In 2016, Donald Trump and the Republican establishment lost their collective mind when it emerged that Hillary Clinton, who was running for president on the Democratic ticket, had used a private server to store classified emails. For months, the story was one of the only topics mainstream US media would cover. Mr Trump, who went on to defeat his rival in that year's election, would talk incessantly about the emails and even encouraged supporters at his rallies to chant: “Lock her up.”
Here we are, nearly a decade later, and several of the same Republicans who were supposedly outraged by Ms Clinton's mishandling of classified information now find themselves in the middle of a scandal that is arguably just as damaging.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard were among those invited to a group conversation started on Signal by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. The topic of the “Houthi PC small group” chat was the coming military strikes against the Iran-backed rebels in Yemen.
Using a commercial messaging app on a mobile phone to discuss war plans, instead of communicating through secure channels, is shockingly lax and raises several security concerns. But the real problem was that Mr Waltz had also invited the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, Jeffrey Goldberg, into the chat. Goldberg was initially sceptical the group was real, as he watched America's senior officials discuss imminent military strikes against the Houthis.
The saga appears to be a grievous case of sloppy operational security
The saga appears to be a grievous case of sloppy operational security, but any negative consequences have been limited because Goldberg declined to publish some of the most sensitive information, including the name of a CIA official. Instead of owning up to the mistake, the Trump administration, which views journalists as the “enemy of the people”, has predictably opted to attack the messenger.
“There's a lot of journalists in this city who have made big names for themselves, making up lies about this President,” Mr Waltz said. “This one in particular I've never met, don't know, never communicated with, and we are looking into and reviewing how the heck he got into this room.”
That shouldn't take too long to figure out, given it was Mr Waltz who invited the journalist into the chat, according to Goldberg. The White House has admitted that the chat was real, but claims it highlights a “deep and thoughtful co-ordination between senior officials”.
Mr Hegseth, a former Fox News host, shared war plans on the chat, Goldberg said. The editor did not publish these details, saying the information could be used to harm American military and intelligence personnel. Instead of acknowledging this deference to US intelligence tradecraft, Mr Hegseth also attacked Goldberg.
“You're talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who's made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again,” the head of the Pentagon said, just three days after his chief of staff issued a memo saying that defence personnel could face polygraph tests if they leak information.
Yet while at Fox in 2016, Mr Hegseth excoriated Ms Clinton for her handling of classified emails.
“The people we rely on to do dangerous and difficult things for us rely on one thing from us: that we will not reveal their identity, that we will not be reckless with the dangerous thing they are doing for us. That’s the national security implications of a private server that’s unsecured,” he said at the time.
As recounted by Goldberg, the Signal conversation also gives an eye-opening insight into the Trump administration's contempt for its supposed allies, including Europe and Egypt. At one point in the chat, “SM” – presumably Stephen Miller, Mr Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy – says that the US needs to make sure Europe and Egypt know what it wants “in return” for the strike against the Houthis. Mr Hegseth is even more direct.
“I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It's pathetic,” Mr Hegseth told his Eurosceptic colleague Mr Vance.
Other chat participants included Mr Rubio, who in 2016 asserted that: “Nobody is above the law – not even Hillary Clinton, even though she thinks she is." John Ratcliffe, who is now CIA director, said in 2019 that: “Mishandling classified information is still a violation of the Espionage Act.”
As for Mr Trump, he has greeted the scandal with a shrug.
“It's just something that can happen. It can happen,” he said on Tuesday. “There is no perfect technology. The really good ones are very cumbersome, very hard to access.”
Mr Trump and several of his officials have also claimed that no classified information was shared on the chat. A preposterous assertion. If the exact timings and methods of an imminent military strike are not classified, I don't know what is.
“Classified information should never be discussed over an unclassified system,” Democratic Senator Mark Warner said at a hearing on Tuesday. “It's also mind-boggling that all these senior folks were on this line and nobody checked security hygiene 101, like the names on the group chat.”
In more normal times, one might expect a head or two to roll over an incident like this. But Mr Trump has no political opposition in Congress, has a fully pliant Republican Party and is betting his supporters won't care. Plus, he has long had his own issues with how he personally handles sensitive information – in 2023, he was accused of storing classified documents at his home in Mar-a-Lago, including in the shower rooms and toilets.
For now, at least, the message is clear: mishandling sensitive information is fine, as long as the Trump administration is doing it.
Company%20profile
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MATCH INFO
Norwich City 0 Southampton 3 (Ings 49', Armstrong 54', Redmond 79')
if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
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How Beautiful this world is!
THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EBattery%3A%2060kW%20lithium-ion%20phosphate%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20Up%20to%20201bhp%3Cbr%3E0%20to%20100kph%3A%207.3%20seconds%3Cbr%3ERange%3A%20418km%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh149%2C900%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Company%20profile
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CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
'Ashkal'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Youssef%20Chebbi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fatma%20Oussaifi%20and%20Mohamed%20Houcine%20Grayaa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Anna and the Apocalypse
Director: John McPhail
Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Mark Benton
Three stars
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Scream%20VI
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Matt%20Bettinelli-Olpin%20and%20Tyler%20Gillett%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Melissa%20Barrera%2C%20Jasmin%20Savoy%20Brown%2C%20Jack%20Champion%2C%20Dermot%20Mulroney%2C%20Jenna%20Ortega%2C%20Hayden%20Panettiere%20and%20Courteney%20Cox%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Match info:
Real Betis v Sevilla, 10.45pm (UAE)
The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
About Housecall
Date started: July 2020
Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech
# of staff: 10
Funding to date: Self-funded
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Fight Night
FIGHT NIGHT
Four title fights:
Amir Khan v Billy Dib - WBC International title
Hughie Fury v Samuel Peter - Heavyweight co-main event
Dave Penalosa v Lerato Dlamini - WBC Silver title
Prince Patel v Michell Banquiz - IBO World title
Six undercard bouts:
Michael Hennessy Jr v Abdul Julaidan Fatah
Amandeep Singh v Shakhobidin Zoirov
Zuhayr Al Qahtani v Farhad Hazratzada
Lolito Sonsona v Isack Junior
Rodrigo Caraballo v Sajid Abid
Ali Kiydin v Hemi Ahio
