Al Shabab is considered by the State Department to be one of Al Qaeda’s most dangerous conglomerates. AP
Al Shabab is considered by the State Department to be one of Al Qaeda’s most dangerous conglomerates. AP
Al Shabab is considered by the State Department to be one of Al Qaeda’s most dangerous conglomerates. AP
Al Shabab is considered by the State Department to be one of Al Qaeda’s most dangerous conglomerates. AP

US State Department offers $10m reward for Al Shabab leader over 2020 terrorist attack


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The US State Department announced on Thursday a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Maalim Ayman, responsible for the January 5, 2020, terrorist attack at the Manda Bay Airfield in Kenya.

Ayman is the leader of Jaysh Ayman, an Al Shabab unit that conducts terrorist attacks and other operations in Kenya and Somalia.

In November 2020, Ayman was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under an executive order and was also designated by the UN Security Council’s Somalia Sanctions Committee.

The bounty is being offered through the department’s Rewards for Justice programme and extends to “any individual who committed, attempted or conspired to commit, or aided or abetted in the commission of the attack” that killed a US soldier and two Department of Defence contractors, and wounded two US servicemembers and a third contractor.

The assault that began before dawn lasted about four hours, witnesses and military sources said.

“The terrorist group [Al Shabab] continues to plot, plan and conspire to commit terrorist acts against the United States, US interests and foreign partners,” read a statement issued by the State Department.

In a video released by Al Shabab following the incident, a representative for the group claimed responsibility for the attack and said that it had left 17 US “casualties”, nine Kenyan soldiers killed and seven aircraft destroyed.

Maj Karl Wiest from Africom said after the attack that fewer than 150 American personnel were at the base at the time.

The Manda Bay Airfield is part of a Kenyan Defence Forces military base operated by US armed forces to provide training and support to East African allies and protect American interests in the region.

  • An image distributed by Al Shabab after the attack on the Manda Bay airfield in Lamu, Kenya, on January 5, 2020, shows a militant holding the group's flag next to a burning aircraft. Reuters
    An image distributed by Al Shabab after the attack on the Manda Bay airfield in Lamu, Kenya, on January 5, 2020, shows a militant holding the group's flag next to a burning aircraft. Reuters
  • Travellers gather at the Lamu jetty following an attack by Al Shabab militants on the military base in Manda. Reuters
    Travellers gather at the Lamu jetty following an attack by Al Shabab militants on the military base in Manda. Reuters
  • Services from the jetty connect Lamu county on the mainland and Lamu island, a popular destination for wealthy visitors to Kenya. Reuters
    Services from the jetty connect Lamu county on the mainland and Lamu island, a popular destination for wealthy visitors to Kenya. Reuters
  • Travellers gather at the Lamu jetty following an attack by Al Shabab militants. Reuters
    Travellers gather at the Lamu jetty following an attack by Al Shabab militants. Reuters
  • An image distributed by Al Shabab after the attack on the military base. Reuters
    An image distributed by Al Shabab after the attack on the military base. Reuters
  • US Air Force personnel conduct a flag-raising ceremony at Camp Simba in Lamu, Kenya, in August 2019. EPA
    US Air Force personnel conduct a flag-raising ceremony at Camp Simba in Lamu, Kenya, in August 2019. EPA
  • US Navy personnel work on construction of huts at Camp Simba in Lamu in December 2015. EPA
    US Navy personnel work on construction of huts at Camp Simba in Lamu in December 2015. EPA
  • A US Air Force sergeant salutes the flag at Camp Simba in August 2019. AFP
    A US Air Force sergeant salutes the flag at Camp Simba in August 2019. AFP

“Initial reports reflect damage to infrastructure and equipment. An accountability of personnel assessment is under way,” Africom said in a press release after the incident.

Based in East Africa, Al Shabab is considered by the State Department to be one of Al Qaeda’s most dangerous conglomerates and is accountable for numerous terrorist attacks in Kenya, Somalia and neighbouring countries that have killed thousands of people, including US citizens.

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.

What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

Available: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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

Match info

Who: India v Afghanistan
What: One-off Test match, Bengaluru
When: June 14 to 18
TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD, 8am starts
Online: OSN Play (subscribers only)

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

WWE TLC results

Asuka won the SmackDown Women's title in a TLC triple threat with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair

Dean Ambrose won the Intercontinental title against Seth Rollins

Daniel Bryan retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against AJ Styles

Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women's Championship against Nia Jax

Rey Mysterio beat Randy Orton in a chairs match

Finn Balor defeated Drew McIntyre

Natalya beat Ruby Riott in a tables match

Braun Strowman beat Baron Corbin in a TLC match

Sheamus and Cesaro retained the SmackDown Tag Titles against The Usos and New Day

R-Truth and Carmella won the Mixed Match Challenge by beating Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

The Case For Trump

By Victor Davis Hanson
 

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):

Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE

Match will be shown on BeIN Sports

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The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)

Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports

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

European arms

Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons.  Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
Six tips to secure your smart home

Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.

Keep your smart home devices’ software up-to-date. Device makers often send regular updates - follow them without fail as they could provide protection from a new security risk.

Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.

Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.

Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.

Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.

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Updated: January 06, 2023, 5:47 AM