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News in Brief - Thu, June, 25, 2015 - 04:30 GMT

Thursday, 25 June 2015 5:00 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 25 June 2015 5:00 AM ]

News in Brief

1. An Egyptian military court has sentenced in absentia 63 members of the Muslim Brotherhood to 15 years in prison on the charge of attacking a security office. The incident took place in the southern city of Qena in 2013 and followed a harsh crackdown on two Brotherhood sit-ins in Cairo.

2. The UN envoy for Yemen says the war-torn country is one step away from famine amid ongoing Saudi attacks on its southern neighbor. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed expressed regret over the deep division between Yemeni parties that prevented an agreement during peace talks in Geneva last week.

3. Saudi warplanes have launched fresh airstrikes on Yemen’s Sa’ada province. They also targeted a customs building in Hajjah province and a complex in the province of Jawf. The Saudi onslaught has left over 4,400 people dead since it began three months ago.

4. South Korea has announced two new deaths from the MERS virus in the country. The overall death toll has now reached 29 while 77 people are still being treated, some in critical condition. The MERS outbreak in South Korea began in May.

5. A second employee at a New York prison where two inmates escaped earlier this month has been arrested. Gene Palmer worked in the cell block of the two fugitives. He is facing several charges including promoting prison contraband. The charges carry prison terms ranging from 15 months to seven years.

6. The Arab League has called on Israel to release all Palestinian prisoners who have been held without charge. It said Israel should release all inmates held for extended periods of time. The Arab League also condemned oppressive measures by Tel Aviv inside its prisons, including torture and solitary confinement.

7. French lawmakers pass a controversial law allowing intelligence services to place recording devices in terrorism suspects’ homes and cars without prior authorization from a judge. Spy agencies would also be empowered to hack into computers and devices and spy on the communications of anyone who makes contact with a person under suspicion.

8. At least seven people have been killed in flash floods in a northern Vietnamese province. The floods were triggered by a tropical storm and have washed away more than 20 houses. Authorities are now searching for the four missing people including a four-year-old boy.

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News in Brief