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Hunger Strike, South Korea opposition leader hospitalised

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South Korea’s main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was hospitalised Monday after 19 days on hunger strike to protest against government policies, his party said.

Hours after he was transferred to hospital, prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for him over corruption allegations.

Lee, 58, launched his hunger strike on August 31, over what he calls the government’s “incompetent and violent” policies, in particular its failure to protest against Japan’s release of treated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear reactor.

Lee, a former presidential candidate, looked pale and weak in media footage. His transfer to hospital did not stop prosecutors from seeking to arrest him.

“Whether to fast or not and how to fast is a matter of personal freedom, but it should not affect the investigation or trial,” South Korea’s Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon told a parliamentary session.

“If a precedent is set that affects investigations and trials, wouldn’t everyone, including petty criminals, start fasting when they receive a summons notice?”

Prosecutors have accused Lee of bribery in connection with a firm that is suspected of illicitly transferring $8 million to North Korea.

He is also accused of breaching his duties, which allegedly resulted in a loss of 20 billion won ($15 million) for a company owned by Seongnam city during his term as its mayor.

Lee refutes all the allegations.

In order for a court to consider the prosecution’s request for an arrest warrant, Lee’s parliamentary immunity would have to be waived by the 300-member National Assembly, where the Democratic Party — headed by Lee — hold a majority.

Lee’s party slammed the latest development, saying the arrest warrant was “a clear sign of how violent and oppressive” President Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration is, it said in a statement.

The National Assembly previously dismissed a request for an arrest warrant in February.

The ruling People Power Party has asked Lee to stop fasting and said that it was ready to talk with Lee on his policy concerns once he recovers his health.

A former child factory worker who suffered an industrial accident as a teenage school drop-out, Lee rose to political stardom partly by playing up his rags-to-riches tale.

But his bid for the top office has been overshadowed by a string of scandals. He faced scrutiny over a questionable land development deal and persistent rumors linking him to organised crime.

At least five individuals connected to Lee’s various scandals in the past have been found dead, some in what appeared to be suicides.

He lost to Yoon in last year’s presidential election by a margin of 0.7 percent.

AFP

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China -Egypt lubricate over 70 years trade, diplomatic relation

President Xi noted that China and Egypt were both ancient civilizations, with a traditional friendship that has endured and grown stronger over millennia.

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Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping (m), his wife, Peng Liyuan (l), and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, during the arrival of President Xi and his wife in Cairo, Egypt, on state visit.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, are in Egypt, on a state visit, via a special plane.

President Xi is in Egypt on the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry disclosed on its official website that upon Xi and Liyuan’s arrival at Cairo International Airport, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and his wife were present to warmly greet them.

During the visit , Xi will have an in-depth exchange of views with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on China-Egypt relations, all-round bilateral cooperation, and international and regional issues of mutual concern, jointly charting the course for the development of the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership and opening a new chapter in the history of China-Egypt friendship.

President Xi noted that China and Egypt were both ancient civilizations, with a traditional friendship that has endured and grown stronger over millennia.

Xi also said that over the 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have always stood together and cooperated for mutual benefit, regardless of changes in the international and regional landscape.

“In recent years, together with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, I have guided the China-Egypt comprehensive strategic partnership to achieve leapfrog development.

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US tags 10 Nigerians ” worst of worst criminal aliens” for deportation

The  10 Nigerians listed in the latest update are:

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The United States Department of Homeland Security has added 10 Nigerians to its “Worst of the Worst” register, a database highlighting immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement over alleged criminal offences.

The latest names were published on the official DHS website and include individuals linked to cases involving fraud, identity theft, drug offences, assault, conspiracy and offences involving children.

The  10 Nigerians listed in the latest update are:

Temitope Bashua — Wire fraud, identity theft and fraud — Allenwood, Pennsylvania

Ojehoro Lewis — Cruelty towards a child — Conroe, Texas.

Osemudiamen Kingsley Oziegbe — Wire fraud — Louisville, Kentucky

Daniel Oworen — Dangerous drugs — Conroe, Texas

Raymond H. Ekevwo — Wire fraud — Oxford, Wisconsin

Franklin Dikeocha — Sex offence against a child – fondling — Dallas, Texas.

Johnson Ogunlana — Fraud and identity theft — White Deer, Pennsylvania.Wire fraud, dangerous drugs, possession of a weapon and aggravated assault involving a non-family gun — Allenwood, Pennsylvania

Tunde Korede — Conspiracy — Allenwood, Pennsylvania.

Chukwuemeka Chinye — Larceny from a banking-type institution, fraud, larceny, identity theft and conspiracy — Pollock, Louisiana.

DHS said the register was established to draw attention to immigrants it describes as the “worst of worst criminal aliens” arrested by ICE.

” Every day, the patriots of ICE are working to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from our country. Just yesterday, ICE arrested murderers, pedophiles, kidnappers, and other violent criminals to make America safe again,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin.

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BREAKING: No Survivors in Kenya Safari Helicopter Crash

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All seven people on board a tourist helicopter were killed when the aircraft crashed in a remote area of northern Kenya on Wednesday morning, authorities confirmed.

The Eurocopter EC130 B4 was flying on a safari route from the Loisaba Conservancy to the Ewaso Nyiro area in Samburu County when it went down at approximately 9:13 a.m. local time near Mount Ololokwe. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the helicopter was carrying six passengers and one pilot. Police later confirmed there were no survivors.

Five of the victims were American citizens, according to the U.S. State Department. Among those killed were José Alberto Suárez, a senior executive with Telemundo (NBCUniversal), and Michele Sensi-Contugi, director of Ecuador’s National Intelligence Center, who was travelling with his wife, Stephany Hollihan. Both she and her husband died in the crash.

The aircraft was operated by Lady Lori Helicopters and was carrying guests of the luxury safari company &Beyond. Rescue teams, including the Kenya Red Cross, faced difficult terrain and a fire at the crash site during recovery operations.

An official investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi said it is providing consular assistance to the families of the American victims.

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