was an incredible day. It all felt very 'British' - the enormity of it was only apparent when Gary flew it into the boxes, that everyone had just witnessed a 'World's First'."

After hearing news of the accident, Mr Connery posted the following message on Twitter: "All you jumpers/flyers out there, stay safe, make wise choices and know your limits and your locations live to tell your stories. One love."

Mr Connery said Mark was smart, articulate and funny. "In any sport where you share a common bond you can make friends in a heartbeat that last a lifetime," he said, adding: "My relationship with Mark was like that."

Mr Sutton's death was the thirteenth known wingsuit fatality this year.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt's Brotherhood Defiant After '525 Killed'

The Muslim Brotherhood has pledged to "bring down Egypt's military coup" using peaceful means - as the number of people killed in clashes rose to at least 525.

The group, which backs ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, plans to stage a march in Cairo this afternoon to protest against the deaths.

A month-long state of emergency has been declared in the country following the violence that began when security forces stormed the Cairo camps set up in support of Mr Morsi.

Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El Haddad wrote on his Twitter page: "We will always be non-violent and peaceful. We remain strong, defiant and resolved.

A burnt-out mosque in Cairo following the violence

"We will push (forward) until we bring down this military coup."

A spokesman for Egypt's health ministry told the Associated Press that the number of dead had reached 525 - which the interior ministry has said includes 43 police officers.

Hundreds more have been injured. The Muslim Brotherhood claims more than 2,500 died.

Those killed included Sky cameraman Mick Deane, who was part of our team covering the unrest. He was shot on Wednesday morning.

Officials said 84 people, including Muslim Brotherhood members, have been referred to military prosecutors on charges of murder and burning churches.

The US was among a number of countries to have condemned the violence, while both the UK and France summoned their respective Egyptian ambassadors to voice their concern.

The clashes spread from the capital to other parts of the country, including the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. A curfew from 7pm to 6am was declared in Cairo and 13 other provinces.

Sky cameraman Mick Deane was killed in the violence

Hazem Al Beblawi, Egypt's Prime Minister, said he remained committed to the democratic process under a civilian state.

But he justified the use of force saying that Morsi loyalists had been sowing chaos around the country, "terrorising citizens, attacking public and private property".

"The state had to intervene to restore security and peace for Egyptians," he said. "No democratic country would impose an emergency state unless it is absolutely necessary."

US Secretary of State John Kerry called the events "deplorable".

"Violence will not create a roadmap for Egypt's future. Violence only impedes the transition," he said.

He added that the promise of the 2011 revolution has not yet been fully realised.

Egypt's vice president, Mohamed ElBaradei, announced his resignation following the violence.

"It has become too difficult to continue bearing responsibility for decisions I do not agree with and whose consequences I fear," he said.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley was reporting earlier from inside the Rabaa al Adawiya camp.

Describing the fighting he said: "I have covered many wars and this is as severe a battlefield as I have witnessed, with the exception of scenes in Rwanda.

"There are dozens and dozens of people who have been shot in the head, neck and upper body."

The unrest spread beyond the capital, as supporters of Mr Morsi clashed with police in the Nile Delta cities of Minya and Assiut, as police stations, government buildings and churches were attacked or set ablaze.

In Alexandria, tear gas canisters rained down on a pro-Morsi march in the Sharq neighbourhood, amid repeated bursts of automatic gunfire.

Residents armed with clubs came out of their homes and shops to help the police, detaining Morsi supporters and handing them over to officers at the Sharq police station.

Morsi supporters, carrying Egyptian flags and pictures of the deposed leader, then clashed with his opponents on a road carpeted with rocks.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Peru Drugs Bust: Pair's 'Families Threatened'

Two women who say they were ordered at gunpoint to smuggle £1.5m worth of cocaine out of Peru claim their families were threatened too.

Melissa Reid, 19, from Kirkintilloch in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, and Michaella McCollum Connolly, 20, from Dungannon in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, are being held in Lima after 11kg (24.2lbs) of cocaine was found in their luggage.

The pair, who deny drug trafficking allegations, were arrested while trying to board a flight from the Peruvian capital to Spain last week.

They were due to appear in court later, but the hearing has been put back until next week because they have still not seen an interpreter.

McCollum Connolly is a former nightclub hostess

They claim they were forced to carry the bags at gunpoint by Colombian gangsters and were unaware they contained narcotics.

