Israeli Top Court Hears Case on Netanyahu's Political Future

World

December 31st, 9:45am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Reuters)

Israel's Supreme Court convened Tuesday to hear a petition on whether an indicted member of parliament can form a new government, a key test case for whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can prolong his political career after elections in March. If the court decides Netanyahu is ineligible, it could precipitate a constitutional crisis in Israel, and exacerbate the already tenuous ties between the Israeli government and judiciary. The court is not expected to hand down an immediate ruling and may ask for a full panel of the court to convene on the matter. Either way, it was wading into uncharted territory, said The Associated Press. Israeli law requires cabinet ministers and mayors to resign if indicted, but does not specify so for a sitting prime minister. There are no restrictions on Netanyahu to run in the March 2 election — the third in less than a year — but good governance groups are appealing on whether he could be tasked with forming a new government if he emerges victorious. Given the shaky legal ground, the court could deem the scenario hypothetical and delay the case until that actually happens. The hearing comes as Netanyahu appears poised to seek immunity from the corruption charges against him, delaying the prospect of a trial until the elections when he hopes to have a parliamentary majority coalition that will shield him from prosecution. The request for immunity is likely to languish under the current parliament. Normally, a request for immunity would need to be approved by a parliamentary committee and then submitted to a full vote. But the committee charged with handling such matters doesn't exist because a government was never formed after September's election. The attorney general cannot file the indictment until the question of immunity is settled, delaying any court proceedings. Netanyahu, who was re-elected leader of the ruling Likud party last week, has long accused judicial and law enforcement officials of trying to drive him from office and has said only the voters can choose who will lead the country. His allies have issued stern warnings against what they call an “activist” court overstepping its authority. Netanyahu has been in power for more than a decade and is Israel's longest-serving leader. He was indicted last month on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust stemming from three cases of trading political and regulatory favors for positive press coverage and accepting lavish gifts from wealthy supporters. Netanyahu has dismissed the allegations as an “attempted coup" and has vowed to battle them from the prime minister's office. Netanyahu is Israel’s first sitting prime minister to be charged with a crime. His predecessor, Ehud Olmert, was forced to resign a decade ago ahead of a corruption indictment that later sent him to prison for 16 months.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2060056/israeli-top-court-hears-case-netanyahus-political-future

How India's Economy Came Back Down to Earth

Opinion

December 31st, 9:35am

Daniel Moss

Daniel Moss -

India's economy lost its sheen this year. As it stumbles through a deep slowdown and a credit crisis, the country has gone from being hailed as a colossus-in-waiting to placing among the also-rans. Rarely has a major economy had such a humbling turn in fortunes. In the third quarter, gross domestic product rose 4.5% from a year earlier, about half the pace notched in the first part of 2018. Consumer confidence has tumbled to the lowest level since 2014. The labor market, a vital indicator in a country with a population of 1.4 billion, is fragile: The jobless rate has climbed to a 45-year high of 6.1%. Just last year, India was the world’s fastest growing major economy. The past decade has been replete with predictions it would take up an increasing share of global commerce, alongside China and America. But the Philippines and Indonesia grew quicker than India last quarter and Malaysia was just a hair behind. China, grappling with its own slowdown, logged a respectable 6% and Vietnam was way ahead at 7.3%. Much of this comes down to the country's broken financial system. Indian banks struggle with a load of bad loans that's among the biggest in the world. Overextended traditional lenders gave way to shadow banks. They, too, ran into walls. One of the most prominent, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd., defaulted last year, setting off a liquidity crisis. While the government took control of the company in an effort to contain the damage, their work was just beginning: Last month, the central bank removed the management of Dewan Housing Finance Corp., a big player in mortgages, and sent it to bankruptcy court. Lenders have pulled in their reins across the board. Alarmingly for the Reserve Bank of India, these clogs in the financial pipes mean five interest-rate cuts this year haven't packed much punch. Despite early and aggressive action to lower rates, all the benefits of loose monetary policy aren’t flowing through to the real economy. In difficult times, central bankers usually keep a firm and credible hand on the rudder. But the RBI has surprised investors a few times this year. An unusual 35 basis-point cut in August, rather than the quarter percentage point economists anticipated, looked frivolous rather than clever. A reduction this month seemed like a sure thing until officials balked. That was a shocking mistake. Then there’s the issue of unreliable statistics. An academic paper by a former aide to Prime Minister Narendra Modi reckons growth over the past few years was actually a lot closer to the third quarter's 4.5% figure. Repairing data during a slump is tough because even incremental progress will be overshadowed by unflattering year-ago comparisons. India’s defenders bristle when it’s set beside China: Here’s a democracy with a robust federal system and an independent judiciary, they argue. That makes impossible the kind of sweeping change that Deng Xiaoping forced on China, which transformed the mainland into an export and manufacturing powerhouse. Fair enough; during good times, however, Indian leaders said little to rebut the comparison. This slump doesn't have to be the end of India's run. As wrenching as the Asian financial crisis was for the “tiger economies” of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and South Korea, they emerged stronger after painful recessions. Officials bolstered reserves, constrained foreign-currency borrowing and scrutinized debt levels while central banks became more independent. While growth is lower in the aftermath, it’s also more sustainable. India will always be more important to the world economy than the Philippines or Malaysia. Even if activity slows to a snail's pace for a while, its sheer size makes its contribution to global growth far more valuable. As soon as next year, India's monetary and fiscal stimulus will begin to kick in. The economy will likely grow about 5% this year and pick up to 6% in 2020, says Shilan Shah of Capital Economics. India may yet reclaim its mantle as the next big thing, albeit a toned-down and more durable version. The country and the world could be well-served by this brush with reality. Bloomberg

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2060051/daniel-moss/how-indias-economy-came-back-down-earth

Interim Algeria Army Chief: We Thwarted the Conspiracy

Arab World

December 31st, 9:28am

Algiers - Boualem Goumrassa

Said Chengriha. (AP)

