The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launches missiles during military exercises. Most of the British public fears Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, a poll has found. EPA
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launches missiles during military exercises. Most of the British public fears Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, a poll has found. EPA
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launches missiles during military exercises. Most of the British public fears Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, a poll has found. EPA
Iran’s nuclear programme poses a significant threat beyond the Middle East with a majority of the British population fearing its effect, a poll for The National has shown.
The survey of British public opinion found that 54 per cent have concerns that Iran’s nuclear ambitions “represent a threat to the world”, including Britain.
Leading commentators told The National that the finding demonstrates the urgent need to curtail Tehran’s nuclear programme, which is said to be months away from being able to create a nuclear bomb.
A majority (78 per cent) backed global action to address the Europe-wide energy crisis
A majority (54 per cent) wanted the UN to lead efforts to resolve the Ukraine war
When asked which view most closely represented their own, in the poll of 2,096 adults, 13 per cent considered Iran a threat to “certain countries” but not Britain.
Only one in 10 of those surveyed considered that its nuclear ambitions did not present a threat along with 24 per cent who answered “don’t know”.
The result demonstrated that the British public were threatened by Iran’s attempts to build nuclear weapons but also “the complete failure of the international community to stop this from happening”, said Dr Alan Mendoza, director of the Henry Jackson Society think tank.
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“This is a case of the British public being observant and understanding that Iran is a threat that needs to be dealt with.”
He suggested there was also scepticism over whether a new nuclear agreement would be acceptable because Iran had “shown its willingness to cheat its way through the previous deal”.
“The new government should take note of this strong feeling of the British public and their desire to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and to help stop that from happening,” Dr Mendoza said.
He said that people had also been swayed by Iran’s “unsavoury actions”, such as hostage taking, most significantly of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
Leading military analyst Prof Michael Clarke argued that the UK concerns were also driven by the “global instability” caused by a nuclear-armed Tehran regime “because it will stimulate proliferation in the Middle East, which is against UK interests”.
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi in the capital Tehran on September 19. The majority of Britons fear his regime is building a nuclear bomb, a poll has found. AFP
He said that the survey’s finding was important to the region. “The Gulf states have taken British policy more seriously in recent years, because it has been a bit more assertive. They see British foreign policy as a sensible variation of American policy, which flip-flopped during the Obama and then Trump administrations.”
The 54 per cent figure, he said, might suggest that Britain would support a pre-emptive strike by Israel or America. “If Iran conducted a nuclear weapon test and some sort of Israeli strike followed, then I think people would find that more acceptable than if a strike was preventative,” he said.
Dr Sanam Vakil, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank, thought the concerns were the result of witnessing Iran’s accelerating nuclear programme.
This, along with the country's regional activities and detention of dual nationals such as Zaghari-Ratcliffe has “deeply impacted popular views on Iran”, she said.
Dr Vakil said that President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats had also added to the fears. “In the context of Ukraine and nuclear concerns there, it makes sense that people are more engaged and alarmed on geopolitical issues of significance.”
The survey should put greater pressure on Europe and America to find a negotiated solution with Iran to prevent it obtaining a bomb, she said
“Without a deal there will be risk for regional conflict and I don't think that the international community has the bandwidth for a second front that could be deeply destabilising at a time of global energy crisis,” Dr Vakil said.
Former Iran state hostage Ana Diamond agreed that the world was living in an age where such threats were “so palpable” that they fear it could “reach a point where Iran suddenly has a nuclear weapon”.
It was also “common sense” that no one wants “any country, especially a country like Iran that's been at odds with the western world for so long”, to have a nuclear weapon.
The National’s survey also found that almost three quarters believed the international terrorist group Al Qaeda was a present threat to the UK after the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban.
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While only 3 per cent saw the extremists as “no threat”, 11 per cent considered Al Qaeda a “significant threat” and 55 per cent believe it presents a danger to Britain.
Views were evenly balanced over the decision by America and Britain to withdraw from Afghanistan in August last year with 40 per cent in favour and 37 per cent saying it was the “wrong decision”.
But a similar split was found when the public was asked if they would support Britain sending its armed forces back into Afghanistan “to protect the rights of women and other human rights in the country”. It found 36 per cent supported the proposal with the same proportion opposing it.
British army officer Hamish de Breton Gordon said while he strongly supported women’s rights he was against another intervention.
“Having spent a good part of my military career in and out of Afghanistan, I realised what a difficult place it is,” he said.
He said he was also aware of “how difficult it is to make an impact” for foreign forces.
“Our diplomatic and political weight, humanitarian aid and finance are probably going to be more effective in helping women in Afghanistan than sending in British troops,” he said.
Nearly 20 years on from the American-led invasion, the survey asked if the public thought that the United States and Britain were right or wrong to take military action against Iraq in 2003.
After two decades of internal strife since the invasion, 42 per cent of those surveyed stated that it was wrong and 27 per cent believed that it was right.
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
Age 26
Born May 17, 1991
Height 1.80 metres
Birthplace Sydney, Australia
Residence Eastbourne, England
Plays Right-handed
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$5,761,870 (Dh21,162,343.75)
Wins / losses 312 / 181
The cost of Covid testing around the world
Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
Abu Dhabi
Dh85
Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
UK
From Dh400
Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.
THE SCORES
Ireland 125 all out
(20 overs; Stirling 72, Mustafa 4-18)
UAE 125 for 5
(17 overs, Mustafa 39, D’Silva 29, Usman 29)
UAE won by five wickets
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier, in Bangkok
UAE fixtures Mon Nov 20, v China; Tue Nov 21, v Thailand; Thu Nov 23, v Nepal; Fri Nov 24, v Hong Kong; Sun Nov 26, v Malaysia; Mon Nov 27, Final
(The winners will progress to the Global Qualifier)
