World demands full account after Iran admits downing Ukraine jet

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Rescue workers carry the body of a victim of a Ukrainian plane crash in Shahedshahr near Tehran on Jan. 8. Iran has invited the US, Ukraine, Canada to join the crash investigation. (AP)
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Updated 12 January 2020
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World demands full account after Iran admits downing Ukraine jet

  • ‘Because of human error and in a unintentional way, the flight was hit’: Iran

PARIS: Iran said on Saturday it had unintentionally shot down the Ukrainian airliner that crashed this week outside Tehran killing 176 people, calling it an “unforgivable mistake.”

The statement sparked some relief that at least the immediate cause of the disaster would not be concealed amid international calls for a full accounting and compensation for the victims.
Iran has invited the US, Ukraine, Canada and others to join the crash investigation. Herewith are some of the remarks made by top leaders in response to the Iranian statement on its responsibility for the crash.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded that Iran punish those responsible, pay compensation and apologize.
“We expect Iran ... to bring the guilty to the courts,” the Ukrainian leader wrote on Facebook, calling for the “payment of compensation” and the return of remains.
“We hope the inquiry will be pursued without deliberate delay and without obstruction,” Zelensky added. He also urged “total access” to the full inquiry for 45 Ukrainian experts and in a tweet also sought an “official apology.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with the country mourning the loss of many of its nationals, said closure and accountability were needed after Iran’s announcement.
He demanded “transparency, and justice for the families and loved ones of the victims. “This is a national tragedy, and all Canadians are mourning together,” Trudeau’s office said in a statement. Iran must “learn lessons” from the disaster, the chairman of the Russian parliament’s foreign affairs committee said.
“If decryption of the black boxes and the work of the investigation do not prove that the Iranian army did this intentionally, and there are no logical reasons for this, the incident must be closed. “Hoping that lessons will be learned and action taken by all parties,” Konstantin Kosachev was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
French Defense Minister Florence Parly said it was “important to seize this moment to give space to discussions and negotiations” on the Iran nuclear deal.
“The lessons that we should learn from the dramatic sequence of events that we have experienced ... is that we must put an end to this escalation,” Parly told France Inter radio.
She reiterated the French position that everything must be done to salvage the landmark 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, which US President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said: “It was important that Iran brought clarity to this issue.
“Now Tehran needs to draw the right consequences in the continued appraisal of this dreadful catastrophe, and take measures to ensure that something like this cannot happen again,” Mass told Funke media. The plane was shot down early on Wednesday, hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on two military bases housing US troops in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in an American airstrike in Baghdad. No one was wounded in the attack on the bases.
A military statement carried by state media said the plane was mistaken for a “hostile target.” The military was at its “highest level of readiness,” it said, amid the heightened tensions with the US.
“In such a condition, because of human error and in a unintentional way, the flight was hit,” the military said. It apologized and said it would upgrade its systems to prevent future tragedies.
Those responsible for the strike on the plane would be prosecuted, the statement added.

FASTFACT

A military statement carried by state media said the plane was mistaken for a ‘hostile target.’

