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Egyptian court sentences 529 Mursi supporters to death
Egyptian court sentences 529 Mursi supporters to death (Reuters) / 25 March 2014 Most of the defendants were detained and charged with carrying out attacks during clashes which erupted in the southern province of Minya after the forced dispersal of protest camps on August 14. An Egyptian court sentenced 529 members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood to death for murder and other offences on Monday. Family members stood outside the courthouse screaming after the verdict — the biggest mass death sentence handed out in Egypt’s modern history, defence lawyers said. State television reported the sentences without comment. A government spokesman did not immediately respond to calls. Several government officials said they could not comment on judicial matters. Most of the defendants at Monday’s hearing were detained and charged with carrying out attacks during clashes which erupted in the southern province of Minya after the forced dispersal of two Muslim Brotherhood protest camps in Cairo on August 14. Militants have also stepped up assaults on the police and army since Mursi’s ouster, killing hundreds and carrying out high profile operations against senior interior ministry officials. “The court has decided to sentence to death 529 defendants, and 16 were acquitted,” defence lawyer Ahmed El Sharif said. The condemned men can appeal against the ruling. The charges against the group, on trial in Minya since Saturday, include violence, inciting murder, storming a police station, attacking persons and damaging public and private property. “This is the quickest case and the number sentenced to death is the largest in the history of the judiciary,” said lawyer Nabil Abdel Salam, who defends some Brotherhood leaders including Mursi. On Tuesday, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide, Mohamed Badie, and 682 others will face trial on charges of incitement to kill. Only 123 of the defendants were in court. The rest were either released, out on bail or on the run. The government has declared the Brotherhood a “terrorist” group. Mursi, Mubarak’s successor as president, and other top Brotherhood leaders are on trial on a range of charges and accuse the military of staging a coup and undermining democracy. The army says it was acting on behalf of the Egyptian people, who took to the streets in their millions to call for Mursi’s resignation. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
DM wants to wipe out ‘dirty’ buildings before Expo
DM wants to wipe out ‘dirty’ buildings before Expo 2020 Staff Reporter / 25 March 2014 Building Department of the Dubai Municipality intensifies inspections, urges owners to beautify/repair structures. Dusty and dull-looking buildings in Dubai are likely to be a thing of the past soon as owners are being asked to go for a makeover in a new campaign aimed at beautifying the emirate in the run-up to Expo 2020. New or old buildings located along the Metro lines and on key roads are mainly targeted in the beautification drive launched by the Building Department of the Dubai Municipality. The department has intensified inspections of buildings to check whether they are up to the mark according to Dubai’s global status as part of efforts to maintain the aesthetic beauty and positive image of the city, and in preparation for the upcoming Expo 2020, the civic body said on Monday. Khalid Mohammed Salah, director of the department, said the campaign, fielding all manpower at the department including engineers and inspectors, would be focusing on all buildings in the emirate in general and on those in key areas in particular. Jaber Ahmed Al Ali, head of the Building Inspection Section, said the department has issued notices to many building owners to carry out necessary maintenance or painting works or cleaning of the building façades. He said inspections had been intensified in the buildings situated on both sides of Red and Green Lines of Dubai Metro. The department’s efforts have seen positive results as many owners responded spontaneously to act according to civic body’s instructions. The official pointed out that the civic body has high concerns over buildings which are poorly constructed or abandoned midway of construction as they are considered black marks in a city which is advancing to newer heights. According to him, the inspectors at the civic body are routinely inspecting such buildings including the abandoned ones and duly issuing notices to the owners. Al Ali also urged the public to support the municipality’s efforts to make Dubai a beautiful city ahead of Expo 2020 by notifying about bad practices to its call centre 800900 and by doing modifications and necessary beautifications in their buildings. sajila@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Malaysia says jet crashed in sea; bad weather halts search
