Think tank Brookings received $24 million from the Qatari government.
WikiLeaks released a communication from a Qatari government official which said Brookings was as valuable to them “as an aircraft carrier.”
But Brookings were made to sign an agreement that said it would never criticize Qatar or any of its entities.
Brookings offers foreign policy advice, but given that this will not include critical information about Qatar, means it wields a lot of influence over decisions being made.
BRUSSEL: Outgoing EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has called on all EU member states to respect decisions by the International Criminal Court, including the arrest warrant against Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We cannot undermine the International Criminal Court. It is the only way of having global justice,” Borrell, whose term as the EU’s top diplomat ends this month, said in Brussels.
“They’re not political. It’s a legal body formed by respected people who are the best among the profession of judges.”
The ICC issued arrest warrants last week for Netanyahu, his former defense chief Yoav Gallant, and a Hamas leader for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.
Though all EU member states are signatories to the ICC’s founding treaty, France said on Wednesday it believed Netanyahu had immunity to actions by the ICC, given Israel has not signed up to the court statutes.
Italy has said it is not feasible to arrest Netanyahu as long as he remains head of Israel’s government.
ICC judges said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant were criminally responsible for acts including murder, persecution, and starvation as a weapon of war as part of a “widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza.”
Israel, which launched its offensive in Gaza in response to Hamas’ deadly attack on southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, has said it will appeal against the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.
Asked if France would arrest Netanyahu if he stepped on French territory, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot did not give a specific answer in an interview with Franceinfo radio.
He said France “is very committed to international justice and will apply international law based on its obligations to cooperate with the ICC.”
But he added that the court’s statute “deals with questions of immunity for certain leaders.”
“It is ultimately up to the judicial authorities to decide,” he added.
Unconfirmed media reports have said that Netanyahu angrily raised the issue in telephone talks with President Emmanuel Macron and urged Paris not to enforce the decision. France has been instrumental in efforts to end fighting in the Middle East and, with the US helped broker a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
Article 27 of the Rome Statute — the foundation of the ICC — states that immunity “shall not bar the Court from exercising its jurisdiction over such a person.”
However, Article 98 says a state cannot “act inconsistently with its obligations under international law concerning the ... diplomatic immunity of a person.”
France’s stance on potential immunity for Netanyahu prompted some strong reactions at home and abroad. Amnesty International called the French stance “deeply problematic,” saying it ran counter to the government’s obligations as an ICC member.
“Rather than inferring that ICC indictees may enjoy immunity, France should expressly confirm its acceptance of the unequivocal legal duty under the Rome Statute to carry out arrest warrants,” said Anne Savinel Barras, president of Amnesty International France.
French Green party boss Marine Tondelier, calling the government’s stance “shameful,” said it was probably the result of an agreement between the French and Israeli leaders.
JEDDAH: The Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Thursday hosted official trials for the SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024, dubbed the world’s fastest street circuit, taking place in Saudi Arabia for the first time on Nov. 29-30.
The European GT4 Series, supported by the R-Ace Club, began their free practice sessions with three periods: The first started at 1:00 p.m., the second at 4:00 p.m. and the third concluded at 7:00 p.m.
Each session lasted one hour in preparation for the two-day race, which is being organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and Motorsports Company, under the supervision of the Ministry of Sport.
The circuit also hosted the first and second official trial sessions for the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe supported by AWS, a media statement said.
The first session began at 2:15 p.m., and the second followed at 5:15 p.m., with each lasting 90 minutes. The endurance race, known as the “six-hour race,” covers a distance of 1,000 km.
Bronze category trials for the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe supported by AWS were launched at 8:45 p.m. and lasted one hour.
As the SAL Jeddah GT 2024 competitions start tomorrow, the qualifying trials for the European GT4 Series supported by the R-Ace Club will take place at 2:15 p.m. and last one hour.
The second trial session, lasting 45 minutes, will start at 6:00 p.m. and determine the starting positions for the first European GT4 Series race, which will begin at 10:00 p.m. and last one hour.
