Tunisia’s President Kais Saied has sparked controversy for criticising the naming choice of Storm Daniel that hit eastern Libya and killed thousands of people, and called it as a showcase of "growing Zionism influence" in the region.
"Did they not wonder about the naming? Daniel is a Hebrew prophet," Mr Saied said in a cabinet meeting on Monday.
"The Zionist movement has penetrated to attack the mind and thinking, from Daniel to Abraham."
Mr Saied explained that he does not think that the choice of a Hebrew prophet name for a storm is arbitrary, also making a reference to the Abraham Accords, which established relations between Israel and some Arab countries.
While the name Daniel has a Hebrew origin, it is a popular name for non-Jews in many countries where they are a minority, including Russia, Ireland and the US, where Jewish people make up almost three per cent of the population.
Storm Daniel was named by Greece’s Hellenic National Meteorological Service following a list of alphabetically arranged names, which is part of an efficient naming system that meteorologists have been using to identify storms for decades.
According to the World Meteorological Organisation, "tropical cyclones are named according to the rules at regional level. In the Atlantic and in the Southern hemisphere [Indian Ocean and South Pacific], tropical cyclones receive names in alphabetical order, and women and men's names are alternated."
Meanwhile, Tunisia has expressed on several occasions its opposition to any potential establishment of ties with Israel and said that the option would never be discussed.
Since his electoral campaign in 2019, Mr Saied has been an avid opponent of the continuing attempts to push towards further normalisation between Israel and other Arab states.
“Normalisation does not exist as a concept for me, it is an act of grand treason,” Mr Saied said during the cabinet meeting.
“The issue is not with Jews, the issue is with the international Zionist movement."
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- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
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F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Brett Anderson
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England Test squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
