UAE delegation visits Czech Republic to boost bilateral cooperation

A high-level delegation from the UAE meet with Czech officials. (Twitter/@P_Fiala)
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Updated 28 May 2023
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UAE delegation visits Czech Republic to boost bilateral cooperation

  • High-level talks focus on trade, investment, and include agreement on tax

DUBAI: A high-level delegation from the UAE visited the Czech Republic with the aim of expanding bilateral cooperation in various areas of common interest, Emirates News Agency reported on Sunday. 

The delegation headed by Ahmed Ali Al-Sayegh, the UAE minister of state, included Saeed Mubarak Al-Hajri, assistant minister for economic and trade affairs; Abdullah Al-Mazrouei, president of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry; and a large number of senior representatives from ministries and companies from the public and private sectors.

During the visit, Al-Sayegh held meetings with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala; Jozef Sikela, minister of industry and trade; Zbynek Stanjura, minister of finance; Jiri Kozak, deputy minister of foreign affairs; Jana Vohralikova, head of the Office of the President; and Tomas Pojar, National Security Adviser.

The visit also witnessed the signing of the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement.

 “The signing of this agreement and the keenness to establish a Joint Economic Committee, as well as the exchange of high-level visits, reflect the mutual desire of the UAE and the Czech Republic to deepen bilateral relations which extend for more than three decades, in all fields, particularly in economy and trade,” Al-Sayegh said. 

The two sides also addressed strengthening cooperation in the sphere of climate action in light of the UAE’s hosting of COP28, during which participants will conduct a worldwide stocktake of progress toward meeting the Paris Agreement’s global climate objectives.

During the visit, Al-Sayegh emphasized that the bilateral economic cooperation has grown significantly in recent years, particularly after the signing of an agreement on economic, commercial, and technical coordination in January.

The agreement also resulted in the implementation of effective programs and processes to explore opportunities for collaboration and partnerships in the domains of trade, investment, and knowledge exchange, which will help to both nations’ long-term economic progress.

Al-Sayegh added: “The Czech Republic is a prominent economic destination and an important partner for the UAE in Central Europe. 

“It has strong economic and industrial infrastructure and is rich in potential opportunities through which a sustainable and fruitful partnership can be built with the UAE business sector.”

Meanwhile, Al-Hajri will help to reinforce the UAE’s position as a critical gateway for Czech exporters and investors to capitalize on prospects in domestic markets and expand them to other countries, regionally and worldwide.

The most important agreements inked by the two countries to support their developing bilateral economic engagement are the Air Services Agreement, the Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement, and the Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement.
 


Omani army chief of staff meets French counterpart in Muscat

Updated 8 sec ago
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Omani army chief of staff meets French counterpart in Muscat

  • Thierry Burkhard also met Omani Deputy Prime Minister for Defense Affairs

LONDON: Vice-Admiral Abdullah Khamis Al-Raisi, the Omani Armed Forces’ chief of staff, received French Chief of Defence General Thierry Burkhard in his office at Al-Murta’a'a Garrison on Sunday.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged views and reviewed various military matters of mutual interest, reported the Oman News Agency.

Burkhard and his delegation were also received by Omani Deputy Prime Minister for Defense Affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik Al-Said.

The meeting was attended by Nabil Hajlaoui, the French ambassador to Muscat, and the French military attache.


Arab League calls scientists to develop AI as technology becomes dominant

Updated 18 min 56 sec ago
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Arab League calls scientists to develop AI as technology becomes dominant

  • Saudi Arabia is a key player in the Middle East in adopting AI technologies
  • Ahmed Aboul Gheit said rapid advancements in AI resemble an 'arms race' between China and the US

LONDON: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the secretary-general of the Arab League, called on Arab scientists to develop regulations and standards for artificial intelligence during a dialogue meeting on Sunday.

The two-day meeting, “Artificial Intelligence in the Arab World: Innovative Applications and Ethical Challenges,” held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, will explore the development of generative AI technologies, including drones and robotics.

Aboul Gheit said that computer scientists must set up standards for AI projects as the technology has become increasingly prevalent in several sectors in the past decade.

During the opening session, he noted that many Arab countries focused on maximizing AI’s benefits.

Saudi Arabia is a key player in the Middle East in adopting AI technologies across various sectors, including industry and energy. In 2019, the Kingdom established a dedicated organization called the Saudi Data and AI Authority to regulate, develop, and implement data and AI strategies.

Aboul Gheit noted the rapid advancements in AI, particularly in large language models and generative intelligence, resemble an “arms race” among major powers, including China and the US.

“Our scientists, politicians, and thinkers must keep pace with everything that is going on with AI in the world. This general-purpose technology will reshape the way we work, interact, and live,” he added.


Israeli military blows up several buildings in West Bank’s Jenin, Palestinian news agency says

Smoke rises during an Israeli army operation in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 2, 2025. (Reuters)
Updated 7 min 16 sec ago
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Israeli military blows up several buildings in West Bank’s Jenin, Palestinian news agency says

  • Jenin Government Hospital Director Wisam Baker told the Palestinian state news agency that part of the hospital was damaged in the explosions
  • Palestinian state news agency said a 27 year-old man had been killed on Sunday by Israeli forces raiding a refugee camp near Hebron

RAMALLAH/JERUSALEM: The Israeli military blew up several buildings in the occupied West Bank on Sunday in a series of simultaneous explosions that the Palestinian state news agency said had leveled around 20 buildings in the Jenin refugee camp.