Gen. Amir Ali Hajjizadeh, the head of the Guard’s aerospace division, later said his unit accepts “full responsibility” for the shootdown. In an address broadcast by state TV, he said that when he learned about the downing of the plane, “I wished I were dead.”
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expressed his “deep sympathy” to the families of the victims and called on the armed forces to “pursue probable shortcomings and guilt in the painful incident.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy issued a statement saying the crash investigation should continue and the “perpetrators” should be brought to justice. He said Iran should compensate victims’ families, and he requested “official apologies through diplomatic channels.”
Iran’s acknowledgement of responsibility for the crash was likely to inflame public sentiment against authorities after Iranians had rallied around their leaders in the wake of Soleimani’s killing. Soleimani, the leader of the Guard’s elite Quds Force and the architect of Iran’s regional military interventions, was seen as a national icon, and hundreds of thousands of Iranians had turned out for funeral processions across the country.
The majority of the plane crash victims were Iranians or Iranian-Canadians. Iranian officials had repeatedly ruled out a missile strike, dismissing such allegations as Western propaganda that officials said was offensive to the victims.
The crash came just weeks after authorities quashed nationwide protests ignited by a hike in gasoline prices. Iran has been in the grip of a severe economic crisis since President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed crippling sanctions.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani blamed the shoot-down of the plane in part on “threats and bullying” by the US after the killing of Soleimani. He expressed condolences to families of the victims, and he called for a “full investigation” and the prosecution of those responsible.
“A sad day,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. “Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster. Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims, and to other affected nations.”
The jetliner, a Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines, went down on the outskirts of Tehran shortly after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport.
The US and Canada, citing intelligence, said they believed Iran shot down the aircraft with a surface-to-air missile, a conclusion supported by videos verified by The Associated Press.
The plane, en route to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, was carrying 167 passengers and nine crew members from several countries, including 82 Iranians, 57 Canadians and 11 Ukrainians, according to officials. The Canadian government had earlier lowered the nation’s death toll from 63.
“This is the right step for the Iranian government to admit responsibility, and it gives people a step toward closure with this admission,” said Payman Parseyan, a prominent Iranian-Canadian in western Canada who lost a number of friends in the crash.
“I think the investigation would have disclosed it whether they admitted it or not. This will give them an opportunity to save face.”
Iran’s acknowledgement of responsibility was likely to renew questions of why authorities did not shut down the country’s main international airport and its airspace after the ballistic missile attack, when they feared US reprisals.
It also undermines the credibility of information provided by senior Iranian officials. As recently as Friday, Ali Abedzadeh, the head of the national aviation department, had told reporters “with certainty” that a missile had not caused the crash.
On Thursday, Cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei dismissed reports of a missile, saying they “rub salt on a painful wound” for families of the victims.
Iran had also invited Ukraine, Canada, the US and France to take part in the investigation of the crash, in keeping with international norms. The Boeing 737 was built in the US and the engine was built by a US-French consortium.
Ukraine’s president said its team of investigators, who are already on the ground in Iran, should continue their work with “full access and cooperation.”
The military statement, issued by the Joint Chiefs of the Armed Forces, said Guard officials had been ordered to “provide a detailed explanation” to the public.
The semi-official Fars news agency reported that the supreme leader on Friday morning had ordered top security officials to review the crash and announce the results.
Fars, which is close to the Guard, appeared to deflect blame.
“If some individuals, in any position, were aware of the issue but made statements contradicting the reality or hid the truth for any reason, they should be named and tried,” it said.
Others speculated that the security forces may have concealed information from civilian authorities.
“Concealing the truth from the administration is dreadful,” Mohammad Fazeli, a sociology professor in Tehran, wrote on social media. “If it had not been concealed, the head of civil aviation and the government spokesmen would not have persistently denied it.”


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Elephants and Their Fossil Relatives’

Updated 11 sec ago
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Elephants and Their Fossil Relatives’

Authors: Asier Larramendi & Marco P. Ferretti

Today, only three species of elephants survive—the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana), the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis), and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).

However, these modern giants represent just a fraction of the vast and diverse order of Proboscidea, which includes not only living elephants but also their many extinct relatives. 

Over the past 60 million years, proboscideans have evolved and adapted across five continents, giving rise to an astonishing variety of forms.

 


Tajikistan to jail people for illegal electricity use

Updated 3 min ago
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Tajikistan to jail people for illegal electricity use

  • Electricity consumption in Tajikistan is limited for about six months per year, as its outdated energy infrastructure struggles to keep up with rising demand

DUSHANBE: Tajikistan has introduced 10-year prison sentences for the illegal use of electricity, as a decades-long energy crisis caused by water shortages worsens in the poor Central Asian country.

Electricity consumption in Tajikistan is limited for about six months per year, as its outdated energy infrastructure struggles to keep up with rising demand.

The country’s Energy and Water Resources Ministry on Saturday announced measures to introduce “criminal liability for violations of regulations on the use of electricity.”

In a sign of how tightly the country controls the press and flow of information, it was only reported by independent media outlets on Monday.

Under the new rules, anybody found trying to disconnect or bypass an electricity meter will face up to 10 years in prison.

Ex-Soviet Tajikistan is ruled by President Emomali Rakhmon, a former state farm boss who has held power since 1992.

Justice Minister Rustam Shoemurod said earlier in April that those who alter meter readings or bypass them to avoid payments are “seriously damaging the country’s economic interests.”

A shortage of water needed to fuel hydroelectric plants, which generate about 95 percent of electricity output in Tajikistan, has led to years of regular power outages.


American trying to make contact with isolated tribe in India arrested

Updated 8 min 7 sec ago
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American trying to make contact with isolated tribe in India arrested

  • Polyakov was fascinated by the mystique of the Sentinelese people

NEW DELHI: Indian police have arrested a 24-year-old American YouTuber who visited an off-limits island in the Indian Ocean to try to make contact with an isolated tribe known for attacking intruders.

Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, from Scottsdale, Arizona, was arrested on March 31, two days after he set foot on the restricted territory of North Sentinel Island — part of India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands — in a bid to meet people from the reclusive Sentinelese tribe, police said.

A local court last week sent Polyakov to a 14-day judicial custody and he is set to appear again in the court on April 17. The charges carry a possible sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine. Indian authorities said they had informed the US Embassy about the case.

Visitors are banned from traveling within 5 kilometers of the island, whose population has been isolated from the rest of the world for thousands of years. The inhabitants use spears and bows and arrows to hunt the animals that roam the small, heavily forested island. Deeply suspicious of outsiders, they attack anyone who lands onto their beaches.

Police said Polyakov was guided by GPS navigation during his journey and surveyed the island with binoculars before landing. He stayed on the beach for about an hour, blowing whistle to attract the attention but got no response from the islanders.

He later left a can of Diet Coke and a coconut as an offering, made a video on his camera, and collected some sand samples before returning to his boat.

On his return he was spotted by local fishermen, who informed the authorities and Polyakov was arrested in Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an archipelago nearly 1,207 kilometers east of India’s mainland. A case was registered against him for violation of Indian laws that prohibit any outsider to interact with the islanders.

Police said Polyakov had conducted detailed research on sea conditions, tides and accessibility to the island before starting his journey.

“He planned meticulously over several days to visit the island and make a contact with the Sentinel tribe,” Senior Police Officer Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal said.

An initial investigation revealed Polyakov had made two previous attempts, in October last year and January, to visit the islands, including in an inflatable kayak.

Police said Polyakov was drawn to the island due to his passion for adventure and extreme challenges, and was fascinated by the mystique of the Sentinelese people.

Survival International, a group that protects the rights of Indigenous peoples, said Polyakov’s attempted contact with the tribes of North Sentinel was “reckless and idiotic.”

“This person’s actions not only endangered his own life, they put the lives of the entire Sentinelese tribe at risk,” the group’s director Caroline Pearce said in a statement.


Moma’s Garden: A Saudi family’s recipe for love

Updated 14 min 12 sec ago
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Moma’s Garden: A Saudi family’s recipe for love

  • Al-Mumen family blends culinary creativity, tradition in cozy Alkhobar restaurant
  • Teamwork brings comfort through home-like decor, modern twist on Arabic flavors

ALKHOBAR: In a quiet corner of Alkhobar, Moma’s Garden has become more than just a restaurant — it is a family-run establishment at which hospitality is as important as the food itself. With another branch in Dammam, the restaurant is entirely operated by the Al-Mumen family, whose members take on various roles to run its daily operations.

The atmosphere of Moma’s Garden is intentionally just like home. Sunlight filters through white curtains, casting a warm glow over wooden tables and lush greenery. The walls are adorned with framed family photographs, reflecting a history deeply intertwined with the restaurant’s identity.

The restaurant’s wishing tree, where visitors leave handwritten notes, is a symbol of community and connection. (AN photo by Waad Hussain)

Moma’s Garden started as a small venture in a Dammam hotel, a modest space that helped to lay the foundation for what would later become a larger family project.

Abdulfattah Al-Mumen, the father, said: “At first we opened Moma’s Garden in a hotel in Dammam. It was a small place, but it was big in our hearts, and that’s where our story began. Now, with our second branch in Alkhobar, our journey continues.

For many visitors Moma’s Garden is not just a restaurant but a place shaped by personal stories, dedication, and a deep appreciation for hospitality. (AN photo by Waad Hussain)

“It is built on the passion of our family, my wife’s creativity, and our children’s experiences from traveling and living abroad. They learned to cook for their friends, and today they are capable of managing businesses, finances, architecture, and law.”

And while each member of the family brings something to the table, Al-Mumen said: “The mastermind behind all the creativity is my wife. In the end we are simply a family that enjoys cooking and being together.”

We are not just running a business. We are sharing our passion, our creativity, and our love for food. At the end of the day what matters most is that we continue to do what we love together.

Abdulfattah Al-Mumen

Abdulhadi, their young son, told Arab News: “I handle the front desk, my mother oversees the menu and its development, Hassan manages finances, and Bayan handles legal matters.”

However, the roles are not set in stone and each family member steps up as needed. Abdulhadi added: “My father and I collaborate on architectural and design aspects … Sometimes my father is a waiter and sometimes I cook in the kitchen. We all share responsibilities.”

