Bahrain’s new foreign minister said he will be pressing UN Security Council states to ensure the arms embargo on Iran does not lapse as soon as next month.
Abdullatif Al Zayani is on a three-country tour of Bahrain allies Egypt, Britain and France.
During his time in London, the former secretary general of the Gulf Co-operation Council said it was very important that countries understood what was at stake if the resolutions preventing the Iranian government from importing weapons were dropped.
“We have enough terrorists and we need to share with all the stakeholders what it means if this happens,” he said.
“Young people need hope and positive messages – not a rearming of Iran or making it easy for the militias to turn countries into war zones and to continue to see the flood of fighters across the region.”
Mr Al Zayani asked partners to realise the implications of lifting the arms embargo.
"We hope that governments will understand and appreciate we have a potential opportunity not to provide more arms for militias in the region," he told The National.
Washington has proposed the arms embargo expiry on October 18 be set aside and the moratorium “shall continue to apply until the Security Council decides otherwise”.
The US believes that full implementation of the arms embargo “is essential to the maintenance of international peace and security”.
After the defeat of a first resolution in mid-August, US officials said it could trigger a so-called snapback of all UN sanctions on Iran, including the arms embargo, using a process outlined in the 2015 deal that sought to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief.
Mr Al Zayani said the coronavirus pandemic had done nothing to mend the ills that plagued the region. Iran continued to interfere in his country’s affairs. There was interest from Tehran in Bahrain that changes over time but has never gone away, he said. The effects of conflict and armed factions were not diminished by health threats from the virus.
“Terrorists are still working on threats, countries are still interfering across borders despite all that has happened,” Mr Al Zayani said. “It should prove that all the world is a village and that we should be working towards peace and stability and to resolve conflicts.”
Bahrain was one of the first countries to take measures against the spread of infection and has used partial lockdowns and contract tracing apps to minimise the numbers of people who catch coronavirus.
Mr Al Zayani said he welcomed the decision of the three countries that came together in the Abraham Accord, the UAE, US and Israel, to provide a declaration that ceased the moves towards annexation of Palestinian territory. He emphasised the need for all sides to work together and have a peaceful future, side by side.
Aside from the most recent trip, Mr Al Zayani has managed one other foray since taking up his post in the first weeks of the year. That was to take a “good story to tell” to a meeting of the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Top tips to avoid cyber fraud
Microsoft’s ‘hacker-in-chief’ David Weston, creator of the tech company’s Windows Red Team, advises simple steps to help people avoid falling victim to cyber fraud:
1. Always get the latest operating system on your smartphone or desktop, as it will have the latest innovations. An outdated OS can erode away all investments made in securing your device or system.
2. After installing the latest OS version, keep it patched; this means repairing system vulnerabilities which are discovered after the infrastructure components are released in the market. The vast majority of attacks are based on out of date components – there are missing patches.
3. Multi-factor authentication is required. Move away from passwords as fast as possible, particularly for anything financial. Cybercriminals are targeting money through compromising the users’ identity – his username and password. So, get on the next level of security using fingertips or facial recognition.
4. Move your personal as well as professional data to the cloud, which has advanced threat detection mechanisms and analytics to spot any attempt. Even if you are hit by some ransomware, the chances of restoring the stolen data are higher because everything is backed up.
5. Make the right hardware selection and always refresh it. We are in a time where a number of security improvement processes are reliant on new processors and chip sets that come with embedded security features. Buy a new personal computer with a trusted computing module that has fingerprint or biometric cameras as additional measures of protection.
Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
If you go
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on animal trafficking
Results:
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah (PA) | Group 2 | US$55,000 (Dirt) | 1,600 metres
Winner: AF Al Sajanjle, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint (TB) | Group 2 | $250,000 (Turf) | 1,000m
Winner: Blue Point, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Muntazah, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
8.15pm: Meydan Trophy Conditions (TB) | $100,000 (T) | 1,900m
Winner: Art Du Val, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Balanchine Group 2 (TB) | $250,000 (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Poetic Charm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (D) | 1,200m
Winner: Lava Spin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,410m
Winner: Mountain Hunter, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
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