UAE Cabinet holds meeting at Louvre Abu Dhabi

WAM/Abu Dhabi

Filed on November 27, 2017 | Last updated on November 27, 2017 at 05.09 pm

The National Day is a celebration of our history, our people, our unity, and our achievements, Sheikh Mohammed said.

The UAE Cabinet, presided over by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, held an extraordinary meeting at Louvre Abu Dhabi, in conjunction with the 46th UAE National Day.

Sheikh Mohammed congratulated the UAE and its people on the 46th anniversary of the founding of the union, and wished the UAE further achievements and prosperity under the leadership of The President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and his brothers, Their Highnesses Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates.

“My heartfelt congratulation to our country and our people on the 46th UAE National Day which marks the most important milestone in the history of our union,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

“The 46th National Day is a celebration of our history, our people, our unity, and our achievements,” he added.

The meeting was attended by Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

Sheikh Mohammed affirmed that the meeting of the UAE Cabinet at the newly inaugurated national symbol, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, reflects UAE government’s commitment to the values of openness and tolerance. “We are meeting today at the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi, which is an Emirati icon for art and culture, to affirm our commitment to the founding principles of our nation such as tolerance, acceptance, and giving.”

“Louvre Abu Dhabi is an architectural masterpiece, a cultural icon and an artistic platform that build bridges of communication, it is the fruit of the wisdom and vision of our founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed, who continues to lead us to our centennial 2071,” he continued.

 

Source  :  The Khaleej Times

Canberra cops are appalled by Canberra drivers’ speeding offences

NOVEMBER 27 2017 – 6:19PM  

Han Nguyen

ACT Policing are urging motorist to slow down after a Canberra driver was detected driving 94km/hr in a school zone on Friday.

Police said the 25-year-old driver drove 54 kilometres over the school zone speed limit on Launceston Street in Phillip. Canberra College and Lyons Early Childhood School are on opposite ends of the street.

ACT Policing said they were appalled by the lack of common sense displayed by some of ACT’s drivers. Photo: Supplied

Police also allege road workers were working at the time. The driver was fined $2,136 and lost six demerit points.

The incident was just one of many speeding offences and ACT Policing said they were “appalled by the lack of common sense displayed by some ACT’s drivers.”

Officer in charge of traffic operations, station Sergeant Marcus Boorman said “Canberra drivers are not only gambling with their lives, but with the lives of others”.

 He said police would like to see everyone home safely for Christmas…

In November, ACT Policing issued 14 traffic infringement notices that exceeded the speed limit by more than 45km/hour and 39 for more than 30km/hour but less than 45km/hour.

Police are also searching for a stolen car that was seen speeding and driving erratically.

The blue coloured Toyota Camry with registration YHC18Y was taken from Chapman and was seen travelling to Fyshwick.

Police are urging anyone who may have dash-cam footage of the incident, or any information which could assist, to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Other examples of high speed detection this month:

154km/hr in a 90km/hr zone (64 kilometres over the speed limit) on Caswell Drive.

126km/hr in a 60km/hr zone (66 kilometres over the speed limit) on John Gorton Drive.

160km/hr in a 80km/hr zone (80 kilometres over the speed limit) on William Hovell Drive.

Source  :  The Canberra Times

Matildas may be compromised by lack of meaningful matches, Alen Stajcic fears

NOVEMBER 27 2017 – 4:14PM

Michael Lynch

The Matildas delivered further proof – if much were now needed –  that they were now among the top handful of women’s soccer teams in the world with their 3-0 and 5-1 demolitions of China in the past few days.

Alen Stajcic’s team is physically strong, quick and technically and tactically adroit; in Sam Kerr they have a bona fide superstar of the female game, and a host of other highly proficient players who can step on to the field as equals with any others in the sport.

But do they have an Achilles Heel?

Not so much on the pitch, but off it.

Will Australia’s geographical isolation and the sheer expense involved in arranging matches undermine their bid to reach the top of the global rankings?

Stajcic didn’t say as much after their victory over China in Geelong on Sunday evening, but he did at least provide a window into the competitive disadvantage his side labours under.

While other nations play nearly two dozen games a year, the Matildas play 10 or 11. More games means more time to gel, more time to experiment, more time to try players out and more time to give newcomers experience – all of which will be essential in tournaments such as next year’s Asian Cup and the World Cup in 2019.

Stajcic is resigned to using the remainder of the W-League to scout players and then secure the best lead-up to the Asian Cup that he can.

