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Kuwait Representative Expels Israeli Delegation at Inter-Parliamentary Union Meeting in Russia

Kuwait’s Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem (Reuters – File Photo)
Kuwait’s Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem (Reuters – File Photo)
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Kuwait Representative Expels Israeli Delegation at Inter-Parliamentary Union Meeting in Russia

Kuwait’s Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem (Reuters – File Photo)
Kuwait’s Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem (Reuters – File Photo)

Kuwait- The head of the Kuwait’s National Assembly, Marzouq Al-Ghanem, lashed out at the Israeli Knesset delegation at the closing session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference held in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, which forced the delegation to leave the hall.

In front of delegations from more than 150 countries, Ghanem described the Israeli mission as “the occupier and the murderer of children". He asked it to leave the conference room because of Israel’s violation of international law and the continued detention of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

“You should grab your bags and leave this hall as you have witnessed the reaction of every honorable parliament around the world,” he said, addressing the Israeli delegation.

“Leave now if you have one ounce of dignity, you occupier, you murderer of children.” The Israeli delegation left the talks following the remarks by Ghanem and several other parliaments in the midst of applause.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference kicked off its work on October 14 and ended on Wednesday.

Delegates representing 150 countries, including 100 speakers, 70 deputy speakers and 2,300 guests, including 840 parliamentarians, attended the conference under the theme of promoting multiculturalism and peace through interfaith and interreligious dialogue.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union gathers 173 Member Parliaments and 11 Associate Members. It works closely with the United Nations and other partner organizations that share common goals.

Established in 1889 and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the Union is primarily financed by its members through public funds.

Four permanent committees operate within the framework of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, including the Permanent Committee on International Peace and Security, the Committee on Democracy and Human Rights, the Committee on United Nations Affairs and the Committee on Sustainable Development, Trade and Finance.

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World

Germany Charges Suspected Former Syrian Intelligence Agent with Murder

German Police - May 24, 2017. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer
German Police - May 24, 2017. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer
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Germany Charges Suspected Former Syrian Intelligence Agent with Murder

German Police - May 24, 2017. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer
German Police - May 24, 2017. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

German prosecutors have charged a suspected former member of Syrian intelligence with crimes against humanity and the torture and murder of dozens of prisoners held in a Damascus prison under Bashar al-Assad, a statement said on Monday.

The accused, who was arrested in May and identified only as Fahad A. under German privacy rules, was suspected of working as a guard ⁠in a prison in the Syrian capital between the end of April 2011 and mid-April 2012, Reuters quoted it as saying.

"There, he participated in well over 100 interrogations during which prisoners were subjected to severe physical abuse, such ⁠as electric shocks or beatings with cables," it said.

"On the orders of his superiors, the accused also abused inmates at night, for example by hanging them from the ceiling, dousing them with cold water, or forcing them to remain in uncomfortable positions. As a result of such mistreatment and the catastrophic prison conditions, at ⁠least 70 prisoners died."

German prosecutors have used universal jurisdiction laws that allow them to seek trials for suspects in crimes against humanity committed anywhere in the world.

Based on these laws, several people suspected of war crimes during the Syrian conflict have been arrested in the last few years in Germany, which is home to around one million Syrians.

World

Iran Says Missile Program Defensive, Non-Negotiable 

Iranian ballistic missiles are on display during a military parade in Tehran. (Reuters file)
Iranian ballistic missiles are on display during a military parade in Tehran. (Reuters file)
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Iran Says Missile Program Defensive, Non-Negotiable 

Iranian ballistic missiles are on display during a military parade in Tehran. (Reuters file)
Iranian ballistic missiles are on display during a military parade in Tehran. (Reuters file)

Iran insisted on Monday that its missile program was defensive in nature and designed to dissuade attack, while adding the existence of its arsenal was not up for debate.

Israel had presented Iran's ballistic missiles, along with its nuclear program, as the two main threats it sought to neutralize during the 12-day war the foes fought in June.