Malaysia says jet crashed in sea; bad weather halts search (Reuters) / 25 March 2014 Theories range from a hijacking to sabotage or a possible suicide by one of the pilots, but investigators have not ruled out technical problems. Bad weather and rough seas on Tuesday forced the suspension of the search for any wreckage of a missing Malaysian jetliner that officials are now sure crashed in the remote Indian Ocean with the loss of all 239 people on board. Citing groundbreaking satellite-data analysis by British firm Inmarsat, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Monday that Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished more than two weeks ago while flying to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, had crashed thousands of miles away in the southern Indian Ocean. Recovery of wreckage of the Boeing 777 could unlock clues about why the plane had diverted so far off course. Theories range from a hijacking to sabotage or a possible suicide by one of the pilots, but investigators have not ruled out technical problems. An international air and sea search in the area on Monday spotted several floating objects that might be parts of the plane and an Australian navy ship was close to finding possible debris, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said.( Click here for full text of official statement from Malaysia Airlines ) But the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said gale-force winds, heavy rain and low cloud meant planes could not fly safely to the zone on Tuesday, and waves of 6 metres (20ft) or more forced the navy ship from the area. “AMSA has consulted with the Bureau of Meteorology and weather conditions are expected to improve in the search area in the evening and over the next few days. Search operations are expected to resume tomorrow, if weather conditions permit,” AMSA said in a statement. The search site is far from commercial flight paths about 2,500 km (1,550 miles) southwest of Perth, a region of deep, frigid seas known as the Roaring 40s where storm-force winds and huge waves are commonplace. “This is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites,” Malaysia’s Najib said. “It is therefore, with deep sadness and regret, that I must inform you that, according to this new data, Flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean.” SMS TEXT Some relatives of those on board first received the news that the search for survivors was over in a Malaysia Airlines SMS message which said: “We have to assume beyond all reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and none of those on board survived.” There were hysterical scenes at the Beijing hotel where many of the relatives of those on board were staying. Most of the passengers on the flight, from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, were Chinese. A group reportedly representing families issued a statement describing the Malaysian airline, government and military as “executioners” who constantly tried to delay and deceive them. “We will take every possible means to pursue the unforgivable crimes and responsibility of all three,” said the statement on the microblog of the Malaysia Airlines MH370 Family Committee. Malaysia Airlines said in a statement that it would make arrangements to fly relatives to Australia once it had approval from the investigating authorities. Abbott said he expected the families to travel to Australia soon. “They will find a welcoming country that is more than willing to embrace them in this difficult time,” he told reporters. COSTLY DIFFICULT INVESTIGATION Najib’s announcement opens the way for what will be one of the most costly and difficult air crash investigations ever. Normally, an official investigation can only begin once a crash site has been identified. That would give Malaysia power to coordinate and sift evidence. Malaysia has faced heavy criticism over the progress of the search and its informal investigation, especially from China which had more than 150 citizens on board the plane. Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Hangsheng immediately demanded Malaysia hand over all relevant satellite-data analysis showing how Malaysia had reached its conclusion about the fate of the jet. Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said the Malaysian statement moved the search to a new phase. “It moves it to a stage where we are now investigating an accident, a loss of an aircraft and some new decisions will have to be taken now about the direction of future operations,” Truss told reporters. “Malaysia needs to take control under the Chicago convention of those investigations.” The United States said it was sending an undersea Navy drone to Australia, in addition to a high-tech black box detector, to help in the search. A vendor stands next to newspapers carrying headlines of the missing Malaysia Airlines, flight MH370, as he waits for customers in Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Tuesday, March 25, 2014. – AP The so-called black boxes – the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder – record what happens during flight. Black boxes carry locator beacons but they fade out after 30 days. Flight MH370 vanished from civilian radar screens less than an hour after taking off on March 8. No confirmed debris from the plane has been found since. Investigators believe someone on the flight may have shut off the plane’s communications systems. Partial military radar tracking showed it turning west and re-crossing the Malay Peninsula, apparently under the control of a skilled pilot. Najib said Inmarsat had been performing further calculations on data gleaned from faint pings picked up by satellite that initially only narrowed the search area to two massive arcs. The Inmarsat analysis had narrowed the search area “but it’s still a big area that they have to search”, said Stephen Wood, CEO of All Source Analysis, a satellite analytic firm. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
