Washington // Omar Abdel Rahman, the Egyptian-born cleric linked to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, died on Saturday of natural causes in a US prison, the justice department said. He was 78 years old.
Abdel Rahman, known as the blind sheikh, was serving a life sentence on several terrorism-related charges at a Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina. His death came after many years of suffering from diabetes and coronary artery disease, the Bureau of Prisons said.
He was seen as an extremist spiritual leader even after his conviction in 1995 for conspiring to bomb New York landmarks, including the United Nations, and assassinate the former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
Abdel Rahman, who sported a long grey beard and sunglasses, led the militant Al Gamaa Al Islamiya group in Egypt before emigrating to the United States.
Born in 1938, he was seen as having inspired the 1993 bombing of New York’s World Trade Center, which killed six people and injured around 1,000 more.
His son Mohamed Omar was informed of the death and said the family had contacted the American and Egyptian authorities to repatriate the body.
Abdel Rahman had been jailed in North Carolina since 2007. He was hospitalised in late 2006 in the state of Missouri after he began to spit blood and was given a blood transfusion.
In 2012, Egyptian Islamist president Mohamed Morsi called for Abdel Rahman’s transfer to Egypt for “humanitarian reasons,” asking for a “prisoner exchange” with the United States.
*Agence France-Presse
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PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
Teaching in coronavirus times
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Current number of staff: 10
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Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
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Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
COMPANY PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
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Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Company%20Profile
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