humanitarian the former secretary general ban ki moon said he always benefit benefited from the emir's sound advice but he says he thinks that kuwait will continue in his footsteps with its traditional while which which he describes as a bridge builder which is needed more today than ever and also mary robinson who's chair of that grouping the elders which is a member of said she was a force for moderates moderation reason and continuity and when you talk about the continuity in the region you have to look at the gulf cooperation council he was the foreign minister when that was set up but you can go 2 decades before that as we sit here in the u.n. general assembly with leaders still making their speeches by video here to recall that it was at the u.n. in 1963 he was the foreign minister then when kuwait joined the united nations and staying with that idea james of continuity we've had just in the past 30 minutes or so the announcement on t.v. state t.v.

saying it look in effect saying it looks like it will be the crown prince but the people we've been talking to not least the cattery ambassador to moscow saying look you couldn't put a cigarette paper between the 2 they are in precisely the same location that comes to diplomacy diplomatic skills and that's the kind of continuity that in these difficult times around the world in the these difficult times across this region the middle east that's kind of i guess what the united nations wants to hear. yeah i think there probably would be a sigh of relief as there was earlier in the year when we had the death of the sultan of oman and the succession there that the man has continued very much its foreign policy role its mediation somewhat independent role in its own different way kuwait also performs a similar function in a very different difficult region i think from that statement looks looks pretty

clear where the succession is going but of course we do have to remember when shaikh subba became the emir follows a great deal of controversy in kuwait and in the mir who was only in the mirror for a matter of days his predecessor shakes. it is perhaps more complicated in kuwait than it is in some other nations and clearly kuwait is a little different with its very strong parliament as well james thank you so much james bay is our diplomatic editor there at the u.n. in new york live now to washington and our correspondent alan fischer allan any reaction from the state department yet. no still nothing from the state department although we are expecting a statement from the white house shortly the americans were aware of how well the emmy awards and we got confirmation and that in this statement from the kuwait city when they confirmed that the emir had actually died here in the united states it was an american military hospital plane that flew in from kuwait that he after he

had an operation there in july to rochester in minnesota that happens to be the home of the campus of the meal clinic regarded as one of the best hospitals in the world called the mayo clinic to see if they had any statement in the immediately referred me to the kuwaiti government so clearly the emir had been in hospital all this time we had received no update other than the day after the operation where we were told that he in fact was stable the relationship between the united states and kuwait has been complicated in recent years so. only in kuwait itself you will find many people who have warm affection for the u.s. and its people and that goes back to 1991 of course the iraqi invasion of kuwait and it was the fact that the 1st president bush put together a global coalition which expelled at the iraqis in a very short war in 1991 in fact a few days before the emir's death james baker who was the secretary of state at the time on being told how ill the emir was said that the world will miss his

steady and thoughtful hand but of course there have been some tensions between this white house and the kuwaitis in recent years particularly because the kuwaitis had built bridges to the iranians refuse to be a few sit in praise for donald trump when he walked away from the iranian nuclear deal and also the kuwaitis had been building bridges with the chinese which some in this white house seemed to suggest was disloyal but having said all that donald trump just 10 days ago awarded the legion of met it to the emir in his absence in a private ceremony here at the white house during that ceremony he said that the kuwaitis were perhaps on the very edge of recognizing israel the way that other countries had done notably the m. ratties that immediately dispelled by the kuwaitis well aware of the strength of feeling not only in the national assembly in kuwait city but also on the ground in

kuwait itself kuwait had been a strong supporter of the palestinians even though their relationship was complicated by the palestinian support for the iraqi invasion in 1990 but certainly the 2 countries are very much in sync in a lot of issues in the middle east you'll know that kuwait is regarded as a significant nor need to live there are 13000 u.s. troops in kuwait at the forward base there and so be interesting to see how things develop between. the u.s. and kuwait not just after the election on november the 3rd but also when we get confirmation who will be the new emir alan thank you very much alan fischer our correspondent there in washington a big joins us live this out of tehran so acid just picking up on that idea that allan was discussing there again the relationship between kuwait and iran in sync on some issues not in sync on other issues but overarching lead generally

a positive relationship. generally yes it's been friendly complicated and sometimes tent the emir himself visited back in 2014 where he met president hassan rouhani and also the supreme leader harmony but since then there have been some tensions in 201723 kuwaitis were accused of espionage for iran and hizbullah the iranian ambassador was expelled but they are still trade relations between the 2 countries. tourism but recently the iranian ambassador was called in by kuwait that was after the assassination of general carson for the money by the united states in iraq and there were allegations from iran that bases in kuwait or a base in kuwait had been used by the united states or the iranian ambassador was summoned in kuwait denied any involvement in that assassination of general costs and so the money and the rain in

