MANCHESTER: British foreign minister Boris Johnson came under fire Tuesday for saying Libya could become a magnet for tourists and investors — if it can “clear the dead bodies away” first.
Reflecting on his August visit to Libya, strife-torn since the toppling of longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011, Johnson said British businesses wanted to invest in the city of Sirte.
“They have got a brilliant vision to turn Sirte into the next Dubai,” he told Conservatives attending the party’s annual conference in Manchester, talking up its “bone-white sands, beautiful sea” and “brilliant young people.”
“The only thing they have got to do is clear the dead bodies away,” he added, before laughing.
Johnson’s political career has been characterised by outspoken comments and personal controversy, which have won voters over but also led to despair among both detractors and colleagues.
His comments on Sirte, from where Daesh militants were driven out in December, were slammed by shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry.
“For Boris Johnson to treat those deaths as a joke — a mere inconvenience before UK business people can turn the city into a beach resort — is unbelievably crass, callous and cruel,” said Thornberry, a Labour MP.
“There comes a time when the buffoonery needs to stop, because if Boris Johnson thinks the bodies of those brave government soldiers and innocent civilians killed in Sirte are a suitable subject for throwaway humor, he does not belong in the office of foreign secretary,” she added.
Johnson traveled to Tripoli and Benghazi, becoming the first British foreign minister to visit the latter city since 2011, the year Qaddafi was overthrown and killed in a NATO-backed uprising.
MP Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrats foreign affairs chief, said Johnson lacked the diplomatic skills necessary for his role and called on Prime Minister Theresa May to fire him.
“This latest unbelievably crass and insensitive comment about an issue of such importance is further proof Boris is not up to the job. May needs to get her house in order and sack him,” Swinson said.
Johnson later turned to Twitter to defend his comments, accusing people “with no knowledge or understanding of Libya” of wanting to “play politics with the appallingly dangerous reality in Sirte.”
“The reality there is that the clearing of corpses of Daesh (Islamic State) fighters has been made much more difficult by IEDs and booby traps.
“That’s why Britain is playing a key role in reconstruction and why I have visited Libya twice this year in support,” he said in a series of tweets.
Tory minister Damian Green said that “lessons needed to be learned” from Johnson’s comments.
“Boris and every politician should at all times be sensitive in their use of language,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today program.
Johnson’s appointment last year as Britain’s top diplomat has added a global dimension to his gaffes, at a sensitive time as the country negotiates its exit from the European Union.
The foreign minister’s Brexit diplomacy has seen him tell a Czech newspaper it was “bollocks” to claim that freedom of movement of people was an EU founding principle.
He also told Italy’s economic development minister the country should support Britain’s access to the single market if it wants to keep selling Prosecco to the UK.
But Johnson’s unorthodox approach has proven a success among Conservatives, with frequent debate about whether he will be the next party leader.
Boris Johnson under fire for ‘dead bodies’ Libya gaffe
Boris Johnson under fire for ‘dead bodies’ Libya gaffe
Designer Amina Muaddi celebrates another year with flair
DUBAI: Birthday tributes from friends and family poured in this week for celebrity-loved footwear designer Amina Muaddi, who celebrated her 38th birthday.
The shoemaker, who is of Jordanian and Romanian descent but grew up in Italy, appeared to celebrate her birthday with an intimate boat ride. She shared a picture of what seemed to be a mangrove forest with water and grass, walking down an aisle to board a boat.
“BDAY,” she captioned the post on her Instagram story.
The subsequent posts were reshared heartfelt messages and posts from friends and family who left the birthday girl warm wishes for her special day on their Instagram stories.
Giorgia Tordini, the creative director and co-founder of Italian fashion label The Attico, shared a picture of both of them and wrote: “HB my forever bestie.” In the second picture, she expressed how much she missed not being with Muaddi on her birthday.
Venice-born and Paris-based DJ Fiona Zanetti wrote a touching message for Muaddi: “Happy birthday my love. Words can’t express how much I cherish your beautiful soul and our friendship. You are everything. Going through pictures made me super emotional to relive all the beautiful memories we share. Can’t wait for hundreds more. Here’s a photomathon from six years ago, baby us. I love you so much.”
US model and socialite Lori Harvey took to Instagram to share pictures. “Happy birthday to my favorite girl. Been stuck like glue since day one,” Harvey said.
Muaddi has been occupied with celebrating the launch of her new summer-inspired BRITO capsule collection, featuring six varieties of the BRITO slipper in muted-to-neon colorways.
The designer hosted a launch event in Milan in May that was attended by her loyal A-list fans, including French model and actress Tina Kunakey, who has Moroccan heritage; Italian singer and actress Elodie; and Tordini, among many others.
For the event, the designer wore a bright orange latex dress featuring a wrap-around skirt that tied at her waist. She paired it with matching orange BRITO heels, which are created from a single block of plexiglass carved into the designer’s signature flared heel.
Besides orange, the handcrafted square-toed heels, made in Italy, also come in hues of neon pink, electric green, bright blue, black and transparent.
Israel pounds Gaza after Biden outlines ceasefire plan
- Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu insists on Hamas ‘destruction as part of plan to end Gaza war
- UN chief ‘strongly hopes’ latest development would lead to an agreement for lasting peace
RAFAH, Palestinian Territories: Israeli forces hammered Rafah in southern Gaza with tanks and artillery Saturday, hours after US President Joe Biden said Israel was offering a new roadmap toward a full ceasefire.
Shortly after Biden’s announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted his country would still pursue the war until it had reached all its aims, including the destruction of Hamas.
Netanyahu on Saturday insisted on Hamas’s destruction as part of an Israeli plan presented by US President Joe Biden to end the Gaza war.
“Israel’s conditions for ending the war have not changed: the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel,” the Israeli leader said in a statement.
“Under the proposal, Israel will continue to insist these conditions are met before a permanent ceasefire is put in place.
“The notion that Israel will agree to a permanent ceasefire before these conditions are fulfilled is a non-starter,” Netanyahu added.
The Palestinian militant group, meanwhile, said it “considers positively” the plan laid out by Biden.
In his first major address outlining a possible end to the conflict, the US president said Israel’s three-stage offer would begin with a six-week phase that would see Israeli forces withdraw from all populated areas of Gaza.
It would also see the “release of a number of hostages, including women, the elderly, the wounded, in exchange for (the) release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.”
Israel and the Palestinians would then negotiate during those six weeks for a lasting ceasefire — but the truce would continue while the talks remained underway, Biden said.
The US leader urged Hamas to accept the Israeli offer. “It’s time for this war to end, for the day after to begin,” he said, in comments echoed by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
Hamas in a statement on Friday evening said it “considers positively” Biden’s speech regarding “a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, reconstruction and the exchange of prisoners.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called his counterparts from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday to press the deal.
UN chief Antonio Guterres “strongly hopes” the latest development “will lead to an agreement by the parties for lasting peace,” his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the Israeli offer “provides a glimpse of hope and a possible path out of the war’s deadlock,” while EU chief Ursula von der Leyen welcomed a “balanced and realistic” approach to end the bloodshed.
But Netanyahu took issue with Biden’s presentation of what was on the table, insisting the transition from one stage to the next in the proposed roadmap was “conditional” and crafted to allow Israel to maintain its war aims.
“The prime minister authorized the negotiating team to present an outline for achieving (the return of hostages), while insisting that the war will not end until all of its goals are achieved,” Netanyahu’s office said.
Those aims included “the return of all our hostages and the elimination of Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities,” it added.
“The exact outline proposed by Israel, including the conditional transition from stage to stage, allows Israel to maintain these principles.”
Israel has repeatedly vowed to destroy Hamas since the Palestinian militant group attacked southern Israel on October 7.
Israel sent tanks and troops into Rafah in early May, ignoring concerns over the safety of displaced Palestinian civilians sheltering in the city on the Egyptian border.
On Saturday, residents reported tank fire in the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood in west Rafah, while witnesses in the east and center of Rafah described intense artillery shelling.
“From the early hours of the night until this morning, the aerial and artillery bombardment has not stopped for a single moment,” a resident from west Rafah said on condition of anonymity.
“There are a number of occupation (Israeli) snipers in high-rise buildings overseeing all areas of Tal Al-Sultan... making the situation very dangerous,” the resident added.
