Egypt’s president arrives in Saudi Arabia
Egypt’s new president, Mohammed Morsi, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for his first foreign trip since taking office. On his arrival in Jeddah, he was met by Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, the country’s deputy prime minister and defense minister. He also met with King Abdullah. Morsi is the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, which is accused by the Gulf nations of plotting to support regime change in the region. However, Morsi has pledged not to export Egypt’s revolution to other countries or to meddle in their internal affairs. Under Hosni Mubarak, Egypt enjoyed close relations with Saudi Arabia, and the current visit is viewed as an attempt to renew the old ties.
Heavy rains cause severe damage in Odessa, Ukraine
Heavy rains have struck Odessa in Ukraine causing severe floods and damage. They have brought disruption to local power, gas and water supply lines as well as to roads and traffic. Emergency crews are battling to deal with the situation. It follows a massive deluge last Friday in nearby southern Russia, in which over 160 died.
Cuban leader meets Russia’s President Putin and PM Medvedev
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has met Cuban leader Raul Castro, who arrived in Moscow for a visit. Medvedev and Castro discussed Russian-Cuban relations and issues that they had raised at their previous meetings. The PM invited Castro to visit the Olympic Games in Sochi 2014. Later on the day Castro met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, stressing that despite this being a work visit, it was “very intensive and important.”
Timbuktu Arab community sets up armed watch around ancient shrines
Members of Timbuktu's Arab community have set up an armed brigade to prevent further destruction of the tombs of ancient Muslim saints by Islamists in northern Mali. “We have a vigilance brigade so that no one touches the mausoleums of Araouane and Gasser-Cheick,” AFP quoted Tahel Ould Sidy, leader of the unit, as saying. He was referring to two tombs in the greater Timbuktu region. “We are not going to allow people who know nothing about Islam to come and destroy our treasures,” he warned. Members of Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith), an Al-Qaeda-linked armed group, on Tuesday destroyed two tombs in the city's oldest mosque, Djingereyber. Last week they destroyed seven tombs of ancient Muslim saints and the sacred door of another 15th-century mosque, listed as endangered World Heritage sites by UNESCO.
Iran MPs want to tax ships in Strait of Hormuz
A group of Iranian lawmakers has prepared a bill to impose tariffs on ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to MP Alireza Khosravi. He said that ships of “certain countries” transit the waterway “under pretexts such as security.” Nations whose vessels exit or enter the Gulf must compensate for the environmental damage, the lawmaker stressed. The issue may be considered by the parliament when it reconvenes after the summer break, said another MP, Mehdi Mousavinejad. Iran's Foreign Minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, said on Tuesday that Tehran would close off the Strait of Hormuz if its own exports were halted. “But I don't think such a time will ever come,” he said.
Man killed, 23 injured as bus with Pakistan's space agency staff bombed
At least one person was killed and 23 injured in a blast that targeted a bus carrying Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) employees in Karachi on Wednesday. Media reports say a remote-controlled bomb had been planted on a bicycle. The explosion killed a passerby, identified as Ansar Khan. Around 40 people were on board the bus traveling to Karachi on Hub River Road. The busy road connects the city of Karachi to Balochistan province.
Hezbollah delegation visits Cuba, Venezuela
A Hezbollah delegation has visited Cuba and Venezuela and met with a number of parliamentarians and officials, the movement’s press office said on Wednesday. The visit last week came in response to an official invitation by the head of International Relations Division of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, José Ramon Balaguer. Head of Hezbollah’s International Relations Department Ammar Musawi praised the “Cuban experience in resisting American hegemony.” He also reportedly met with Venezuelan Deputy-Minister for Foreign Affairs David Velasquez, and discussed what he described as the “vicious attack on Syria.”
First group of Christians evacuated from Syria’s Homs
A priest in Syria has said the first group of Christians has been evacuated from the besieged city of Homs. Maximos al-Jamal, a Greek Orthodox priest, said on Wednesday that 63 people were evacuated over the past 24 hours after a deal between the Syrian army and rebels. Those evacuated are among over 100 civilians, mainly Christians, trapped in the besieged Homs neighborhoods of Bistan al-Diwan and al-Hamidiyah, AP said. Mediation is ongoing to get the remaining civilians out. Christians make up about 10 per cent of Syria's population of 22 million.
Iran ‘immune’ to sanctions - top leader
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said the country is immune to Western sanctions. He made the remarks on state TV on Wednesday to shrug off the latest EU ban on Iranian oil sales. The embargo went into effect July 1, adding to US-led sanctions on Iranian crude over Tehran’s nuclear program. Khamenei said Iran is able to make technological advancements despite the punitive measures.
Bosnians burying 520 Srebrenica genocide victims
Muslims in Bosnia were heading to Srebrenica on Wednesday to attend a funeral for 520 newly-identified victims on the 17th anniversary of the massacre that took place on July 11, 1995. So far, over 5,000 Srebrenica victims found in mass graves throughout eastern Bosnia have been laid to rest, AP said. Srebrenica was a UN-protected Muslim town in Bosnia besieged by Serb forces throughout Bosnia's 1992-95 war. Serbian troop commander Ratko Mladic is currently on trial at the war crimes tribunal in The Hague, facing 11 charges, including for allegedly masterminding atrocities. He denies any wrongdoing.
S. Korea may abandon research whaling plan
South Korea says it may scrap a research whaling plan that has been criticized by other states. Seoul may drop the plan if it finds ways to study whales without killing them, Fisheries official Kang Joon-suk said on Wednesday, as cited by AP. The South Korean government said last week that it would allow the killing of whales for research. Officials cited fishermen who were reportedly complaining that whales were eating large amounts of fish. The announcement drew protests from non-whaling nations and environmentalists. They warned the plan was a cover for commercial whaling.
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