a bus it also recently has said that iran doesn't seek to use quote to target american interests and he said that he's been assured by koichi authorities that kuwait would not allow the united states to use their country to target iran or attack iran so it's a complicated relationship iran will be looking. to see how that relationship develops if there will be a continued continual relationship between the 2 and yet to get an official reaction the response from iran ok thanks very much as the big the in iran let's bring in craig he's assistant professor at the defense studies department at king's college london he joins us on skype and welcome back to al-jazeera how will it be remembered what was his legacy do you think. hi yes says as the predecessors as my previous speakers already said you know he is very much a bridge builder as someone who is a someone who was trying to bring the g.c.c.

together someone who stood for a g c c gulf cooperation council of you know communal colloquial camino decision making and compromises world someone who looked at the conflicts and insecurity in the region through the lens of win win rather than in 0 sum so the nature of the g.c.c. as we know it somewhat came to an end in 2017 with the current goal of crisis and you know ships about in many ways kind of represented at all g.c.c. where all the 6 member states equally had an equal say we're trying to find equal ground and resolved issues behind closed doors without that never really come of going out in that in into the public sphere and unfortunate with his death that kind of legacy of trying to find a compromise to deal with the issues that the g.t.c. that the gulf will whiteley's facing this era is coming now to an end and that is obviously very said and that is happening as the g.c.c. is still ready as an organization kind of going out into into more irrelevance if

you will as it's 0 sum is really the nature of the game in the gov these days he was highly regarded in this region he was highly regarded in the highest office in the land in the united states and equally i guess as well in places like turned street the elysee palace where he had traction as well but when he engaged in this region with his opposite numbers in different countries trying to achieve peace say you know the yemen the yemeni peace process there was a lot of diplomatic momentum came with him because that was his backstory that was his hinterland and yet clearly some of those people he engaged with chose to ignore him or chose not to listen to him how did they get to a position where they thought i don't actually have to listen to you even though you are who you are you are the emir of kuwait and you've got a lot of q. dos when you come to my door and tell me you've got to make peace. well we had

a transition of generations already in the gulf that kind of took place over the last decade and you know about in many ways was the old generation and a very and the same in the same way that the new emir will be part of the old generation and the more dynamic new generation of leaders most important martensite in the u.a.e. but also one bits of mine in saudi arabia they are of the new again a new generation they're more day now make they are they are thinking they can change the way that the god has always worked they kind of put many of the traditions and norms of the gods upside down in what they saw or what they still see as being progress and development and that is also part of the problem i think with the ships about and this point is that we shouldn't forget that in many ways he has peacemaking approach to win win is something that didn't really work well he was very much someone was sitting on the fence when it comes to these problems are many of these issues whether it's yemen or the qatar crisis and we see that only

works when you talk to someone on the other end who respects the personality and we can see that specially the saudi leadership but also that we should remember that he didn't show the respect to a ship's about throughout the crisis in yemen but also a crisis definitely in qatar and that kind of made his kind of took the momentum away from kuwait to play a more meaningful role in these mediations and in many ways nowadays when we look at the gulf crisis and the way that negotiations of mediation works kuwait no longer plays that role because that role is now playing the u.s. the u.s. administration is now the mediator effectively ok andrea as we have to leave it there many thanks under his crate joining us from london. well you know i mean been hammered all funny has ordered 3 days of mourning and ordered flags to be lowered to half staff in a statement he said he received the news with great sorrow and sadness also described the late show as a great leader. world leaders from around the

globe are reacting to the news of the death republican donor and says as well as posts on social media including the palestinian president mahmoud abbas in a statement he mourn the emir of kuwait describing him as the wise leader who spent his life in the service of his people he also added he always stood by the palestinian cause and the just causes of his nation my chips where he is director of the gulf studies center at qatar university he joins us here in doha job's wearing how well you remember the emea of kuwait i think you really made a member. as a leader who. wanted to maintain some of that it see the g.c.c. and trying to. move beyond differences try to bring together you know the g.c.c. countries and. saw the materials in a very in the blue matic peaceful manner. confrontations and try to think of

