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UAE leaders mark Eid-ul-Adha with prayers and greetings

Agencies
August 21, 2018

Dubai, Aug 21: Their Highnesses Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates on Tuesday morning performed Eid Al Adha prayers.

Dubai

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, this morning offered Eid al-Adha prayers at the Sheikh Rashid Mosque in Zabeel.

Performing the prayer alongside Sheikh Mohammed were Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council; Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance; Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Lands Department; Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum;  Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, Director-General of Dubai Information Department; senior officials; UAE citizens, and residents.

Dr Omar Al Khateeb, who led the prayer, delivered the Eid Al Adha sermon in which he highlighted the significance of sacrifice in Eid Al Adha. He also called for exchanging visits in this day and emphasised the importance of humanitarian work, solidarity among the society and communication which would bring cooperation and affection among people.

Dr. Al Khateeb prayed for good health and longevity to the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

He also prayed to Allah the Almighty to bestow eternal peace on the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late Sheikh Rashid, the late Sheikh Maktoum and martyrs of the nation as well as martyrs of the Saudi-led Arab Coalition, who defend justice and legitimacy in Yemen.

Abu Dhabi

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, today performed Eid Al Adha prayers at the Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed the First Mosque in

Among those who offered prayer alongside His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed were Sheikh Surour bin Mohammed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council; Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser; Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs; Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance; Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Director of the Martyrs' Families' Affairs Office at the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court; Lt. General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces; Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Supreme National Security Council; a number of Sheikhs, ministers; top military and civil officials in the country.

Sheikh Abdulrahman Al Shamsi delivered the Eid prayers sermon, during which he spoke about the significance of the occasion, the noble values of the Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) and the moral lessons of Eid Al Adha.

He also wished more security, stability and welfare for the UAE and prayed to Allah the Almighty to rest the souls of the nation's martyrs in Paradise. Sheikh Al Shamsi also prayed for the triumph of the UAE and Arab Coalition in Yemen which came together to restore the rights of the oppressed, and wished Arab and Muslim nations more prosperity and stability.

Following the prayers, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed exchanged Eid greetings with worshippers.

Ajman

His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman, this morning offered Eid Al Adha prayers at the Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi Mosque.

Among those who offered the prayer alongside Sheikh Humaid were Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman; a number of Sheikhs, senior officials, dignitaries, tribesmen, Emiratis and members of the Arab and Islamic communities.

Sheikh Hussein Ma'een Al Hosani, who led the prayer, delivered the Eid al-Adha sermon, during which he spoke about the importance of the meaning of Eid al-Adha and the noble values of the occasion.  Following the prayer, Sheikh Humaid and Sheikh Ammar exchanged Eid al-Adha greetings with Sheikhs, senior officials, dignitaries and members of the Arab and Islamic community in the country.

Fujairah

His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Fujairah and Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah offered Eid Al Adha prayers at the Grand Sheikh Zayed Mosque in the emirate.

Sheikhs, heads of federal and local departments, Emiratis and members of the Arab and Islamic community in Fujairah, offered prayers along with Sheikh Hamad.

Following the prayers, the Fujairah Ruler exchanged greetings on the auspicious occasion with worshippers, who wished him health and happiness and more prosperity and progress for the UAE and the Arab and Islamic nations.

Umm Al Qaiwain

His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm Al Qaiwain, today offered Eid Al Adha prayers at Sheikh Zayed Mosque in the emirate.

Performing prayers alongside Sheikh Saud were Sheikh Rashid bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Crown Prince of Umm Al Qaiwain, Sheikhs, senior officials, heads of federal and local departments, Emiratis, dignitaries, and members of the Arab and Islamic community in the emirate.

Sheikh Sultan Al Marzouqi, who led the prayer, delivered the sermon and explained the noble values of Islam and the significant meanings of Eid Al Adha. Following prayers, the UAQ Ruler exchanged Eid greetings with Sheikhs, senior officials and Emiratis.

