Russian Federation Considers New Security-Service Powers on Terrorism

Traveling from Russia to Sharm el-Sheikh or Hurghada via Minsk costs about twice as much as a previous direct flights from Moscow, but a few holidaymakers are apparently unwilling to give up vacations at the Egyptian resorts that are tremendously popular among Russians, the Kommersant newspaper reported Thursday.

But his handling of the Egypt plane crash appears to have drawn a more mixed reaction with one survey, conducted by the independent Levada pollster, showing that 73 percent of Russians thought he should have addressed the nation personally afterwards to offer his condolences.

The decree came out on the heels of officials declaring the downing of a Russian civilian airliner over Egypt’s Sinai peninsula on October 31 a terrorist act and a series of deadly attacks in Paris on November 13.

Masry al-Youm underscored the point with a cartoon showing a scoreline in Sharm el-Sheikh stadium: “America and England 1 – Russian Federation 0”.

“I can say that so far, what we got from the investigation didn’t trigger any action, technical action on our side, regarding the A-321 fleet”, said Fabrice Bregier, the European manufacturer’s chief executive officer. Last weekend, about 15,000 of those tourists were evacuated, and Gorin said he expected the rate of evacuations to increase this week.

Egypt’s tourism industry, vital to its economy, has already suffered from years of political instability and attacks claimed by jihadists.

No United Kingdom airlines are now operating from Sharm el-Sheikh and outbound flights have been cancelled until at least the end of the month. They are also ready to “provide with this aim the maximum support to the Russian president” in the implementation of his initiatives to build a broad antiterrorist coalition by “the capabilities of the Russian Federal Assembly at the legislative level, as well as by means of parliamentary diplomacy”.

The delegation, headed by the prime minister’s envoy on aviation security Sir William Patey, were sent to implement a joint plan towards reinstating flights between Britain and the Red Sea resort.