Reid has insisted they were not smuggling for financial gain but to save their lives.

She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "We were given no option. If we didn't do as we were told we would be dead. We were not smuggling for money, we were smuggling for our lives.

"We have no doubt they would have killed us both without hesitation if we didn't do as we were told.

"Ever since I was arrested I have played out what has happened in my mind over and over again, asking myself how could we have gotten out of it. But each time I think it wasn't even an option.

"We both had loaded guns put to our heads. They were more than prepared to use them. If we didn't do it we were told we would die."

An official weighs and tests the drugs hidden inside food packets

The paper's US editor Chris Buckton told Sky News: "They also said that the safety of their families was in jeopardy as well, threats were made to them.

"Melissa was actually told details of her own family, she says, given names of her parents and also their friends. They made it clear they knew where their parents lived."

The women say they were befriended by a man in London, who put them in the hands of South Americans before they were taken to safe houses in Madrid, Ibiza and Majorca.

Reid was the first to be sent to Lima, on August 1, where she was joined by photography student and former nightclub hostess McCollum Connolly a day later.

They are said to be frustrated at the way the investigation is being carried out.

"They have cried themselves to sleep several times," said Mr Buckton.

Reid is due to spend her 20th birthday on Friday in prison

Both are being held at the same jail but in separate cells, McCollum Connolly by herself and Reid in a shared cell where she will mark her 20th birthday on Friday.

"They are very resolute - determined to get themselves back to the UK ... but they are also very aware of what they could face," added Mr Buckton.

Relatives of both women have spoken of the anguish of their ordeal.

McCollum Connolly's lawyer said her family were confident she will be cleared of any wrongdoing.

The family are making arrangements to travel to Peru and are also arranging legal representation.

Reid's father William has said he believes his daughter was "groomed".

If convicted the women could face lengthy sentences in an overcrowded Peruvian prison where they will have to pay for everything including food and bedding.

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Egypt: 'Hundreds Die' In Raids On Morsi Camps

Hundreds of people have reportedly been shot dead by Egyptian security forces who tried to clear two protest camps loyal to deposed president Mohamed Morsi.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sam Kiley, reporting from inside the Rabaa al Adawiya camp in Cairo, said it was "under very heavy gunfire" and was a "massive military assault on largely unarmed civilians in very large numbers".

He said government forces were using machine guns, snipers, M16s, AK-47s and were firing into the crowd.

Kiley added: "There are machine gun rounds, and snipers on the roof, that are preventing people from getting any closer to the field hospital (in the camp).

"I haven't seen any evidence yet of any weapons on the side of the pro-Morsi camp. The camp is very full of women and children."

He said it was a scene of "extreme chaos and bloodshed" and "many hundreds of troops and interior ministry police and special forces are involved".

"The dead and dying are on the steps of this improvised field hospital. The scenes here are absolutely graphic.

"I have covered many wars and this is as severe a battlefield as I have witnessed, with the exception of scenes in Rwanda. There are dozens and dozens of people who have been shot in the head, neck and upper body."

Security forces and a bulldozer at one of the camps in Cairo

He also said the violence was not a crowd-clearing operation.

Meanwhile, Egyptian authorities have released video footage taken from a helicopter which it said showed gunmen in the camp firing at security forces.

The unrest spread beyond the capital, as pro-Morsi supporters clashed with police in the Nile Delta cities of Minya and Assiut.

Earlier, police in Cairo backed by armoured vehicles and bulldozers also fired tear gas at the demonstrators who are demanding Mr Morsi be reinstated as the country's leader.

The interior ministry, which is in charge of police, warned its security forces would deal firmly with protesters acting "irresponsibly" and said it would guarantee safe passage to those who want to leave the two sites.

The larger is the Rabaa al Adawiya camp described as a 'mini town' in Nasr City, while the other is in Al Nahda Square outside the main campus of Cairo University in Giza.

A medic tends to a child at the scene

The interior ministry later said security forces had "total control" over the smaller camp and police have managed to remove most of the tents in the square.

The Muslim Brotherhood that backs ousted Islamist president Mr Morsi claimed over 250 people had been killed and 5,000 hurt in the crackdown, which is almost certain to deepen political turmoil in Egypt.

It urged Egyptians to take to the streets in their thousands to denounce the "massacre".

"This is not an attempt to disperse, but a bloody attempt to crush all voices of opposition to the military coup," Brotherhood spokesman Gehad al Haddad said on Twitter.