Ras Al Khaimah

His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah and Sheikh Mohammed bin Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras Al Khaimah, offered Eid Al Adha prayer at the Eid Grand Musalla in Khuzam in the emirate.

Sheikhs, senior officials, dignitaries, UAE citizens and members of the Arab and Islamic communities, offered prayer alongside Sheikh Saud bin Saqr.

Sheikh Mohammed Subai'aan, who led the prayer, delivered a sermon, during which he spoke about the important meaning and symbolism of Eid Al Adha. He also prayed to Allah the Almighty to rest the souls of the martyrs of the UAE and the Arab Coalition in Yemen in Paradise. Following the prayer, Sheikh Saud exchanged Eid Al Adha greetings with Sheikhs, top officials and worshippers.

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News Network
June 11,2020

Beijing, Jun 11: Floods and mudslides in south China have uprooted hundreds of thousands of people and left dozens dead or missing, state media reported Thursday.

The bad weather has wreaked havoc on popular tourist areas that had already been battered by months of travel restrictions during the coronavirus outbreak.

Torrential downpours unleashed floods and mudslides that caused nearly 230,000 people to be relocated and destroyed more than 1,300 houses, official state news agency Xinhua reported, citing the Ministry of Emergency Management.

In southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, six people were reported dead and one missing, Xinhua said.

Streets were waterlogged in popular tourist destination Yangshuo, forcing residents and visitors to evacuate on bamboo rafts.

The local government said more than 1,000 hotels had been flooded and more than 30 tourist sites damaged.

One owner of a family-run hotel told Xinhua that the guest rooms were submerged in one metre (three feet) of rainwater.

The extreme weather has dealt a hefty blow to the region's tourism sector, which is still reeling from the COVID-19 epidemic.

The emergency management ministry said there were direct economic losses of over 4 billion yuan (more than $550 million) from the flooding, Xinhua reported.

In Hunan Province, at least 13 people were killed in rain-triggered disasters, and another eight people are missing or killed in southwestern Guizhou province, according to the local emergency response departments, Xinhua said.

The heavy downpours began at the beginning of June and have led to "dangerously high water levels" in 110 rivers, Xinhua reported.

Further rainstorms are expected in the next few days across the south.

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Agencies
August 2,2020

Dubai, Aug 2: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Saturday that it has started operations in the first of four reactors at the Barakah nuclear power station - the first nuclear power plant in the Arab world.

Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), which is building and operating the plant with Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) said in a press release that its subsidiary Nawah Energy Company "has successfully started up Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, located in the Al Dhafrah Region of Abu Dhabi".

That signals that Unit 1, which had fuel rods loaded in March, has achieved "criticality" - a sustained fission chain reaction.

"The start-up of Unit 1 marks the first time that the reactor safely produces heat, which is used to create steam, turning a turbine to generate electricity," said ENEC.

Barakah, which was originally scheduled to open in 2017, has been dogged by delays and is billions of dollars over budget. It has also raised myriad concerns among nuclear energy veterans who are concerned about the potential risks Barakah could visit upon the Arabian Peninsula, from an environmental catastrophe to a nuclear arms race.

Paul Dorfman, an honorary senior research fellow at the Energy Institute, University College London and founder and chair of the Nuclear Consulting Group, has criticised the Barakah reactors' "cheap and cheerful" design that he says cuts corners on safety.

Dorfman authored a report (PDF) last year detailing key safety features Barakah's reactors lack, such as a "core catcher" to literally stop the core of a reactor from breaching the containment building in the event of a meltdown. The reactors are also missing so-called Generation III Defence-In-Depth reinforcements to the containment building to shield against a radiological release resulting from a missile or fighter jet attack.

Both of these engineering features are standard on new reactors built in Europe, says Dorfman.

There have been at least 13 aerial attacks on nuclear facilities in the Middle East - more than any other region on earth.