Matilda’s Head Coach Alen Stajcic is worried his team aren’t playing enough competitive matches.  Photo: Brendan Esposito

“There’s competition for spots now, there are seven or eight rounds of W-League matches left, then a couple of finals games.

“We will have a camp straight after that before we go to probably to the Algarve in Portugal,  we will have four matches there, come back and have another camp or two then we will probably go to the Asian Cup. It all happens pretty quickly.

“There’s a small possibility of another tournament in January. We have to see if that pans out. We hope for some more matches.

“Certainly next year the aim is to try and get 15 to 20 matches under our belt for this team and play as many matches as we can leading into 2019 and the World Cup.”

That sounds ideal – until Stajcic explains how much game time the Matildas opponents get.

“Everyone plays that many, we want to get to that point.

“Most of our opponents this year have played 20 matches and that was our 11th match, so we all know how difficult it is for Australia to travel and the amount of costs we have compared to other countries.

“China  has another three games next week against Japan, North Korea and South Korea, then they have got a tournament in January, then another tournament in February  and then they go to the Asian Cup.

“Between now and the Asian Cup they have got 10 -12 matches and we have got four.  So that’s our competition and if we want to stay above the pack we certainly need to play more games.”

 

Source  :  The Canberra Times

Warring soccer factions on collision course as claims of government lobbying, pressure mount

NOVEMBER 27 2017 – 6:09PM   

Michael Lynch

By Friday it is possible that FIFA could be running soccer in this country – and a whole raft of questions over the direction of the game, Australia’s bids to host the Women’s World Cup, even, in a most extreme scenario, the Socceroos participation at the World Cup in Russia next year could be up for debate.

As lobbying intensifies in the run up to an Emergency General Meeting called by the FFA for Thursday, there have been a number of extraordinary claims –  including one that the Victorian government has lobbied Football Federation Victoria to support embattled chairman Steven Lowy in his bitter power struggle to retain his position in the sport.

It has also been alleged that Federal Sports Minister Greg Hunt told a Women in Football forum staged in Melbourne last week that if FIFA was in control of the Australian game then Australia will not be successful in mounting a bid to stage the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

In September the Federal government had earlier warned that it might withhold $4 million in funding for the Women’s World Cup bid if the row between the factions was not settled.

FIFA has been monitoring the long-running war between the Lowy-led board and dissident factions within the game for several months now as fissures between the FFA leadership, the A-League clubs and the players union, the PFA have widened.

It has threatened to take control of football in this country if it is not satisfied that initiatives to make the game’s governance more representative of all the sport’s stakeholders have been put in place and, with just days before the November 30 deadline, it looks increasingly unlikely that they will be.

One insider close to the power struggle yesterday said that if there was evidence of government pressure on any of the stakeholders then FIFA would take a dim view of things.

Already the Zurich-based body is investigating allegations of government interference with the Peruvian FA, and has held up the possibility that the South American nation could be excluded from the World Cup. That is unlikely to happen to Australia, but some in the game fear that it is a threat of last resort if FIFA feels its authority is being challenged.

Steven Lowy is clinging to power at the top of the FFA as claims of lobbying intensify.  Photo: Christopher Pearce

FFA chairman Lowy and his supporters amongst the State Member Federations are trying to push through their vision for reform of the game’s governance with some changes to the voting structure at congress, the body that helps control the sport in this country.

The A-League clubs, the PFA and several other interest groups say those changes do not go far enough and are agitating for a broader expansion of the franchise so that the congress is more widely representative of the sport’s stakeholders.

There are claims that federal minister for sport Greg Hunt said Australia would not host the 2023 women’s World Cup if FIFA was running FFA.  Photo: Jesse Marlow

At present the congress is made up of 10 voting bodies – nine state federations and the A-League clubs, which have one vote each. Traditionally the nine state federations have voted in support of the FFA leadership.

But this time NSW, the biggest and most powerful state, has joined the A-League clubs in opposing the leadership’s proposals. Lowy needs a 75 per cent majority on Thursday to gain the day.

The “swing state” is Victoria, which has so far declared that it will back NSW and the A-League clubs, denying Lowy the majority he needs.

That is why the lobbying has been most intense in Melbourne, with FFV chairman Kimon Taliadoros under pressure from various powerbrokers not to support NSW. So far the indications are that the FFV board will hold their line.

A last-ditch bid to hold a meeting later this week to try to hammer out a compromise foundered when the A-League clubs refused to attend unless the FFA withdrew its proposals for Thursday’s EGM.

The clubs say they are happy to meet with the FFA – but not while it continues to support motions that “suit no party but themselves.”