Algeria’s interim chief of staff Said Chengriha declared on Monday that the country had confronted a “dangerous conspiracy” aimed at undermining the state. Those were his first remarks since succeeding lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah, who passed away suddenly last week of a heart attack. Chengriha was speaking before military commanders, including the general secretary of the Defense Ministry and heads of departments in the ministry. The conspiracy sought to target constitutional institutions and push Algeria towards “chaos and violence,” he continued in a brief address. His remarks echoed those of Gaed Salah, who died on December 23. “The military high command realized the danger of the conspiracy and was able to guide the country wisely and patiently by overseeing and protecting the peaceful rallies without a single drop of blood being shed,” he added. The military also enabled the state institutions to perform their duties amid the turbulent situation in the country by confronting to all attempts aimed at undermining national unity, continued Chengriha. He stressed that the military and security forces succeeded in securing free and transparent presidential elections. “We will remain in service of the nation and we will not abandon our constitutional commitments regardless of the challenges.” “We will confront anyone who attempts to harm our national sovereignty,” he added in reference to the developments in neighboring Libya. Gaed Salah was widely seen as holding the reins in Algeria after he pushed longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign in April. Algerians have been protesting for months against the country’s ruling elite. Gaed Salah did not attempt to crush the peaceful protests with violence, but many demonstrators saw him as the main obstacle in their path. He pushed for an election to replace Bouteflika, a vote the protesters regarded as a charade as the real power would remain with the army. Chengriha, like Gaed Salah and most of Algeria's other rulers since independence, is a veteran of the guerrilla war against French rule. Abdelmadjid Tebboune was elected president earlier this month.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2060041/interim-algeria-army-chief-we-thwarted-conspiracy

Central Bankers Are Starting to Get a Little Desperate

Opinion

December 31st, 9:15am

Mark Gongloff

Mark Gongloff -

Fine, Let’s Try Raising Interest Rates One of 2019’s best movies was “Midsommar,” about an unorthodox Swedish summer-solstice party. Now real-life Swedes are doing some unorthodox winter-solstice central banking, hopefully with much less human sacrifice. Sweden’s Riksbank, zigging while the rest of the world zags, just raised interest rates, despite anxiety about the economy and sluggish inflation. It’s a bit of desperation Sweden’s Riksbank, zigging while the rest of the world zags, just raised interest rates, despite anxiety about the economy and sluggish inflation. It’s a bit of desperation central banking, Mohamed El-Erian explains. Rates around the world are at or below rock bottom, without supercharging growth. Meanwhile savers and banks suffer, which may defeat the purpose of low rates, and wild gambling with cheap money fosters zombie companies and boosts the odds of a blow-up. Ferdinando Giugliano suggests Sweden is panicking about negative rates for nothing. There’s no proof they’re doing real damage yet, he argues. Hiking rates, meanwhile, could definitely hurt the economy, forcing the Riksbank to reverse its decision. Still, central bankers around the world clearly fear their go-to post-crisis tools of QE and negative rates have lost their edge. One big reason for this, as Mohamed notes, is that fiscal policy hasn’t done its share of the work. Central bankers are now openly calling on governments to do more, which is a slippery slope toward uniting the two, writes Alberto Gallo. Central bankers joining forces with politicians may make stimulating economies easier, but at the cost of central-bank independence. And it could make market distortions even weirder and scarier — not in a “Midsommar” way but more like a “Cats” way. Is Everything OK, Bank of England? The UK's central bank, meanwhile, has its own set of problems. Most importantly, it will soon need a new leader to replace its departing rock-star governor, Mark Carney. The list of candidates that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has floated is … uninspiring, suggests Ferdinando Giugliano. The trouble is that the Bank of England needs an especially skillful leader to deal with Brexit — but thanks to Brexit, the best candidates have run screaming the other way. Meanwhile, the BOE is dealing with an embarrassing scandal: A contractor that records its press conferences sold audio to traders to give them an eight-second edge over the poor saps waiting for the slower video feed. This was a silly oversight on the BOE’s part, writes Marcus Ashworth, although Carney rarely says anything interesting in these gaggles. Bloomberg

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2060026/mark-gongloff/central-bankers-are-starting-get-little-desperate

GAMI Governor to Asharq Al-Awsat: Localizing Military Industry Will Create over 40,000 Direct jobs

Interviews

December 31st, 9:08am

London – Badr al-Qahtani

Governor of the Saudi General Authority for Military Industries Ahmad Al-Ohali. (GAMI)

