You are here

Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ from fall on official trip to Luxembourg

US Representative Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, attends a news conference introducing the Equality Act, outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 21, 2023. (AFP)
US Representative Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, attends a news conference introducing the Equality Act, outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 21, 2023. (AFP)
Short Url

https://arab.news/23udj

Updated 14 December 2024
AP
Follow

Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ from fall on official trip to Luxembourg

Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ from fall on official trip to Luxembourg
  • The former leader’s fall comes two years after her husband Paul was attacked by a man with a hammer at their San Francisco home
Updated 14 December 2024
AP
Follow

WASHINGTON: Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been hospitalized after she “sustained an injury” during an official engagement in Luxembourg, according to a spokesman.
Pelosi, 84, was in Europe with a bipartisan congressional delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Her spokesman, Ian Krager, said in a statement that she is “currently receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals” and is unable to attend the remainder of events on her trip.
He did not describe the nature of her injury or give any additional details, but a person familiar with the incident said that Pelosi tripped and fell while at an event with the other members of Congress. The person requested anonymity to discuss the fall because they were not authorized to speak about it publicly.
Krager said that Pelosi “looks forward to returning home to the US soon.”
Among the members on the trip was Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who posted on social media that he was “praying for a speedy recovery,” for Pelosi. The two lawmakers were captured holding hands in a group photo Friday at the US Embassy in Luxembourg.
“I’m disappointed Speaker Emerita Pelosi won’t be able to join the rest of our delegation’s events this weekend as I know how much she looked forward to honoring our veterans,” McCaul wrote on X. “But she is strong, and I am confident she will be back on her feet in no time.”
The former leader’s fall comes two years after her husband Paul was attacked by a man with a hammer at their San Francisco home. The man, who was sentenced in October to 30 years in federal prison, broke into their home looking for Pelosi.
Pelosi, who was first elected in 1987 and served as speaker twice, stepped down from her leadership post two years ago but remained in Congress and was re-elected to represent her San Francisco district in November.
She has remained active in the two years since she left the top job, working with Democrats in private and in public and attending official events. Last summer, she was instrumental in her party’s behind the scenes push to urge President Joe Biden to leave the presidential ticket.
She attended the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington last weekend and was on the Senate floor Monday to attend the swearing in of her former Democratic House colleagues, Adam Schiff of California and Andy Kim of New Jersey.
Earlier this week, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, 82, tripped and fell in the Senate, spraining his wrist and cutting his face. McConnell, who is stepping down from his leadership post at the end of the year, missed Senate votes on Thursday after experiencing some stiffness in his leg from the fall, his office said.

 

Topics: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi US

Related

Nancy Pelosi’s husband’s attacker jailed for 30 years
World
Nancy Pelosi’s husband’s attacker jailed for 30 years
Scientists show how pregnancy changes the brain in innumerable ways
Offbeat
Scientists show how pregnancy changes the brain in innumerable ways

Australia says ‘Bali Nine’ prisoners have returned home

Australia says ‘Bali Nine’ prisoners have returned home
Updated 12 sec ago
AFP
Follow

Australia says ‘Bali Nine’ prisoners have returned home

Australia says ‘Bali Nine’ prisoners have returned home
Updated 12 sec ago
AFP

SYDNEY: The five remaining members of the Australian “Bali Nine” drug ring have returned home after 19 years in jail in Indonesia, the Australian government said Sunday.
Indonesian police arrested the nine Australians in 2005, convicting them of attempting to smuggle more than eight kilograms (18 pounds) of heroin off the holiday island of Bali.
In a case that drew global attention to Indonesia’s unforgiving drug laws, two of the gang would eventually be executed by firing squad, while others served hefty prison sentences.
“The Australian Government can confirm that Australian citizens, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, and Michael Czugaj have returned to Australia,” Canberra said in a statement.
“The men will have the opportunity to continue their personal rehabilitation and reintegration in Australia.”
Accused ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed by firing squad in 2015 despite repeated pleas from the Australian government.
Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen died of cancer in 2018, months before Renae Lawrence was released after her sentence was commuted.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had thanked Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for his government’s cooperation on the men’s return.
“Australia shares Indonesia’s concern about the serious problem illicit drugs represents,” Albanese said in a statement.
“The Government will continue to cooperate with Indonesia to counter narcotics trafficking and transnational crime.”
The Australian government did not give further details on the agreement with Jakarta, including whether they would need to continue to serve their sentences following their return home.
The Indonesian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Australian government said it had consistently advocated for the men and provided consular support to them and their families during their incarceration.
It asked the media to respect their privacy following their return.
Muslim-majority Indonesia has some of the world’s toughest drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers.
It is not uncommon for foreigners to be arrested for drug offenses in Bali, which attracts millions of visitors to its palm-fringed beaches every year.
The release of the Australians follows weeks of speculation that a deal for their return was in the works.
In November, a senior Indonesian minister said Jakarta aimed to return prisoners from Australia, France and the Philippines by the end of this year.
Earlier this month, Indonesia signed an agreement with the Philippines for the return of mother of two Mary Jane Veloso, who was arrested in 2010 after the suitcase she was carrying was found to be lined with 2.6 kilograms (5.7 pounds) of heroin.
Her supporters claim she was duped by an international drug syndicate, and in 2015, she narrowly escaped execution after her suspected recruiter was arrested.
France last month requested the return of its citizen, Serge Atlaoui, a welder arrested in 2005 in a drugs factory outside Jakarta, according to a senior Indonesian minister.
 

