US President Donald Trump's "unparalleled success" in releasing American hostages has nothing to do with paying ransoms or exchanging prisoners, but through the sheer "force of will" and goodwill that he has generated from around the world, his special envoy for hostage affairs said on Wednesday.
Speaking at an Oval Office greeting with Danny Burch, an American oil worker who spent 18 months as a hostage to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, Mr Trump indicated there are more negotiations going on.
The US President said he loved releasing hostages because of the "end result: a happy man with a happy family".
"The President has had unparalleled success in bringing Americans home without paying concessions, without prisoner exchanges, but through force of will and the goodwill that he’s generated around the world," the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Robert O'Brien said, according to the official transcript.
Mr Burch's release, which was negotiated with the help of the UAE, is part of a wider effort by Mr Trump to secure the release of hostages, it was claimed.
Mr Trump said his administration was "20 and 0" in releasing hostages, touting the release of hostages in Egypt and North Korea and promising more.
"I won’t tell you where [the US has other negotiations going on] because we don’t want to blow the negotiation out the window," Mr Trump said, adding that he loved reuniting families.
"This is the end result: a happy man with a happy family," he said.
The exact number of American citizens held overseas is classified information, but during Mr Trump's presidency hostages from North Korea, Pakistan and Egypt have been released.
"Recovering American hostages is a priority of my Admin, and with Danny’s release, we have now secured freedom for 20 American captives since my election victory," Mr Trump tweeted last month, announcing Mr Burch's release.
"We will not rest as we continue our work to bring the remaining American hostages back home," he said.
There are still US hostages held by Iran, the Pakistani Haqqani network and in Syria, according to the James Foley Foundation, an organisation that monitors and advocates for the release of American hostages.
But while Mr Trump is claiming credit for an increase in the number of hostages being released, his success stems from Obama Administration reforms.
In 2015, a series of high-profile cases of American hostages being executed in captivity and dissatisfaction between the families of the hostages and the US State Department, especially compared to European countries who pay ransom for hostages, led to an Obama Administration effort to bring hostages home.
The first Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs was appointed by former President Barack Obama as part of an effort to bring hostages home. The appointment coincided with the creation of the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell in the FBI and a Hostage Response Group in the National Security Council.
More than 180 US citizens have been freed since the White House established the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell in June 2015, according to an FBI press release. The aim of the reforms was to allow the US government to speak with a single voice, instead of a situation where the State Department, Defence Department and FBI ran competing operations.
While the Obama reforms provided the framework for improved hostage recovery, Mr Trump's prioritisation of the issue has helped the US efforts to improve, Jeff Dubel, the former Deputy Director of the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell (HRFC) told The National.
“There was an increased focus on the recovery of hostages under Obama and a priority of effort and focus under Trump,” Mr Dubel, who was a part of the cell from the Obama administration’s review, until he retired last month said.
“All for the better, I’m extremely proud of my time setting up the HRFC because it works and continues to get better,” he added.
Mr Trump previously criticised the Obama administration's negotiated release of Bowe Bergdahl, a US soldier captured by the Pakistan Haqqani network, branding Mr Bergdahl a "no-good traitor who should have been executed."
Otto Warmbier, an American student held in North Korea was released by the Trump Administration in 2017, but died shortly after arriving in the United States, thought to be a result of his treatment.
Last week, at a conference with North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, Mr Trump said he did not believe the leader was responsible for Warmbier's death.
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All Blacks line-up for third Test
J Barrett; I Dagg, A Lienert-Brown, N Laumape, J Savea; B Barrett, A Smith; J Moody, C Taylor, O Franks, B Retallick, S Whitelock, J Kaino, S Cane, K Read (capt).
Replacements: N Harris, W Crockett, C Faumuina, S Barrett, A Savea, TJ Perenara, A Cruden, M Fekitoa.
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Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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Price: On request
THE%20JERSEYS
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
BlacKkKlansman
Director: Spike Lee
Starring: John David Washington; Adam Driver
Five stars
Stage results
1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep 4:39:05
2. Michael Matthews (AUS) Team BikeExchange 0:00:08
3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma same time
4. Jack Haig (AUS) Bahrain Victorious s.t
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe s.t
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates s.t
7. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ s.t
8. Sergio Higuita Garcia (COL) EF Education-Nippo s.t
9. Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek-Segafredo s.t
10. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers s.t
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday
AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)
Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)
Benevento v Parma (5pm)
Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)
Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)
Lazio v Spezia (5pm)
Napoli v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)
Torino v Juventus (8pm)
Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