Saudi Arabia kicked off its venture in military industries 71 years ago when King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman issued a royal decree to set up military factories. A year later, two deals were signed on September 8 to provide the factories with the necessary equipment and supplies. In 2016, the Kingdom unveiled its ambitious Vision 2030. Among its goals is the localization of more than 50 percent of military spending by 2030. The first step in achieving this goal was taken with the establishment of the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI). Ahmad Al-Ohali was appointed GAMI governor in 2019 after racking up 37 years of experience in the industrial sector, more than 28 of which were spent in leading executive positions in the petrochemicals industry field. Asharq Al-Awsat sat down for an interview with al-Ohali as GAMI announced on Saturday the signing of its first Industrial Participation Agreement (IPA) with Raytheon Saudi Arabia to localize to localize maintenance of its Patriot missile defense system. This was one of the latest accelerated steps GAMI had taken to achieve Vision 2030. Speaking about GAMI, al-Ohali said it was set up in 2017 to organize and develop the Kingdom’s military industries sector. He stated that it aspires to become a “beacon for sustainable and innovative military industries that first and foremost support the Kingdom’s security and people.” The Authority also aims to provide investment opportunities and social and economic benefits, he told Asharq Al-Awsat. “GAMI has the full support of our wise leadership and the follow up of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and GAMI Chairman.” GAMI follows three main strategies, continued al-Ohali. It seeks industry, which sets regulations that bolster transparency in the sector and encourage investment in it. It seeks research and technology that are the foundations of developing capabilities that will implement educational and practical programs to build human resources and manage efforts aimed at meeting the demands of military and security forces. Military purchasing aims to improve the purchasing mechanism in a way that prioritizes localization. Al-Ohali said that Saudi Arabia only locally produces 5 percent of its military needs at a time when the Kingdom is the world’s third greatest purchaser of military equipment and services. Vision 2030 aims to localize 50 percent of Saudi military spending. “This will be the main drive in our work for the next ten years,” he stressed. Commenting on the military industries in Saudi Arabia, he said: “We are proud of our number of local manufacturers. The majority of production is focused on light military equipment and armored vehicles and some ammunition.” “What we possess today is the will to witness transformation in the military industry with unlimited support from the leadership and amid the Kingdom’s unprecedented openness that is becoming day after day a destination for investment in all fields,” he remarked. Efforts are currently underway to improve, develop and facilitate the military purchasing mechanism, he al-Ohali revealed. “We are seeking to unify the purchasing power, which will grant the Kingdom greater negotiation power that will in turn create greater opportunities to localize and develop national production.” On the role GAMI plays in purchasing weapons and military gear and making recommendations to Saudi military parties, he explained that when it comes to military gear contracts, the Authority assesses the demands of the local military agencies. Experts at GAMI then study the needs and determine the best choices, while taking into consideration numerous strategic, financial and legal factors. At the moment, GAMI does not directly purchase weapons or equipment, but it oversees the entire process to ensure that it complies with best practices and that the Kingdom looks to benefit the most from it in terms of spending and localization, said al-Ohali. GAMI currently boasts some 9,000 employees, “but we have much greater ambitions.” The localization of the industry will create more than 40,000 direct jobs and 60,000 indirect ones by 2030. Saudis will make up the bulk of the new employees. Addressing the main challenges GAMI is facing, he spoke of the challenge of long-term planning amid constant and rapid technological advancements the global industry is experiencing. “We are working closely with Saudi military and security parties and international importers to overcome any obstacles in this regard,” he said. Another challenge is the import of intellectual technology and ownership to develop the local industry. GAMI is working with manufacturers and governments in friendly countries to reach legal and operational solutions that will allow the import of such technologies in a way that secures the original manufacturers’ rights, al-Ohali explained. The most important challenge, however, is developing Saudi capabilities to take the military industry to “newer horizons.” “We have a good amount of national talent, especially in GAMI. We are seeking to develop new generations of industrialists, experts and specialists through educational and practical programs that we will develop in cooperation with the ministry of education, local universities and research centers from around the world,” he revealed.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2060006/gami-governor-asharq-al-awsat-localizing-military-industry-will-create-over

Abbas Adamant About Rejecting Elections Without Jerusalem

Arab World

December 31st, 8:57am

Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas chairs a Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, May 4, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas has reiterated that the Palestinian elections won’t be held without Jerusalem. The official PA news site Wafa quoted him as saying that "we won't hold any elections without having Jerusalem as part of it." Abbas also declined to issue a presidential decree on setting dates for holding legislative and presidential elections in the Palestinian territories before getting Israel's approval to include East Jerusalem in the voting. He criticized the ongoing talks for the sake of de-escalation between Israel and Gaza – the PA said lately that Israel won’t be granted the option to ‘impose the status-quo policy’ regarding holding Palestinian elections in East Jerusalem. Hamas demands Abbas to issue a decree determining the elections’ date without awaiting the Israeli approval – it urged transforming the elections in Jerusalem into a ‘popular and political clash’ with Israel. In 2006, public elections were held and Hamas won a parliamentary majority. A year earlier, Abbas became a president for a four-year term. It is anticipated that holding the elections would end the internal Palestinian division that has been ongoing since 2007 when Hamas seized Gaza Strip by force.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059991/abbas-adamant-about-rejecting-elections-without-jerusalem

Don't Pillory Steph Houghton for Not Watching a Lot of Women's Football

Sports

December 31st, 8:48am

London - Suzan Wrack

Manchester City’s Steph Houghton said of women’s football: ‘I won’t break my neck to go and watch.’ Photograph: Craig Brough/Action Images via Reuters

“To be honest, even though I’m in the women’s game, I don’t really watch a lot of women’s football.” The England captain Steph Houghton’s reply on The Greatest Game podcast to Jamie Carragher’s somewhat loaded question was not ideal. However the vitriol aimed at the defender on social media feels massively exaggerated. Defining “a lot” is extremely problematic for starters. It is incredibly difficult to believe Houghton does not watch a huge amount of women’s football. Manchester City and their manager, Nick Cushing, are known for a thorough tactical analysis of opponents. Walk through their training ground and you will often see a player sitting with a coach talking through tape. Houghton studies footage. She continued: “If it’s on the telly, I mean … I won’t break my neck to go and watch it, whereas, if there’s a good game on in men’s football, our whole nights revolve around watching that.” One person online said the impact of Houghton’s comments could be seen in this reply to a TalkSport article on Liverpool’s draw with Chelsea: “The women’s England captain doesn’t even watch women’s football.” Except many people do not need an excuse to mock the women’s game. It is extremely likely that regardless of Houghton’s slip, they would comment. Watching women’s football is extremely difficult and, to a certain extent, you do have to break your neck to watch it. The introduction of the FA Player, which streams every game not picked up by broadcasters, is a game-changer but the overwhelming majority of matches are played at the same time on Sundays – when Houghton is on the field. Uefa is centralising broadcasting rights of the early women’s Champions League rounds from 2021 because, at present, until the semi-finals, streams and rights are left to clubs, which results in patchy and inaccessible coverage. By contrast, Friday night football, weekend football, Monday night football, men’s Champions League and Europa League football mean you can switch on your TV and watch a top-level men’s game with ease. Rarely is there a choice between watching a men’s or women’s game, which makes the question slightly unfair. And when there is a clash, who can begrudge a player wanting to watch a match that will dominate the national conversation in the way a big Premier League or men’s Champions League game will do? Houghton is 31. The FA WSL has existed only since 2011. The opportunity to watch any women’s football on TV or online is very much a new phenomenon. For the overwhelming majority of Houghton’s career, and life, women’s football has been amateur and lacked visibility. Watching men’s football is what inspired the careers of the majority of female players, particularly those of Houghton’s generation. That generation has sacrificed a lot just for the right to play football. To question Houghton’s commitment to growing the game, as some on social media have, is in poor taste. Plenty of male footballers don’t watch football at all. Carlos Tevez and Gareth Bale have said they would rather watch golf. Ronaldinho famously said: “I don’t like to watch football, I like to play it.” Neymar said he would not watch Barcelona’s rivals when he was playing in Spain. Female footballers have a rawer deal than their male counterparts. Because the game is still fledging, they take on the responsibility of growing it and we expect them to do so. Perhaps we should give them a little more leeway, accept they are human beings and, as in the case of Houghton, that they will sometimes let the agenda dip, meaning that a touch of honest insight that may not be totally helpful to the cause will slip out. “I love watching any form of football but if it comes to Premier League, Champions League, I actually just love watching the pace of the game, the intensity, watching the formations, watching the best teams play,” said Houghton. It reads badly, as if belittling the pace and intensity of the women’s game, but it can also be read more simply. Not everyone wants to take their work home with them. Men’s football is different. There is no subconscious analysis of a team that Houghton might face, which could be the case should she watch women’s football recreationally. Instead, she can enjoy the things she loves about football unhindered. With her husband, Stephen Darby, a former Bolton, Bradford and Liverpool defender, having announced his retirement in September 2018 after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease, three months after they married, Houghton has played on. She led England at the World Cup in France after helping Manchester City to a domestic cup double while her husband battles an illness with devastatingly short life expectancy. Sometimes it is important to look at the context of what a player has delivered and is delivering, both on the pitch but more widely to the development of the game, when they speak a little out of turn. Perhaps sometimes we should just give them a bit of a break. The Guardian Sport