Topics: Asutralia Indonesia drug Bali nine

Related

Indonesia’s volcanic eruption grounds international flights on tourist island of Bali
World
Indonesia’s volcanic eruption grounds international flights on tourist island of Bali
Australian PM says anti-Israel graffiti in Sydney an ‘outrage’
World
Australian PM says anti-Israel graffiti in Sydney an ‘outrage’

Francis makes first visit by a pope to Corsica

Francis makes first visit by a pope to Corsica
Updated 7 min 5 sec ago
AFP
Follow

Francis makes first visit by a pope to Corsica

Francis makes first visit by a pope to Corsica
  • Tens of thousands of people are expected to welcome Pope Francis in Ajaccio
  • Around 90 percent of Corsica’s 350,000 inhabitants are Catholic
Updated 7 min 5 sec ago
AFP

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis will visit Corsica, a stronghold of the Catholic faith, on Sunday, with locals hotly anticipating the first-ever trip by a pontiff to the French Mediterranean island.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to welcome Francis in Ajaccio, capital of what is popularly known as the “Ile de Beaute” (Island of Beauty).
The city was already decked out Saturday in decorations in the papal colors, yellow and white, while cars had been banished from central streets with parking bans.
Around 2,000 police reinforcements were sent to Ajaccio to beef up security.
Francis, 87, is expected to arrive around 9:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) and leave just after 6:00 p.m., the Vatican said.
His short trip, based around a congress on faith in the Mediterranean region, comes just a week after he snubbed the re-opening of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris five years after a devastating fire.
The relaunch was attended by a long list of bigwigs, royalty and world leaders, including US President-elect Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Francis declined the French government’s invitation to attend.
But he agreed to the Corsica trip hosted by the island’s popular, media-savvy cardinal, 56-year-old Francois-Xavier Bustillo.
“Corsica has been preparing to host (Francis) for a long time,” Bustillo said this week.
Although “it’s a poor diocese... we’ll manage a welcome worthy of the pope” thanks to donations from businesses and individual churchgoers, he added.
Corsica’s prefect Jerome Filippini said that the visit would also cost the French state “several million euros” over its few hours.
Workers have repainted the facade of Ajaccio’s Notre-Dame de l’Assomption cathedral and built a wheelchair ramp for Francis, who has limited mobility, to enter by its main door.
New pews have been delivered and yellow-and-white flags hung behind the altar.
Near the cathedral, a colorful street-art style fresco by Ajaccio artists shows Francis in front of stained-glass windows and a map of Corsica.
Francis, who will turn 88 two days after his trip, will make two speeches and celebrate mass at an open-air theater.
He is also expected to greet the crowds from his Popemobile in Ajaccio’s streets.
“We’re proud, it’s a privilege for (the pope) to come here rather than Paris,” said Paule Negroni, a 52-year-old bookshop owner.
Around 90 percent of Corsica’s 350,000 inhabitants are Catholic, according to the local Church.
Francis “comes to see poor people and children, he’s very popular,” said Helene Politi, who will be one of 250 people singing for Francis at mass.
The pope has made several visits around the Mediterranean, from the Greek island of Lesbos to Malta and Sicily.
The sea embodies several of the priorities of his papacy, chief among them inter-religious dialogue and welcoming migrants.
But this is the first visit by a pope to Corsica, a French region with a distinctive identity, fierce independence movement and a special constitutional status currently under discussion between Paris and local elected officials.
It is Francis’s third visit to France as pope, after eastern city Strasbourg in 2014 and Mediterranean port Marseille last year — although none has been an official state visit to the country.
Some have seen a sign of his disapproval for French policy changes away from Church doctrine during his papacy, including gay marriage and an ongoing public debate about assisted dying.
There have been expressions of disappointment among French Catholics that he stayed away from Notre Dame’s grand reopening.
Francis’s defenders highlight that the pontiff, concerned with the world’s marginal people, largely shuns capital cities and sumptuous receptions.
Born in Argentina, he has never visited Spain, Britain or Germany as pope.
Even in the Vatican, he prefers closed-door audiences with pilgrims, homeless people or migrants to meetings with the powerful.
Francis is expected to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron just before his departure.
Recent health problems have not kept the pope from looking in good form in recent months.
The Corsica trip will be his 47th since his 2013 election and the third in 2024.
“I saw him on Saturday (December 7). He’s in good shape and happy to be coming,” cardinal Bustillo said.