"Iran's missile program was developed to defend Iran's territory, not for negotiation," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a weekly press conference.

"Therefore, Iran's defense capabilities, designed to deter aggressors from any thought of attacking Iran, are not a matter that could be talked about."

Iran's ballistic capabilities put Israel within striking distance, and after Israel's unprecedented attacks that sparked the war in June, Tehran responded with waves of missiles and drones launched at Israeli cities.

According to US broadcaster NBC, Israel is growing increasingly concerned that Iran is seeking to rebuild and expand its missile production following the war and may seek to attack it again to curtail those efforts.

During a planned visit to the US later this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "is expected to present (President Donald) Trump with options for the US to join or assist in any new military operations", NBC reported, citing an unnamed source with direct knowledge of the plans and former US officials briefed on them.

Over the course of the recent war, Israel struck military sites, nuclear facilities and residential areas, killing more than 1,000 people.

Israel reported more than 50 Iranian missile strikes inside its territory that killed 28 people.

The US briefly joined its ally in striking Iran's nuclear facilities before declaring a ceasefire.

Iran once procured much of its weaponry from the United States, but following the break in diplomatic relations after its 1979 revolution, it had to develop its own domestic arms industry.

World

Trump Names Louisiana Governor as Greenland Special Envoy, Prompting Danish Alarm 

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks to reporters at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, La., Sept. 3, 2025. (AP)
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks to reporters at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, La., Sept. 3, 2025. (AP)
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Trump Names Louisiana Governor as Greenland Special Envoy, Prompting Danish Alarm 

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks to reporters at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, La., Sept. 3, 2025. (AP)
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks to reporters at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, La., Sept. 3, 2025. (AP)

US President Donald Trump named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry on Sunday as his special envoy to Greenland, reigniting Danish and Greenlandic alarm over Washington's plans for the vast, mineral-rich Arctic island. 

Trump has said several times over the years that Greenland, a Danish territory that is now largely self-governing, should become part of the US, citing security reasons and an interest in the island's mineral resources. Landry has praised the idea. 

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Monday he would summon the US ambassador to Copenhagen, saying he had been particularly upset by Landry's support for Trump's aim of making Greenland part of the United States. Greenland's prime minister reiterated ‌that the island ‌would decide its own future. 

"Jeff understands how essential Greenland is ‌to ⁠our National Security, and ‌will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Sunday. 

The White House did not respond immediately to requests for comment. 

Landry, who took office as Louisiana governor in January 2024, thanked Trump on X, saying: "It’s an honor to serve ... in this volunteer position to make Greenland a part of the US. This in no way affects my position as Governor of Louisiana!" 

DANISH CONSTERNATION 

Greenland ⁠and Denmark have consistently rejected that idea. 

Lokke Rasmussen told Denmark's TV 2: "I am deeply upset by this appointment of a ‌special envoy. And I am particularly upset by his statements, ‍which we find completely unacceptable." 

Earlier, in ‍an emailed statement to Reuters, Lokke Rasmussen said: "We insist that everyone – including the US – must show ‍respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark." 

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a post on Facebook: "We have woken up again to a new announcement from the US president. This may sound big, but it does not change anything for us. We decide our own future." 

Aaja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament, said the appointment of a US envoy was not in itself a problem. 

"The problem is that he's been given the ⁠task of taking over Greenland or making Greenland part of the United States, and there's no desire for that in Greenland," Chemnitz told Reuters. 

"There is a desire to respect the future that a majority in Greenland wants, namely to remain their own country and develop their independence over time." 

Seeking to mitigate tensions with the Trump administration over the past year, Denmark, a NATO ally of the United States, has focused on strengthening Greenland's defense to address US criticisms about inadequate security. 

Greenland, a former Danish colony and home to only around 57,000 people, has held the right to declare independence from Denmark since 2009. 

Its economy relies heavily on fishing and subsidies from Copenhagen, and the island sits strategically along the shortest route between Europe and North America, a vital location for the US ‌ballistic missile defense system.