If the FFA  leadership does not get the result it wants FIFA could argue that it lacks the consensus required from its stakeholders to stay in control of the local game.

If that occurs, FIFA could then put in place a normalisation committee to take control of the sport while a new chairman and FFA board is sought.

Those who oppose the current administration are adamant that it would be business as usual in such circumstances.

They argue that a FIFA intervention is almost inevitable, because even if Lowy gained the day on Thursday with the support of the state federations, FIFA would argue that he lacked the support of all other key stakeholders and therefore legitimacy.

 

Source  :  The Canberra Times

Over 8,000 Saudi women apply for support programs

Saudi Gazette report

Riyadh — In six weeks 8,568 Saudi women have applied for childcare and working women transport support programs, according to spokesman of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development Khaled Aba Al-Khail.

These two programs — Qurrah for childcare and Wusool for transportation — support Saudi women working in the private sector.

The Wusool program received 5,066 applications while the Qurrah program received 3,502 applications, said Aba Al-Khail, who is also the spokesman of the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf).

He said these two program help give job stability to Saudi women employed in the private sector.

The Wusool and Qurrah programs cover the entire Kingdom.

The Wusool program helps women overcome the challenges of commuting to and from their workplace.

The program provides them safe and high-quality transport services.

The Qurrah program helps increase the participation of Saudi women in the labor market. It also helps in improving the facilities at childcare centers.

Aba Al-Khail called on Saudi women working in the private sector to register for the Wusool and Qurrah programs through the websites http://www.wusool.sa and http://www.qurrah.sa

Source  :  Saudi Gazette

Shoura approves draft law on whistleblower protection

The Shoura Council in session in Riyadh on Monday. — SPA

Saudi Gazette report

Riyadh — The Shoura Council on Monday approved a draft regulation for the protection of people who report financial and administrative corruption.

The recommendation was tabled by Dr. Madi Al-Mudhib based on Article 23 of the Shoura Council.

The Council also approved a draft regulation for the protection of eyewitnesses, people who report violations and experts who give their opinion on these issues.

The recommendation was tabled by Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghidhayan on the basis of Article 23 of the Shoura Council.

Some Shoura members expressed reservations over a report of the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) seeking government’s financial support.

Prince Dr. Khaled Aal-Saud, Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, Dr. Fahad Bin Juma and some other Shoura members urged GOSI to come up with better and more feasible means to overcome its expected deficit. They also called for a complete review of social insurance system.

Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker of the Shoura Council Dr. Mohammed Bin Amin Al-Jifri said that the real problem with the Iranian regime lies in its relentless pursuit with all its resources to feed conflicts in a number of countries, flagrant interventions in the affairs of some Arab countries, and long history of supporting terrorism and outlawed armed militias.

This came in his remarks at a joint meeting of Mediterranean and Middle East Special Group (GSM) and Subcommittee on Security and Defense Transatlantic Partnership of NATO parliamentary assembly held at the Italian Parliament in Rome on Sunday.

Source  :  Saudi GAZETTE

‘We won’t let extremists tarnish our religion’

Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, speaking at the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) defense ministers’ meeting in Riyadh on Sunday. — SPA

Saudi Gazette report

Riyadh — Ministers of defense and representatives of 41 Islamic and Muslim-majority countries sent out a strong signal during a meeting here on Sunday that they will unify ranks to fight and defeat the scourge of terrorism.

Opening the inaugural meeting of the ministers of defense of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, pledged that extremists will no longer “tarnish the name of our beautiful religion.”

“The biggest danger of terrorism and extremism is the tarnishing of the reputation of our beloved religion. … We will not allow this to happen,” he said.

He said the members have gathered to pledge to do “all that we can until terrorism is uprooted and is erased from the face of the Earth.”

“Today we affirm that we will fight terrorism until it is eradicated completely,” the Crown Prince said.

He said the meeting sends “a strong signal that we are going to work together and coordinate together to support each other.”

The crown prince also offered his condolences to Egypt, which suffered an attack Friday by militants on a mosque in northern Sinai that killed 305 people.

“This is indeed a painful event and it is a recurrent and strong reminder of the dangers of terrorism,” he said.

The meeting was held under the theme “Allied against Terrorism.”

This marked the official launch of a pan-Islamic, unified front to support the global struggle against terrorism and violent extremism.

IMCTC Acting Secretary General Lt. Gen. Abdulelah Al-Saleh outlined its strategy, governance, activities and future plans.

