Tag Archives: entertainment
Egypt’s Mubarak leaves jail for house arrest
Egypt’s Mubarak leaves jail for house arrest (AFP) / 23 August 2013 Egypt’s toppled dictator Hosni Mubarak was transferred from prison to house arrest at a military hospital on Thursday, in a move overshadowed by a blistering crackdown against his Islamist successors. The former strongman, forced to quit in early 2011, was flown by medical helicopter to a military hospital, where he will remain under house arrest as he stands trial on corruption and murder charges. His ouster in 2011 was a pivotal moment in regional democratic upheavals that in Egypt led to an Islamist government, which lasted a year before a popularly backed military coup last month. In other circumstances, the 85-year-old’s removal from prison might have caused shockwaves. But with Egypt mired in a deadly conflict between the military-installed government and Islamists, Mubarak’s transfer took place amid little fanfare or protest. He was ordered released after his lawyer argued Mubarak’s stay in prison had exceeded the maximum pre-verdict detention, and Mubarak made financial amends for one of his charges. He still faces trial for corruption and his role in the deaths of protesters during the uprising that toppled him, with his next hearing on Sunday. Prime minister Hazem Al Beblawi, empowered with the authority to order arrests under the current state of emergency, ordered Mubarak to be placed under house arrest after release from jail. Mubarak chose to be held at the military hospital, the official MENA news agency reported. The decision to grant Mubarak pre-trial release added a volatile new element to the political turmoil that has gripped Egypt since the army ousted president Mohammed Mursi on July 3 following massive protests against him. More than 1,000 people have been killed in the past week in violence following the forcible break-up of two pro-Mursi camps in the capital. Authorities have arrested dozens of members of Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood, including its supreme guide Mohamed Badie — the first time the group’s chief has been arrested since 1981. Mursi himself is being held at a secret location and faces charges related to his 2011 escape from prison and inciting the death and torture of protesters. The juxtaposition between the fates of the two ousted presidents, Mubarak and Mursi, is notable, analyst Hisham Kassem said. Mubarak “committed numerous crimes… against the country, but managed to hide the evidence, particularly as all the state’s institutions were working for him at the time he was overthrown.” “The opposite is true for Mursi, who was thrown in prison while all the state’s apparatus were against him.” Arrests of Brotherhood leaders continued, with authorities detaining Ahmed Aref, a spokesman for the group, in Cairo. On Thursday, Human Rights Watch condemned the government for failing to protect churches, but also the Brotherhood for failing to halt incitement against Christians. Violence has also targeted police and soldiers, including two who were killed in a drive-by shooting near the Suez Canal town of Ismailia on Thursday. The unrest has prompted international criticism, and EU foreign ministers agreed at an emergency meeting on Wednesday to suspend the sale of arms and security equipment to Cairo in response to the mounting violence. They issued a statement calling recent security operations “disproportionate”, while also condemning “acts of terrorism” in the Sinai and the church attacks. But they expressed concern over the economic situation and said “assistance in the socio-economic sector and to civil society will continue”. The United States has also criticised the violence, as well as Badie’s arrest, and announced the cancellation of joint military exercises. But it has stopped short of halting its $1.3 billion annual defence aid package to Egypt, and denied reports it was withholding aid. Oil-rich Saudi Arabia, which backs the army-installed interim government, has said it would step in with other Arab nations to fill any funding gap if Washington halts aid. Meanwhile, a Hamas official said Egypt is set to reopen the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip daily from Saturday after closing it in the wake of last week’s bloodshed. Continue reading
4.2 kg opium seized from transit parcel