Topics: Pope Francis Corsica

Related

Pope Francis to visit French island of Corsica on Dec. 15, local church says
World
Pope Francis to visit French island of Corsica on Dec. 15, local church says
Corsican acapella group captivates audience in Jeddah
Lifestyle
Corsican acapella group captivates audience in Jeddah

South Korea’s acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after impeachment

South Korea’s acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after impeachment
Updated 15 December 2024
Reuters
Follow

South Korea’s acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after impeachment

South Korea’s acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after impeachment
  • Main opposition party will not seek to impeach South Korea’s acting president, Han Duck-soo
  • Han was elevated to acting president while Yoon Suk Yeol’s case moves to the Constitutional Court
Updated 15 December 2024
Reuters

SEOUL: South Korea’s acting president, Han Duck-soo, moved on Sunday to reassure the country’s allies and calm financial markets a day after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached and suspended from his duties over a martial law attempt.
Han spoke with US President Joe Biden by phone, the White House and Han’s office said.
“South Korea will carry out its foreign and security policies without disruption and strive to ensure the South Korea-US alliance is maintained and developed steadfastly,” Han said, according to a statement from his office.
In a further attempt to stabilize the country’s leadership, the main opposition party announced it would not seek to impeach Han for his involvement in Yoon’s Dec. 3 martial law decision.
“Given that the prime minister has already been confirmed as acting president and considering that excessive impeachments could lead to confusion in national governance, we have decided not to proceed with impeachment procedures,” Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung told reporters.
Han, a longtime technocrat picked by Yoon as prime minister, was elevated to acting president in accordance with the constitution while Yoon’s case moves to the Constitutional Court.
NORTH KOREAN THREAT
Yoon’s surprise martial law declaration and the ensuing political crisis spooked markets and South Korea’s diplomatic partners worried over the country’s ability to deter nuclear-armed North Korea.
Biden told Han the ironclad US-South Korea alliance remained unchanged and Washington would work with Seoul to further develop and strengthen the alliance as well as trilateral cooperation including neighbor Japan, Han’s office said.
The White House said in a statement that the US president “expressed his appreciation for the resiliency of democracy and the rule of law in the ROK and reaffirmed the ironclad commitment of the United States to the people of the ROK,” using the abbreviation for the country’s formal name, the Republic of Korea.
“President Biden expressed his confidence that the Alliance will remain the linchpin for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region during Acting President Han’s tenure.”
Han convened his cabinet and National Security Council shortly after Saturday’s impeachment vote and vowed to maintain military readiness to prevent any breach of national security.
South Korea’s partners wanted to see a credible and constitutional temporary leadership put in place as soon as possible, said Philip Turner, a former New Zealand ambassador to South Korea.
“They will be pleased to see Prime Minister Han take over as acting president,” he said. “He is capable, experienced and well respected in foreign capitals.”
But even with an acting president in place, international partners face months of uncertainty before a new president can be elected and a new government established, Turner added.
The Constitutional Court has up to six months to decide whether to remove or reinstate Yoon. If he is removed or resigns, a new election will be held within 60 days.
“During that time Korea’s highly competent professional bureaucracy can be relied on to keep the country’s foreign policy running, but they will find it hard to provide clear direction,” Turner said.