The fan zones include various entertainment areas, children’s zones, interactive games, virtual reality experiences and carnival-style games.
MOGADISHU: Somalia’s federal government and the country’s Jubbaland region have issued reciprocal arrest warrants for their respective leaders in an escalating dispute over the conduct of elections in Jubbaland.
Jubbaland, which borders Kenya and Ethiopia and is one of Somalia’s five semi-autonomous states, reelected regional president Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe for a third term in elections on Monday.
However, the national government based in Mogadishu, led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, opposed the election, saying it was held without federal involvement. Jubbaland’s Attorney General issued an arrest warrant for Mohamud late on Wednesday via the First Instance Court in Kismayo, accusing him of treason, inciting a civil war, and organizing an armed uprising to disrupt the constitutional order in the country.
It did not provide evidence supporting the accusations.
This warrant was in response to a similar one issued by a regional court in Mogadishu for Madobe’s arrest, which accused him of treason and revealing classified information to foreign entities.
The execution of these warrants remains uncertain, as Madobe and Mohamud command troops.
Somalia’s information minister, Daud Aweis, said that the matter was in the hands of the judiciary, which was tasked with enforcing laws through its rulings and judgments.
Jubbaland’s security minister, Yusuf Dhumal, did not respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this week, the national government dispatched additional troops to Jubbaland in response to the election.
In 2021, Jubbaland was among other regional governments that nearly clashed with the national government over plans to extend the time in office of the then-president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.
RIYADH: As part of Saudi Arabia’s push to establish itself as a leader in the data-driven, AI-powered economy, the Kingdom is harnessing the transformative potential of artificial intelligence to revolutionize homes.
AI and machine-learning technologies are making houses and apartment smarter, more efficient and easier to live in. They are also making them safer.
Real-time monitoring of security video, identifying threats, automated alerts to residents and integration with other smart home devices will completely change how homeowners protect their properties.
Industry leaders such as the tech firm Smart Citizens are expanding into Saudi Arabia following their success elsewhere.
The UAE-based firm says that it delivers innovative, cutting-edge solutions, particularly in smart-home automation.
“Smart Citizens believes AI will drive the most compelling advancements in home security and safety in Saudi Arabia,” Ashraf Nouri, Smart Citizens CEO, told Arab News.
He explained that the integration of AI with a network of devices that could connect and exchange data (known as the “Internet of things”), enhanced home security by enabling real-time monitoring and smart threat detection.
Smart Citizens’ expansion strategy, Nouri said, was crafted to “be in tune with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which wants living standards to match modern concepts and foster innovation in technology.”
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AI is projected to contribute more than $135 billion to Saudi Arabia’s economy by 2030, making up 12.4 percent of the Kingdom’s gross domestic product, according to accounting firm PwC.
The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority was set up in 2019 to help drive the Kingdom’s AI capabilities and make it a global leader in data-driven economies.
Saudi Arabia is also ramping up AI investment, looking to cement its position as one of the world’s main investors in the technology.
The embrace of home AI technology fits with the Kingdom’s mission to become a leader in smart city development. A key example is NEOM, the futuristic mega-city project that integrates advanced technologies and smart home solutions to foster connectivity and sustainability.
Elaborating on how AI is reshaping residential security in the Middle East, Nouri said that his company had developed a comprehensive AI-enabled security ecosystem.
The system, he said, offered a “new generation of smart home security.”
This included AI-driven intrusion detection, voice-activated security controls and predictive maintenance.
Nouri said: “We involve our AI technologies in the following domains: Computer vision for video surveillance and object detection, natural language processing for voice interaction and analysis, and neural networks for driving predictive analytics on maintenance and anomaly detection.”
As Smart Citizens prepares to enter the Saudi market, Nouri said that the company was committed to teaching its consumers about the new technologies it offered.
“Smart Citizens adopts an integrated approach in consumer education for the adoption of advanced technologies, especially in home security and safety, in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
The company’s strategies, he added, include public awareness campaigns, workshops and seminars, partnerships with educational institutions, and incentive programs to drive engagement and adoption.