4.2 kg opium seized from transit parcel Ahmed Shaaban / 23 August 2013 The Dubai Customs recently foiled an attempt to smuggle 4.2kg of opium, worth over Dh50,000 in the black market now, at Dubai Cargo Village. The contraband, hidden in five small handbags shipped in a postal parcel, was seized in transit while heading from an Asian country to a Western one through Dubai in an operation codenamed ‘Flying Opium Bags’. Saeed Ahmed Al Tayer, Director of Air Customs Centres Management at Dubai Customs, said the parcel included personal items, such as small handbags, as per the customs declaration. The customs inspectors suspected the parcel’s contents during routine clearance procedures, and referred it to the X-ray machine for scanning. The scanned image showed that the five handbags were stuffed with drugs. The K9 dog squad was brought to the scene. The dogs checked the bags and reacted positively. The Customs Mobile Laboratory was also called to take a sample from the contraband for examination. It reported that the substance found was narcotic opium. “The seized opium and investigation report were referred to the Anti-Narcotic Department of Dubai Police for necessary legal action.” Al Tayer said the Dubai Customs spared no effort in supporting international legitimate trade and controlling transportation of internationally prohibited and restricted goods which deemed harmful to the health of people whether infiltrated into the local markets or intended to transport overseas via Dubai. “Medical reports show that opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy that contains up to 12 per cent morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade.” Earlier this year, Dubai Customs seized over 12kg of opium, worth Dh300,000 as per the black market price then, at Dubai Cargo Village. In February, March and October 2012, Dubai Customs thwarted three separate attempts to smuggle 22kg of opium, worth over Dh550,000, in handbag shipments at the Cargo Village. “The Dubai Customs foiled 55 bids to smuggle different kinds of narcotics in 2010. Those included four bids to smuggle 12kg of opium valued at over Dh300,000,” he said. ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
UN chief calls for swift probe of attack in Syria
UN chief calls for swift probe of attack in Syria (AP) / 23 August 2013 Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called on the Syrian government to allow a UN team now in Damascus to swiftly investigate an alleged chemical weapon attack outside the capital that killed at least 100 people. UN deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey said Ban remains “deeply troubled” by the alleged attack on the eastern suburbs of Damascus on Wednesday and believe it needs to be investigated “without delay.” Syrian anti-government activists accused President Bashar Assad’s regime of carrying out an attack using toxic gas and have reported death tolls ranging from 136 to 1,300. Even the lowest figure would make it the deadliest alleged chemical attack in Syria’s 2 1/2-year civil war. The government has denied that it used chemical weapons, calling the allegations “absolutely baseless.” Del Buey said the secretary-general “takes positive note” of the UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday that backed his initial call for “a thorough, impartial and prompt investigation.” He said the secretary-general has been in touch with world leaders since Wednesday and is sending UN disarmament chief Angela Kane to Damascus to press for a UN investigation. Under the terms of an agreement with Syria negotiated by Kane and chief weapons inspector Ake Sellstrom in July, the UN team can investigate three previous incidents of alleged chemical weapons use. A new agreement would need to be negotiated for the 20-member team to be able to go to the Damascus suburb of Ghouta. The UN team is scheduled to investigate an alleged chemical weapons attack that happened March 19 on the village of Khan Al Assal outside the city of Aleppo, which was captured by the rebels last month. The government and rebels blame each other for the attack. The sites of the two other incidents to be investigated are being kept secret for security reasons. More than 35 countries signed a letter to the secretary-general Wednesday requesting the UN experts to launch “an urgent investigation … as expeditiously as possible” into Wednesday’s incident as well. Del Buey said the secretary-general is sending a formal request to the Syrian government to grant permission and access to the Ghouta area to the UN chemical weapons experts. “He expects to receive a positive response without delay,” del Buey said. UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, who briefed the Security Council on Wednesday, expressed hope that the Syrian government will give the team access to the site as soon as possible, though he cautioned that because of fighting “the security situation right now does not allow such access.” “This represents, no matter what conclusions are, a serious escalation with grave humanitarian consequences and human consequences,” Eliasson stressed. The secretary-general reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of hostilities so that humanitarian assistance can be urgently delivered to the area of the latest incident, del Buey said. Continue reading