There was also shelling and gunfire from the Israeli army in Gaza City, in the north of the Palestinian territory, according to an AFP reporter.
A steady stream of civilians has flooded out of Rafah, taking their belongings on their shoulders, in cars or on donkey-drawn carts.
Before the Rafah offensive began, the United Nations said up to 1.4 million people were sheltering in the city.
Since then, one million have fled the area, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has said.
The Israeli seizure of the Rafah crossing has further slowed sporadic deliveries of aid for Gaza’s 2.4 million people and effectively shuttered the territory’s main exit point.
Israel said last week that aid deliveries had been stepped up.
But Blinken acknowledged on Friday that the humanitarian situation was “dire” despite US efforts to bring in more assistance.
The World Food Programme said daily life had become “apocalyptic” in parts of southern Gaza since Israel began its assault on Rafah in early May.
The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,189 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 36,284 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
In northern Gaza, witnesses said that after carrying out a three-week operation in the town of Jabalia and its neighboring refugee camp, troops had ordered residents of nearby Beit Hanun to evacuate ahead of an imminent assault.
The Israeli army said troops “completed their mission in eastern Jabalia and began preparation for continued operations in the Gaza Strip.”
Jabalia shopkeeper Belal Al-Kahlot said there was nothing left of his store after the Israeli operation. “Everything is ashes.”
The Israeli military announced the deaths of two soldiers in Gaza, taking to 294 the number of Israeli troops killed since the start of ground operations in late October.
ACWA Power signs deal for major green hydrogen project in Tunisia
- Saudi-listed company plans first phase with capacity of 200,000 tons per year powered by 4GW of renewable energy
- Tunisia envisioned as major site for green hydrogen production and export to Europe
TUNIS: Saudi-listed ACWA Power, the world’s largest private water desalination company and a leader in energy transition, has signed an agreement with the Tunisian government for a project that will produce up to 600,000 tons per year of green hydrogen in three phases, for export to Europe.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by Fatma Thabet Chiboub, Tunisia’s minister of industry, mines and energy, and Marco Arcelli, CEO of ACWA Power.
ACWA Power will develop, operate and maintain 12GW of renewable energy electricity generation units including storage systems and transmission lines, along with water desalination plant, electrolyzers and infrastructures to connect to the main pipeline.
The first phase will involve installing 4GW of renewable energy units, 2GW of electrolyzer capacity, as well as battery storage facilities, to produce 200,000 tons per year of green hydrogen, which will be exported through the South2 Corridor, a hydrogen pipeline initiative led by European TSOs connecting Tunisia to Italy, Austria and Germany.
Commenting on the announcement, Ouael Chouchene, secretary of state for energy transition, said: “This project aligns perfectly with the Tunisian government’s national green hydrogen strategy released in October 2023, which targets an annual production of 8.3 million tons of green hydrogen and byproducts by 2050. We are confident that this agreement with ACWA Power will leverage Tunisia’s strengths, including its strategic geographic location, existing infrastructure, and skilled workforce, to create a more sustainable future for the country.”
The project will play an integral role in supporting Tunisia’s National Strategy for the Development of Green Hydrogen and its Derivatives, which was launched in October 2023. The strategy includes an action plan to export more than 6 million tons of green hydrogen to Europe by 2050.
“We are excited to work with the Tunisian government on this visionary project, bringing our expertise in renewables, desalination and green hydrogen to build a bridge with Europe to help reach its decarbonization targets. This project can also contribute significantly to economic growth, job creation, and sustainable energy solutions, exemplifying our shared vision for a greener future,” Arcelli said.
The agreement highlights ACWA Power’s ambition to rapidly expand its green hydrogen portfolio. Construction is well underway at the NEOM Green Hydrogen Project, a joint venture between ACWA Power, Air Products, and NEOM, to create the world’s first utility-scale green hydrogen plant, capable of producing 1.2 million tons of green ammonia per year.
Work is also underway on ACWA Power’s second green hydrogen project, in Uzbekistan. The first phase of this project will be capable of producing 3,000 tons of green hydrogen per year.