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059981/dont-pillory-steph-houghton-not-watching-lot-womens-football

Putin to Assad: Russia Supports Syria’s 'Territorial Integrity'

Arab World

December 31st, 8:34am

Moscow, London - Asharq Al-Awsat

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, October 20, 2015. REUTERS/Alexei Druzhinin/RIA Novosti/Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin renewed his country’s commitment to continuing to develop the friendly relations and cooperation with Syria and the continued support to Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. The Russian President also expressed hope that through the joint efforts in the next year, it will be possible to achieve the return of permanent peace to the Syrian territories. On Monday, Putin and Syrian President Bashar Assad have exchanged cables of congratulation on the occasion of the New Year, in which they affirmed the necessity to develop the bilateral relations to serve the interests of the two countries. In his cable, Assad conveyed heartfelt congratulations to Putin and the Russian friendly people, wishing that the New Year would be full of progress and prosperity for their country. Sana news agency said the President also expressed the Syrians’ deep thanks for all the efforts exerted by the Russian Federation and in all domains for supporting the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Syria and for helping the Syrian people to get rid of the evil of terrorism and to be able to live again in peace and security and to rebuild what has been destroyed by this terrorism. He also hoped that the bilateral relations would be further upgraded so as to achieve the best interest of the two friendly countries and peoples.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059956/putin-assad-russia-supports-syria%E2%80%99s-territorial-integrity

Kuwait Hails ‘Historic Agreement’ in Shared Neutral Zone with Saudi Arabia

Gulf

December 31st, 8:15am

Kuwait – Merza al-Khuwaldi

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait signed an agreement to resume pumping at two major oilfields in a shared neutral zone. (Reuters)

The Kuwaiti cabinet has affirmed as “historic” the deal struck with Saudi Arabia to allow production to resume at two oilfields in their shared neutral zone. Last Tuesday, the two countries signed an agreement to resume pumping at two major oilfields in a shared neutral zone following five years of halting production. After the cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Interior Minister Anas Khaled Nasser al-Saleh announced that these agreements embody the distinctive and special fraternal ties between the two countries, as well as their leadership and peoples' deep belief in their shared destiny. Saleh added that the cabinet expressed admiration of the great level of cooperation, understanding and harmony among political, legal and technical negotiating teams from both sides. It also hailed their special efforts that helped materialize the vision of the two countries' leaderships. Assistant Foreign Minister for Legal Affairs and the deals' negotiating committee Deputy Director Ambassador Ghanim Al-Ghanim said that the neutral zone was left undivided when the two countries marked their border at the Uqair Convention in 1922. This remained the case until the 1965 deal that split the area into demarcated northern Kuwaiti and southern Saudi portions but the natural resources remained shared between both, he added. He added that the instructions were clear, there is no loss or gain and if an agreement was reached then both parties are winners.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059936/kuwait-hails-%E2%80%98historic-agreement%E2%80%99-shared-neutral-zone-saudi-arabia

England Right to Call out Racism but Noisy Minority Is Sending a Different Message

Sports

December 31st, 8:13am

London - Barney Ronay

Tammy Abraham is right to suggest England’s players might walk off in the event of racial abuse. Photograph: Michal Čížek/AFP via Getty Images

