Erdogan Says Turkey to Remain in Libya ‘until Stability is Restored’
Arab World
Ankara - Saeed Abdulrazek
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan underlined on Friday his country’s support to the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA), saying Ankara has not committed anything illegal in the north African country. Ankara will remain in Libya until stability is restored, he vowed, amid reports that Turkey was sending African mercenaries to the country. On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron accused Erdogan of failing "to keep his word" to end meddling in Libya. Specifically, Macron said Turkish ships had in recent days been seen taking ships laden with pro-Ankara Syrian mercenaries to Libya. Erdogan meanwhile, continued to criticize Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar, saying he was obtaining funds from abroad and continuing his offensive against Tripoli, where the GNA is based. Some countries are still supporting him with weapons, equipment, funds and mercenaries, he claimed before members of his Justice and Development party. Turkey will not spare an effort in supporting the GNA, vowed Erdogan. Turkey will not allow the insurgents – meaning the LNA supporters – “to do what they want in Libya”, he declared. “Standing by Haftar the usurper instead of the legitimate government and Libyan people is a betrayal of democracy,” he claimed.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2109731/erdogan-says-turkey-remain-libya-%E2%80%98until-stability-restored%E2%80%99
Scientists Develop Robot that Regulates Heat through Sweating
Technology
Cairo - Hazem Badr
Bipedal humanoid robot "Atlas", primarily developed by the American robotics company Boston Dynamics, practices tai chi during a news conference at the University of Hong Kong October 17, 2013. Siu Chiu / Reuters
One of the hurdles for making enduring, adaptable and agile robots is managing the robots' internal temperature. But, a research team from the US Cornell University has addressed this problem by creating a soft robot hand that can regulate its temperature through sweating. According to the study published in the Science Robotics journal on Wednesday, the new robotic hand allows the high-powered robots to operate for long periods of time without overheating. The so-called soft robots are made of compatible materials similar to those found in living creatures. They also have almost the same motility and adaptability. But despite these characteristics, they hold heat unlike the solid robots made from metals which dissipate heat quickly. An internal cooling technology, such as a fan, may not be much help because it would take up space inside the robot and add weight. So, the researchers took inspiration from the natural cooling system that exists in mammals: sweating. Sweating takes advantage of evaporated water loss to rapidly dissipate heat and can cool below the ambient environmental temperature. And this is the mechanism that the research team replicated. The researchers created the necessary nanopolymer materials for sweating via a 3D-printing technique called multi-material stereolithography. They fabricated fingerlike actuators composed of two hydrogel materials that can retain water and respond to temperature. The actuators react to temperatures above 30C by shrinking, which squeezes water up into a top layer of polyacrylamide that is perforated with micron-sized pores. These pores are sensitive to the same temperature range and automatically dilate to release the "sweat", and then close when the temperature drops below 30C.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2109726/scientists-develop-robot-regulates-heat-through-sweating
NASA Says Goodbye to Spitzer after 16 Years of Discoveries
Varieties
London - Asharq Al-Awsat
An artist's conception shows NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope as it begins its ‘Beyond’ mission phase on Oct. 1, 2016. (Reuters)
NASA's Spitzer space telescope signed off on Thursday and went silent. But even during its final week of operation, the spacecraft was making one-of-a-kind observations. The telescope, the size of a family sedan, follows Earth in its orbit around the sun, but trails 158 million miles behind. Lately, it has gazed out with its infrared eyes, taking sensitive measurements of fine cosmic dust that pervades the space between planets in the solar system. The resulting imagery will enable researchers to better understand our local celestial neighborhood, the New York Times reported. Since it launched on Aug. 25, 2003, Spitzer has provided unique contributions to science. It gave us new views of distant galaxies, newborn stars and nearby exoplanets, as well as of asteroids, comets and other objects in our solar system. Its infrared cameras have observed the universe in a light imperceptible to human sense, providing otherwise unattainable visions of the sky. The end of a spacecraft's mission always provides a moment for reflection. But Spitzer's conclusion is particularly challenging for infrared astronomers, and many wish it wasn't yet time to say goodbye. "There is no field of investigation that has not been touched by Spitzer," said Daniela Calzetti, an astronomer at the University of Massachusetts. For his part, George Helou, an astronomer who was part of a NASA review into whether the telescope should continue to operate, said: "From a purely technical point of view, we could continue to operate it. The decision was taken at a time when it seemed the rational thing to do was to terminate the mission now.” Spitzer costs the agency NASA less than $14 million each year, and its overall lifetime expenditure has been calculated to be around $1.3 billion. Information from the infrared telescope has been used in more than 8,700 research papers. "It's really the end of an era, particularly for me. Spitzer has been around for as long as I've been doing science," said Heather Knutson, an astrophysicist at the California Institute of Technology.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2109711/nasa-says-goodbye-spitzer-after-16-years-discoveries
Sudan Army Spokesperson to Asharq Al-Awsat: Prisoner Swap Measures with Houthis Via Coalition
Arab World
Khartoum - Ahmed Younis
Sudan Army Spokesperson to Asharq Al-Awsat: Prisoner Swap Measures with Houthis Via Coalition
