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Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg

Deterring Iranian aggression a priority at UN General Assembly

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As it happened: UN General Assembly day one

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The first day of debates at the 74th UN General Assembly is under way at UN headquarters in New York. (AP)
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Saudi Arabia's minister of state for foreign affairs Adel Al-Jubeir said investigations show Iran conducted the recent attacks on Aramco facilities and will consider a military response once its investigation is complete during a Council on Foreign Relations panel on the sidelines. (Twitter: @KSAmofaEN)
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US President Donald Trump addressing the audience. (Reuters)
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El-Sisi stressed the importance of finding a solution to the Palestinian issue and condemned the attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities. (AP)
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The Saudi Arabian delegation among the dignataries in the audience includes Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir and Saudi ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan. (Screenshot/UN TV)
Updated 24 September 2019
Arab News
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As it happened: UN General Assembly day one

  • The first day of debates at the 74th UN General Assembly is under way at UN headquarters in New York
  • President Donald Trump took center stage with a strong message to Iran
Updated 24 September 2019
Arab News

NEW YORK: President Donald Trump took center stage at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to deliver a strong defense of nationalism while exhorting the world to act against Iran's “bloodlust” and rising aggression.

The president called on the global leaders seated before him to join the US in further isolating Tehran, pushing them to use economic sanctions to pressure Iran to give up its nuclear program and stop attacks that are rattling the Middle East.

“Not only is Iran the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, but Iran's leaders are fueling the tragic wars in both Syria and Yemen,” Trump said. "All nations have a duty to act. No responsible government should subsidize Iran's bloodlust.”

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's minister of state for foreign affairs Adel Al-Jubeir said investigations show Iran conducted the recent attacks on Aramco facilities and will consider a military response once its investigation is complete during a Council on Foreign Relations panel on the sidelines.

“We want to mobilize international support, and we want to look at all options - diplomatic options, economic options and military options - and then make the decision,” Al-Jubeir said at a conference on the sidelines of the UNGA. “We want to avoid war. But at the same time we have to signal to the Iranians that ‘your behavior cannot continue’,” he added. For a full round-up of Al-Jubeir's comments, click here.

Also on Tuesday Egyptian President Abdel Fatteh El-Sisi said that a concerted effort was needed to stop militias taking control of Libya and to prevent external actors from intervening there.

The Palestine-Israel situation was also a topic of discussion, something King Abdullah II of Jordan raised during his address, saying that regional stability will always remain fragile if the two parties do not agree, the occupation was a "human tragedy" and that Palestinians deserve their full rights.

To follow how day one unfolded, scroll below...

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21:30 - That is a wrap on Arab News coverage of day one, make sure to come back tomorrow for more live coverage of the second day of debates.

21:00 - It is not just all about the debates at the UN headquarters, there are all sorts of events on the sidelines - and Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf attended such an event, seen here at a joint KSRelief and UNWRA event.

20:00 - French president Emmanuel Macron's turn to address the audience, and he says the attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities "changed the situation" in the Middle East. He adds that the time is now for the US and Iran to pursue new negotiations, and it must include the JCPOA nuclear deal parties and other regional nations.

19:20 - Saudi Arabia's Al-Jubeir is speaking on the sidelines of the UNGA with the Council on Foreign Relations and is speaking about Iran's involvement in the Saudi Aramco attacks, saying investigations show the weapons used originated from Iran. He also said the Islamic Republic is suffering under US sanctions.

He said the Arab coalition is fighting in Yemen to stabilize the region and to prevent the Houthis taking full control and the spread other militia affiliated to Iran.

Al-Jubeir also raised the issue of Qatar's funding of terrorist groups, saying that although the state was a neighbor it had to alter its policies of funding malign groups in the region which started in 1996. He also said Saudi Arabia was constantly strengthening its defense systems and had stopped hundreds of drones from attacking the Kingdom. 

18:40 - Jordan's King Abdullah II uses his address to the audience to highlight the plight of the Palestinian people and expresses his wish for a peaceful solution between Palestine and Israel, adding the occupation is an ongoing "human tragedy" - urging the global community to allow Palestinians to get their full rights.

18:20 - While Bolivia's president speaks and we wait for Jordan's King Abdullah II, some of the leaders and dignitaries have broken for a lunch break, with Secretary General Guterres dining with Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel...

17:40 - Read Arab News columnist Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg's thoughts on why deterring Iranian aggression is a priority at UN General Assembly...

Opinion

This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Opinion field)

17:00 - As the presidents of Nigeria and Maldives speak, and we await an address from Jordan's King Abdullah II later this afternoon, you can read more Arab News stories from the UN General Assembly 2019, including analysis on the US and Iran appearing to be on a collision course at UN.

READ MORE: Trump calls on world to stand up to 'Iran's bloodlust'

Protesters urge Trump to reject compromise with Iran

16:20 - Next to address the General Assembly is Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who uses his address to remind them of the humanitarian cost of Syria's civil war and called for an end to the nearly nine-year-old war, adding that many of the 3.6 million asylum seekers residing in Turkey are Syrian.

