Abdullah Al Nuaimi, the groom, left, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister and interior minister. Image taken from social media
Abdullah Al Nuaimi, the groom, left, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister and interior minister. Image taken from social media

Arab ambassadors' letter warns on Qatar terror impunity



Ambassadors from the Arab Quartet have cited the presence of Qatar’s prime minister at the wedding of a son of the designated terror suspect Abdulrahman Al Nuaimi to warn that the country’s behaviour remains unchanged.

Writing in the Financial Times newspaper, the four envoys to London said that calls for the countries involved to start a "thaw" in the lead-up to a potential summit hosted by President Donald Trump were a reflection that Doha says one thing to Western audience and does another.

“Following his meeting at the White House on 11 April, Qatar’s Emir Tamim told the world’s media that Qatar does 'not tolerate people who fund and support terrorism'”, it said. “Just two days later, the Qatari Prime Minister attended a wedding hosted by Abdulrahman Al Nuaymi, an international designated terror financier who, according to the US Treasury, 'oversaw the transfer of $2 million per month' to Al Qaeda in Iraq. He is one of several terror fundraisers who have operated from Qatar with impunity.”

Read more: Qatar's top terror suspect hosts prime minister at wedding

The ambassadors added that Qatar’s propaganda machine had incited cross-border attacks from the Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has bombarded Saudi Arabia with Iranian-made missiles.

“Far from seeking to improve relations with its neighbours, Qatar has used its media networks to attack us – most egregiously, broadcasting calls by Houthis for attacks on Saudi Arabia,” the letter added. “Qatar says one thing – to Western audiences – and does another. Instead of focusing on public relations campaigns, Qatar should truly change its behaviour; and then this dispute will end.”

The Financial Times had called on all parties to the stand-off to resolve their differences by incremental gestures.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa, the Qatar prime minister, attended the wedding of Abdullah Al Nuaimi on April 11. Sheikh Abdullah also serves as interior minister and is responsible for placing the groom’s father on the terror list just weeks earlier.

Anwar Al Gargash, the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, took to Twitter on Monday to highlight the credibility issues surrounding the images – the Hamas leader Khaled Mishaal was also at the event.

“The presence of the Qatari prime minister in a family wedding of Al Nuaimi’s son, a terrorist that supports Al Qaeda, has undermined the efforts of dozens of public relations firms in Washington,” Mr Gargash said on Twitter. “It also proves that Doha supports terrorism.”

In a statement to the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Qatar claimed for the first time that the attendance was in a "personal" capacity. The statement claimed that Al Nuaimi, who was smiling broadly in a series of images published in the newspaper Al Raya, was facing new charges even though he remains at liberty in the state.

“There is no hypocrisy at work here,” the statement said. “The prime minister will continue to support the good work of his employees and will not avoid a family affair because a defendant standing trial may possibly be in attendance."

Read more: UAE says Qatar terrorist wedding undermines its public image 

Experts in international sanctions law, however, said there is an onus on host states to show that action is being taken against proscribed suspects on the UN terror list. Al Nuaimi was accused by the US treasury of sending millions of dollars a month to Al Qaeda in Iraq in 2014.

“When it comes to the terror lists there is an expectation on a country of following through,” said Shashank Joshi, a fellow at London’s Royal United Services Institute. “It has to be a diplomatic concern for Qatar when the expectations are that it is getting tougher on terrorism.”

Pressure has mounted for legal action against Qatar in the European courts. Liesbeth Zegveld, a Dutch lawyer, has accused the wealthy Gulf state of failing to take action to halt funding for the Syrian Al Nusra Front as she issued a demand for compensation payments to Dutch-based victims.

"Qatar is therefore liable for the damages suffered by the victims," she said.

Qatar denies funding extremist groups. In a separate letter to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir, Ms Zegveld alleged that one of the victims was taken hostage by members of Al Nusra near Damascus in December 2012.

The man, whose identity was not released out of safety concerns, was repeatedly tortured, forced to watch the executions of two other hostages and subjected to a mock execution. The militants demanded nearly $2 million (Dh7.3m) for his release.

He eventually escaped and fled Syria, and has since been granted asylum in the Netherlands, Ms Zegveld said.

Other key dates
  • Finals draw: December 2
  • Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
  • Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
  • Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
The 24-man squad:

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Koen Casteels (VfL Wolfsburg).

Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City).

Midfielders: Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Nacer Chadli (West Bromwich Albion), Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur).

Forwards: Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea/Dortmund), Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United), Dries Mertens (Napoli).

Standby player: Laurent Ciman (Los Angeles FC).

MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Match on BeIN Sports

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Essentials

The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.

The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.

 

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

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How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Business Insights
  • As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses. 
  • SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income. 
  • Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
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Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

THE DETAILS

Deadpool 2

Dir: David Leitch

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Justin Dennison, Zazie Beetz

Four stars

Mubalada World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule

Thursday December 27

Men's quarter-finals

Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm

Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm

Women's exhibition

Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm

Friday December 28

5th place play-off 3pm

Men's semi-finals

Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm

Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm

Saturday December 29

3rd place play-off 5pm

Men's final 7pm

'Worse than a prison sentence'

Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.

“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.

“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.

“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.

“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.

“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”

Results

6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

Winner: Celtic Prince, David Liska (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).

7.05pm: Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Commanding, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

7.40pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner: Grand Argentier, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

8.15pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m

Winner: Arch Gold, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.

8.50pm: The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m

Winner: Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.

9.25pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner: Ibn Malik, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.

10pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m

Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

How do Sim card scams work?

Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.

They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.

They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.

The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

Scotland's team:

15-Sean Maitland, 14-Darcy Graham, 13-Nick Grigg, 12-Sam Johnson, 11-Byron McGuigan, 10-Finn Russell, 9-Ali Price, 8-Magnus Bradbury, 7-Hamish Watson, 6-Sam Skinner, 5-Grant Gilchrist, 4-Ben Toolis, 3-Willem Nel, 2-Stuart McInally (captain), 1-Allan Dell

Replacements: 16-Fraser Brown, 17-Gordon Reid, 18-Simon Berghan, 19-Jonny Gray, 20-Josh Strauss, 21-Greig Laidlaw, 22-Adam Hastings, 23-Chris Harris

TO A LAND UNKNOWN

Director: Mahdi Fleifel

Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa

Rating: 4.5/5

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Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers