One Gazan family's relief as they finally receive food aid
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The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Lebanon sentences man to death in absentia for killing Irish UN peacekeeper Sean Rooney
Lebanon has sentenced a man to death in absentia over the killing of a UN Irish peacekeeper in December 2022, a judicial official told AFP on Tuesday. The Irish government said it had been informed of the conviction by Lebanese authorities on Monday. Private Sean Rooney, 23, was shot dead and a number of other peacekeepers were injured while they were serving for Unifil in south Lebanon. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin welcomed the conviction of Mohamad Ayyad but said it is 'unsatisfactory that he is still at large'. 'Many will feel the sentences passed down on the other defendants are far too lenient,' he added. 'The justice system in Lebanon, and the delay in progressing in this case, was deeply regrettable." The Lebanese justice system is notorious for delays, with most inmates in its prisons still awaiting trial. Lebanon has maintained an unofficial moratorium on the death penalty since 2004 and has carried out no executions since. Mr Ayyad was released from custody in late 2023 on health grounds but has not shown up to the court since. He was convicted by military tribunal on Monday. The case had been due to be heard in September but was brought forward. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris said he raised the case during his visit to Beirut in March at meetings with the Lebanese ministers for foreign affairs and defence. 'I raised, in the strongest terms, my deep frustration at the slow pace of proceedings before the Lebanese military tribunal concerning those charged with Pte Rooney's killing,' he said. 'I appreciate, therefore, the efforts of the court to bring forward the hearing date from September to today. During my visit to Beirut, I left the Lebanese ministers in no doubt as to the absolute determination of the Irish government to ensure that those responsible for Pte Rooney's death are brought to justice.' Pte Rooney was killed when his vehicle came under fire in Al Aqbiya on its way to Beirut on a route not normally taken by Unifil. The soldiers were part of 121st Infantry Battalion, comprising 333 Irish troops, which was deployed in November to south Lebanon. The area is know for its Hezbollah presence, although the group has denied any role in the killing. It did, however, ensure Mr Ayyad was handed over to Lebanese authorities after the killing. There are about 10,000 Unifil peacekeepers from nearly 50 countries, acting as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel and operating near the border.
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE Central Bank suspends foreign insurance company's motor business
The Central Bank of the UAE has suspended the motor insurance business of a foreign insurance company's branch (insurer). The insurer remains liable for all rights and obligations arising from insurance contracts concluded before the suspension, the authority stated on Tuesday, July 29. The legal actions comes after the entity failed to comply with the solvency and guarantee requirements, specified in the law and prevailing regulations governing insurance companies in the UAE. This is not the first time the Central Bank has taken action against a foreign entity's branch. The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has imposed a financial penalty of Dh5.9 million on a foreign bank branch operating within the country for failing to comply with anti-money laundering regulations. On July 16, the authority imposed a financial sanction of Dh600,000 on a branch of a foreign bank in the UAE. The apex bank did not reveal the name of the bank that has been penalised. The branch was reported to not be complying with the Market Conduct and Consumer Protection Regulations and Standards. Meanwhile, on July 2, the authority announced it had imposed a financial penalty of Dh5.9 million on a foreign bank branch operating within the country for failing to comply with anti-money laundering regulations. The name of the bank penalised by the apex bank was not disclosed.
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Brother of Yemeni murder victim demands new execution date for Indian nurse
The family of Yemeni citizen Talal Mahdi have urged authorities to expedite the execution of an Indian nurse convicted of his murder by setting a new date. Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala state, was granted a reprieve by Yemeni authorities when her execution date scheduled for July 16 at the Central Prison Square in Sanaa was postponed. Abdel Fattah Mahdi, Talal's brother, has also denied reports in the Indian media that an Indian spiritual leader won the family's forgiveness to revoke the death penalty. 'The execution has become mandatory by law and binding on all parties without any delay,' said a letter to Yemen's Public Prosecution signed by Abdel Mahdi on behalf of Mr Mahdi's close relatives. The plea called for the public prosecution to 'expedite the implementation of the death penalty against the convicted Indian national Nimisha Priya'. In the letter, the elder Mr Mahdi states that all approvals were obtained as per the final judgments in 2023, including ratification by Yemen's President and the Attorney General's order in 2024. 'The crime committed was beyond all bounds of humanity,' the family said in the petition posted by Mr Mahdi on Facebook. 'We urgently request your excellency to set a new date for the execution of the death sentence, which we firmly demand as our legitimate right, especially since we, the victim's family, have lost our loved one to an atrocious crime.' The family said all efforts at reconciliation had been exhausted. 'All attempts to negotiate and mediate have reached a dead end and we, the family of the victim, are unable to reach any compromise with the other party,' the plea said. Family demands retribution The family denied a claim publicised in the Indian media made by Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, a prominent Sunni leader also known as the Grand Mufti of India. The Grand Mufti's office said that, after 'high-level meetings' in Sanaa, the death sentence was officially cancelled. But the elder Mr Mahdi rejected this as 'categorically untrue'. He denied that close family members had met or spoken to the cleric, accepted reconciliation and that the death sentence was cancelled. 'We have not spoken to or negotiated with anyone, near or far, about reconciliation in the case of the Indian murderer. None whatsoever,' he said. 'And we will not allow anyone to impose any discussion or compromise at the expense of our blood and our indisputable right to have qisas (retribution) implemented.' Asking for justice and retribution for the murder of his younger sibling, Mr Mahdi said: 'Religion cannot serve as a pretext for pardon or a cover for the crime's ugliness.' He also pointed out that, as per Islamic Sharia and the Yemeni constitution, 'honouring the victim's family, recognising their pain, and upholding their right to see God's law enforced are obligations'. 'Guaranteeing these rights is among the highest principles of justice,' he added. Mr Mahdi spoke out against emotional propaganda and against the spiritual leader's claims of mercy 'at the expense of a pure body unjustly slaughtered, dismembered, and thrown into a water tank as if it were nothing'. 'Talal's blood will not become a bargaining chip in the marketplace of negotiations, nor a bridge for those trading in religion or personal interests,' he said. 'And let it be crystal clear: If any decision is to be made, it is ours to make. No one will override our right in the name of religion or mercy.' Critical phase Earlier, Yemen's prosecution authority had said the execution of Ms Priya would be 'postponed until a new date is announced'. This came after a petition from her mother Prema Kumari, who is in Sanaa to support the negotiations, and a request from the Indian government to stay the execution. The Indian family had offered $1 million in diya or blood money as compensation for Mr Mahdi's death. The funds were raised by Indians across the world, including expats in the UAE. Mr Mahdi has urged the public to remember how his family has suffered after the Indian nurse drugged his brother, cut his body into pieces, and hid it in plastic bags inside an underground tank. Ms Priya's supporters have asked for forgiveness and pardon, saying she had injected Mr Mahdi with sedatives to retrieve her passport that he had seized and that he had died of an accidental overdose. 'Our work continues to save Nimisha's life and we must also be sensitive to Talal's family,' Ms Deepa Joseph, a lawyer in India and vice-chairwoman of the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, told The National. 'What we know of the current situation is that Talal's family has said they have not spoken to the grand mufti and the family has moved the prosecutors to speed up the process to execute Nimisha. 'We ask that all parties are restrained as this is a critical phase.'
