Egypt's former president dies in Court 17/06/2019 CAIRO: Former Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi died on Monday in a Cairo hospital after fainting during a session in court, judicial and security sources said. “He was speaking before the judge for 20 minutes then became very animated and fainted. He was quickly rushed to the hospital where he later died,” a judicial source said. The official Al Ahram news website also reported the death of Mursi, 67, who was Egypt’s first democratically elected president but spent just one turbulent year in office after the 2011 uprising before the army toppled him in 2013. Mursi’s turbulent rule was marked by deep divisions in Egyptian society, a crippling economic crisis and often-deadly opposition protests.  Red Cross (ICRC) President Peter Maurer with Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah ICRC hails "promising talks" with Kuwait 17/06/2019 GENEVA-- The International Committee of the Red Cross' (ICRC) recent talks with Kuwait yielded "promising results", its president Peter Maurer said on Monday. "We exchanged views on humanitarian issues concerning the region and examined plans for more cooperation with Kuwait," Maurer told KUNA after the latest round of talks. He said ICRC representatives listened intently as Kuwaiti officials explained the country's strategy to deal with humanitarian crises gripping the region, citing a recent Kuwaiti-proposed draft UN resolution over the matter of missing persons at times of armed conflict. Kuwait's relationship with the ICRC dates back more than three decades, said the head of the Gulf state's delegation to the talks Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah, who serves as the assistant foreign minister for the affairs of the deputy prime minister and foreign minister's office. Kuwait continues to cooperate with the ICRC over a myriad of issues including protecting civilians at times of armed conflict and tracking the whereabouts of missing persons, the diplomat added. Echoing the ICRC president's remarks, Kuwait's permanent delegate to the UN Jamal Al-Ghunaim pinned hopes on the talks, saying a roadmap has been set on how to address humanitarian issues. The primary goal for these talks is to come up with new solutions to humanitarian crises around the world, with much emphasis placed on the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, besides other countries, he explained.  Eng. Naghma Al-Othman Kuwaiti-Italian alliance from the 'Heart of Culture' 17/06/2019 VENICE-- 'Heart of Culture' exhibition and art gallery, held in Venice by Kuwait's Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Center (ASCC), is seen as a launch pad for alliance with Italy, said ASCC's Naghma Al-Othman on Monday. This innovative initiative comes in translation to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's support of Kuwaiti artists, as well as turning ASCC into a global cultural beacon, Al-Othman told KUNA. Her remarks came on the occasion of launching the Kuwaiti art gallery, themed "I have a dream that I'm in Kuwait," which will span across the time of Venice Biennale until November to allow the largest possible number of visitors, including academics, critics, media people and intellectuals from different parts of the world. The first phase of the exhibition, which runs until August, includes the artworks of Zahra Marwan, Amani Al-Thuwaini and Mahmoud Shaker. While the second, held between September and November, will be allocated to Ahmad Moqim, Khaled Al-Najdi and Nasser Behbehani.  Lebanese Army Commander: Terrorism Takes Advantage of Dormant Cells to Spread Hatred 17 Jun 2019 Lebanon - Lebanese Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, on Monday toured Fouad Chehab Academy for the Army Command and Staff. “Terrorism seeks to seize the opportunity, through some dormant cells, to spread hatred in society,” General Aoun warmed, noting that the mobilization and progress of the Army’s Intelligence Directorate has enabled it to thwart terrorist acts. “The army is facing an unfamiliar terrorist foe hidden among the population today; the complexities are numerous and imprecise,” Aoun added. 
