MOGADISHU // Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, Somalia's insurgent leader, called on pirates yesterday to immediately release a giant Saudi oil tanker and other foreign vessels being held in Somali waters.
"We are calling for the immediate release of all international vessels under the command of Somali pirates, who are undermining international peace and trade," Sheikh Aweys said from the Eritrean capital, Asmara.
The pirates have demanded a ransom of US$25 million (Dh92m) for the 330m Sirius Star, which was carrying two million barrels of crude oil and 25 crew members when it was seized on Nov 15.
The tanker is one of several foreign merchant vessels and their crew being held by gunmen on the lawless Somali coast.
The leader of an opposition group called the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia, Sheikh Aweys said the pirates would have been stamped out if Somalia were still under the control of his Islamist group.
"We are the only force that could eliminate piracy in the Somalia waters, but the world refused to give us the opportunity to rule Somalia, despite the will of the vast majority of the people of Somalia.
"If we are given the opportunity to fight piracy and general lawlessness we can do that comfortably. Piracy is part of lawlessness and during our months of Islamic leadership pirates were underground," he said.
His Islamic Courts Union ruled most of south and central Somalia for six months in 2006 before being ousted by Ethiopian forces who intervened to prop up its neighbour's weak central government.
The intervention of the influential cleric, designated a terrorist by Washington because of alleged ties to al Qa'eda, is likely to bring some pressure to bear on the pirates, but he ruled out any direct mediation effort on the part of his organisation.
"As a leader of a freedom fighter organisation, I personally can't talk to gangs and mediate the release of the ships in the Gulf of Aden," he said.
He said the pirates, also negotiating a multimillion-dollar ransom for an arms-laden Ukraine cargo ship, the Faina, as well as a host of other foreign vessels and their crews, "are dealing with the world as if they were legitimate agencies, by talking about ransom money".
"We are the only force to deal with such criminals," he added.
The hijackers of the supertanker had set a Nov 30 deadline for the owners of the vessel to pay the ransom. But with no news of a breakthrough in the negotiations with the owners, Vela International, the shipping arm of oil giant Saudi Aramco, the pirates said on Monday they were still ready to negotiate its release.
Sheikh Aweys equated the rampant piracy to the intervention of Ethiopian forces in his country.
"It is so painful to see Somalia taken by Ethiopian colonial occupation and crazy pirates. Both are the same and undermine human value."
Also yesterday, the UN Security Council passed a resolution expressing its support for a European naval mission to begin on Dec 8 aimed at ending increased piracy off the coast of Somalia.
In a unanimous vote, the Security Council passed resolution 1846 saying it "strongly welcomes the decision by the EU" on Nov 10 to launch an antipiracy mission and also "welcomes the decision by Nato to counter piracy off the Somalia coast".
The EU operation, dubbed Atalanta, will see five or six warships patrol Somalia's Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean waters.
Pirates near Somalia chased and shot at a US cruise liner with more than 1,000 people on board but failed to hijack the vessel, a maritime official said yesterday.
*AFP/AP
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Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
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The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Read more about the coronavirus
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPECS
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Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
