ALEXANDRIA, Egypt // Protesters set fire to the governorate building in the centre of Alexandria yesterday.
Smoke billowed over the governorate in the northern port city as the building burned after clashes between police and protesters. Several protesters also broke into the compound of a police station in another central district.
Anger brewing since demonstrations began on Tuesday boiled over with a crowd of people shouting for President Hosni Mubarak to stand down as they flooded out of a central mosque.
"We don't want him," the chanted, as police used rubber bullets and fired tear gas to disperse the protesters who fled into side streets, regrouping later in several parts of Egypt's second-largest city.
Infuriated demonstrators overwhelmed police in several locations, taking over riot trucks and setting them on fire.
"This is the first time I have ever joined a demonstration," said Abdo, a glass fitter from Alexandria. "I can't get married, I can't buy an apartment. Everything is expensive and the wages are low."
Along the beach hundreds of angry young people marched down the corniche, shouting the protests' signature chant: "The people want the ouster of the regime."
Until Tuesday, most demonstrations in Egypt have been reserved for seasoned political activists.
"This is the first time I am attending a protest. I'm fed up. I'm sick of Hosni," said Osama Abdel Wadud, 31, who works in a petrol station.
"We are oppressed," said Aziza, whose face was covered in a black veil. "The youth have nowhere to go, nothing to do."
Others called for calm, urging protesters to keep it "Peaceful, peaceful..."
The streets were littered with rocks thrown by protesters in response to the firing of tear gas.
"We want our freedom," said Mustafa Sayed, 28, who earns 750 Egyptian pounds (Dh470) a month.
From the windows of seafront buildings, onlookers cheered on the demonstrators.
One hotel owner threw bottles of water down to the protesters, as clashes continued in the side streets in a game of cat and mouse between demonstrators and police.
* Agence France-Presse
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US households add $601bn of debt in 2019
American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.
Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.
In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.
The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.
"Younger borrowers, who are disproportionately likely to have credit cards and student loans as their primary form of debt, struggle more than others with on-time repayment," New York Fed researchers said.
Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
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