The Sudanese Army announced on Friday the launch of initial measures for the release of Sudanese prisoners held by the Iran-backed Houthis that control the capital Sanaa. “Sudanese forces and Houthis have taken initial measures and exchanged documents on an exchange of prisoners through the Saudi-led Coalition, upon the request of the Yemeni militias,” Sudanese army spokesperson Brigadier General Amer Muhammad Al-Hassan told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday. This week, Houthis announced they are ready to hold talks with Sudan on a prisoner swap via the Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen. Al-Hassan explained that the swap deal would be achieved through the Coalition’s mechanisms and channels. But he did not specify the number of Houthi or Sudanese prisoners to be released by each side. “The Sudanese Army does not have authority on that. It is subject to the Coalition leadership,” the spokesperson said.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2109706/sudan-army-spokesperson-asharq-al-awsat-prisoner-swap-measures-houthis
Libyan National Army: Turkey Building Secret Military Base in Tripoli’s Mitiga Airport
Arab World
Cairo - Khaled Mahmoud
A convoy vehicle is seen after reopening of the Mitiga airport in Tripoli, Libya October 29, 2019. (Reuters)
Turkey has started building a military base inside Mitiga International Airport in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, an informed source revealed. The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Turkish military and intelligence officials were present at the base. Mitiga is the only functional airport in western Libya. Fighting forced the closure of Tripoli International Airport in 2014 and it has been shut ever since. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said Ankara is planning to bolster its military presence in Libya through a secret military base. Turkish officers are also assisting at the operations command center affiliated with militias that are loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA). The source’s comments coincided with reports that said Turkey was seeking to bring in more mercenaries and fighters from Kenya and Somalia to back the GNA. Meanwhile, Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari released on Thursday video footage from inside a Turkish vessel that had unloaded modern weapons and military equipment at Tripoli port on Tuesday night. Mismari deemed the development a Turkish “invasion” that violates all international laws and norms, as well as the ceasefire in the western region. The spokesman also released photos of the military shipment. France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier this week spotted a Turkish frigate escorting a cargo ship delivering armored vehicles to Tripoli in defiance of a UN embargo, a French military source said Thursday, according to AFP. The cargo ship Bana, sailing under a Lebanese flag, docked in Tripoli port on Wednesday, said the source, who asked not to be named. According to the Marine Traffic specialist website, the vessel was recorded Thursday off the coast of Sicily. The claim came a day after President Emmanuel Macron accused his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan of failing "to keep his word" to end meddling in the north African country. Specifically, Macron said Turkish ships had in recent days been seen taking ships laden with pro-Ankara Syrian mercenaries to Libya. Meanwhile, United Nations envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame was set to meet with LNA commander Khlifa Haftar in the eastern city of Benghazi to persuade him to join the ten-member committee that would oversee the fragile truce in Libya. The formation of the committee was agreed during last month’s Berlin conference. It will be comprised of five members from each of the LNA and GNA. The committee is set to meet in Geneva on Tuesday, but that has been put to doubt over Haftar’s failure to name his candidates to the body.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2109676/libyan-national-army-turkey-building-secret-military-base-tripoli%E2%80%99s-mitiga
Kushner to Majalla: Peace Plan is an ‘Amazing Step to Break a Logjam’
Arab World
London - Asharq Al-Awsat
White House senior adviser Jared Kushner. Reuters file photo
US President Donald Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner has described aspects of the newly released White House peace plan as an “amazing step to break a logjam” in Israeli-Palestinian relations. Speaking in a private, on-the-record briefing with Majalla magazine’s Mostafa El-Dessouki, Kushner said: “We unified Israel around a serious proposal.” He was referring to the fact that both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his electoral rival, Benny Gantz, had endorsed the plan. The two leaders had come together, he said, “both in terms of agreeing to negotiate on the basis of a plan, and also on getting a map, which has never been put out in the history of this conflict.” In response to a followup question by Majalla concerning Palestinian “days of rage” protests following the release of the peace plan, Kushner said that the Palestinian people have been “lied to for a long time and promised false things.” But the longest-standing refugee problem in history has been diminished in the twenty-first century, Kushner said, as “now we have 70 million refugees throughout the world.” On the Palestinian leadership, he said, “It will be very hard for them to play the victim card going forward and continue to raise money … when they have a real offer on the table.” But while “President Trump obviously has a lot of trust with the people of Israel and leadership of Israel,” Kushner added, that does not mean the United States will respond unfavorably to Palestinian political engagement. “If Palestinians would come to the table,” he said, “there are things the US would be flexible on.” Kushner noted that US and Arab interests in ending the Israeli-Palestinian stalemate are “largely the same,” in that “this conflict has been used for radicalization. … This deal, or even just the offer of it, takes away those arguments from the jihadis, because now the Palestinian people have the opportunity to have a state,” including “a capital in east Jerusalem” and economic development opportunities. He attached special significance to the plan’s call for international freedom of religious pilgrimage to all of Jerusalem’s holy sites, notably the Al-Aqsa mosque.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2109661/kushner-majalla-peace-plan-%E2%80%98amazing-step-break-logjam%E2%80%99
