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Pakistan recalled its ambassador to Tehran and barred the Iranian ambassador to the country on Wednesday after Iran launched air strikes at targets on Pakistani territory.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokeswoman for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, announced that Islamabad was recalling its ambassador to Iran over the strikes.
“Last night’s unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by Iran is a violation of international law and the purposes and principles of the charter of the United Nations,” she said in a televised address.
Ms Baloch said Pakistan had asked the Iranian ambassador, who was visiting Tehran when the attack took place, not to return.
“This violation of Pakistan's sovereignty is completely unacceptable and can have serious consequences,” the Foreign Ministry said.
It said the strike “resulted in the death of two innocent children while injuring three girls”.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry later said the Iranian strikes had "caused serious damage to bilateral ties".
Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani received a phone call from Iran's Hossein Amirabdollahian while on a visit to Uganda, the ministry said.
Mr Jilani "firmly underscored that the attack conducted by Iran inside Pakistani territory, on January 16, 2024, was not only a serious breach of Pakistan's sovereignty but was also an egregious violation of international law and the spirit of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran", it added.
"Pakistan reserved the right to respond to this provocative act," it said, adding that no country should tread the "perilous path" of unilateral actions.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Secretary General Antonio Guterres was "deeply concerned" about the Iranian strikes in Pakistan.
"He again appeals in the strongest possible term for restraint and avoidance of any further escalation," Mr Dujarric told reporters.
Iran says its target was 'Iranian terrorist group'
Mr Amirabdollahian said earlier in the day that his country's armed forces were aiming at an "Iranian terrorist group" in Pakistan.
"None of the nationals of the friendly and brotherly country of Pakistan were targeted by Iranian missiles and drones," he said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
"The so-called Jaish Al Adl group, which is an Iranian terrorist group, was targeted," he said.
Iran's state-run Nour News agency said early on Wednesday the attack destroyed the Pakistan headquarters of Jaish Al Adl, a separatist militant group that has claimed attacks on Iranian security forces.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency said two of the group's bases in Pakistan's Balochistan province were “specifically targeted and successfully demolished by a combination of missile and drone attacks” late on Tuesday, without saying who was behind the attack.
Mr Amirabdollahian said Iran's attack on "Pakistan's soil" was a response to the Jaish Al Adl group's recent deadly attacks in Iran, particularly on the city of Rask in the south-eastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan.
"The group has taken shelter in some parts of Pakistan's Balochistan province," he said, adding that "we've talked with Pakistani officials several times on this matter".
He said Iran respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan but would not "allow the country's national security to be compromised or played with".
Mr Amirabdollahian had met Pakistan's caretaker prime minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar hours before the strike on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry did not say where the attack took place but the media reported that it was near Panjgur in south-west Balochistan, which shares a 750km border with Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province.
Abdul Hameed, who is in charge of the government-linked paramilitary Levies force in the Kosab area, told The National that three missiles were fired at a home in Kosab village, in the Panjgur district of Balochistan.
Mr Hameed said two children were killed and four women were injured as a result of the strike.
“Only the house targeted in the strike was damaged, and there was no other damage to nearby places,” he said.
He said the home's owners had a business selling Iranian diesel.
“In border areas of Balochistan, local tickets are issued legally to the dealers, who cross the border into Iran and bring diesel for sale in local markets in Balochistan,” Mr Hameed said.
“The house is owned by three men, who are close relatives, who do the business of Iranian diesel and visit Iran from time to time. However, at the time of the attack, they were not at home and only children and women became the victims.”
Mr Hameed said he had not seen Jaish Al Adl militants in the area. But he said he had heard from locals about their movements.
“But the strike killed children and women, who were definitely innocent,” he said.
Fall-out from Iran strikes on Kurdish region
Meanwhile, Baghdad recalled its ambassador from Tehran on Tuesday over the missile strikes on the Iraqi Kurdish region on Monday, which Baghdad condemned as a “clear act of aggression”.
Four people were killed and six others wounded in the attack, said the Iraqi Kurdish region's security council.
Baghdad challenged Tehran's claim that the missiles were aimed at Israel's intelligence services in response to recent Israeli assassinations of Iranian and pro-Iranian commanders.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani discussed the attack with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Davos on Tuesday, according to the White House.
“Mr Sullivan and Mr Al Sudani discussed the importance of stopping attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria, and committed to enhancing security co-operation as part of a long-term, sustainable defence partnership,” its said.
Iraq filed a complaint against Iran at the UN Security Council, its Foreign Ministry said.
In two separate letters to the UN Secretary General and UN Security Council, the ministry “stressed that this aggression is a flagrant violation to the sovereignty of Iraq, its security and the security of the people of Iraq”.
Mr Al Sudani's National Security Adviser Qassim Al Araji, who is leading an investigation into the attack in Erbil, said Iran's “claims of targeting a Mossad headquarters are baseless”.
Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Iraqi Kurdish region, said in Davos that there was “no reason for these attacks and there is no excuse”.
“These attacks should not remain without a response,” he said.
The strikes come during heightened tensions in the region and fears of a spillover of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
In an emergency session on Wednesday the Arab League discussed the Iranian strikes on Erbil and adopted a resolution to support Iraq, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“The Arab League presented and voted on a draft resolution for voting that condemns the Iranian aggression on Iraq and supports its rightful position in affirming respect for its sovereignty and security,” it added.
'Ashkal'
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Results
Ashraf Ghani 50.64 per cent
Abdullah Abdullah 39.52 per cent
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 3.85 per cent
Rahmatullah Nabil 1.8 per cent
The years Ramadan fell in May
Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
More on Quran memorisation:
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More coverage from the Future Forum
Gulf Under 19s
Pools
A – Dubai College, Deira International School, Al Ain Amblers, Warriors
B – Dubai English Speaking College, Repton Royals, Jumeirah College, Gems World Academy
C – British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Yasmina Academy
D – Dubai Exiles, Jumeirah English Speaking School, English College, Bahrain Colts
Recent winners
2018 – Dubai College
2017 – British School Al Khubairat
2016 – Dubai English Speaking School
2015 – Al Ain Amblers
2014 – Dubai College
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on animal trafficking
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali
Price, base: Dh306,500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 621Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.9L / 100km
The five pillars of Islam
The years Ramadan fell in May
More on animal trafficking
RESULT
Bayern Munich 5 Eintrracht Frankfurt 2
Bayern: Goretzka (17'), Müller (41'), Lewandowski (46'), Davies (61'), Hinteregger (74' og)
Frankfurt: Hinteregger (52', 55')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
