On the occasion of Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, Prince Turki Al Faisal writes him a letter in The National
Dear President Trump,
After your remarkable and outstanding victory in an election campaign marked by lawfare waged against you and a fear-inspiring verbal assault aimed at the American people warning them not to vote for you, you prevailed against those challenges and the American people gave you their trust and confidence to lead them to what you promised to give them, a better America. You also overturned the Senate majority from the other party to yours and brought your party within striking distance of a House majority.
I am gratified that the American election system worked so smoothly and decisively to determine the winners from the losers, unlike the contentious one before.
These facts give your friends and allies around the world the confidence that your leadership will be as decisive as the election results and put to rest the arguments of those who contend America is on the wane.
You, Mr President, have much work ahead of you not only to look to the future but also to finish what you started the last time you occupied the White House.
I come from Saudi Arabia, and my country is surrounded by hot spots that require your immediate attention and the continuation of what you began before. When you left in January 2021, there was no war in Gaza, Iran and Israel were not firing missiles at each other, the Houthis were not interdicting shipping in Bab Al Mandab, there was no civil war in Sudan, and although Israel has decapitated the leadership of both Hamas and Hezbollah, the latter are still capable of killing Israeli soldiers and firing projectiles and other ordinance at Israel. In other words, we are in more turmoil than when you were in the West Wing. In Europe, the war in Ukraine is a bloodbath now, and a war of attrition will continue there if it is not stopped.
We are in more turmoil now than when you were in the West Wing
I believe God spared your life not only to deal with the situation inside the United States, which faces enormous challenges for you to overcome, but, because America is what it is, to work with your friends in Saudi Arabia and other friends you have in the area, to pursue what you started before: to bring PEACE, with capital letters, to the Middle East.
I recall to you that you yourself have said, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not want peace. Peace in Palestine and between Israel and the rest of the Arab and Islamic worlds will deprive those who do not want peace of the justification for their warmongering and recruitment of youngsters to the machine of war and the false lure of martyrdom.
Before your first stay at the White House and until your return to it, America and other countries talked the talk about ending the bloodshed in the Middle East but they never walked the walk.
You have a chance now to do precisely that. Not only are the stars aligned for it, but your personal commitment to peace and your steadfast friends in our part of the world will work with you to accomplish that. Take advantage of the four years to come and work with King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman to open the doors to peace for all of us.
Respectfully,
Turki Al Faisal
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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RESULTS - ELITE MEN
1. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 57:03
2. Mario Mola (ESP) 57:09
3. Vincent Luis (FRA) 57:25
4. Leo Bergere (FRA)57:34
5. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) 57:40
6. Joao Silva (POR) 57:45
7. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 57:56
8. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 57:57
9. Gustav Iden (NOR) 57:58
10. Richard Murray (RSA) 57:59
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
Zayed Sustainability Prize
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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