Topics: South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol Han Duck-soo

Related

South Korea’s President Yoon impeached over martial law bid
World
South Korea’s President Yoon impeached over martial law bid
South Korea opposition leader urges president’s party to support impeachment over martial law
World
South Korea opposition leader urges president’s party to support impeachment over martial law

UK officially joins Indo-Pacific trade bloc 

UK officially joins Indo-Pacific trade bloc 
Updated 15 December 2024
AFP
Follow

UK officially joins Indo-Pacific trade bloc 

UK officially joins Indo-Pacific trade bloc 
  • Officials hope membership will boost Britain’s flagging economy by £2.0 billion a year
  • Created in 2018, alliance has been seen as a bulwark against Chinese dominance
Updated 15 December 2024
AFP

LONDON: Britain on Sunday became the first European nation to join a major Indo-Pacific trading bloc, in what has been hailed as the country’s biggest trade deal since Brexit.

The UK is officially now the 12th member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The UK formally signed the accession treaty last year.

Officials hope membership will boost Britain’s flagging economy by as much as £2.0 billion ($2.5 billion) a year.

According to government figures, the value of UK total trade in the 12 months to the end of September was £1.7 trillion.

The alliance comprises fellow G7 members Canada and Japan, plus long-standing allies Australia and New Zealand, alongside Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

Created in 2018, it has been seen as a bulwark against Chinese dominance in the region, although Beijing has applied to join.

The bloc, which accounts for about 15 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP), will give British businesses trade access to a market of more than 500 million people.

The previous Conservative government signed Britain up in July 2023, with then Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch calling it “the biggest trade deal” since the UK left the European Union.

Britain has secured a number of post-Brexit trade deals, including with Australia, New Zealand and Singapore since it left the EU’s single market at the start of 2021.

It is also pursuing one with Gulf countries, and last month Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that Britain and India are to resume stalled talks to agree a free trade deal.

A much sought-after trade deal with the United States remains elusive and could become even less likely when Donald Trump enters the White House in January.

A deal with Canada has also failed to materialize.

Topics: UK Trans-Pacific Partnership trade bloc Brexit

Ukraine to set up mechanism to supply food to Syria, Zelensky says

Ukraine to set up mechanism to supply food to Syria, Zelensky says
Updated 15 December 2024
Reuters
Follow

Ukraine to set up mechanism to supply food to Syria, Zelensky says

Ukraine to set up mechanism to supply food to Syria, Zelensky says
  • Ukraine has been one of the world’s top grain and oilseeds exporters, and has been exporting wheat and corn to Middle Eastern countries, but not to Syria
Updated 15 December 2024
Reuters

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday he had instructed his government to set up supply mechanisms to deliver together with international organizations and partners food to Syria in the aftermath of the fall of President Bashar Assad.
Ukraine has been one of the world’s top grain and oilseeds exporters, and has been exporting wheat and corn to Middle Eastern countries, but not to Syria.
Syria imported food from Russia during the Assad era, but Russian wheat supplies have been suspended amid the uncertainty and payment delays, Russian and Syrian sources said on Friday.
“We are ready to assist Syria in preventing a food crisis, particularly through the humanitarian program ‘Grain from Ukraine’,” Zelensky wrote on X.
“I have instructed the government to establish food supply mechanisms in cooperation with international organizations and partners who can help.”
Ukraine’s exports were buffeted by Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, which severely reduced shipments via the Black Sea. Ukraine has since broken a de facto sea blockade and revived exports from its southern ports of Odesa.

Topics: food supply Ukraine Syria Volodymyr Zelensky

Related

Blinken says US has made ‘direct contact’ with Syria’s victorious HTS
Middle-East
Blinken says US has made ‘direct contact’ with Syria’s victorious HTS
Jordan’s King Abdullah meets with Saudi FM, Arab ministers at Syria meeting
Saudi Arabia
Jordan’s King Abdullah meets with Saudi FM, Arab ministers at Syria meeting

Latest updates

COP16 Darah discussions focus on environmental preservation
COP16 Darah discussions focus on environmental preservation
Saudi Arabia’s inflation holds steady at 2% in November: GASTAT 
Saudi Arabia’s inflation holds steady at 2% in November: GASTAT 
Australia says ‘Bali Nine’ prisoners have returned home
Australia says ‘Bali Nine’ prisoners have returned home
Francis makes first visit by a pope to Corsica
Francis makes first visit by a pope to Corsica
‘Endless torture’: Turkish inmate recalls hell of Syria jails
‘Endless torture’: Turkish inmate recalls hell of Syria jails

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2024 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.