16:15 - El-Sisi stresses the importance of finding a solution to the Palestinian issue, with its own state and East Jeruslaem as its capital. Also condemns the attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities, reiterating the need for nations to combat terrorism and extremism through tolerance and dialogue.

15:55 - Next to speak is Egyptian president El-Sisi, who arrived earlier at the UN Headquarters...

15:30 - Donald Trump uses part of his address to urge the world community to stop "subsidizing Iran's bloodlust" and says all nations have a duty to act on Iran's aggression in the Middle East. He also reiterates his belief that Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon, while confirming the US decision to tighten sactions on Iran's central bank and sovereign wealth fund following attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities.

14:55 - US President Donald Trump has arrived ahead of his address, where he plans to tell the UNGA that the US "does not seek conflict with any other nation" as tensions with Iran rise.

14:30 - The Saudi Arabian delegation among the dignitaries in the audience includes Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir and Saudi ambassador to the US Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan.

14:15 - Secretary General Antonio Guterres opens proceedings by outlining the work of the United Nations since last year's assembly. He spoke about the newly drafted Syrian constitution and called the attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities in the Kingdom "totally unacceptable" urging all countries to push for "reason and restraint."

14:00 — Good afternoon. The big names speaking on day one of the debates include US president Donald Trump, UK prime minister Boris Johnson and French president Emmanuel Macron. And from the Middle East - Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and King Abdullah II of Jordan.

(With Agencies)

Topics: UN General Assembly UN UN General Assembly 2019

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In Bangladesh’s mangrove forest, villagers brave tigers to collect rare honey

Updated 58 min 55 sec ago
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In Bangladesh’s mangrove forest, villagers brave tigers to collect rare honey

  • Honey is gathered from wild bee colonies deep in the Sundarbans
  • Producers made a debut at the biggest food fair in Jeddah this month
Updated 58 min 55 sec ago
SHEHAB SUMON

DHAKA: When the harvest begins, Mizanur Rahman gathers a few hundred men and sets out into the mangrove forest along the Bay of Bengal, where for months they climb trees to collect by hand a wild natural honey whose unique properties are only starting to attract global attention.

The honey is collected from wild bee colonies deep within the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove reserve spanning parts of India and southwestern Bangladesh.

“Honey collection from this forest is mostly done in the Bangladesh part,” Rahman said. “All plants, trees, and the overall environment of this forest are natural. There is no human touch.”

Sundarban honey comes from an ecosystem where trees grow and bloom naturally, without the use of fertilizers or pesticides. Its collectors, known as mawalis, begin work in March for about three and a half months.

Rahman estimates there are about 4,000 mawalis in the local community. To enter the forest, they require special passes from the forest department.

“It’s a very risky job for the people who enter the forest,” he told Arab News. “It’s the only honey in the world where collectors risk their lives in the den of the mighty Bengal tiger to gather it. Sometimes, they also face the danger of poisonous snake bites.”

During the season, his team reaches up to 1,200 members who together manage to collect about 400 tons of honey.

“One hundred small boats start sailing together, each carrying eight to 10 people,” Rahman said. “Despite the dangers, it is a matter of pride to be part of these challenging tasks.”

Collected from a humid environment, Sundarban honey is thinner than other types. Its greenish-amber shade comes from the nectar of mangrove flowers, and the taste is less sweet than most commercial honeys, with a subtle citrus-like tanginess. The scent is mild.

Being raw and unprocessed, the honey retains more enzymes, antioxidants, and pollen.

“Some people can feel acidity similar to orange juice,” Rahman said. “It has a unique taste. If someone tastes this honey once, she or he will definitely love to taste it again and again.”

Well known locally in Bangladesh and parts of eastern India, where it has been harvested and consumed for generations, Sundarban honey is only starting to gain attention in organic and specialty food markets.

Earlier this month, it debuted at AgroFood Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s leading international exhibition for the agriculture, food, and agritech industries.

The organic honey from the Sundarbans received an encouraging reception, according to Mohammed Saleh Uddin Bhuyan, chief category officer at Ghorer Bazar, one of the companies participating in the expo.

“We have been receiving good responses from the local buyers,” he said. “Saudi Arabia is a very promising market for us.”

Bangladeshi authorities recognize the honey’s export potential but also the fact that production still needs to be standardized to enter global markets.

Mahmudul Hasan, director of Bangladesh’s Export Promotion Bureau, told Arab News that there are plans to promote the organic practices behind the honey during future food fairs in the Gulf region.

“There is huge export potential for our mangrove honey in the Gulf countries, as Arab consumers are fond of honey. They just need to be assured of the quality in the production process,” he said.

“Our mangrove honey is undoubtedly an organic product. It has unique value, but the world is not very aware of it yet.”

Topics: Bangladesh

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