Tunisia holds 12th Military Medicine conference On Monday, Mr. Kamel Morjane, the Minister of Defense, inaugurated the works of the 12th Military Medicine Congress in Gammarth north of Tunis. Organized every two years, the event aims at promoting scientific research in the sector of military medicine. Members of the Supreme Council of the armies, the Director-General of the Military Health and a significant number of professors and military doctors from Algeria, France, Switzerland and Germany, took part in the event. Annual Libyan security and safety fair opens The 3rd edition of Libyan fair on security and safety (SECUREX) opened on Monday evening at the Tripoli International Fair, with the participation of more than 20 Libyan and French companies specializing in civil defense. The three-day event is being organized by the Libyan National Office of Civil De fence that comes under the Libyan general people's committee in charge of Public Safety, in collaboration with the Libyan General Fairs Office. France is the guest of honor for the fair and in this respect, 13 French companies specializing in the domain of security and safety will mount a special stand in a bid to know the needs of the Libyan market and propose their know-how and products to Libyan partners. Kidnapped workers in Sudan released Two human rights staff members abducted in August have been freed. Both were members of the United Nations and African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) and were working in the war torn Darfur region. A statement from the agency reveals that after 107 days in abduction the two kidnapped victims are on their way to their respective countries. According to published reports the two, a Nigerian man and Zimbabwean woman were taken at gun point on August 29. Their capture marked the first abduction of a UNAMID worker in Sudan in nearly two years. Officials say the group which sanctioned the kidnapping was “unknown in Darfur” and their motives were monetary. Authorities contend however that no money was paid and the two were released after negotiations and mediation by local administrators. Lebanon to discuss Israeli withdrawal plans UN and Lebanese military representatives were due to meet Wednesday to discuss Israeli plans for a troop pullout from the northern part of a divided border village. Lebanon fears the planned withdrawal from Ghajar could seal the division of the village into a southern, Israeli-controlled part and a northern part under joint Lebanon-UN supervision. Security sources said Wednesday's talks were expected to discuss water and electricity supplies. Ghajar obtains its water from Lebanon and gets electricity by power lines from Israel. Israel says Turkish mediation with Syria “mistake” A senior Israeli official says that Turkey could not act as a mediator in peace talks between Israel and Syria and its involvement in the procedure was a mistake that strained relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv. “Looking back we can say that the Turkish mediation was a mistake that affected [the Israeli-Turkish] relations,” Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said on Tuesday. His remarks echo earlier comments by Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, who said that Tel Aviv staunchly believes that Turkey could not resume its role as mediator in indirect talks with Syria. “After all the verbal attacks and insults toward us expressed by the Turks, they cannot be considered mediators between us and the Syrians,†Lieberman said. Credit Suisse to pay Iran $536 million Court papers say Credit Suisse Group will pay $536 million and admit to violating U.S. economic sanctions against Iran. The settlement papers were filed in federal court in Washington. The bank has long been under criminal investigation for business it did with countries subject to U.S. economic sanctions between 2002 and 2007. Earlier this year, Lloyds TSB Bank PLC agreed to forfeit $350 million for helping customers skirt U.S. sanctions on business transactions with Sudan, Iran and Libya. Credit Suisse said Tuesday it was near a settlement in talks with the Justice Department, Federal Reserve, Manhattan district attorney's office and the Treasury Department. BM
