Several injured in 'cowardly' bomb attack at non-Muslim cemetery in Jeddah


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Several people were injured after a bomb attack on a First World War commemoration ceremony at a non-Muslim cemetery in Jeddah, Greek and French officials said on Wednesday.

The Remembrance Day ceremony, organised by the French embassy, was attended by several diplomatic delegations from the European Union and other countries.

"The annual ceremony commemorating the end of First World War at the non-Muslim cemetery in Jeddah, attended by several consulates, including that of France, was the target of an IED attack this morning, which injured several people," the French foreign ministry said.

"France strongly condemns this cowardly, unjustifiable attack."

Officials gave varying numbers of injuries from the attack. A Greek official said four people were injured, including a Greek citizen, but Saudi Arabia said only two people were hurt, including the Greek and a Saudi security officer.

"The security authorities began (investigating) on Wednesday morning an incident of a cowardly attack when the French consul was attending an event in Jeddah," said Sultan Al Dosari, media spokesperson of Mecca.

"The incident resulted in the injury of one of the Greek consulate employees and a Saudi security man, (both) with minor injuries." He added Saudi authorities had begun an investigation.

French official Nadia Chaaya told the French network BFM that she was at the cemetery when she heard an explosion as the consul general was near the end of his speech.

The ministry said the terrorist attack on an oil facility north of the coastal city of Jeddah was caused by a projectile. Getty
The ministry said the terrorist attack on an oil facility north of the coastal city of Jeddah was caused by a projectile. Getty

“At that moment we didn’t really understand, but we felt that we were the target because directly we saw the smoke and we were of course in panic mode,” she said.

“We tried to understand, and we were most of all afraid to see if there was going to be a second wave.”

She said the group scattered in different directions into the street.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Saudi Arabian officials have not yet commented.

The French consulate has urged residents and visitors in Saudi Arabia to exercise maximum vigilance following the attack, Reuters reported.

A Greek official said four people were injured in the attack, one of them Greek.

"The embassies that were involved in the commemoration ceremony condemn this cowardly attack, which is completely unjustified. They call on the Saudi Arabian authorities to shed as much light as they can on this attack, and to identify and hunt down the perpetrators," the French foreign ministry said.

Several hours later, Saudi Arabian state television broadcast from outside the cemetery and acknowledged that an attack involving an explosive device took place, but stressed that the security situation was now “stable.” The report said an official statement about the cause and casualty details was upcoming.

The incident comes less than a fortnight after a Saudi man was arrested in the same city for attacking a guard at the French consulate.

The victim suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Anger is still simmering around the world after French President Emmanuel Macron defended cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed that were considered offensive to Islam.

Aftermath of Samuel Paty attack

These included caricatures printed by satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

The same cartoons were shown by French history teacher Samuel Paty to pupils during a class on free speech last month. He was later beheaded outside Paris following an online campaign by some angry parents.

Mr Macron's stance angered many Muslims, prompting protests in several countries at which portraits of the French president were burnt. It also led to calls for boycotting French products.

French interior minister Gerald Darmanin has warned the French public to brace for more attacks.

On Tuesday, Mr Macron hosted a summit of European leaders to plan a joint approach to combating religious radicalism after four people were killed in a shooting rampage in the heart of Vienna last week.

The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

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Reputation

Taylor Swift

(Big Machine Records)

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Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi

From: Dara

To: Team@

Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT

Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East

Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.

Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.

I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.

This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.

It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.

Uber on,

Dara

Walls

Louis Tomlinson

3 out of 5 stars

(Syco Music/Arista Records)

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The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.

When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend  are  January-February and September-October.  Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.

Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.

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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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THE BIO:

Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.

Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.

Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.

Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.

Education reform in Abu Dhabi

 

The emirate’s public education system has been in a constant state of change since the New School Model was launched in 2010 by the Abu Dhabi Education Council. The NSM, which is also known as the Abu Dhabi School Model, transformed the public school curriculum by introducing bilingual education starting with students from grades one to five. Under this new curriculum, the children spend half the day learning in Arabic and half in English – being taught maths, science and English language by mostly Western educated, native English speakers. The NSM curriculum also moved away from rote learning and required teachers to develop a “child-centered learning environment” that promoted critical thinking and independent learning. The NSM expanded by one grade each year and by the 2017-2018 academic year, it will have reached the high school level. Major reforms to the high school curriculum were announced in 2015. The two-stream curriculum, which allowed pupils to elect to follow a science or humanities course of study, was eliminated. In its place was a singular curriculum in which stem -- science, technology, engineering and maths – accounted for at least 50 per cent of all subjects. In 2016, Adec announced additional changes, including the introduction of two levels of maths and physics – advanced or general – to pupils in Grade 10, and a new core subject, career guidance, for grades 10 to 12; and a digital technology and innovation course for Grade 9. Next year, the focus will be on launching a new moral education subject to teach pupils from grades 1 to 9 character and morality, civic studies, cultural studies and the individual and the community.

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1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

The specs
 
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Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
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Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
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Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Brief scores:

Everton 2

Walcott 21', Sigurdsson 51'

Tottenham 6

Son 27', 61', Alli 35', Kane 42', 74', Eriksen 48'​​​​​​​

Man of the Match: Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur)

BABYLON
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