A Texas judge ruled that Stewart Rhodes, founder of the citizen militia group known as the Oath Keepers, will remain in jail until his trial for sedition. AP
A Texas judge ruled that Stewart Rhodes, founder of the citizen militia group known as the Oath Keepers, will remain in jail until his trial for sedition. AP
A Texas judge ruled that Stewart Rhodes, founder of the citizen militia group known as the Oath Keepers, will remain in jail until his trial for sedition. AP
A Texas judge ruled that Stewart Rhodes, founder of the citizen militia group known as the Oath Keepers, will remain in jail until his trial for sedition. AP

US judge keeps Oath Keepers founder in jail ahead of sedition trial


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A US judge on Wednesday said Stewart Rhodes, founder of the far-right Oath Keepers, should remain in jail while he awaits trial on seditious conspiracy charges for his alleged role in the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

The ruling by Magistrate Judge Kimberly Priest Johnson in Plano, Texas, is expected to be appealed to a higher court.

Ms Johnson's decision followed a two-hour court hearing on Monday in which prosecutors asked Ms Johnson to keep Mr Rhodes behind bars, saying he is dangerous and could try to flee the country.

An indictment made public earlier this month accused the extremist and 10 associates or members of the group of plotting to storm the US Capitol by force in a failed bid to block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's 2020 election victory.

He is the most high-profile defendant of more than 725 charged so far for taking part in the attack on the Capitol by former President Donald Trump's supporters. The riot was fuelled by Mr Trump's false claims that his election defeat was the result of fraud.

Mr Rhodes and his associates are the first people charged with seditious conspiracy for their alleged roles in the attack. The seldom-used charge can carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

He has been held in custody since he was arrested and charged on Jan. 13, and has plead not guilty to the charge.

Prosecutors said Mr Rhodes told his supporters from November 2020 to prepare to "oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power”.

"We aren't getting through this without a civil war," he said in a message two days after the election. "Too late for that. Prepare your mind, body, spirit."

Phillip Linder, a lawyer for Mr Rhodes, said during Monday's court hearing that his client maintains his innocence and does not pose a danger.

"He not only wants a public trial, he wants a speedy public trial," Mr Linder said.

Brief scores:

Liverpool 3

Mane 24', Shaqiri 73', 80'

Manchester United 1

Lingard 33'

Man of the Match: Fabinho (Liverpool)

The Bio

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity

MATCH DETAILS

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Director: Laxman Utekar

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Rating: 1/5

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Bharatanatyam

A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

Updated: January 27, 2022, 12:48 AM