Guterres: Sultan Qaboos Kept Oman ‘Immune’ from Regional Tension
Gulf
New York - Ali Barada
General Assembly Pays Tribute to Sultan Qaboos. Photo courtesy of Oman's mission to the UN
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has praised Oman’s Sultan Qaboos, who passed away three weeks ago, saying that under his watch the Sultanate has remained “largely immune” from regional tension. Guterres spoke on Friday during a tribute to the late Sultan at the UN General Assembly. Among other speakers were the General Assembly president, representatives of several regional groups at the UN and Oman’s ambassador to the organization. “Sultan Qaboos led Oman to join the United Nations, the League of Arab States and the Gulf Cooperation Council. With leadership and commitment, he worked to shape Oman as an active, responsible member of the international family,” said the UN chief. “Under his watch, Oman remained largely immune from the tensions of the region,” he added. The Sultan was well regarded for spreading messages of peace, understanding and coexistence far beyond his country’s borders, Guterres said, noting that Oman has consistently played a critical role in ensuring communication among disputing parties. According to the UN chief, the Sultan’s vision for Oman saw levels of education for women and men rise exponentially — with a manifold increase in schools, hospitals and roads. Extending his best wishes to Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, who, while grieving the death of his cousin, has taken over the leadership of Oman, Guterres said he has every hope that Oman’s contributions to regional and international diplomacy will continue.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2109636/guterres-sultan-qaboos-kept-oman-%E2%80%98immune%E2%80%99-regional-tension
Washington – Elie Youssef
A Yemeni police poster shows images of Qassim al-Rimi. (AFP)
The United States targeted in a drone strike the leader of the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Qassim al-Rimi, Arab and western media reported. Rimi, 41, was targeted after months of tracking by using aerial surveillance and other intelligence, three current or former American officials revealed, according to the New York Times. They were awaiting confirmation of his death before making a public announcement. A Yemeni source confirmed that a US drone strike targeted Rimi’s house in the central Wadi Obeidah region east of Marib, reported Al Arabiya. The CIA learned of Rimi’s location from an informer in Yemen in November, according to a United States official who was briefed on the strike. That information allowed the government to begin tracking him through surveillance drones, said the New York Times. Local news reports in Yemen said that a drone strike this month killed two militant suspects in the area of Wadi Obeidah. The reports did not identify the people killed in the strike. A veteran of al-Qaeda’s training camps in Afghanistan, Rimi later returned to his native Yemen, where he was sentenced to five years in prison for plotting to kill the American ambassador there. He broke out of jail a year later, and quickly rose through the ranks of the Qaeda affiliate. The State Department offered a $5 million bounty for information leading to his capture, and later doubled the reward to $10 million, as he was linked to numerous plots against American interests, said the New York Times.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2109611/american-strike-targets-qaeda-leader-yemen
Asharq Al-Awsat
Police officers in Iraq. (Reuters)
An Iraqi man, acting as the leader of an al-Qaeda group in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, federal officials said on Friday. Ali Yousif Ahmed al-Nouri, 42, is wanted in Iraq on charges of premeditated murder of the Iraqi police officers in 2006, according to a statement by the US Attorney’s Office District of Arizona. An Iraqi judge issued a warrant for al-Nouri’s arrest and the government there issued an extradition request to the US Justice Department, the statement said, according to Reuters. The Justice Department sought an arrest warrant for al-Nouri and he was taken into custody on Thursday in Phoenix. He appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Phoenix on Friday in connection with proceedings to extradite him to Iraq, the statement said. According to the Iraqi government, al-Nouri was the leader of an al-Qaeda group in Fallujah which planned operations targeting Iraqi police. The statement noted the details in the Iraqi complaint were allegations that had yet to been proven in court. Al-Nouri’s extradition would have to be certified by the US court and the US Secretary of State would then decide whether to surrender him to Iraq, the statement said. It was not immediately possible to contact al-Nouri for comment or determine whether he had hired a lawyer. The statement did not provide information on when al-Nouri entered the United States or how long he had lived in Phoenix.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2109581/iraqi-qaeda-group-leader-arrested-arizona
Asharq Al-Awsat
FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up as he boards Air Force One for travel to Florida at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US January 23, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis
