Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 22 February 2018
Bahrain sentences prominent activist to 5 years in prison

By JON GAMBRELL Nabeel Rajab's sentencing ized several times during his antees its citizens freedom way, relate to any political
Associated Press marks the latest chapter in most-recent incarceration of speech. However, Rajab views he may hold.”
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- a yearslong crackdown on over heart problems and was prosecuted under laws “Bahrain’s commitment to
ates (AP) — A prominent dissent in Bahrain, a tiny is- ulcers. making it illegal to offend a protecting the security of
human rights activist in land kingdom off the coast Rajab's Twitter account foreign country, spread ru- the nation and its citizens is
Bahrain was sentenced of Saudi Arabia that's home posted a message Wednes- mors at wartime or "insult" a absolute,” the center said
Wednesday to five years in to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. day saying he entered the government agency. in an email. “Nabeel Rajab
prison over tweets alleging He's already serving a two- court with a "cheerful smile" Responding to questions was found guilty of under-
prison torture in his country year sentence handed before his sentencing. After from The Associated Press, mining that security.”
and misconduct in Saudi down in July over television his sentencing, he raised the government of Bah- The court’s decision drew
Arabia's war in Yemen, interviews he gave that in- his hands making a peace rain’s National Communi- immediate condemna-
despite wide international cluded criticism of Bahrain. sign and laughed. cation Center said Rajab’s tion from human rights
criticism of his trial. Rajab has been hospital- Bahrain's constitution guar- convictions “did not, in any organizations.q

Hospitals overwhelmed by bombing blitz of Damascus suburbs

By PHILIP ISSA into the basement to shield
ZEINA KARAM them from airstrikes. No one
BEIRUT (AP) — Doctors in Syr- was hurt but the hospital's
ia's rebel-controlled suburbs generator, water tanks and
of Damascus said Wednes- several ambulances were
day they were unable to damaged. Another doc-
keep up with the stagger- tor said he, too, was as the
ing number of casualties, hospital where he works in
amid a ferocious bombing the town of Saqba when it
campaign by government came under attack Tues-
forces that has targeted day, killing some of the
hospitals, apartment blocks patients and forcing oth-
and other civilian sites, kill- ers to be moved to nearby
ing and wounding hun- homes because the air-
dreds of people in recent strikes made it too danger-
days. The bombardment ous to take them to other
has forced many among hospitals. “By God, I am
the nearly 400,000 residents exhausted in every sense of
to sleep in basements and the word,” said the physi-
makeshift shelters, and has cian, who spoke on condi-
overwhelmed rescue work- tion of anonymity because
ers who have spent days he feared for the safety of
digging out survivors from In this photo released on Wednesday Feb. 21, 2018 shows a member of the Syrian Civil Defense relatives in government-
the wreckage of bombed group carries a boy who was wounded during airstrikes and shelling by Syrian government forces, controlled areas of Da-
in Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus, Syria. New airstrikes and shelling on the besieged, rebel-held
out buildings. suburbs of the Syrian capital killed at least 10 people on Wednesday, a rescue organization and mascus. The international
Dr. Waleed Awata de- a monitoring group said. medical organization Doc-
scribed a desperate, cha- (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP) tors Without Borders said 13
otic scene at the small hospitals and clinics that it
hospital where he works as just 17 beds, received 82 Press. He said the bodies of — crude, explosives-filled supports have been dam-
an anesthesiologist in the patients on Tuesday night two women and two chil- oil drums dropped from he- aged or destroyed over
town of Zamalka, one of a alone, he said. dren killed in Wednesday's licopters at high altitudes the past three days. Tens of
cluster of settlements that "We had to give them IVs shelling were also brought — as well as sporadic artil- thousands of civilians were
make up the Damascus and treat them on the to the hospital. lery fire, Awata said. Like forced to flee their homes,
suburbs known as eastern floor," the 44-year-old phy- The hospital was struck many hospitals in the area, and many have been un-
Ghouta. The facility, with sician told The Associated Tuesday by barrel bombs patients had been moved able to return.q

President says Egypt ‘scored a goal’ with Israel gas deal

By SAMY MAGDY comments on the deal that Delek Drilling and its U.S. pects most of the gas to ments continue to demon-
Associated Press fueled controversy on so- partner, Noble Energy, be used for Egypt's domes- strate the strength of the
CAIRO (AP) — The Egyp- cial media. signed the agreement on tic market, but predicted regional market for our nat-
tian president declared The project "has a lot of ad- Monday to sell a total of it could pave the way for ural gas in the Eastern Med-
on Wednesday that his vantages for us (Egyptians). 64 billion cubic meters of wider cooperation and iterranean.” A report by the
country "scored a goal" by And I want people to be re- gas over a 10-year period help turn Egypt into an ex- European Council on For-
signing a $15 billion deal assured," el-Sissi said. to Egyptian company Dol- port hub for Israeli gas. eign Relations in April last
with an Israeli company to The Egyptian government phinus Holdings. The gas is "I think that the main thing is year said Egypt is the only
supply natural gas that will was not directly involved expected to start flowing that Egypt is becoming the country in the region that
help turn Egypt into a re- in the deal, however, but next year. real gas hub of the region," could export gas to Europe
gional energy hub. "provided several things to Yossi Abu, chief executive he said. Gary Willingham, independently because of
President Abdel Fatah el- ... achieve this deal," he of Delek Drilling, called the Noble Energy’s executive the size of its reserves and
Sissi's televised remarks said. "By taking this deci- deal "great news" for both vice president of opera- its existing export infrastruc-
were the first high-level sion, we scored a big goal." countries. He said he ex- tions, said “these agree- ture. q