Tag Archives: horoscope
Syrian sides break ice in peace talks
Syrian sides break ice in peace talks (Reuters) / 31 January 2014 Opposing sides in Syria’s civil war stand together to observe a minute of silence at talks in Geneva. Opposing sides in Syria’s civil war stood together to observe a minute of silence on Thursday in honour of the tens of thousands killed in the three-year conflict, a rare symbol of harmony a week into peace talks that have so fare yielded no compromise. The first talks between President Bashar Al Assad’s government and his foes have been mired in rhetoric since they began last Friday. The two sides took a first tentative step forward on Wednesday by agreeing to use the same 2012 roadmap as the basis of discussions to end the civil war, although they disagreed about how talks should proceed. UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said on Wednesday he does not expect to achieve anything substantive in the first round which ends on Friday, but hopes for more progress in a second round starting about a week later. Opposition delegate Ahmad Jakal said his delegation’s head, Hadi Al Bahra, proposed the minute of silence and all sides stood up, including Assad’s delegation and Brahimi’s team. “All stood up for the souls of the martyrs. Symbolically it was good,” Jakal said. Diplomats said there had been no progress on humanitarian issues and that a UN aid convoy has been waiting fruitlessly to enter the rebel-held Old City of Homs, where the United States says civilians are starving. If there is no breakthrough on Homs this week, it would give the opposition delegation, mostly comprised of exiles, little to show for their decision to participate. Other factions with more power on the ground in Syria are opposed to the talks. The 2012 plan sets out stages to end the conflict, including a halt to fighting, delivery of aid and agreement on setting up a transitional government body by mutual consent. US and Russian officials, co-sponsors of the conference, are in Geneva advising the opposition and Syrian government delegations, their respective allies. Syrian deputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad, one of the most influential players, was meeting with Russian officials later in the day in Geneva, diplomatic sources said. While the opposition wants to start by addressing the question of the transitional governing body, the government says the first step is to discuss terrorism. Damscus uses the word “terrorist” to describe all rebel fighters. There was still no sign of a breakthrough in attempts to relieve the suffering of thousands of besieged residents of the rebel-held Old City of Homs. UN trucks must be able to enter besieged areas with security guarantees and the distribution of goods must be carried out in a safe way for the beneficiaries, he said. “The UN convoys are ready, we are waiting for clearances so we can provide this aid in a secure manner,” Jens Laerke, spokesman of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said on Thursday. Syria’s biggest city Aleppo took some of the heaviest aerial bombardment of the conflict in the past week, including the dropping of indiscriminate “barrel bombs” – crude drums of high explosives tossed from helicopters – that killed and wounded dozens, opposition delegate Ahmed Ramadan told Reuters. New York based watchdog Human Rights Watch said on Thursday that the Syrian authorities had flattened seven residential districts for no apparent military objective other than to punish civilians living among rebels who had already fled. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Abdullah Omran Taryam passes away
Abdullah Omran Taryam passes away (Wam) / 31 January 2014 Shaikh Mohammed says Dr Abdullah contributed to the UAE Union alongside the founding fathers. Dr Abdullah Taryam with the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. — Wam Dr Abdullah Omran Taryam, Chairman of Dar Al Khaleej for Press, Printing and Publishing, and former minister of education and justice, died on Thursday morning at the age of 66. Funeral prayer for Dr Abdullah will be held after Friday prayers at the King Faisal Mosque in Sharjah. He will be buried at Jubail cemetery in Sharjah. His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, mourned the death of Dr Abdullah. Shaikh Mohammed said: “I offer condolences to our people on the death of Dr Abdullah Omran Taryam, Emirati loyal son, statesman and renowned mediaperson. Today I lost a dear brother, Abu Khaled, and a loyal friend, known of good conduct, courage, clarity of opinion, intention and sense of belonging and loyalty to his homeland and leadership.” Dr Abdullah Taryam with His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. — Wam The Vice-President noted that Dr Abdullah had contributed to the UAE Union alongside the founding fathers, adding that during his youth time he occupied top posts in the government. Shaikh Mohammed said Dr Abdullah had contributed to establishing a prestigious media group at the local and Arab levels. May Almighty Allah rest his soul in eternal peace. The Ministry of Presidential Affairs mourned the death of Dr Abdullah. The Ministry prayed to Almighty Allah to rest his soul in eternal peace and bestow patience on the deceased family. The Court of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, issued a statement of condolence saying, “….Abdullah was one of the national symbols who contributed to the Union. He also promoted local and Arab media. May Almighty Allah rest his soul in eternal peace.” Dr Abdullah Taryam with General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE armed Forces; Shaikh mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential affairs; and Lt-General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. — Wam The Court of His Highness Shaikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman, mourned the death of Dr Abdullah. It expressed profound sorrow on the demise of Abdullah and solace to the bereaved Taryam family. May Almighty Allah rest his soul in eternal peace. The Court of His Highness Shaikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu’alla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm Al Qaiwain, mourned the death of Dr Abdullah. Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Jarwan, also mourned the death of Dr Abdullah. Dr Abdullah Taryam with the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Born in Sharjah in 1948, Dr Abdullah finised his primary, secondary and high school education in Sharjah and Kuwait. He attained his Bachelor’s degree in History from Cairo University and his Ph.D in Modern History from the University of Exeter in the UK in 1986. He established the Al Khaleej newspaper with his brother, the late Taryam Omran, in 1970, which has since grown to become the Dar Al Khaleej newspaper group. Abdullah worked as a secondary school teacher at Al Orouba School and then became a Director of the Department of Education in Sharjah. He was among the team that negotiated the establishment of the UAE Union. He also held the posts of Minister of Education and Minister of Justice. Journalists’ association mourns Taryam’s death Mustafa Al Zarooni The UAE Journalists Association mourned the death of Dr Abdullah Omran Taryam, Chairman of the Board of directors of Dar Al Khaleej Press, Printing and Publishing, and former minister of education, and minister of justice. “Dr. Abdullah Omran Taryam was a prominent national figure who played an important role in the modern history of the UAE. He was one of the pioneers of the national press. He and his late brother Taryam Omran established the first private newspaper in the country,” the association said in statement on Thursday. “The deceased played an important role in the talks which laid the foundation for the inception of the UAE and the creation of the Federation,” the statement said. “Throughout his lifetime he defended the idea of the Federation, the project of the union and its accomplishments, and hence he holds a prestigious place among the veterans in the UAE,” the statement added. In its statement, the association mourned the deceased who was also a competent Arab writer. Dr. Abdullah Taryam, the statement said, was the founder of Dar Al Khaleej, which has been and still is a hub of knowledge in the regional and Arab world. Dar Al Khaleej has churned out batches of writers, thinkers and intellectuals who have enriched cultural and media organisations, the statement noted. The association described Omran Taryam as a person who was sincere and loyal to the cause of his country. The brilliant statesman, with his wisdom and farsightedness brought Dar Al Khaleej and Al Khaleej Arabic daily to the forefront. Abdullah Omran Taryam was one of those men who made a difference in every position he held, the statement said, and mentioned how he had taken the ministry of education to new heights. mustafa@khaleejtimes.com For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Syrian terror group a threat to US, says intelligence chief
Syrian terror group a threat to US, says intelligence chief (AFP) / 30 January 2014 James Clapper says Syrian regime now may have the ability to produce biological weapons on a limited scale. Syria’s civil war serves as a “huge magnet” for terror groups while sub-Saharan Africa has become a “hothouse” for extremists, US intelligence chief James Clapper warned on Wednesday. Presenting an annual intelligence assessment of global threats, Clapper described a mounting danger from militants aligned or inspired by Al Qaeda, even as the terror group’s core leadership has been steadily weakened in Pakistan. The raging conflict between President Bashar Al Assad’s regime and rebel forces has lured Al Qaeda-linked militants to Syria, where they could possibly prepare to mount attacks on the West, Clapper said. “Syria has become a huge magnet for extremists” who can now recruit, train and equip a growing number of militants there, he told the Senate Intelligence Committee. America’s intelligence agencies estimated that there were about 26,000 “extremists” operating in Syria out of a total opposition force of 75,000 to 110,000, Clapper said. The conflict had attracted roughly 7,000 foreign fighters from some 50 countries, mostly in the Middle East and Europe, he said. The presence of the hardline militants was of “tremendous concern” among US allies, particularly among European governments, who fear foreign fighters will return home to carry out attacks, he said. “We’re seeing now the appearance of training complexes in Syria to train people to go back to their countries, and, of course, conduct more terrorist acts,” he said. Clapper said Syria resembled the semi-autonomous tribal belt in northwest Pakistan, which has served as a sanctuary for the Taleban and members of Al Qaeda. Echoing Clapper’s comments, Mathew Olson, head of the National Counter-terrorism Center, said “a permissive environment, extremist groups like Al Nusra and the number of foreign fighters combine to make Syria a place that we are very concerned about, in particular the potential for terrorist attacks emanating from Syria to the West.” Clapper also offered a warning on advances in Syria’s biological weapons programme. Although Syria has agreed to eliminate its large arsenal of chemical weapons, the regime now may have the ability to produce biological weapons on a limited scale, he said. “We judge that some elements of Syria’s biological warfare programme might have advanced beyond the research and development stage and might be capable of limited agent production, based on the duration of its longstanding programme,” he said. Clapper offered no further details, but it was the first time officials had stated publicly that spy agencies believed Syria had made significant strides in its biological programme. Neither Assad nor the rebel groups appeared able to achieve a decisive victory on the battlefield in the next six months, said Clapper, adding that the war would further foment Sunni-Shia sectarian tensions across the region. Clapper also said America’s 16 intelligence agencies believed sub-Saharan Africa would “almost certainly” experience more security turmoil in 2014, as the region had turned into an incubator for extremists. “The continent has become a hothouse for the emergence of extremist and rebel groups, which increasingly launch deadly asymmetric attacks, and which government forces often cannot effectively counter due to a lack of capability and sometimes will,” Clapper said in written testimony to senators. He said countries in the Sahel region, including Chad, Niger, Mali and Mauritania, faced the threat of terror attacks due to their backing of a French military intervention in Mali launched a year ago. The region also faced pressures from swelling youth populations and “marginalised” ethnic communities that are frustrated over a lack of government services and jobs, according to Clapper. The annual report from the intelligence community addressed Ukraine’s dramatic political stand-off, describing President Viktor Yanukovych as “firmly intent” to hold on to power. The Ukrainian leader appeared prepared to resort to force or other illegal means to prevail against popular protests, according to Clapper. A Russian aid package to Ukraine signed in December will prevent a financial crisis in the “short term” but will increase Kiev’s dependence on Moscow and leave it vulnerable to Russian pressure, he wrote. Clapper denounced an avalanche of leaks from former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, saying the disclosures of National Security Agency eavesdropping had put diplomats, spies and soldiers at risk and damaged foreign partnerships. He called on Snowden and his “accomplices” to return the documents he had “stolen.” For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