US President Donald Trump issued an expanded version of his travel ban on Friday that targets prospective immigrants from six countries, a move that could affect thousands of people and reignite debate on whether the policy is discriminatory. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said during a call with reporters that the six countries failed to meet US security and information-sharing standards, which necessitated the new restrictions. The problems Wolf cited ranged from sub-par passport technology to a failure to sufficiently exchange information on terrorism suspects and criminals. Belarus, which had been under consideration for inclusion, took steps to remedy deficiencies in recent months and will not face visa restrictions, Wolf said. The United States will suspend the issuance of visas that can lead to permanent residency for nationals of Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Nigeria, a presidential proclamation said. Temporary visas for tourists, businesspeople, students and workers from those nations will not be affected, it said. The US government also will stop issuing "diversity visas" to nationals of Sudan and Tanzania, the proclamation said. The visas, which Trump has criticized, are available by lottery for applicants from countries with low rates of immigration. "These countries, for the most part, want to be helpful," Wolf said, "but for a variety of different reasons simply failed to meet those minimum requirements that we laid out." The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was quick to condemn the new restrictions, saying that the administration was simply "expanding" the ban's scope. "President Trump is doubling down on his signature anti-Muslim policy -- and using the ban as a way to put even more of his prejudices into practice by excluding more communities of color," the ACLU said in a statement.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2109576/trump-expands-travel-ban
Tehran: US Sanctions Will Have ‘No Effect’ on Nuclear Program
Iran
London - Asharq Al-Awsat
Abbas Mousavi, spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, gives a press conference in the capital Tehran on May 28, 2019. Atta Kenare, AFP file photo
New American sanctions against Iran's nuclear program will have "no effect", Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Friday. Washington announced new sanctions on Thursday against the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and its head Ali Akbar Salehi. Brian Hook, the US pointman on Iran, accused them of playing "a big role in Iran breaching its key nuclear commitments" and exceeding "the limits on its uranium stockpile and enrichment levels". In a statement, Mousavi said "Mr. Salehi is an eminent scientific and political figure" and sanctions against him showed the "despair" of the United States. The sanctions would have "no impact on the progress of the peaceful nuclear program of the Islamic republic of Iran," Mousavi added. Since May 2019, Iran has progressively scaled back some commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, in response to Washington's 2018 unilateral withdrawal from the agreement and decision to reimpose sanctions on Tehran. The government of US President Donald Trump accuses Iran of attempting to acquire nuclear weapons, something Tehran denies.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2109571/tehran-us-sanctions-will-have-%E2%80%98no-effect%E2%80%99-nuclear-program
Iraq: Sistani Slams Use of Force Against Protest Camps, Calls for Early Election
Arab World
Baghdad- Asharq Al-Awsat
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani
Iraq's leading Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, on Friday condemned the use of force to disperse protest camps across the country, as security forces stepped up a crackdown against demonstrators. Protesters across Iraq are seeking the removal of what they see as a corrupt ruling elite and an end to foreign interference in Iraqi politics, especially by Iran, which has come to dominate state institutions since dictator Saddam Hussein was toppled in a 2003 US-led invasion. Nearly 500 people have been killed in the unrest which began in October, with both security forces and unidentified gunmen shooting people dead. At least 11 have been killed since the protests resumed earlier this month. Sistani, who delivered his message through a representative at Friday prayers in the holy city of Kerbala, also renewed calls for early elections to be held freely and fairly. "It is imperative to hurry and hold an early election for the people to have their say, and for the next parliament to be formed from their free will, to take the necessary steps towards reform," he said. He said that the next parliament would be able "to take decisive measures that will determine the future of the country, especially regarding the preservation of its sovereignty and the independence of its political decisions." Tensions boiled over when the United States killed Iranian military mastermind Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad on Jan. 3. Iran responded with ballistic missile attacks on two Iraqi military bases housing US troops. Baghdad condemned both the killing of Soleimani and Iran's missile attacks on two Iraqi bases housing US troops as acts of aggression on Iraq and a breach of its sovereignty. Sistani also "strongly condemned" US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan. "The religious authority condemns strongly the oppressive plan that has been unveiled recently to legitimize the occupation of more Palestinian lands," Sistani said.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2108571/iraq-sistani-slams-use-force-against-protest-camps-calls-early-election
London - Asharq Al-Awsat
Jennifer Gates with her fiance Nayel Nasser. The Daily Mail
Bill Gate's daughter, Jennifer, has got engaged to fellow equestrian Nayel Nassar, Britain’s The Daily Mail reported. The eldest daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates who is 23, announced in a romantic Instagram post that she is getting married to the young Egyptian, it said. “Nayel Nassar, you are one of a kind,” Jennifer wrote on Instagram. “Absolutely swept me off my feet this past weekend, surprising me in the most meaningful location over one of our many shared passions. I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives learning, growing, laughing and loving together,” she said. In the picture posted to her Instagram account, which appears to have been taken while the couple were on a ski trip, Jennifer appears visibly surprised at the proposal, busting into tears, said The Mail. She can be seen wearing a large diamond ring as she leans against Nassar in the snow.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2108556/bill-gates-daughter-gets-engaged-egyptian
From Danish Dinner to Inter Move: How Spurs Lost Control in Eriksen Saga
Sports
London- David Hytner
Christian Eriksen trains with his new Inter teammates after leaving Spurs in a €20m transfer. Photograph: Claudio Villa - Inter/Inter via Getty Images
Oil Climbs as WHO Declares Emergency, but Opposes Travel Restrictions
Business
London- Asharq Al-Awsat