Bread, circuses and England defeats. One upshot of England’s alarmingly limp performance in Prague was that it diverted attention, however briefly, from a topic that always seemed likely to dominate the noises around Monday night’s game against Bulgaria in Sofia. Not so fast. England abroad: it is in many ways the never-ending story. Albeit one that seems in recent years to have involved shining a fearless light on the failings of others, even while the German bombers continue to fall, the Pope gets fucked and the bottles fly across the Baroque town squares. Ever wondered what other countries make of this myopia, the ability to say all the right things about supporter behaviour and issues of race, even while being trailed around by the most regularly disruptive supporters in European football? Well now we know, as in the space of three hours on Sunday afternoon the talk around England’s qualifier in Sofia was transformed into a kind of racist-off between the rival federations. First up came a remarkable press conference during which Krasimir Balakov accused England of having a greater problem with race than Bulgaria. In response Gareth Southgate again offered the usual measured front, before fielding some more immediate questions about how England might respond to racist abuse of their players in the Stadion Vasil Levski on Monday night. The situation had already been inflamed by comments from the head of the Bulgarian FA, Boris Mihaylov, that got slightly lost in the matchday glare on Friday night. In a statement to Uefa, Mihaylov cast England as provocateurs of the honest Bulgars, and effectively accused Southgate and Tammy Abraham of insulting the Bulgarian nation and its half-closed stadium. What about the other stuff? Will the England players walk off in Sofia at the first rendition of Ten German Bombers? It is a terrible piece of timing from Mihaylov, an outburst that has now guaranteed rising tension. Quite how the crowds will now react is open to question. This would have been far better left to Tuesday morning. Mihaylov really would have been better off keeping his hair on here. But there is another side to this. The side that says, actually both Mihaylov and Balakov have a point. First things first: Abraham is also right to suggest England’s players might consider walking off if they are racially abused. This is not an approving judgment on his words. They don’t require validation. There is no rulebook on how people should feel about being racially abused. Walking off seems entirely logical in the circumstances, and anyone who does so will have this page’s unconditional support. But what about the other stuff? Will the England players walk off the pitch in Sofia at the first rendition of Ten German Bombers? Will the management threaten to abandon a fixture the next time English people trash a European town centre in their name? Are some forms of xenophobia and abusive behaviour better than others? “There is almost no kind of outrage,” George Orwell wrote in his Notes on Nationalism, “which does not change its moral colour when it is committed by ‘our’ side.” It is worth remembering the other thing that happened on Friday night. The disorder in Prague was relatively mild. This is where we’ve got to now. A few arrests, some stun grenades, complaints from locals, smashed glass. This is almost a victory. What Mihaylov didn’t say, but might have done, is that before Prague we had Seville, and Amsterdam, and Dortmund. And before that we had France and the Euros, and the first appearance en masse of this new raft of younger, chemically-charged lads with their semi-ironical chants, their occupation of the city centres; the idea, through it all, that this is all just a bit of a laugh. Let’s call it what it is. The educated English travelling boor may understand that racism is wrong. But intimidating people, smashing property for the sake of it and generally treating locals like un-people is also a public form of xenophobia. It is an offshoot of the same English blindness that says this behaviour is simply a low-level background hum, lads having too much beer. It was there in the English exceptionalism of the police briefings before these qualifiers, when it was made clear that our boys had done all they could to urge Uefa to switch the Czech game from Friday night – and yet astonishingly the Euro-wonks refused to alter the schedule to accommodate our uncontrollable minority of idiots. And yes of course this is the minority of England fans. There are so many England travelling supporters who make friends and enjoy the experience. But the fact is these issues bleed into one another and become impossible to ignore or brush aside. Hopefully there will be no need for alarm, for walk-offs and all the rest in the Levski. If there is it seems clear there should be zero tolerance of abuse. But perhaps it’s time also to start applying those standards both ways, for the Football Association, the players and the manager to call on their own fans to behave better, to stow the nationalism, to respect the locals, or risk losing some of their own allocation; perhaps even to find themselves invited not to travel at all. Orwell wrote better than most about English hypocrisy and English exceptionalism. Which are, lest we forget, the best hypocrisy, the best exceptionalism in the world. Faced with Football: 2019 he would perhaps invite us to imagine the moral authority England could claim on matters of supporter behaviour if they could only bring themselves to apply these principles universally; and to begin with the strongest possible stance on their own doorstep. The Guardian Sport

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059931/england-right-call-out-racism-noisy-minority-sending-different-message

Moscow Resorts to Artificial Snow in Warmest Winter since 1886

Varieties

December 31st, 8:04am

London - Asharq Al-Awsat

People walk in Red Square during heavy snowfall in Moscow, Russia, Jan 27, 2019. (Reuters)

Moscow has been so warm this December that the government has resorted to sending trucks filled with artificial snow to decorate a New Year display in the city center. Videos of the delivery for a snowboarding hill went viral as observers noted the irony of bringing snow to a city that spends millions each year on its removal. "This is all the snow there is in Moscow," one Instagram user wrote, accompanied with a photograph from near the Kremlin. The Moscow region is witnessing one of its warmest winters since temperatures began to be systematically recorded 140 years ago. The temperature in the Russian capital rose to 5.4C on 18 December, topping the previous record for the month set in 1886. The current warmth in Moscow is not normal at all. Concerns are growing about the effects of global warming on Russia. Permafrost under the country's northern towns is slowly melting, and receding Arctic ice is driving hungry polar bears to forage in urban areas, The Guardian reported. The balmy December weather has interrupted hibernation at Moscow zoo and caused crocuses, lilacs and magnolias at Moscow State University's apothecary garden to flower early. Zoo officials said they had put five jerboas – a type of hopping rodent with long hind legs – into specially refrigerated enclosures to encourage them to hibernate. The most visible impact, however, has been the lack of snow, which usually begins blanketing Russia in October or November. Light flurries have fallen in Moscow and its parks are dusted white, but most of the snow in the city center has melted. City officials said the artificial snow had been brought in for a snowboarding demonstration that will begin on New Year's Day. The snow was produced by cutting ice for a local skating rink, said Alexei Nemeryuk, the head of Moscow's trade and services department.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059921/moscow-resorts-artificial-snow-warmest-winter-1886