These initiatives, Nouri said, aligned with the ambitions of Vision 2030 for digital transformation and the development of smart cities.
He added: “Through such programs, the company aspires to encourage a technological society that shall be ready for innovations in home security and safety.”
Nouri explained that his company was “implementing an AI-enabled behavioral analytics system that filters the routine household activities from potential threats.” This, he said, enhanced the accuracy of threat detection.
This was achieved through the integration of “Internet of things” devices, which are essential to the system’s overall effectiveness.
Nouri said: “IoT devices are collecting key data from sensors, smart locks and cameras to build the backbone of our system. The processing and analysis of this data in real-time happen through our AI models.”
• Smart homes gain popularity as Saudi Arabia advances its AI-powered economy.
• AI-driven behavioral analytics can filter routine activities from potential threats.
• Internet of things devices enhance home security by enabling real-time monitoring.
Emphasizing that Smart Citizens prioritized user experience, he added: “We design interfaces that are easy to navigate, allowing users to control and monitor their smart home systems effortlessly.”
The company’s AI systems were able to learn individual preferences over time, enabling tailored automation that aligned with each homeowner’s lifestyle, he said.
Nouri said that robust measures were in place to address privacy concerns swiftly and effectively.
“We have multiple approaches to address privacy and security at our systems: Encryption protocols, localized data processing and compliance with UK standards, UAE standards,” he said, noting that his company was also working to ensure full compliance with Saudi regulations.
In the UAE, people were increasingly embracing AI-powered technologies in luxury apartments and homes, he added, describing homeowners there as “keen adopters of high-tech innovations to enhance their lifestyles and ensure comfort.”
Looking ahead, Nouri is optimistic about AI’s growing role in home security, believing that AI will become increasingly autonomous and seamlessly integrated into daily life.
“Solutions like the smart energy management and lighting solutions provided by Smart Citizens will evolve to provide even more personalized and predictive capabilities,” Nouri said.
Smart homes are also seen as a more sustainable solution to mitigate climate change, and Saudi Arabia is adopting a whole-of-society approach to reduce carbon emissions by 278 million tonnes annually by 2030.
A 2019 study published in Environment International found that household energy consumption accounted for one-third of global carbon emissions, and home automation had the potential to reduce these emissions by 12.78 percent.
Nouri said that emerging home security trends, such as biometric security enhancements and edge computing, which processes data on devices closer to the user, will allow for faster, more private operations.
And the impact of these solutions is measurable, providing “up to a 40 percent reduction in false alarms,” he said.
“These AI-powered solutions provided by us make a residence safer through real-time threat detection, personalized security, and seamlessly integrated automation, ensuring constant protection,” Nouri said.
This new AI technology enhances home security while giving residents greater peace of mind and control over their living spaces.
Smart Citizens is just one example of a company entering the Saudi market with AI powered solutions for people’s daily lives.
Many more will follow, deploying data-driven technology that will transform how we live.
GAZA CITY: The Health Ministry in Gaza said on Thursday that at least 44,330 people have been killed in more than 13 months of war between Israel and Palestinian militants.
The toll includes 48 deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to the ministry, which said 104,933 people have been wounded in the Gaza Strip since the war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Medics said Israeli military strikes killed at least 17 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday as forces stepped up bombardments on central areas and pushed tanks deeper in the north and south of the enclave.
Six people were killed in two separate airstrikes on a house and near the hospital of Kamal Adwan in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, while four others were killed when an Israeli strike hit a motorcycle in Khan Younis in the south.
In Nuseirat, one of the Gaza Strip’s eight historic refugee camps, Israeli planes carried out several airstrikes, destroying a multi-floor building and hitting roads outside mosques.
At least seven people were killed in some of those strikes, health officials said.
Medics said at least two people, a woman and a child, were killed in tank shelling that hit western areas of Nuseirat, while an air strike killed five others in a house nearby. In Rafah, near the border with Egypt, tanks pushed deeper into the northern-west area of the city, residents said.
Months of attempts to negotiate a ceasefire have yielded scant progress, and negotiations are now on hold.