The vulnerability of critical infrastructure in the Arabian Peninsula was further laid bare last year after Saudi Arabia's oil facilities at Abqaiq and Khurais were attacked by 18 drones and seven cruise missiles - an assault that temporarily knocked out more than half of the kingdom's oil production.

On Saturday, Dorfman reiterated his concern that there is no regional protocol in place to determine liability should an accident or incident at Barakah result in radioactive contamination spreading from the UAE to its neighbours. 

"Given Barakah has started up, because of all the well-rehearsed nuclear safety and security problems, it may be critically important that the Gulf states collectively evolve a Nuclear Accident Liability Convention, so that if anything does go wrong, victim states may have some sort of redress," Dorfman told Al Jazeera. 

The UAE has substantial oil and gas reserves, but it has made huge investments in developing alternative energy sources, including nuclear and solar.

Experts though have questioned why the UAE - which is bathed in sunlight and wind - has pushed ahead with nuclear energy - a far more expensive and riskier option than renewable energy sources.

When the UAE first announced Barakah in 2009, nuclear power was cheaper than solar and wind. But by 2012 - when the Emirates started breaking ground to build the reactors - solar and wind costs had plummeted dramatically.

Between 2009 and 2019, utility-scale average solar photovoltaic costs fell 89 percent and wind fell 43 percent, while nuclear jumped 26 percent, according to an analysis by the financial advisory and asset manager Lazard.

There are also concerns about the potential for Barakah to foment nuclear proliferation in the Middle East - a region rife with geopolitical fault lines and well-documented history of nuclear secrecy.

The UAE has sought to distance itself from the region's bad behaviour by agreeing not to enrich its own uranium or reprocess spent fuel. It has also signed up to the United Nation's nuclear watchdog's Additional Protocol, significantly enhancing inspection capabilities, and secured a 123 Agreement with the United States that allows bilateral civilian nuclear cooperation.

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News Network
January 13,2020

Jan 13: India lost more than $1.33 billion to internet restrictions in 2019 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government pushed ahead with his party’s Hindu nationalist agenda, raising tensions and sparking nationwide protests.

The worst shutdown has been in Kashmir, where after intermittent closures in the first half of the year, the internet has been cut off since Aug. 5 following the government’s decision to revoke the special autonomous status of the country’s only Muslim-majority state, a study said. The prologued closure was criticized by India’s highest court, which ruled Friday that the “limitless” internet shutdown enforced by the government for the last five months was illegal and asked that it be reviewed.

India imposed more internet restrictions than any other large democracy, according to the Cost of Internet Shutdowns 2019 report released by Top10VPN, a U.K.-based digital privacy and security research group. The South Asian nation recorded the third-highest losses after Iraq and Sudan, which lost $2.31 billion and $1.86 billion respectively to disruptions. Worldwide internet restrictions caused losses worth $8.05 billion, the report said.

The cost of internet blackouts was calculated using indicators from groups including the World Bank, International Telecommunication Union, and the Delhi-based Software Freedom Law Center. It includes social media shutdowns in its calculations.

India’s ministry of information and technology didn’t respond to an email seeking a response to the report’s findings.

‘Conservative Estimates’

Through 2019, India shut access to the internet for over 4,000 hours. The report added shutdowns in India were often narrowly targeted, down to the level of blocking city districts for a few hours to allow security forces to restore order. Many of these incidents were not included in the report.

“These are conservative estimates,” said Simon Migliano, head of research at U.K.-based Top10VPN. “Internet shutdowns are increasing and it shows a damaging trend.”

India’s other major internet disruptions coincided with two moves by the government that affect India’s Muslim minority. The first disruption took place in November in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan after the Supreme Court handed a victory to Hindu groups over Muslim petitioners in a long-simmering dispute over a plot of land.

There were further disruptions in December when protests erupted against the introduction of a religion-based law that allows undocumented migrants of all faiths except Islam from neighbouring countries to seek Indian citizenship. The government enforced shutdowns across Uttar Pradesh and some Northeastern states in order to quell the protests, the report said.

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