Saudi Arabia's Relief Arm Signs Two Agreements to Support Yemen

Gulf

December 31st, 7:57am

Asharq Al-Awsat

KSrelief Signs Two Agreements to Support Yemen via SPA

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) signed in Riyadh this week two agreements to provide humanitarian aid to Yemenis at a total cost of approximately SR14 million. The first agreement in the field of emergency response to hygiene and environmental sanitation in Aden Governorate was signed by Advisor at the Royal Court and KSrelief Supervisor General Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah with Hand by Hand Foundation, benefiting 865,000 people in Aden Governorate. The second agreement in the field of securing and distributing food aid in Yemen in 2020 was signed by Dr. Al Rabeeah with the Charity Coalition for Humanitarian Relief, benefiting 90,000 people in Hadramout Governorate, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. Dr. Al Rabeeah said the value of the Saudi projects implemented in Yemen during the past five years amounted to USD16.7 billion, placing Saudi Arabia as the largest international supporter for Yemen. Meanwhile, KSrelief and in cooperation with Selah Foundation for Development, launched the distribution of 700 winter bags for the displaced and the affected people in Taiz Governorate, benefiting 4,200 people. The Riyadh-based center also conducted on Monday 15 surgeries, including 3 open-heart surgeries and 12 heart catheterization operations in Mukalla City. This medical campaign aims to conduct approximately 90 surgeries for low-income people in Mukalla City, according to SPA.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059901/saudi-arabias-relief-arm-signs-two-agreements-support-yemen

New Video Game Aims to Boost Attention among Teens

Varieties

December 31st, 7:51am

Cairo - Hazem Bader

Boys play Tencent's Honor of Kings game. (Reuters)

People have always complained about teens' addiction to video games. However, a research team sought to prove an opposite point of view by designing a new game aimed at boosting attention. The study carried out by researchers from the University of Wisconsin and their colleagues from the University of California showed that the new game "helped improve mindfulness in middle-schoolers and found that when young people played the game, they showed changes in areas of their brains that underlie attention." Most educational video games are focused on presenting declarative information about a particular subject, like biology or chemistry. But, the aim of the new game is different: it seeks to change the cognitive or emotional processes by raising alertness and improving attention. The game, called "Tenacity," was designed for middle-schoolers and requires players to count their breaths by tapping a touch screen to advance. It leads players through relaxing landscapes such as ancient Greek ruins and outer space. Players tap once per breath while counting breaths for the first four breaths and then tap twice every fifth breath. Players earn more points and advance in the game by counting sequences of five breaths accurately. The game's tests are explained in a report published on the University of Wisconsin-Madison's website. In the study, 95 middle school-aged youth were randomly assigned to one of two groups, either the Tenacity gameplay group or a control group that played the game Fruit Ninja. Kids in each group were instructed to play their assigned game for 30 minutes per day for two weeks while researchers conducted brain scans with participants before and after the two-week period.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059896/new-video-game-aims-boost-attention-among-teens

Big Ben to Ring on New Year's Eve

Varieties

December 31st, 7:46am

London - Asharq Al-Awsat

Britain's Big Ben Construction. AP.

Britain's Big Ben bell in parliament's landmark clock tower will ring at midnight on New Year's Eve, marking the start of a year for the first time since its new face was revealed from under scaffolding halfway through restoration work. The work has seen the 96-metre-tall Elizabeth Tower, enveloped in scaffolding for the last two years as the four clock dials are reglazed, ironwork repainted and intricately carved stonework cleaned and repaired. In March, part of the scaffolding was removed, showing that the clock's once black numerals and hands have been repainted blue, in line with what scientists say was its original color. Since restoration work began in 2017, Big Ben has been largely silenced, sounding only for important events. It last tolled on Remembrance Day on November 11. The bell will be tested several times in the run-up to New Year's Eve, parliament said in a statement. The restoration of the entire Elizabeth Tower, worth an estimated 61 million pounds ($79.78 million), will see it repaired and redecorated, including bringing colors back to the original design. The restoration work is due to be completed in 2021 and will be followed by a 4-billion-pound ($5.2 billion) restoration program of the entire parliament building.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059886/big-ben-ring-new-years-eve

Zarif, Lavrov Say US Attack In Iraq, Syria 'Unacceptable'

Iran

December 31st, 7:38am

London, Moscow – Asharq Al-Awsat

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend a news conference following their meeting in Moscow, December 30, 2019

The Russian and Iranian foreign ministries described on Monday the US strike that hit several bases belonging to the Hezbollah brigades in Iraq and Syria late last week as “unacceptable,” while a joint press conference held by the two countries’ Foreign Ministers mainly focused on Syria, Libya, and the Nuclear Deal. Russian FM Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad-Javad Zarif held talks in Moscow on Monday and the two men condemned last Sunday’s US airstrikes against a pro-Iran group in Iraq, which killed at least 25 fighters. Tehran described the attacks as “a clear example of terrorism,” and it called on the US to respect Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a statement released Monday, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi also condemned the attacks and said: “the US has demonstrated its decisive support for terrorism and disregard for the independence and sovereignty of nations by launching these attacks, and it must accept the responsibility for the consequences of such illegal measure.” For his part, member of the national security and Foreign Affairs Committee in the Parliament, Hishmatallah Falahat Beeshah, warned that the “US challenge in Iraq could be a trap used against Iran and which Tehran must avoid.” Washington military carried out airstrikes on Sunday against the Kataib Hezbollah militia in response to the killing of a US civilian contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base. In Moscow, Zarif condemned Sunday’s attack and he renewed his previous accusations against Washington for killing people in Iraq and Syria under the pretext of defending itself. "Unlike the US which sheds the blood of people in Iraq and Syria thousands of miles farther from its borders under the pretext of defending itself, and the unbelievable US measure yesterday was one of these cases, Iran and Russia cooperated for peace in Iraq and Syria and the Astana process is a successful instance," Zarif said after his meeting with Lavrov in Moscow. For his part, Russia’s FM said the US airstrikes were unacceptable and counterproductive, and he urged all sides to avoid fuelling tensions in the region, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the US had not informed Russia about the strikes. Lavrov and Zarif also tackled the Nuclear Deal a few days before the expiry of a fourth deadline, offered by Iran to the European signatories to meet Tehran’s list of demands. The Russian FM said the US and the European Union should either comply with the terms of the 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran or recognize it as nonexistent. “The European signatories to the deal were not taking any practical steps" to support it,” he said.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059876/zarif-lavrov-say-us-attack-iraq-syria-unacceptable

