Britain retains relevance as a strategic partner for African and Indo-Pacific countries that will now come under greater threat of extremist violence from terrorist groups emboldened by the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan, the UK defence secretary has warned.
Ben Wallace said the UK military's capability to conduct counter-terrorism operations far beyond its borders following its significant investment in drones would be called on in future.
During a high-powered Policy Exchange think tank debate, Mr Wallace was backed by former Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer, who suggested that Britain was “back as a major power” on the world stage.
The immediate result of the Taliban victory in Afghanistan was a raised terrorist threat, said Mr Wallace, a former soldier. “The ripples from Afghanistan will be felt by Al Shabab in Somalia and of course Al Shabab pose a threat to British interests in Kenya and our friends in Kenya. The ripples of another superpower being portrayed as defeated by Islamic terrorism will be felt across the world.”
Following heavy reliance on Uzbekistan and Pakistan during the August evacuation of Afghanistan, he admitted that Britain had neglected forming closer ties with “others we haven't always in the past paid a great deal of attention to”.
Afghanistan also demonstrated that “some of our international relations are not as good and we need to invest in those,” he told the Conservative Party conference fringe event. “I think for many decades people have taken for granted the comfort they live in.”
With growing “Great Power” rivalry, particularly with China’s ascendancy, it is now more important than ever for the West to unite “because alliances matter”, he said.
“What do our adversaries not have? What do China and Russia not have? Friends.” Then in reference to the Kremlin’s alliances with the Belarus regime, Mr Wallace said: “If you define your friend as Belarus then you are in a pretty lonely place.”
Two UK diplomats travelled to Afghanistan on Monday to hold direct talks with the Taliban, including on preventing a resurgent terror threat from the country.
The two diplomats were Sir Simon Gass, a special envoy for Afghanistan, and Martin Longden, the UK's top emissary to the Taliban's Doha office.
As well as the terror threat, they discussed the treatment of women and girls and safe passage for people seeking to flee Afghanistan, the UK government said.
It marks the first time the UK has sent officials to the country to hold talks with the Taliban leaders since the mass evacuation of Kabul in August.
Mr Wallace suggested that following the Taliban's power grab in Afghanistan the West would be confronted by emboldened foes.
“We have values that matter and it's definitely time that we stand up for those values, because the one thing that we are going to be tested on is our resolve.”
The problem in Afghanistan will “live with us for a long time” but Britain would be robust in dealing with terrorism, he said, referring to drone strikes.
“We have capabilities now that can allow us to reach from outside-in to take whatever action we have to in accordance with international law to protect ourselves. It's never as good as being on the ground alongside partners, but we have those capabilities and we will use them as necessary.”
He was joined by Mr Downer, a long-serving Australian foreign minister, who argued that the new Aukus agreement between his country, the UK and US meant that Britain was reconnecting with the world.
“The UK is a leading country with fundamental liberal democratic values and this world would be a more stable place if those values prevail,” he said. “The signs are there that the UK is back as a major player, and the UK is making a contribution … and it's been very exciting to see this transformation of British foreign and security policy.”
Alicia Kearns, an MP on the UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, argued that a key lesson from the Afghanistan debacle was the need for Western resilience.
“We cannot run away from enduring conflicts, from forever wars we don't want,” she said. “Remaining strong and steadfast behind our allies is a sign of confidence and guts. It is not a weakness, it is not a failure, it's a recognition that stability takes time and you have to build from the ground up.”
Former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper said that America’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was a “return to isolationism”.
“It's the United States moving away from what has been considered its global leadership role and this, in my judgment, is as true under Joe Biden as it was under Donald Trump,” Mr Harper told the event, titled The UK’s Integrated Review in the Wake of Afghanistan.
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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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Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
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MATCH SCHEDULE
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tuesday, April 24 (10.45pm)
Liverpool v Roma
Wednesday, April 25
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (10.45pm)
Europa League semi-final, first leg
Thursday, April 26
Arsenal v Atletico Madrid (11.05pm)
Marseille v Salzburg (11.05pm)
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
RESULTS
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
Winner: Dirilis Ertugrul, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer)
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: Kidd Malibu, Sandro Paiva, Musabah Al Muhairi
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
Winner: Raakezz, Tadhg O’Shea, Nicholas Bachalard
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
Winner: Au Couer, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
Winner: Rayig, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
Winner: King’s Shadow, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