Oil pump jacks work at sunset near Midland, Texas, US, August 21, 2019. REUTERS/Jessica Lutz
Oil prices rose on Friday but were still set for a fourth consecutive weekly loss, as markets attempted to assess the economic damage of the coronavirus that has spread from China to around 20 countries, killing more than 200 people. Brent crude LCOc1 was 31 cents higher at $58.60 a barrel by 0943 GMT but was still down 3.4% on the week. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) CLc1 rose by 34 cents to $52.48 a barrel. It is 3.2% lower on the week. Both benchmarks rose by more than $1 earlier in the session. The WHO said late Thursday that the coronavirus outbreak was a global emergency, but calmed the markets by opposing travel restrictions. It said Chinese actions so far will “reverse the tide” of its spread. “China’s better-than-expected expansion in its January non-manufacturing PMI, along with the concerted efforts by the authorities to contain the viral outbreak, could help push back against some of the fears surrounding the epidemic’s impact on the world’s second-largest economy,” said Han Tan, market analyst at FXTM. Investors applauded the WHO's move, plunging back into markets that have lost altitude over recent days as the 2019-nCoV crisis has worsened. "Sure the WHO raised the alert, but they didn't ring the apocalypse bell so it could be time for risk-takers to come out of hibernation," said Stephen Innes, chief market strategist at AxiCorp. The WHO move "eased some mushrooming fears by suggesting the number of outbreaks is relatively small", he said. Energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie lowered its estimate for world oil demand by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) for the first quarter of 2020, according to its consultant Yujiao Lei, saying China’s oil demand for the same period could also be reduced by more than 250,000 bpd. “Although the Chinese government has been taking action more swiftly in a more determined manner than in 2003 (during the SARS outbreak), Chinese domestic and international transport activity is incomparably higher today and thus the impact may be larger,” Lei added. China’s new year holiday was due to end on Friday, when many companies planned to get back to work after a week-long vacation, but authorities have ordered businesses in many areas to stay shut longer in a bid to contain the disease. Widespread travel restrictions, meanwhile, mean millions of migrant workers may be unable to return to what has often been called the world’s factory floor. A growing number of airlines are suspending flights to China to halt the spread of the virus. Brexit day, which comes three and a half years after the United Kingdom first voted to leave the European Union, is not expected to move markets, analysts said.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2108516/oil-climbs-who-declares-emergency-opposes-travel-restrictions
Manchester United Fans Have a Right to Be Angry but Attacking Woodward’s Home Was Outrageous
Sports
London- Paul Wilson
Manchester United Fans Have a Right to Be Angry but Attacking Woodward’s Home Was Outrageous
Remember the good old days, when Manchester United supporters used to be characterized by their uncomplaining politeness and fondness for prawn sandwiches? There were clear signs that attitudes had hardened last week, when many fans left Old Trafford early and others used the Burnley defeat as an opportunity to hope dire fates might befall the unpopular Glazer family and their representative in the north-west of England, though it is still a shocking progression to go from chanting nasty things about Ed Woodward inside a football ground to finding out where he lives and attacking his home. The club have quite properly responded to the attempt to put the frighteners on United’s executive vice-chairman with a pledge to ban for life anyone found responsible. One would expect nothing less, yet it is entirely possible that those who turned up at Woodward’s home with flares and fireworks are not regular attendees at Old Trafford anyway. Far from being representative of the prawn sandwich brigade they are more likely to be people disenfranchised by either the price of season tickets or the difficulty of gaining admission to mainstream games nowadays. The level of dissatisfaction around Manchester United at the moment runs a lot deeper than a few poor results or Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s stewardship of the first team and, while personal attacks on board members are clearly beyond the pale, it is possible to view direct action as a reply to the executive inaction that has plagued the club for years. No one wanted the Glazer takeover in the first place, no one wanted a thriving club to be saddled with enormous levels of debt as a result, no one wanted an accountant to be placed in charge of football matters and most of all no one wanted the sort of smothering indifference to the club’s fortunes that emanates almost palpably from the complacent American owners. Overseas investment in English football clubs is now a fact of life, though compared with, say, Manchester City or Liverpool – where inspired executive decision‑making and a great deal of money have breathed new life into the operations – United have been unlucky with their owners. The club fails a little more every year and nothing is ever done about it. The drift since the club’s most successful manager Sir Alex Ferguson departed has been unmistakable, the direction offered by Woodward has been consistently disappointing, and though United supporters can see the club is being poorly run there is nothing they can do about it except make their feelings known in one way or another and prepare to be ignored all over again. Solskjær said last week that he understands the fans’ frustration, adding that it goes with the territory at a club the size of United if results are not up to scratch. That is partly true, though the present situation – with Liverpool and City miles in the distance, the Glazers apparently happy with mediocrity and Woodward scared to make another managerial U-turn for fear of making his own position look ridiculous – is not something anyone has encountered in the past. The club have seen irresponsible attacks on directors’ property before – Maurice Watkins’s home came under attack in 2004 when it was revealed he had sold shares to the Glazers – though few would have imagined the same fight would be going on 16 years later. Using that term rather glamourizes the actions of those responsible for the latest outrage, making them sound like freedom fighters or outlaws with tacit approval when they are no such thing. Manchester United is only a football club, and there is never any excuse for endangering anyone’s personal safety, which is what the BBC radio commentator Ian Dennis said last week when he was affronted by the macabre nature of the anti‑Woodward chanting at the Burnley game. Anyone who felt the BBC was being a little prissy on that occasion, on the grounds that people who have paid to get in were simply making their dissatisfaction known in the only way open to them, will now be able to see that one thing leads to another and on the whole it is probably not a great idea for fans to go around chanting death threats to their enemies like extras in a Hammer horror. The long and sorry history of football violence usually starts with the feeling of solidarity and protection that being in a like‑minded crowd offers and ends with someone taking things a little too far. Football supporters have long had a tendency for taking things too far, leading to behavior bordering on the obsessive, and this sad tale is no different. Except that football supporters occasionally have a genuine grievance too. United fans were never going to sing “Sack the board” last week, as Dennis suggested, because that time has passed and no one would be listening. The club is stuck in a rut. On these pages last week Jonathan Liew poetically likened the warring factions of the dysfunctional United family to the captured crew of a gently listing prison hulk, hands tethered, fates entwined, drifting harmlessly into the high seas. Perhaps the word harmlessly needs revision but the club is drifting and its supporters seem to be the only ones concerned enough to complain. (The Guardian)
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2108491/manchester-united-fans-have-right-be-angry-attacking-woodward%E2%80%99s-home-was
Asharq Al-Awsat
FILE PHOTO: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference ahead of a visit to Algeria, at Ataturk airport in Istanbul, Turkey, January 26, 2020. Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS
Turkey may launch a military operation into Syria's northwestern Idlib province if the situation is not resolved immediately, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday as attacks by Syrian regime forces risked a new wave of refugees. Bashar al-Assad's forces, backed by Russian air power, have since last week rapidly advanced on Idlib. They have taken dozens of towns, including the key city of Maarat al-Numan. The recent campaign has also raised tensions between Ankara and Moscow. Turkey fears a fresh wave of migrants from Idlib and has 12 observation posts in the region, part of a 2018 de-escalation deal that Erdogan says Russia is now violating. Speaking in Ankara, Erdogan repeated Turkey could not handle a fresh influx of migrants. He said Ankara will not allow new threats near its borders, even if it meant resorting to military power, as it did in its three previous cross-border operations in northern Syria. "We will do what is necessary when someone is threatening our soil. We will have no choice but to resort to the same path again if the situation in Idlib is not returned to normal quickly," Erdogan said. He also appeared to hold out the option of another operation in northeastern Syria, where in October Ankara targeted the Syrian Kurdish YPG that it calls a terrorist group. "We will not refrain from doing what is necessary, including using military force," he said, adding Turkey wants stability and security in Syria. Later on Friday, the Kremlin said Russia was fully compliant with its obligations in Idlib, but that it was deeply concerned about what it said were aggressive militant attacks on Syrian regime forces and Russia's Hmeimim air base. Turkey, which has backed some rebels fighting to oust Assad, currently hosts more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees. Erdogan has repeatedly called for Assad to step down, even while Iran, Russia and Turkey have said they seek a political solution to the conflict. "We will not allow the regime to put our country under the constant threat of migrants by tormenting, attacking, spilling the blood of... its people," Erdogan said.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2108476/turkish-president-hints-idlib-offensive
Tunisia: Civil Society Urges Adoption of Code for Individual Freedoms
Arab World
Tunis- Asharq Al-Awsat
Tunisia: Civil Society Urges Adoption of Code for Individual Freedoms
Tunisian and international organizations have called for mobilizing the civil society to demand that the parliament endorse a Code for Individual Freedoms with continued violations of these freedoms. The Individual Freedoms and Equality Committee suggested in its latest report in June 2018 social reforms including equality between men and women in inheritance and lifting sanctions over homosexuality. The committee’s recommendation provoked criticism especially by religious organizations and conservative deputies. A total of 16 deputies from several parliamentary groups introduced a proposal for a Code for Individual Freedoms. But it was never listed on the discussions' program. The bill addresses a number of freedoms including the freedom of religion, freedom of the body, and abolishing capital punishment. Yosra Frawes, head of the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (AFTD), told AFP that the Tunisian law penalizes for homosexuality by virtue of chapter 230. She said that threats increase as more conservative groups surface in the parliament. In addition to Ennahda Movement – of Islamic reference -, the parliament includes Dignity Coalition and Errahma. Each party has respectively, 54 seats, 18 seats, and two seats. Bushra Hameeda, head of Individual Freedoms and Equality Committee, said that despite the progress of freedoms in Tunisia since the revolution in 2011 yet there will always be laws restricting them. She stressed that there are violations of human rights on a daily basis, and even worse is that part of the community practices censorship over others’ freedoms. Elodie Cantier-Aristide, head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Tunisia, stated that this enables legislative support to the implementation of these laws.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2108466/tunisia-civil-society-urges-adoption-code-individual-freedoms
