Iranian mourners gather during the final stage of funeral processions for Qasem Suleimani in his hometown Kerman on January 7. AFP
Iranian mourners gather during the final stage of funeral processions for Qasem Suleimani in his hometown Kerman on January 7. AFP
Iranian mourners gather during the final stage of funeral processions for Qasem Suleimani in his hometown Kerman on January 7. AFP
Iranian mourners gather during the final stage of funeral processions for Qasem Suleimani in his hometown Kerman on January 7. AFP

Iran ready to charge 48 accused in Qassem Suleimani killing


Nada AlTaher
  • English
  • Arabic

Iran says it is ready to charge 48 individuals who authorities believe are “perpetrators and masterminds” behind the assassination of top general Qassem Suleimani a year ago in Iraq.

The comments came as Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said “revenge ... is certain and will be exacted at the right time”, state news agencies reported.

Iran has identified the leaders of the attack, where it was carried out from and who gave information about the operation to the US, said Hossein Amir Abdollahian, special aide to the Iranian parliament speaker for international affairs.

Suleimani, who headed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force that specialised in overseas military intelligence and asymmetric warfare, was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport on January 3, 2020.

“All the documents needed for issuing the criminal indictment against the assassins are ready,” said Mr Amir Abdollahian, who is also the spokesman for the committee to commemorate the death of the general.

A year of tensions with Iran - in pictures

"Iran's Judiciary has been busy during the past year to collect the documents in and out of the country," he said. They were able to identify who passed information regarding Suleimani's travel from Beirut to Damascus and then on to Baghdad, where he was killed.

He said the indictment would "surely be a deterrent" against further such attacks.

In June, Iran said it would execute a man it accused of giving intelligence to the US and Israel that helped kill the top Iranian general.

Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili accused Mahmoud Majd of receiving “large sums” from Israel’s Mossad and the CIA to help plan the assassination.

Iran condemned US claims that the targeted killing fell under its fight against terrorism.

The attack also killed Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis, deputy commander of the Iran-backed Iraqi militias known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), and eight others near Baghdad International Airport.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Suleimani was on a diplomatic mission at the time, a claim that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other US officials strongly denied.

The US is concerned that Iran will use the anniversary and the final days of the Trump administration to carry out a revenge attack for the killing of Suleimani.

On Wednesday, the US flew two strategic B-52 bombers over the Arabian Gulf for the second time in a month. The flyover was intended to be a show of force to deter Iran from attacking American or allied targets in the Middle East.

US intelligence detected recent signs of “fairly substantive threats” from Iran, and that included planning for possible rocket attacks against US interests in Iraq in connection with the anniversary, AP quoted a top US military source as saying.

The tensions come as Iran's Cabinet says it will pay out $150,000 in compensation to families of those killed when it shot down a Ukrainian airliner when it retaliated against the US by firing rockets at American troops in Iraq five days after the Suleimani killing.

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
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

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Copa del Rey final

Sevilla v Barcelona, Saturday, 11.30pm (UAE), match on Bein Sports

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Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'

Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.

Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.

"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.

"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.

"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

What should do investors do now?

What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor? 

Should I be euphoric?

No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.

So what happened?

It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.

"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."

Should I buy? Should I sell?

Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.

"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.

All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.

Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.

Will the rally last?

No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.

"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."

The five pillars of Islam
TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier

Event info: The tournament in Kuwait this month is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.

UAE’s fixtures: Fri Apr 20, UAE v Qatar; Sat Apr 21, UAE v Saudi Arabia; Mon Apr 23, UAE v Bahrain; Tue Apr 24, UAE v Maldives; Thu Apr 26, UAE v Kuwait

World T20 2020 Qualifying process:

  • Sixteen teams will play at the World T20 in two years’ time.
  • Australia have already qualified as hosts
  • Nine places are available to the top nine ranked sides in the ICC’s T20i standings, not including Australia, on Dec 31, 2018.
  • The final six teams will be decided by a 14-team World T20 Qualifier.

World T20 standings: 1 Pakistan; 2 Australia; 3 India; 4 New Zealand; 5 England; 6 South Africa; 7 West Indies; 8 Sri Lanka; 9 Afghanistan; 10 Bangladesh; 11 Scotland; 12 Zimbabwe; 13 UAE; 14 Netherlands; 15 Hong Kong; 16 Papua New Guinea; 17 Oman; 18 Ireland

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
SPEC%20SHEET
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