Actress Sophie Marceau: Favorite Female Personality in France

Varieties

December 31st, 7:31am

Paris - Asharq Al-Awsat

Sophie Marceau, December 3, 2012 - Goh Chai Hin - AFP

The French Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper has broken its annual tradition of choosing France's favorite personality of the year by announcing two lists: one for males and one for females on Sunday. Actress Sophie Marceau, 53, has topped the list of favorite woman personality in France followed by Oscar-winner Actress Marion Cotillard, while Author-composer Jean-Jacques Goldman, 68, has been chosen as the most favorite male personality for the third year in row. The survey organizers indicated that the "gender separation" this year was applied for a positive goal, after the significant low female presence observed over the recent years. Sophie Marceau ranked 16th last year. The survey was carried out in partnership with the IFOP survey institute, and involved a random sample of men and women aged 18 years old and above. Based on the highest number of votes, 25 female and 25 male personalities have been selected. Senegalese-born Actor Omar Sy has been elected the second favorite male personality, while Footballer Kylian Mbappé dropped from fourth to 14th place. Algerian-born comedian Danny Boon, whose original name is Daniel Hamidou, also ranked second on the male list. The surprise was rapper Soprano, a young artist from Marseille whose original name is Saïd M'Roumbaba, who ranked fourth.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059866/actress-sophie-marceau-favorite-female-personality-france

Houthi Oppression Deprives Tens of Thousands of Yemenis of their Salaries

Arab World

December 31st, 7:24am

Aden - Ali Rabih

Houthis refuse to accept the newly printed Yemeni rial. (AFP)

Yemen’s Finance Ministry demanded the international community, the United Nations, World Bank and International Monetary Fund to bear their responsibility to counter the tyrannical practices of the Iran-backed Houthi militias. In their latest violation, the militias have delayed the payment of salaries to public civil servicemen and pensioners in areas under their control in northern Yemen after they refused to work with newly printed banknotes. “The militias have banned the circulation of the new Yemeni rials that were released by the central bank in Aden,” the ministry said in a statement. This has led to the paralysis of bank activity and deprived tens of thousands of employees and pensioners from receiving their salaries. The central bank had printed the new currency some three years ago. The Houthis’ latest move is part of their ongoing efforts to combat the legitimate government. They have called for the withdrawal of the new currency, giving people a month to hand over the new banknote. In the latest farce, they said they will compensate them in old currency or so-called electronic rial. Yemeni legal sources and activists said they had earlier received a notice from the legitimate government expressing its inability to pay the salaries of employees working in Houthi-controlled areas starting December 2019 as a result of the militias’ decision not to deal with the new banknote. The sources said that those salaries, worth more than 10 billion Yemeni rials per month, include employees working in the health sectors, the judiciary, university teachers, civilian retirees and the control and accounting apparatus. Bankers in Saana told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Houthi decision aims to prevent Yemenis from using the new notes and instead, flood the market with the old banknote. Accordingly, the Yemeni Trade Union called for an open strike, starting next month, to protest the militias’ decision.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059846/houthi-oppression-deprives-tens-thousands-yemenis-their-salaries

Fatah Says Haniyeh’s Tour Aimed at Promoting ‘Deal of the Century’

Arab World

December 31st, 7:08am

Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat

Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh. (Reuters)

Tensions flared on Monday between the rival Fatah and Hamas groups after the latter accused the Palestinian Authority of trying to avoid holding legislative elections. It charged that PA chief Mahmoud Abbas had deliberately refused to issue a decree to hold the polls in order to thwart them. He said that he has delayed the decree because he is awaiting Israel’s response to a request about included East Jerusalem in the polls. Hamas then accused the PA intelligence of collaborating with Israel in the assassination of Islamic Jihad official Baha Abou al-Ata in November. Fatah responded by accusing Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh of promoting the so-called “deal of the century” US peace proposal during his ongoing foreign tour. Fatah deputy chief Mahmoud al-Aloul said that Abbas was the one to propose holding the elections and he has since rallied massive support for them. He spent long months trying to persuade Hamas to participate in them. “The movement is now accusing us of obstructing the elections in order to cover its real stance that rejects the polls,” he charged He accused Hamas of cooperating with the Israeli government and American administration in a bid to gain their support for the movement to replace the Palestinian Liberation Organization and implement the US peace proposal that “conspires against the Palestinian people.” Haniyeh has been on a foreign tour that has seen him visit Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. Hamas has not disclosed further details about his other trips. Palestinians’ last parliamentary ballot in 2006 resulted in a surprise win by Hamas, widening an internal political rift that led to the group’s seizure of the Gaza Strip in 2007 and contributed to the long delay in setting further elections. PA officials have put Israel on the spot by requesting it again allow polling stations in East Jerusalem to operate, as they had in the parliamentary ballot in 2006 and a presidential election a year earlier. Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in a move that has not won international recognition. It regards all of Jerusalem as its capital. Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a state they want to establish in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The PA’s 2.2 million registered voters are split among East Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank. Jerusalem is home to more than 300,000 Palestinians and 500,000 Israelis. The Palestinian Central Elections Commission says Jerusalem has 75,401 eligible Palestinian voters.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059836/fatah-says-haniyeh%E2%80%99s-tour-aimed-promoting-%E2%80%98deal-century%E2%80%99

Iraq Warns US Ties at Stake after Deadly Strikes

Arab World

December 31st, 6:39am

Asharq Al-Awsat

A hole left after an air strike by US forces against the headquarters of the Kataib Hezbollah militia in Qaim, Iraq, December 30, 2019. (Reuters)

