The US Justice Department announced on Wednesday that it has seized additional domain names belonging to Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, which Washington has designated a terrorist group.
“Seizures like these are critical to preventing designated entities and terrorist organisation from using US websites to recruit new members and promote their twisted world views,” said John Demers, assistant attorney general.
“While this case is a reminder that terrorists don’t need to step foot in our country to further their aims, today’s actions show that the department will do what it takes to stop them.”
The latest domain names the US has seized from the Iran-backed militia are aletejahtv.com and kataibhezbollah.com.
The US seized other domain names belonging to Kataib Hezbollah in August.
The Justice Department said the websites published articles, videos and photographs to “further Kataib Hezbollah’s agenda, particularly destabilising Iraq and recruiting others to join their cause".
“The content even included false information about Covid-19 designed to damage perception of the United States in the minds of Iraqi citizens and to destabilise the region to the benefit of Iran,” the department said.
The United States designated Kataib Hezbollah, which receives substantial support and direction from Iran, as a terrorist organisation in 2009.
Lee Smith, export enforcement chief at the US Commerce Department, pledged that his agency would “continue to aggressively disrupt Iranian-backed terrorist organisations such as Kataib Hezbollah from using US-based online networks and services in violation of US law".
Mr Smith repeated his bureau’s commitment to “protecting our war fighters and allied forces from terrorist acts of violence inspired and directed via online networks".
The US and Kataib Hezbollah have repeatedly exchanged fire in Iraq throughout the past year.
The attacks reportedly prompted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to threaten to close the US embassy in Baghdad in September.
But last week Mr Pompeo said the US was happy with Iraqi government efforts to improve protection for its embassy and bases.
Kataib Hezbollah announced that it would suspend rocket attacks on US forces as long as Baghdad presented a timetable to withdraw US troops.
Kataib Hezbollah's founder and leader, Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis, was killed in a US drone strike in January near Baghdad airport, alongside top Iranian commander Qassem Suleimani.
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
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New schools in Dubai
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
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Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
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Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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