Trump Vows to Reverse Course on Deportations of Iraqi Christians
World
Asharq Al-Awsat
FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks to employees gathered at Dana Incorporated during a campaign stop in Warren, Michigan, US, January 30, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo
US President Donald Trump promised on Thursday to reverse course on some deportations of Iraqi Christians whom his administration sought to remove earlier in his term, but gave no specifics. Trump said during an event at an auto parts manufacturer in the city of Warren, Michigan, that his administration would grant an "extension" to Iraqi Chaldean Catholic immigrants, a group that has been targeted for immigration enforcement during his presidency. "We're going to make sure that we do everything we can to keep people who have been good to this country out of harm's way," Trump said. "When I get back, we're going to give those who need it an extension to stay in our country." Trump launched a broad immigration crackdown after taking office that included arrests of Iraqi Chaldean Catholics with outstanding deportation orders in the Detroit area, some of whom had lived in the United States for decades. Some of the arrests took place in Michigan's Macomb County, which Trump won by 53.6 percent in 2016 with the support of many in its Iraqi Christian community. Federal immigration authorities previously had been unable to remove the Iraqi immigrants because the government in Baghdad would not accept them. But Iraq agreed in 2017 to accept US deportees as part of a deal to remove it from the Trump administration's travel ban list.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2108456/trump-vows-reverse-course-deportations-iraqi-christians
Egyptian Govt Urges Staff to Move to New Capital in Month
Arab World
Cairo- Waleed Abdurrahman
A crane and laborers work at the future headquarters Ministry of Antiquities at the new government district in the New Administrative Capital (NAC) east of Cairo, Egypt May 2, 2019. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
The Egyptian government has urged state employees to move into the new administrative capital by offering a ‘batch of motives’ amid accelerated cabinet procedures to implement the digital transformation and automate government services. Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly ordered on Thursday ministries to finalize the motives to be offered the soonest. The government plans on moving its ministries and staff to the new capital – it also seeks to commence work mid-2020 while investors have started constructing academic and housing towns. In Jan. 2018, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi inaugurated the biggest mosque and church in the administrative capital. The Egyptian government stressed in Dec. that it has no intention to dismiss any state employee after moving to the new administrative capital. It affirmed seeking to maintain all employees’ rights along with developing and raising the efficiency of the state’s administrative apparatus and staff. During a meeting to follow up on the steps and procedures of moving to the new capital, Madbouly restated that Egypt prioritized the restructuring of institutions and government bodies. The meeting – which was attended by a number of ministers – tackled the latest updates related to relocating staff of ministries and government bodies to the administrative capital. In June, Sisi called for “commitment to the decided plans for construction work in the new administrative capital and the speedy completion of the main and internal road hubs and site coordination work.” Egyptian government spokesman Nader Saad noted in November that there were several ways for employees to reach the new administrative capital, as the cabinet had been studying options for bringing employees to the capital, either by contracting with transportation companies or by paying cash for transportation costs.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2108451/egyptian-govt-urges-staff-move-new-capital-month
Saudi Cyber Security Market Expected to Reach $5 Billion in 2020
Business
Washington - Amir Nabil
The Kingdom is upgrading its capabilities in data security and enhancing spending on cyber security projects. (Photo: Reuters)
Over the past decade, the successive growth witnessed in the cyber security market in Saudi Arabia has caught global attention, given the volume of government spending and huge investments that put the Kingdom at the region’s forefront according to the major global institutions. A recent study conducted by the International Foundation for Electronic Studies and Research and published by the Saudi-American Business Council in Washington under the title, “Saudi Cybersecurity Challenges between the Past, Present and Future”, the value of the Saudi electronic security market in 2022 is expected to reach $5 billion. Saudi Arabia has adopted many projects in the field of information and communications technology over the past fifteen years, but at the same time remains - given that it is the largest economy in the region - a potential target of cyber-attacks. In response, the Kingdom is upgrading its capabilities in data security and enhancing spending on cyber security projects. Moreover, Saudi Arabia was ranked by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as the regional leader in the cyber security industry, and one of the countries that implement reforms in capacity-building. Market estimates indicate that between 50 and 60 percent of all companies are subject to cyber-attacks in the next twelve months, and that the public, healthcare, and financial sectors are the most frequently targeted, as well as the education, industry, retail, and energy sectors. These attacks vary from fraud, sending data-destroying viruses, blocking access to service systems and web application assaults. Saudi Vision 2030 emphasizes the importance of an advanced digital infrastructure that contributes to achieving competitiveness in the Saudi economy. The 2020 plan also focuses on opening the private sector to further develop the digital economy and IT security. The Saudi 2020 State budget allocates about SAR102 billion to the regional and digital administration, which includes cyber security.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2108441/saudi-cyber-security-market-expected-reach-5-billion-2020
