NEW YORK: The UN Security Council on Thursday condemned Israel’s airstrikes on Doha, expressing “deep regret” over the loss of civilian life in the attack on “the territory of a key mediator” in ongoing efforts to end the war in Gaza.
In a statement released after closed consultations, the 15-member Security Council voiced solidarity with Qatar, reaffirming support for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with the UN Charter.
Council members also underscored the need for de-escalation and emphasized the critical role Qatar plays in regional mediation, particularly alongside Egypt and the US.
“The Council recalled its support for the vital role that Qatar continues to play in mediation efforts in the region,” the statement read, adding that the release of hostages, including those killed by Hamas, and ending the suffering in Gaza “must remain our top priority.”
The statement comes two days after a series of strikes hit the Qatari capital on Sept. 9 in a rare, alarming escalation beyond the immediate conflict zone. The strikes have been widely condemned by international actors, with fears they could derail fragile diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire.
Qatar has been at the center of international mediation since the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out nearly two years ago. The Gulf nation has hosted indirect talks between Israeli and Hamas officials and has worked closely with Cairo and Washington to try to secure a durable truce.
The Security Council urged all parties to “seize the opportunity for peace” and reiterated its backing for continued diplomatic engagement to end the conflict.
The attack marks the first direct strike on Qatari soil by Israel since the start of the current conflict in Gaza, which has left more than 60,000 people dead and many thousands more injured, facing famine and displaced in the coastal enclave.
UN Security Council condemns Doha strikes, reaffirms support for Qatari mediation efforts
https://arab.news/6xvvr
UN Security Council condemns Doha strikes, reaffirms support for Qatari mediation efforts
- Council members also underscored the need for de-escalation and emphasized the critical role Qatar plays in regional mediation
- The statement added that the release of hostages, including those killed by Hamas, and ending the suffering in Gaza “must remain our top priority”
First AI-aided transaction in Dubai promises to change way consumers shop
- Artificial intelligence agent purchases movie tickets for a customer after asking a few questions
DUBAI: CEO of Mastercard Michael Miebach announced on Tuesday that the company, in conjunction with UAE retailer Majid Al-Futtaim, had successfully completed the first transaction by an AI agent in Dubai.
An AI agent purchased movie tickets for a customer after asking a few questions during the transaction.
Speaking at the Dubai Future Forum alongside UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Omar Al-Olama, Miebach said that in the future “AI agents” would guide most transactions.
Al-Olama hailed the transaction, saying it was part of a future that would streamline the way people consumed online and in person.
“I saw that transaction, I found it extremely seamless,” Olama told the crowd at the Museum of the Future. “It’s very, very convenient, and it’s like having the best personal assistant that will do everything for you, select the movie, get your best seats, find the best timing, the closest location to you, and make a payment without many instructions. And that’s why it stood out.”
While retail chatbots that help customers have been around for some time, Mastercard’s new agentic solution differs in that it is able to make the transaction directly, working like a real-life assistant with access to your finances.
Asked by Al-Olama whether this risked agentic AI going on shopping sprees without consent, likening it to giving away card details to your child, Miebach said that the risk could be mitigated through the right mix of controls and regulation.
“If you think about it from a perspective of powering a digital economy in a country like the UAE, a lot of things need to have (happened) in the background to make it safe, to make it secure, to make it intuitive,” Miebach told the forum.
“When AI starts to make decisions on your behalf for shopping, that can be very scary. So, we (have) got to put in the controls, and all of that is what Mastercard’s Agent Pay has done.”
Miebach said that he envisioned a future where agents would start to understand your preferences for groceries, movies and retail items and make purchases seamlessly when asked, which would substantially streamline the experience of customers.
But he believed that before the technology could really take off, companies and governments would have to gain the trust of individuals and communities.
“What happens if something goes wrong in the world of an AI-generated transaction? And so, what do you do as a consumer? You say, I never intended to do this transaction, and you lose trust,” Miebach said.
“So we have to build in the safeguards. We have to build in the controls. And that is what our business does for a living. That’s what regulators look at. I think it’s really important.”