The Iraqi government warned Monday that its relations with the United States were at risk after deadly American air strikes against a pro-Iran group sparked anger on the streets, with protesters torching US flags. Baghdad said it would summon the US ambassador while Washington responded by accusing Iraqi authorities of having failed to "protect" US interests. At least 25 fighters were killed in Sunday night's attacks, which saw US planes hit several bases belonging to the Kataib Hezbollah, one of the most radical factions of of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a Tehran-backed Iraqi paramilitary coalition. The attacks came as Iraq is caught up in mounting tensions between its allies Tehran and Washington while it also grapples with huge street protests against corruption and Iran's growing political influence in the country. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the US strikes “were aimed at deterring Iran,” the State Department said in a statement. The air strikes will force Iraq to reconsider working with the US-led international coalition against ISIS, the Iraqi National Security Council said in a statement. The raid "killed 25 and wounded 51, including commanders and fighters, and the toll could yet rise," said the PMF. Victims were still being pulled from the rubble of bases near Al-Qaim, an Iraqi district bordering Syria, on Monday, it said. The Kataib Hezbollah said they will hold a mass funeral ceremony on Tuesday in Baghdad near the high-security Green Zone, where the US embassy is located. Iraq's government, acting in a caretaker capacity following the resignation of prime minister Adel Abdel Mahdi in the face of street protests, denounced the strikes and warned they could affect ties with Washington. "American forces acted on their political priorities, not those of the Iraqis," a statement said, adding that such strikes "violate the sovereignty of Iraq". The attacks "force Iraq to review its relations and its security, political and legal framework to protect its sovereignty", the government added. The warning came as demonstrators torched US flags in the Shiite-dominated southern cities of Basra and Najaf as well as in Kirkuk, north of Baghdad, while lawmakers called for US troops to be booted out of Iraq. Dozens of lawmakers called on the government to review an agreement allowing the deployment of 5,200 US soldiers in the country, saying the strikes amount to a violation that renders the pact obsolete. US Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker said the strikes were a "proportionate" response for the death Friday of a US civilian contractor in Kirkuk in a Kataib Hezbollah rocket attack. "We don't want an escalation here, we want a de-escalation," he added however. Abdel Mahdi said he had been forewarned by US Defense Secretary Mark Esper that the US would carry out the attacks. "He told me the United States would strike the Kataib Hezbollah and I told him it would be a very dangerous act that could lead to an escalation," Abdel Mahdi said. Tensions have soared between the United States and Iran since Washington pulled out of a multilateral nuclear agreement with Tehran last year and imposed crippling sanctions Iraqi leaders fear their country could become a battleground between Tehran and Washington.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059786/iraq-warns-us-ties-stake-after-deadly-strikes

Sudan to Deploy Troops to West Darfur after Deadly Unrest

Arab World

December 31st, 6:29am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Sudan’s authorities will deploy military forces to West Darfur after an outbreak of violence around the regional capital. (Reuters)

Sudan’s authorities said on Monday they would deploy military forces to West Darfur and suspend peace talks with rebel groups for 24 hours after an outbreak of deadly violence around the regional capital. There were no details of the scale of the deployment or the clashes around el-Geneina, but information minister Faisal Saleh said the head of Sudan’s transitional ruling council and the prime minister would visit the city. Aircraft would be sent to evacuate the wounded to the capital, Khartoum, he said. A resident from el-Geneina told Reuters that the violence flared after a soldier from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) was stabbed to death with two of his relatives in apparent retaliation for incidents in which locals had been hit by cars. On Monday Arab groups responded to the soldier’s death by raiding camps for internally displaced people near el-Geneina, killing people and livestock both in el-Geneina and the camps, the resident said. A second resident confirmed the revenge attacks. It was unclear how many people had been killed and injured. The regional government declared a curfew across West Darfur. Sudan’s transitional authorities, who took power after former President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in April following a popular uprising, have been holding talks with rebel groups to try to end conflicts in several areas of the country, including Darfur. Conflict broke out in Darfur in 2003 after rebels rose up against Khartoum. Up to 300,000 people have been killed and 2.7 million displaced, according to UN estimates. Government forces and militias known as the Janjaweed — some of whose men were later incorporated in the RSF — were accused of committing atrocities during the conflict, accusations that authorities at the time denied.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059776/sudan-deploy-troops-west-darfur-after-deadly-unrest

Al-Shabaab Group Claims Deadly Mogadishu Bombing

Arab World

December 31st, 6:20am

Asharq Al-Awsat

A Somali man stands at the scene of a car bomb explosion at a checkpoint in Mogadishu, Somalia December 28, 2019. (Reuters)

Al-Shabaab militants have claimed responsibility for Saturday's massive car bomb in the Somali capital Mogadishu that killed scores of people, including two Turkish citizens. Saturday's attack hit a busy checkpoint in the southwest of the city, killing at least 90 people, including a dozen university students, in the country's deadliest assault in two years. Dozens more were wounded in the blast that left surrounding vehicles charred and twisted in an area clogged with traffic because of the checkpoint and a tax office collecting fees from trucks and buses. "...the mujahideen carried (out) an attack... targeting a convoy of Turkish mercenaries and apostate militia who were escorting them," Al-Shabaab spokesman Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage said in an audio message. Rage accused Turkey of “taking all resources of Somalia” and vowed to continue targeting their personnel in the country. “We shall always fight...the Turkish who work with the apostate government of Turkey. We are not against innocent Turkish Muslim citizens,” he said. Among the dead were 16 students from the private Banadir university whose bus was passing through the crossroads as the bomb detonated. For the first time, Al-Shabaab apologized to the civilian victims of the attack, which it justified as necessary in fight against the Somali State and its foreign backers. Al-Shabaab do not usually claim attacks that cause such high casualty rates among the civilian population, for fear of losing the support they still enjoy with some Somalis. The most deadly attack blamed on Al-Shabaab was in 2017 when a truck bomb exploded next to a fuel tanker in Mogadishu, killing nearly 600. Mogadishu is regularly hit by attacks by Al-Shabaab, which has fought for more than a decade to topple the Somali government. In 2010, Al-Shabaab declared its allegiance to Al-Qaeda. But its fighters fled positions they once held in the capital Mogadishu, and have since lost many strongholds. They retain control of large rural swathes of the country and continue to wage a guerrilla war against the authorities, managing to inflict bloody attacks at home and abroad.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2059756/al-shabaab-group-claims-deadly-mogadishu-bombing