KSRelief Condemns Houthi Looting of 127.5 Tons of Food Supplies
Gulf
Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat
KSRelief Condemns Houthi Looting of 127.5 Tons of Food Supplies
The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) has condemned the looting of food supplies from a UN warehouse in Yemen’s Hajjah governorate, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said last Sunday that an armed group had stormed and stolen 127.5 tons of food supplies from one of its warehouses in Hajjah’s Aslem district, which falls under the control of Houthi militias. KSRelief urged the UN and the international community to stand firmly against these violations in areas controlled by the insurgents. The center had previously warned that humanitarian operations in Yemen were being targeted and that militias were wreaking havoc in the country, it added, according to SPA. The violations are unjustified, said KSRelief, adding there was an outrageous disregard for the lives of people who needed food the most and who were being exposed to hunger, starvation and epidemics. KSRelief said that Saudi Arabia was the largest donor for humanitarian work in Yemen, especially to the WFP. It affirmed its continued commitment to supporting all groups across Yemen to alleviate their suffering.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2108406/ksrelief-condemns-houthi-looting-1275-tons-food-supplies
Lebanon’s Central Bank Probes $1 Billion Sent Abroad
Business
Asharq Al-Awsat
FILE PHOTO: A young demonstrator stands outside the Central Bank of Lebanon in Beirut, Lebanon, October 25, 2019. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
Lebanese Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh has said that $1 billion had been transferred out of the country, despite tight restrictions on withdrawals, and that the investigation on who made the transfers would "take some time.” "Of the $1.6 billion that was withdrawn (from the Lebanese banking sector) between October 17 and the end of the year... one billion dollars were transferred abroad by Lebanese," Salameh said in an interview with the France 24 TV news channel. Salameh's comments on Thursday came amid suspicions of politically motivated capital flight that are the subject of a probe launched late December. Since October 17, Lebanon has been rocked by an unprecedented protest movement against an entrenched political class seen as corrupt and incompetent. The protests coincided with an increasingly crippling shortage of dollars, prompting banks to impose tight restrictions on withdrawals and transfers overseas. Protesters have accused bankers of complicity with the political class and suspect politicians of transferring funds abroad despite the restrictions and a prolonged local bank closure when protests first broke out. Salameh said the central bank's investigation "would focus on the $1 billion", but that it would "take some time". The other $600,000 that were taken out of Lebanese banks during the period in question were capital deposits held by foreign banks, he added. He noted there had been reports of "politicians, senior civil servants and bank owners" involved in capital flight, but said a probe is necessary to identify those responsible. A report by the Carnegie think tank in November said that nearly $800 million left Lebanon between October 15 and November 7, when most citizens could not access their funds because banks were closed due to protests. Salameh on Thursday played up the country's monetary stability, despite the Lebanese pound losing more than a third of its value against the dollar on the parallel market in recent weeks. "The rate will stay" the same, he was quoted as saying by Agence France Presse, referring to the peg of 1507.5 pounds against the dollar. On the street, the currency has been trading at around 2,000 pounds to the greenback.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2108366/lebanon%E2%80%99s-central-bank-probes-1-billion-sent-abroad
New GCC Secretary General Stresses Gulf System Cohesion
Gulf
Riyadh- Abdul Hadi Habtoor
Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf and Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani are surrounded by GCC general secretariat employees during the handover ceremony in Riyadh on Thursday (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The new Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf, has vowed to maintain the Council’s path and to translate the GCC leaders’ directives on the ground to achieve further progress and prosperity. During a handover ceremony in Riyadh on Thursday, Hajraf expressed his gratitude to the GCC leaders for their confidence, stressing that he looked forward to contributing to further Gulf cohesion. “We have all what’s needed to maintain our strength… and all the factors to complete our march… The people of the Gulf and the future generations have the right to maintain this march for hundreds of years to come... and the leaders to safeguard it with their vision and wisdom,” he stated. “The GCC is a gift from its leaders, the founders,” Hajraf said, voicing his appreciation to the great efforts of his predecessor, Dr. Abdullatif al-Zayani. Earlier this month, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa decreed that Zayani would be appointed as Bahrain’s foreign minister when his term at the GCC ends. Speaking at the ceremony, the outgoing secretary-general said that the GCC system has maintained its security, stability, and cohesion and boosted its regional and international status. He noted that the region has witnessed, over the last nine years, successive developments, including wars, conflicts, and challenges on all levels, leaving major human and financial losses and millions of refugees and migrants. “Despite all these challenges, the GCC system has managed to achieve many of its common goals and integrated projects,” Zayani remarked. He also expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabia’s continuous support during his term at the GCC general secretariat.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2108326/new-gcc-secretary-general-stresses-gulf-system-cohesion