Georgina Rodriguez cheers on Ronaldo at King’s Cup final
DUBAI: Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez showed her support for her longtime partner Cristiano Ronaldo this week by attending the King’s Cup final between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
Rodriguez sported a white Al-Nassr jersey with Ronaldo’s name on it, paired with flared latex pants and heels. Her hair was styled in a slicked-back bun, and she wore dangling diamond earrings.
The mother-of-four, who also cares for Ronaldo’s eldest son, Cristiano Jr., watched the match with his five children. They all supported their father by wearing Al-Nassr’s yellow jersey with his name on it.
Al-Hilal won the league and cup by defeating Al-Nassr 5-4 in a penalty shootout, after a 1-1 draw.
“A penalty away from winning the King’s Cup. Congratulations @alnassr for the match,” Rodriguez wrote on Instagram, sharing pictures from the match.
USA vow to play ‘fearless cricket’ in World Cup debut
- The USA make their debut in the T20 World Cup against Canada on Saturday
- Both teams are making their first appearances in the 20-team competition
DALLAS: The USA make their debut in the T20 World Cup against Canada on Saturday and vice-captain Aaron Jones says they are determined to play a ‘fearless’ brand of cricket.
Both teams are making their first appearances in the expanded 20-team competition but there is particular pressure on the USA, as tournament co-hosts, with the West Indies, to deliver a strong showing on home soil.
The explosive, short-format of the game, is seen by cricket’s leaders as being the perfect version to capture the imagination of mainstream American sports fans and Jones says the team doesn’t want to be afraid of going on the attack.
“Fearless cricket, positive cricket, smart cricket. I think that’s what we’re really and truly trying to do,” Jones told a press conference.
“We don’t want to regret anything. We want to leave everything out there on the park. And then, obviously, if we come out on top, it’s great. If we don’t come out on top, that’s how cricket goes sometimes. But we don’t want to regret anything,” he added.
The two North American teams have been drawn in a tough group however with India and Pakistan the clear favorites to be the two teams who qualify for the Super Eight stage.
Ireland, who in many ways are a role model for the USA and Canada, having come from relative cricket obscurity to be a regular in major tournaments, will be looking to pull off an upset and sneak into the top two in Group A.
But however the results turn out, it is a landmark moment for the USA team to be in an elite competition after decades of being stuck in minor tournaments.
“We’ve been speaking over the last couple of years about playing in World Cups, about getting test status, about taking USA cricket to higher heights,” said Jones.
“And obviously, we are playing a World Cup starting tomorrow. So that’s probably the highest height (so far),” he added.
Jones was born in New York but raised in Barbados, who he represented earlier in his career, before moving back to the USA to be part of the team.
He acknowledges that the team has the added responsibility of being ambassadors for the sport when they play games in Texas, Florida and New York.
“Obviously, what you do on the field is very important, but I also do think that off the field stuff is very important as well, especially being a country that don’t really know much about cricket,” he said.
“We want to get the fans up; we want to get a lot more support from the American born and raised people and I think we could only do that by playing good on the field and obviously interacting with the fans or the growing fans off the field as well,” added Jones.
Curiously, the first ever international cricket match was played between the USA and Canada in 1844 in New York and there were a multitude of clubs, particularly in Philadelphia and New York.
But baseball soon replaced cricket as the favored summer sport with cricket virtually disappearing apart from in a few hold-outs.
However, in recent years, the growing communities from South Asia and the Caribbean have led a revival with competitive amateur leagues now well-established and last year a new T20 pro league, Major League Cricket (MLC) was launched.
The Grand Prairie ground, a converted minor-league baseball park, was opened last year while the cricket venue in Lauderhill, near Fort Lauderdale in South Florida, has already hosted a number of international games.
The venue in Long Island, which will host the big India v Pakistan clash, is a 34,000 temporary stadium which will be dismantled after the tournament, although the cricket field itself will remain.
Jones, who made his debut for the USA in 2018, says the change in the past few years has been remarkable to be part of.
“I think that we are on the up right now as it relates to the amount of cricket we play, as it relates to the infrastructure, different fields, a lot more access to turf wickets which is very important for us.
“Definitely some quality players (have come into) the country over the last couple of years which obviously improves the competition. So right now, I think that things are only up and we just want to keep growing from here,” he said.
