US soldiers attend the handover ceremony of the US-led coalition forces base inside the complex of the former presidential palace in Mosul, northern Iraq on 30 March 2020. EPA
US soldiers attend the handover ceremony of the US-led coalition forces base inside the complex of the former presidential palace in Mosul, northern Iraq on 30 March 2020. EPA
US soldiers attend the handover ceremony of the US-led coalition forces base inside the complex of the former presidential palace in Mosul, northern Iraq on 30 March 2020. EPA
US soldiers attend the handover ceremony of the US-led coalition forces base inside the complex of the former presidential palace in Mosul, northern Iraq on 30 March 2020. EPA

US says build-up of air defences in Iraq going ahead


Mina Aldroubi
  • English
  • Arabic

The US military on Thursday said it was building up its ground-based air defence systems to protect its troops in Iraq but would not reveal when they are ready for service.

“The establishment of ground-based air defences in Iraq continues, but for operational security reasons we are not providing status updates as those systems come online,” said Capt Bill Urban, spokesman for the US Central Command.

The build-up follows a series of attacks on Iraqi bases hosting US members of the international coalition against ISIS.

Washington has placed the blame on Iran or the Iraqi militias it backs.

Capt Urban said the Iraqi government was “well aware of our collective need for air defence protection of service members within Iraq, and we continue to co-ordinate closely with our Iraqi counterparts".

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that his administration had information that "Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on US troops and/or assets in Iraq".

"If this happens, Iran will pay a very heavy price indeed," Mr Trump said on Twitter.

A battery of the US Patriot air-defence system was delivered to Ain Al Assad base in western Iraq last week and is now being assembled.

Another was shipped to Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, US and Iraqi sources told AFP.

American coalition troops were moved to several bases after withdrawing from four in Iraq in the past month.

The coalition said the moves were pre-planned and not connected to the attacks on bases housing foreign troops.

Capt Urban said on Thursday that the attacks, which killed or injured coalition and Iraqi service members, "violate Iraqi sovereignty".

“The US and our coalition partners remain committed to the lasting defeat of ISIS and supporting Iraq's long-term security and stability,” he said.

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

THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS

England

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur

Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus

Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid

The Byblos iftar in numbers

29 or 30 days – the number of iftar services held during the holy month

50 staff members required to prepare an iftar

200 to 350 the number of people served iftar nightly

160 litres of the traditional Ramadan drink, jalab, is served in total

500 litres of soup is served during the holy month

200 kilograms of meat is used for various dishes

350 kilograms of onion is used in dishes

5 minutes – the average time that staff have to eat
 

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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Profile

Company: Justmop.com

Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Company%20profile
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LIST OF INVITEES

Shergo Kurdi (am) 
Rayhan Thomas
Saud Al Sharee (am)
Min Woo Lee
Todd Clements
Matthew Jordan
AbdulRahman Al Mansour (am)
Matteo Manassero
Alfie Plant
Othman Al Mulla
Shaun Norris

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