Dr. Mohammad Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, highlighted the necessity of promoting a message that counters the narrative of violent extremist ideology and reaffirms Islamic principles of tolerance and compassion.

Dr. Mohammad Al-Momani, Minister of State for Media Affairs of Jordan, discussed the importance of producing and disseminating factual, scholarly and engaging content to undermine and counter the appeal of violent extremism.

Dr. Ahmed Abdulkarim Alkholifey, Chairman and Governor of Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, discussed counter terrorism financing and the need to promote best practices and advance legal, regulatory, and operational frameworks in prevention, detection, and seizure operations.

Gen. Raheel Sharif, the coalition’s commander-in-chief, talked about assistance in the coordination of resourcing and planning of member country military counter-terror operations, facilitate the secure sharing of military information

The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition was announced in December 2015 by Crown Prince Muhammad to form a unified pan-Islamic front against terrorism. In March 2016, chiefs of staff from Islamic countries met in Riyadh, and affirmed their determination to intensify efforts in fighting terrorism through joint work.

 

Source  :  Saudi Gazette

12-year-old boy questioned over knife attack on woman in Sapporo

SAPPORO-Police in Sapporo said Sunday they have taken a 12-year-old boy into custody for questioning about a knife attack on a woman as she walked home on Saturday night.

The incident occurred at around 6 p.m. in Higashi Ward, Fuji TV reported. Police said they received a call from a passerby, saying that a woman was lying on the ground with a stab wound to her back. The knife was left at the scene of the crime.

The woman was rushed to hospital and was in a stable condition on Sunday.

Police said the only description the woman could give of her attacker was that he was wearing mostly black. Police examined street surveillance camera as well as footage from a nearby shopping center which showed the boy acting suspiciously, following the woman from the shopping center.

The boy was detained on Sunday afternoon for voluntary questioning and in the evening, was taken to a child consultation center where he reportedly admitted that he stabbed the woman. Under Japanese law, anyone under the age of 14 cannot be held criminally responsible.

According to police, the boy said he long felt like hurting someone and wanted to do so using a knife. He also said he imagined someone dying or killing someone. He said he shoplifted the knife about a month ago. The box the knife came in was found at his home.

© Japan Today

Source  :  Japan Today

Year-end jumbo lottery tickets go on sale with Y1 bil up for grabs

TOKYO-Year-end jumbo lottery tickets went on sale across Japan Monday, drawing long lines at sales booths. One billion yen in prize money is up for grabs, with the top prize being 700 million yen.

As usual, the biggest line was at Tokyo’s Nishi-Ginza where more than 700 people were already waiting when the booth opened at 8:30 a.m. Throughout the day, the waiting time at the booth was 90 minutes.

The Nishi-Ginza booth is popular because it has sold a number of winning tickets in the past.

The first person in line at the Nisei-Ginza booth was a 37-year-old man from Ishioka in Ibaraki Prefecture. He said he had arrived on Sunday morning. He bought 60 tickets and said if he wins the big money, he will donate most of it to help the recovery effort in the Tohoku region.

Tickets for a Jumbo Mini Lottery also went on sale, with 70 million yen in prize money.

Lottery tickets, which cost 300 yen, will be sold through Dec 22 and winning numbers will be announced on Dec 31.

For details on the prize money allocation, click here.

© Japan Today

Source  :  Japan Today

8 bodies found on washed-up boat in Akita

AKITA-Eight bodies were found Monday on a boat that has been washed ashore on the Sea of Japan coast of Akita Prefecture in northern Japan, the Japan Coast Guard said.

The wooden boat, which was spotted on a beach Sunday morning, may have come from North Korea, according to the coast guard. It is the latest discovery of an unidentified boat washed ashore on the Japanese coast in a string of similar recent cases.

The boat is different in shape from a North Korean fishing boat that was discovered last week at a marina some 70 kilometers south of the latest case. The boat that washed up last week was carrying eight men and the vessel later disappeared. Police are looking into both cases.

The Japan Coast Guard said it had originally found the latest boat afloat offshore last Friday but could not inspect it as bad weather prevented its vessels from approaching. Some bodies have been reduced to bone, it added.

A 68-year-old woman who saw the boat Monday morning said rescue workers carried the bodies ashore one after another using stretchers. “I was surprised to see the boat in such a bad condition,” she said.

Earlier this month, three North Korean men were rescued and seven bodies were recovered from two capsized boats off the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. In Aomori Prefecture, north of Akita, wooden boats bearing Hangul letters were also found drifting ashore.

© KYODO

Source  :  Japan Today