the goldfields the gulf people that have been the people who are ruling and that was the only unique we do i think is a foot in it while he was the foreign minister and been a prime minister and then i meet are. approved that i think that's true and i think the footsie had done in the last 3 years to solve the. crisis and the look at the fact that it is one. of the. but he wasn't afraid to have a very robust reaction perhaps robust beyond who he might have been if you'd met him face to face and there was a point after the u.a.e. and bahrain did that whole normalization of relations with israel there was some speculation from the highest levels inside the white house saying well kuwait's going to be next within about 3 milliseconds the royal household's last government

in kuwait was sickening very strongly no we're not going to be next to be to be honest this was and realistic speculation i mean the country was looking at his demeanor his announcement there lies the evil sick i'm not sure you know such an issue is in the top of marriott priority. you know thinking of his health and thinking of what's happened if he passed the way and i think that was that that was you know the main thought i wasn't there i wasn't sure that you know this is such a speculation in washington was it a list that can was taken because of the nation how much kuwaiti actually. thinking of that on i mean it it's obvious that i mean has chosen a different battle on how the war on foreign policy i think i see them more a close there are many in one being independent. especially while they

see the pressure on the other side to show that they are really you know they have their own position that's right to maintain that position and be you know there is a pressure on them the pressure from the united states but they try to handle it i think it is you know we're going through a very tough situation and the last to be a few months and i wasn't sure that you know such a speculation was beneficial and useful actually in any context. matchups wherry good to talk to you as ever we'll talk later on perhaps in the meantime i'm feeling very much well the kuwaiti parliament speaker has tweeted now confirming that the crown prince shaikh. will be sworn in as the new emea on wednesday at 11 am local time that news just coming through to us let's bring in marwan again

malanga shot a senior political analyst so 2 hours ago an hour ago there was speculation that there was going to be a relationship or a conversation between politicians in kuwait and certain members of the world household but now it's going to happen it's going to happen tomorrow yes clearly the social process needs to happen. you know in time to ensure. and continue with the and i think as i said earlier is the be expected the late. have been for too many years. the public the family the country are all too familiar with what the. experience more or less a life and so in a sense serve that. expect the process to go through. quickly

is there anything that might make you think that that is not necessarily unequivocally a good thing in as much as despite the late i mean as best efforts with yemen despite his best efforts with the blockade of cattle and signaling very clearly to washington know this could get really really bad you better be aware of that when the whole blockade of cats are kicked off all those years ago now is there anything that the new me could try all would want to try that might bring a breakthrough u.s.b. u.s.p. to that diplomatic table. you know i'm not sure i mean of course the whole business of the big should is always 'd. tricky but i would say from what we know and what we know is that if i think. paris has been you know quite an m.p.c. cation if you were but then the. question will remain is who would be

this who would be no glass compass i think that probably be a good place to which breakaway is heading towards a more vigorous bolder perhaps even more controversial policy or more of the same clearly some in kuwait would have liked reform could be quicker that would affect the country could be bolder some of some i'm not sure how many but some certainly look at the neighboring countries zooming forward with liberalize ation and and it's anomic especially 5 because asian of seoul so forth and they would want to see quick and similar groups but from experience that would be incredibly as one i would say. has been quite careful in making sure that kuwait

does not for him to some of those pitfalls to other countries. and that's why we've seen as i mentioned earlier kuwait. abides by the principal who i'm sure he always balance your policy whether it's between regional powers or most of those between regional trend societal trends. and to that there needs to be some sort of a stability continuities. because and that's create reform is far better than. being the same and sent me better than chaos and. so kuwait and believe me it in particular has pursued a sort of us rule reform that enabled for example women serve in parliament ottomans to question government that's common you know and certainly it's new in the government now what should you know basically members of the family in fact 2

prime ministers quit because of the severe questioning and they did their ference the national assembly and the business of running the country so on and walk away cast in what wasn't hasn't been moving forward as some people would have liked but certainly it has moved also moved up what you know that other people's. ok many things could still go the pos couple of us have m o m bashara a senior political analyst that talking to us from paris. ok let's step back from the events in kuwait just for the next couple of minutes and will wrap up our other top story for you diplomatic efforts are underway to stop the fighting between armenia and azerbaijan the u.n. security council is to hold an emergency meeting later on tuesday but on the ground the violence is escalating with both sides accusing the other of using petty

artillery and killing civilians it's all about us. one after another helicopters land at this medical center in armenia's capital here of on the bringing wounded soldiers and civilians from the disputed region of nagorno-karabakh fighting broke out on sunday and the resurgence of a man running conflicts between armenia and azerbaijan over control of the territory nagorno-karabakh is internationally recognized as part of azerbaijan but is controlled by armenian forces in 3 days dozens of people have been killed hundreds have been hurt and more can not save on the hospitals located on the frontline will be lived empty in case a large number of injured people arrive for emergency treatment so that no one will be deprived of medical care. it's not clear how this fighting began that armenia and azerbaijan blame each other the 2 sides are targeting each

