New Hosni Mubarak photo emerges weeks after the last one sparked Twitter row

The image is just one of few that have emerged of the former Egyptian leader since he was cleared in court of killing protesters. (Facebook)
Updated 09 September 2018
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New Hosni Mubarak photo emerges weeks after the last one sparked Twitter row

CAIRO: A new image of Hosni Mubarak circulated on social media just weeks after a rare photo emerged that sparked furious speculation about the former Egyptian  president.

The latest picture was originally posted on an unofficial Facebook account bearing his name that publishes pictures and memories of the former leader, who ruled Egypt for three decades before being forced from power in 2011 during Arab Spring protests.

The picture has been shared more than 400 times, with comments in the hundreds showing a mostly positive reaction to the former president.

The reaction was a contrast to a picture that emerged in late August, which showed Mubarak with a woman who claimed the photo was stolen from her personal mobile.

Many of the comments focussed on how Mubarak looked older and was carrying more weight. 

One newspaper commented on the price of the chair he was sitting on which led to backlash from many including Alaa Mubarak, the former president's son.

The new, perhaps more flattering image, shows him sat next to a table with what appears to be family pictures on it.

There have been few images of the 90-year-old since he was cleared of charges of killing protesters during the uprising. 

 


Israel says carrying out ‘large-scale strikes’ on Tehran

Updated 38 min 41 sec ago
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Israel says carrying out ‘large-scale strikes’ on Tehran

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said it launched “large-scale strikes” on Tehran on Monday, two days since the start of a US-Israeli campaign against Iran.
“The Israeli Air Force... has begun an additional wave of strikes against the Iranian terror regime at the heart of Tehran,” the military said in a statement.

Israel announced the new “large-scale” strikes, while President Donald Trump vowed to avenge the deaths of US service members and said the war could last for weeks.

In other developments:

• The European Union has warned of the cost to the Middle East of a long war, and said it was reinforcing its naval mission in the Red Sea with additional vessels as Iran’s retaliation to US-Israeli strikes threatens maritime traffic, a European diplomat said.
Two new French ships will join the EU’s Aspides mission, bringing to five the number of warships taking part, the diplomat told AFP.

• Gulf states vowed to defend themselves against Iranian attacks, including by “responding to the aggression” if need be, after the Gulf Cooperation Council convened via video-link to formulate a unified response.

• Top US officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio will make the case Tuesday to Congress for the attack on Iran. Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and military chief General Dan Caine “will brief the full membership of both chambers of Congress,” White House spokesman Dylan Johnson said.

 

• Container shipping company Maersk said it was halting passage through the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz for “safety” reasons.
The Danish group was the latest of several shipping groups to make similar announcements after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared the strait closed on Saturday.

• Seven people were injured in the Jerusalem area following the latest salvo of missiles fired from Iran, Israeli firefighters said.

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had agreed to let the United States use UK bases to fire “defensive” strikes aimed at destroying Iranian missiles and their launchers. But in a video address posted to social media, he added: “We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and we will not join offensive action now.

• Iranian media reported that a police station in a city on the outskirts of Tehran had been hit, killing an unspecified number of people, with others reportedly trapped under debris. “According to initial reports, a number of citizens were martyred and some were trapped under the rubble,” the Tasnim news agency reported.

• Iranian news agency ISNA reported that Gandhi hospital in northern Tehran had been targeted by strikes. The Fars and Mizan agencies published a video, presented as being from inside the facility, showing debris on the floor among wheelchairs.