Thick clouds were seen rising from the Palestinian city where Israeli forces have been conducting a massive operation for nearly two weeks that the Israeli military says is targeted at local militants, including seizing weapons stockpiles.

Asked about the simultaneous demolition of buildings in Jenin, a spokesperson for the military said “several structures used as terrorist infrastructure” had been dismantled. More details would be released later, the person said.
Jenin Government Hospital Director Wisam Baker told the Palestinian state news agency that part of the hospital was damaged in the explosions but that there had been no casualties.
Jenin is a crowded township built for descendants of Palestinians who were driven out, or fled their homes, in the 1948 war when the state of Israel was established.

The refugee camp there has been a center of militant activity for decades and the target of repeated raids by Israeli security forces. Israeli forces, backed by helicopters and armored bulldozers, began the assault on the city on Jan. 21, two days after Israel reached a ceasefire in Gaza with militant group Hamas.
Hamas on Sunday called for an “escalation in the resistance” against Israel following the demolition of buildings in Jenin.
The Palestinian Authority, a Hamas rival, exercises limited governance over the West Bank where around 3 million Palestinians live and over which Israel maintains overall military control. Israeli forces have engaged in gunbattles with local militants since the operation began.

Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday said security forces would stay until the operation is complete, without saying when that would be.

At least 25 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli military operation began, including nine members of armed groups, a 73 year-old man and a two-year-old girl, according to Palestinian officials. The Israeli military says it has killed at least 35 militants and detained over 100 wanted individuals.
Dozens of homes and roads have been destroyed by Israeli forces in the latest campaign. The Palestinian state news agency also said that a 27 year-old man had been killed on Sunday by Israeli forces raiding a refugee camp near Hebron.


Criminal probe launched into Israel PM’s wife: state attorney’s office

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara attend an event in the occupied-West Bank town of Hebron. (File/AFP)
Updated 02 February 2025
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Criminal probe launched into Israel PM’s wife: state attorney’s office

  • In the first case, Netanyahu and his wife are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods from billionaires in exchange for political favors

JERUSALEM: Israeli police are conducting a criminal investigation into Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the office of the state attorney said in a letter made public on Sunday.
“A criminal investigation was opened” into suspected criminal offenses, the office said in a letter to an Israeli opposition lawmaker who had accused Sara Netanyahu of tampering in her husband’s corruption trial after the broadcast in December of a television news investigation.
Naama Lazimi, Knesset member for the Democrats, shared the letter on X on Sunday confirming the criminal investigation was launched on December 26, adding that her office had contacted the state attorney following the investigation by Israeli Channel 12’s Uvda news program.
The show alleged that Sara Netanyahu had tried to intimidate a key witness in her husband’s ongoing corruption trial.
She also organized demonstrations to harass the Attorney General, his deputy and other individuals deemed hostile to her husband, according to the program.
The state attorney’s office added the investigation was being “conducted by the Israel Police accompanied by the cyber department of the state attorney’s office.”
In December, Benjamin Netanyahu testified in the corruption trial in which he faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of public trust in three separate cases, calling the charges against him “ridiculous.”
The trial, which had been delayed many times since it first began in May 2020, is scheduled to last for months, with an appeals process that could further prolong matters.
Netanyahu, who filed multiple requests to delay the proceedings based on the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing.
In the first case, Netanyahu and his wife are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewelry and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favors.
He is the first sitting premier to face criminal trial in the country.


Qatar’s prime minister calls on Hamas, Israel to begin immediate talks on Gaza ceasefire phase two

Updated 02 February 2025
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Qatar’s prime minister calls on Hamas, Israel to begin immediate talks on Gaza ceasefire phase two

  • According to the ceasefire agreement, negotiations on implementing the second phase of the deal should begin before the 16th day of phase one of the ceasefire, which is Monday

DOHA: Qatar’s prime minister on Sunday called on Israel and Hamas to immediately begin negotiating phase two of the Gaza ceasefire, adding that there is no clear plan for when talks will begin.
“We demand (Hamas and Israel) to engage immediately as stipulated in the agreement,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said at a press conference held jointly with Turkiye’s foreign minister in the Qatari capital Doha on Sunday.
According to the ceasefire agreement, negotiations on implementing the second phase of the deal should begin before the 16th day of phase one of the ceasefire, which is Monday.
Israel and Hamas last month reached a complex three-phase accord that has halted the fighting in Gaza. Hamas has so far released 18 hostages in exchange for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
There are more than 70 hostages still held in Gaza.
The second stage of the accord is expected to include Hamas releasing all remaining hostages held in Gaza, a permanent end to hostilities and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave.
“There is nothing yet clear about where the delegations will come and when it’s going to take place,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
Mediators have engaged with Hamas and Israel over the phone and Qatar has set an agenda for the next phase of negotiations, he said.
“We hope that we start to see some movement in the next few days. It’s critical that we get things rolling from now in order to get to an agreement before day 42.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he would begin negotiations on phase two of the agreement on Monday in Washington, when he is set to meet US President Donald Trump’s Middle East Envoy, Steve Witkoff.
During his meeting with Witkoff, Netanyahu will discuss Israel’s positions in respect to the ceasefire, the prime minister’s office said. Witkoff will then speak with officials from Egypt and Qatar, who have mediated between Israel and Hamas over the past 15 months with backing from Washington.