other with rockets artillery and drone strikes they plot to seize villages under the other's control both countries say they are now at war and. the most important thing is we are brave and fearless and we will go forward dos doctorow we capture a lot of us very military equipment and we continue to fight against them using their own equipment we do well with this a few hours drive from the battle in azerbaijan's capital back to men registered to fight they govern. has announced a caution mobilization to recruit civilians into its military by order of our president people who have gathered for a partial mobilization which means that it concerns men under the age of 32 and those who can see that suitable for us by their professions flights out of backers international airport have also been limited for security reasons. france is calling an urgent meeting with russia and the u.s.

to find a path to deescalation the 3 have mediated the dispute in the past there is rising concern the fighting may spread outside of nagorno-karabakh with both sides reporting civilian deaths away from the immediate conflict area. this is the most intense fighting since the mania and azerbaijan were at war and here in 1900. now both countries say they will not back down on the issue of new corner karabakh despite the rising casualties china dallas al-jazeera. well the u.s. has once again media and azerbaijan to stop the hostilities the secretary of state mike pompei i'll discuss the situation with the greek foreign minister the foreign minister also addressed the conflict in nagorno-karabakh where both sides must stop the violence and work with the minsk group co-chairs to return to substantive negotiations as quickly as possible the u.k. and canada have imposed sanctions on the bill

a russian president alexander lukashenko had himself sworn into office last week in an unannounced ceremony but the election to put him back into the role is in dispute thousands of people have been arrested a protest since election was held in august the sanctions include look at his son and 6 senior members of his government including the interior minister. the belorussian opposition leaders wetland article on sky as about the french president during a visit to lithuania she says emanuel macron promised to help negotiate the release of political prisoners they were detained during weeks of protests in belarus against the. more than 1000000 lives have been lost that's the milestone the world has now passed and the current 1000 crisis is anything but over these are the latest figures from the johns hopkins university global tracker as you can see there on your screen the death toll has already risen in just the last few hours and there are more than 33000000 recorded infections in the u.k.

79 people have died from the virus the highest death toll since july it's also recorded more than 7000 new cases. president all trump on the democrat nominee joe biden will face off later on tuesday in the 1st of 3 presidential debates here's john hendren from cleveland on what to expect from this 1st direct showdown . there will be no pats on the back no shoulder rubs and no handshakes this time for a very different reason american presidential debates are supposed to be about policy differences and there will be distinctions on coronavirus the economy and racial justice with the biggest contrast will be a colossal clash of personalities joe biden son of a used car salesman this is been the most corrupt administration to monitor. versus donald trump a self described billionaire who has paid is literally nearly taxes that some families pay for

a month's rent as biden points out in this ad. or in trump's telling a successful entrepreneur versus a radical dotard they will deliver a crippling shutdown and a steep you will have if sleepy joe biden becomes press 1st one to get out of a massive tax increase you're going to see interest rates go through the ceiling you will have a depression the likes of which this country has never seen before and despite a lack of evidence the victim of a concerted campaign by dark forces to defraud the election and stop with this nonsense because we're going to be counting ballots that x. 2 years the president has made it clear as always he'll be on the attack one of the aims of the trump campaign is to try and show that biden is not competent to show him stumbling and so the more they. get him off his game the better one tactic he's used before target biden's son hunter which prompted this angry response when a voter try to so you have. the debate is being held in ohio

a state that often decides elections in the middle of a pandemic on the campus of one of the nation's most prestigious medical centers biden is expected to go after trump's coronavirus credentials noting that he told a reporter who knew how deadly the virus was even as he was telling voters it would magically disappear. if people know the press that's a lie i mean they know that it's not like it's. it's going to come as a surprise and so i'm prepared to go out and make my case as to why i think he's failed when it's over if history is any guide both will declare victory until the next debate john hendren elder's era cleveland. and we'll bring that debate to you live when it happens here all the al-jazeera more news on the websites website right now focusing in on what is our top story the passing of the emea of kuwait

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al jazeera where every. the emir of kuwait. has died in the united states he was 91. the leader kuwait was an extraordinary seemed full of wisdom and generosity. leaders from around the world remember the man known as the architects of kuwait's modern foreign policy.