The Rabaa al Adawiya protest camp, where several Brotherhood leaders are staying, "is calling on Egyptians to take to the streets to stop the massacre," Haddad said.

At least three members of the security forces were confirmed to have died in the crackdown, while the health ministry said nine protesters were killed and over 80 were injured.

Raids on the Rabaa al Adawiya and Nahda Square camp

The raids came after international efforts failed to mediate an end to a six-week political standoff between Morsi's supporters and the army-backed government which took power after he was ousted on July 3.

Regional television networks showed images of collapsed tents and burning tyres at both sites, as well as protesters being arrested and led away by troops.

A television feed by a pro-Morsi TV station showed thousands of protesters gathered at the centre of the Nasr City site, with many covering their faces to fend off the tear gas.

It said most of the protesters at the other camp fled to the nearby Orman botanical gardens and inside the sprawling university campus.

The Foreign Office said: "We are deeply concerned by reports from Cairo... and urge for dialogue and a peaceful resolution.

"As the Foreign Secretary said in his statement on 27 July, now is the time for dialogue, not confrontation.

"We have updated our travel advice advising people to stay away from demonstrations and large gatherings of people."

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Live Updates: Many Dead In Egypt Clashes

This website uses cookies. Cookies remember you so we can give you a better service online. By using this website or closing this message you are agreeing to our cookies notice. Cookies FAQs.

x

12:18pm UK, Wednesday 14 August 2013

Egyptian police disperse supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi

18.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Peru Drugs Bust: Pair Appear In Police Video

A video has emerged of a British and an Irish woman speaking to police shortly after they were arrested on suspicion of cocaine-smuggling in Peru.

The footage shows the two women answering questions shortly after they were held at an airport near the capital, Lima, last week.

Melissa Reid, 19, and Michaella McCollum Connolly, 20, protested their innocence after police found 11kg (24.2lbs) of cocaine worth £1.5m in their luggage.

An official weighs and tests the drugs allegedly carried by the two women

The police footage also shows an officer examining a row of food bags, in which the drug was allegedly hidden.

Police accused the two of acting as "drug mules" to carry the contraband back to Europe.

Reid, from Lenzie near Glasgow, told officers: "I was forced to take these bags in my luggage."

The two tourists were arrested at the airport near Lima

Asked if she knew the bags contained drugs, Reid replied: "I did not know that."

The pair both confirmed they had travelled to the South American country from Spain, and then on a Peruvian domestic flight to Cuzco.

They reportedly stayed four days in Cuzco, which is 350-miles south east of Lima, before returning to the capital.

Michaella McCollum Connolly was known to be working as a hostess in Ibiza

Both women were detained the following day at Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport.

Peruvian police said the two had been held and their luggage examined after a sniffer dog detected drugs at the Air Europa check-in counter.

Reid was allegedly carrying 18 foil packets containing 5.78kg of cocaine while McCollum Connolly was accused of carrying 5.81kg of the drug in 16 bags.

Peru's capital Lima is on the Pacific Ocean coast of South America

They pair said they were planning to travel to Madrid and then to the Mediterranean island of Majorca.

They had apparently spent several weeks before the Peru trip living in Ibiza.

Reid had posted dozens of Facebook photos of her time on the island, however her profile had not been updated since late July.

Coca leaf is grown in remote areas of Peru for cocaine production

Belfast-born McCollum Connolly, who refers to herself as just Michaella McCollum in the video, had reportedly been looking for work as a nightclub dancer and hostess in Ibiza.

The apparent disappearance from Ibiza of McCollum Connolly had sparked an online campaign back home, backed by a number of Irish sports stars, to establish her whereabouts.

McCollum Connolly was travelling on an Irish passport.

A representative for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin confirmed she was no longer considered missing and that consular assistance was being provided to her family.

Leftist guerrillas have funded their insurgency through the cocaine trade

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is offering assistance to Reid while she is in custody.

The FCO said in a statement: "We can confirm the arrest of a British national in Peru on August 7. We are providing consular assistance."

Drug experts say Peru has almost certainly supplanted Colombia as the world's leading cocaine-producing country and the trade is used to fund a violent leftist insurgency.

The pair had lived in Ibiza and were returning to Majorca

:: On Monday, two bodies of suspected Shining Path rebel leaders were taken to Lima for DNA testing, after the pair died in a shootout with security forces a day earlier.

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More