GHARIB Talks Refugee Dossier With Australian Ambassador, Norwegian Council Representative 17 Jun 2019 Lebanon - Minister of State for Displaced Affairs Saleh Al-Gharib on Monday received in his office at the Ministry the Australian Ambassador to Lebanon, Rebecca Grindley, and the Representative of the Norwegian Refugee Council in Lebanon, Kate Norton. Talks reportedly touched on the dossier related to the return of Syrian refugees to their country. Minister Al-Gharib reiterated that the plan of the Ministry of State for Displaced Affairs, which he intends to present to the Council of Ministers at the earliest opportunity, is based on the application of Lebanese laws and away from racism.  GHOSN'S Wife Urges Trump to Help Her Husband 17 Jun 2019 Lebanon - The wife of former Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn urged U.S. President Donald Trump to raise her husband's case with Japan's prime minister at a summit of world leaders later this month. "I'd like President Trump to speak to Prime Minister Abe about fair conditions, fair trial conditions and to let me speak to my husband and also to respect this presumption of innocence until proven guilty," Beirut-born Carole Ghosn, who has a U.S. passport, told the BBC. Shinzo Abe is due to host other leaders of the Group of 20 economies in the Japanese city of Osaka on June 28-29. Carole Ghosn said she had not spoken to her husband since he was re-arrested on April 4 before being released on bail three weeks later. "They told him one of the bail conditions, the restrictions, is he isn't allowed to speak to me or talk to me, which I find inhumane," she said. "All of this could have been dealt with internally within the company. This didn't need to go this far and on top of it my husband is innocent and time will prove the truth."--Reuters  ZAKKA Visits Bassil, Gives Lebanese State Credit for his Release 17 Jun 2019 Lebanon - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Gebran Bassil, on Monday welcomed, Nizar Zakka, who has been recently released from Iran. Zakka thanked President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, and Director General of Lebanon’s General Security, General Abbas Ibrahim, for their united efforts to bring him back to his family and loved ones at home. He also thanked the Lebanese Embassy in Iran. “The credit of my release goes back to the Lebanese state, which has proven to be a strong force that reserves the right of every Lebanese," he said, hoping that "every oppressed Lebanese will be able to return to his country regardless of his sect.” Asked if he would settle in Lebanon, Zakka said, “The most important thing is to overcome my fear of traveling on the plane." He did not deny the possibility of writing a book about his detention in Iran.  Information Branch Arrests Two Daesh Members Planning to Target Religious Sites 17 Jun 2019 Lebanon - The Internal Security Forces' Information Branch has managed to arrest two Daesh members who were planning to attack religious sites in the south. In a communiqué on Monday, the ISF indicated that Z.M., a Syrian living in the southern town of Yater, had been actively promoting terrorist beliefs through social media and managed to recruit another Syrian, identified as S.B. Both were planning to stage attacks on religious sites in the south.  NSW Govt to announce surpluses of more than $1 billion 18/06/2019 The NSW Government is expected to announce surpluses of more than $1 billion on average over the next four years, when it hands down its budget on Tuesday. There are also set to be record spends on infrastructure and education, but large cuts to the public service. NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet says he will not be raising taxes, so there will have to be cuts to public service jobs. Mr Perrottet says the purge to back-office jobs is expected to be the largest since Barry O’Farrell was elected Premier in 2011. 
Paramedics took three hours to reach London Bridge terror victims: inquest 18/06/2019 The inquest into the London Bridge terror attack has heard it took three-hours for paramedics to reach some victims. An ambulance service director has told the inquest there were delays due to chaos at the scene. Eight people were killed and 45 others were injured when three men deliberately drove a van into pedestrians and stabbed several by-standers on June 3, 2017.  Unions threaten to withdraw millions from the ALP 18/06/2019 Left-wing unions are threatening to withdraw millions of dollars in financial support for the ALP in the wake of calls for CFMMEU secretary John Setka to resign. The Victorian ETU secretary said the union state council would meet next month to consider cutting donations to the party. Labor leader Anthony Albanese declared his move to have Mr Setka expelled from the party was based on 'his long history of bringing the Labor Party into disrepute'. Left-wing leaders in Victoria are supporting the union boss, saying he deserves a fair trial.  Hanson says she will not support govt's tax plan 17/06/2019 Pauline Hanson says no-one from the government has spoken to her to drum up support for its income tax cut plan. The One Nation leader says she is not backing the tax cut plan, and is instead wanting to see increased infrastructure spending. Instead of negotiating with the crossbench, the government is trying to win the support of Labor in order to pass the full suite of its tax cut package when Parliament resumes early next month. |