For many visitors Moma’s Garden is not just a restaurant but a place shaped by personal stories, dedication, and a deep appreciation for hospitality. (AN photo by Waad Hussain)

At the heart of Moma’s Garden is Intessar, the matriarch who personally oversees the menu and ingredient selection, ensuring that every dish meets her high standards.

She said: “Finding the right ingredients can be difficult. Every day I go out myself and handpick what we use. Maybe that’s why this place feels like home to so many people. Even the local vendors recognize me now and know I won’t settle for anything less than top quality.

Moma's Garden isn't just a restaurant -- it's a place shaped by stories, dedication, and hospitality.

“Our dishes are not traditionally Arabic, but we’ve given them a modern twist infused with Arabic elements, like shakshuka and date toast.”

This hands-on approach and commitment to fresh ingredients help define Moma’s Garden’s philosophy.

Every dish tells a story – Carefully crafted recipes with a modern twist. (AN photo by Waad Hussain)

The setting at Moma’s Garden is carefully designed to create a welcoming and relaxed environment. The wooden tables, soft pastel hues, and an abundance of plants contribute to an atmosphere that encourages guests to unwind and enjoy their meal.

A unique feature is the wishing tree, where visitors leave handwritten notes — a symbol of community and connection that has become an integral part of the restaurant’s charm.

“I always come to Moma’s Garden” – Roa Khushina, a regular guest. (AN photo by Waad Hussain)

Al-Mumen said: “We select our ingredients as if we are choosing them for our own home, so that our guests feel like they are in their second home, not just any restaurant.

“We want them to feel like they are visiting us, like guests in our own house.”

A family’s journey on the walls – Framed photographs tell the story of the Al-Mumen family. (AN photo by Waad Hussain)

For many customers, this sense of familiarity is what keeps them coming back.

Roa Khushina, a fitness trainer and regular at the establishment, said: “I always come to Moma’s Garden — it’s honestly one of the best restaurants in Alkhobar. Their dishes are excellent, diverse, and they even offer healthy options.”

Moma’s Garden – AlKhubar, Saudi Arabia. (AN photo by Waad Hussain)

Running a restaurant as a family comes with its own challenges, particularly in hiring staff who align with the restaurant’s vision.

Hassan, the eldest son, said: “We don’t just look for employees — we look for people who fit our culture, who see this place as more than just a job. It takes us four to five months to find the right person.”

Despite occasional differences in opinion, the Al-Mumen family views these challenges as an essential part of working together and evolving the business.

“These challenges make our family stronger, and we see ourselves as partners in success,” he added.

With two established locations, the family remains committed to maintaining quality rather than expanding too quickly.

“We are not just running a business,” said Al-Mumen. “We are sharing our passion, our creativity, and our love for food. At the end of the day what matters most is that we continue to do what we love together.”

For many visitors Moma’s Garden is not just a restaurant but a place shaped by personal stories, dedication, and a deep appreciation for hospitality.

 


Where We Are Going Today: Beit Ward

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Updated 28 min 52 sec ago
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Where We Are Going Today: Beit Ward

  • The food was outstanding (albeit with slightly smaller portion sizes), the atmosphere matched our expectations, and the service was commendable

If you’re on the lookout for clean and delectable Lebanese cuisine, Beit Ward is a must-try.

The restaurant’s branch in Jeddah boasts both indoor and outdoor seating, allowing patrons to enjoy their meals while soaking in picturesque views.   

We opted for a selection of dishes and to our delight, everything was ready within 20 minutes during my first visit. On other occasions, however, the wait time was rather long.

I highly recommend trying the mixed grill and tender lamb chops, as well as the selection of cold and hot mezze. The Beit Ward hummus, paired with fresh juice, is not to be missed.

To conclude the meal on a sweet note, we enjoyed a soothing cup of tea accompanied by the delicious San Sebastian cake and Gazel Al-Banat, or Arabic cotton candy.

The overall dining experience was worth returning for. The food was outstanding (albeit with slightly smaller portion sizes), the atmosphere matched our expectations, and the service was commendable.

I particularly appreciated the elegant food presentation and setup, which added to the overall ambience.

I also had the pleasure of dining during Eid breakfast, where the set menu featured nostalgic Hijazi dishes reminiscent of my grandmother’s cooking, making it a truly memorable occasion.

However, my experiences have not been without a few hiccups. During one visit, while the food was satisfactory, the lack of attentive service detracted from the enjoyment.   

Beit Ward has various branches around the Kingdom, including in Riyadh, Madinah, and Alkhobar, making it accessible for all those seeking an authentic Lebanese dining experience.