
Information Minister meets ROP commanders, reviews media role
Nizwa: Dr. Abdullah Nasser Al Harrasi, Minister of Information, met on Wednesday with a number of commanders of the Royal Oman Police (ROP) at the Officers' Institute of the Sultan Qaboos Academy for Police Sciences in Nizwa.
The meeting was attended by Lt.Gen Hassan Mohsin Al Shuraiqi, Inspector General of Police and Customs.
During the meeting, Dr. Abdullah reviewed the foundations, current state, and future prospects of Omani media, emphasising its role in strengthening national security. He highlighted the importance of security media in conveying police messaging and the media's approach to various events and emergency situations.
He also touched upon governorates media, foreign media, the Government Communication Center, and the roles of the Directorate General of Publications and Artistic Works.
He affirmed that Omani media is rooted in national values and principles, reflecting the nation's commitment to achieving comprehensive development goals, building national identity, and fostering social cohesion.
The minister noted that Oman Vision 2040 opens new horizons for media institutions to adopt modern technologies and enhance digital media content. He lauded the high level of coordination and cooperation between the ROP and various local media outlets.
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Observer
3 hours ago
- Observer
Cooperation between ROP, local media outlets lauded
NIZWA: Dr Abdullah bin Nasser al Harrasi, Minister of Information, met on Wednesday with a number of commanders of the Royal Oman Police (ROP) at the Officers' Institute of the Sultan Qaboos Academy for Police Sciences in the Wilayat of Nizwa. The meeting was attended by Lt Gen Hasan bin Mohsin al Shraiqi, Inspector General of Police and Customs. During the meeting, Dr Abdullah reviewed the foundations, current state and future prospects of Omani media, emphasising its role in strengthening national security. He highlighted the importance of security media in conveying police messaging and the media's approach to various events and emergency situations. He also touched upon governorates media, foreign media, the Government Communication Centre and the roles of the Directorate General of Publications and Artistic Works. He affirmed that Omani media is rooted in national values and principles, reflecting the nation's commitment to achieving comprehensive development goals, building national identity and fostering social cohesion. The minister noted that Oman Vision 2040 opens new horizons for media institutions to adopt modern technologies and enhance digital media content. He lauded the high level of coordination and cooperation between the ROP and various local media outlets. — ONA


Times of Oman
4 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Your new best friend is your ultimate betrayer
In the summer of 1999 — at the dawn of the digital age — world leaders gathered at the Millennium Assembly on IT and Knowledge with a bold vision: governments must go digital, and wealthy nations would help the rest achieve it. As a member of Oman's delegation, I watched as the idealism of 'global cooperation' overshadowed a darker reality. 'Once we embrace e-government, privacy disappears,' I warned our delegation head. 'Our data won't belong to us anymore.' He dismissed it as paranoia. Two decades later, that warning has become prophecy — and Israel, with its deep ties to Western tech and intelligence, sits at the heart of this surveillance empire. The Backdoor Revolution The post-9/11 era erased any illusions. The U.S. government compelled American tech giants to embed surveillance backdoors in their exports — officially for 'national security,' but effectively a global license to spy. Israel, America's closest intelligence-sharing ally, gained indirect access to this data through agreements like ECHELON and joint cyber units. 'Israel doesn't just benefit from U.S. surveillance — it actively shapes it,' says Avi Meyer, a former Israeli cybersecurity official who spoke on condition of anonymity. 'When the NSA or FBI demand backdoors from Apple or Google, Israel's intelligence agencies are rarely far behind in accessing the same pipelines.' From Pegasus to Exploding Pagers Israel's cyber warfare capabilities reached terrifying new heights in September 2024, when dozens of pagers carried by Hezbollah operatives simultaneously exploded across Lebanon. This unprecedented attack proved that modern surveillance doesn't just monitor — it can physically eliminate targets using their own devices. The pager explosions demonstrated Israel's ability to: * Weaponise ordinary electronics by remotely triggering battery explosions * Compromise supply chains by implanting lethal capabilities during manufacturing * Escalate cyber warfare into the physical realm with deniable precision strikes Combined with Israel's Pegasus spyware — used against journalists and activists worldwide — and AI-powered tracking in conflict zones, this marks a complete evolution of warfare. 'First they read your messages through Pegasus. Then they detonate your devices,' says Avi Cohen (pseudonym), a former cyber defence official. 'The Hezbollah pager attack was Israel showing the world there are no limits anymore.' Hypocrisy in the Tech Cold War While Israel and the West weaponise technology, they wage a relentless campaign against Chinese tech firms, branding Huawei a 'spying tool' and TikTok a 'data pipeline to Beijing.' Yet Western-made operating systems (Windows, iOS, Android) and platforms (Facebook, X, Google, WhatsApp) dominate global infrastructure — with no scrutiny of how Israel exploits them. The 5G rollout exposed the double standard: 2019: Huawei pioneers affordable 5G. Western media floods with warnings of 'radiation risks' and 'Chinese brainwashing.' The U.S. pressures allies to ban it. 2024: Western firms like Ericsson and Nokia deploy 5G. The health warnings vanish. The Stakes: Digital Colonialism or Sovereignty? The 1999 dream of e-government has metastasised into a global surveillance grid controlled by a U.S.-Israel tech-intelligence axis. The Hezbollah pager attacks proved that even basic electronics can be turned against their users. Three steps to reclaim control: 1. Build Sovereign Tech – Develop domestic alternatives to foreign operating systems and hardware. 2. Secure Supply Chains – Create national standards for critical tech components. 3. Assume Compromise – Treat all foreign tech as potentially weaponised until proven otherwise. The Ultimate Spy — and Assassin We stand at a crossroads: Continue to depend on hostile technologies, or follow China's lead in building sovereign digital infrastructure. The pager attacks weren't just a warning—they were a preview of our vulnerable future. But the most dangerous spy isn't a pager. It's the smartphone in your pocket. Your phone, smartwatch, smart ring, or band knows everything about you: * Your habits, routines, and movements * What you eat, when you sleep, and when you wake * Who you meet and what you discuss (via microphone access) * Your health data, financial activity, and biometrics This, I believe, is how Israel assassinated Iran's top officials last week. No human spies — just the targets' phones betraying them. Every foreign-made device in your home isn't just spying — it's a sleeper agent awaiting activation. The pager explosions were merely the opening scene. Tomorrow's assassinations won't be delivered by human hands — but through the glowing rectangle that never leaves your side. Your phone doesn't love you. It's just biding its time.


Times of Oman
8 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Oman participates in UN meeting in Geneva
Geneva: The Sultanate of Oman has stressed that international efforts in the field of human rights must be grounded in firm humanitarian principles, free from politicization or selectivity, and based on respect for human dignity, the promotion of justice, and accountability. It emphasised the need for a unified international stance that places human rights at the heart of collective efforts, as a fundamental pillar for achieving peace, security, and stability for all. During his address at the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Ambassador Idris Abdulrahman Al Khanjari, Oman's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, expressed Oman's concern over the declining commitments of some donor entities toward human rights issues. This, he noted, undermines the ability of international organisations to respond effectively to multiple humanitarian crises. He underscored the importance of reassessing international funding priorities and directing resources toward initiatives with direct impact, while enhancing transparency and efficiency in the management of humanitarian aid. He stated that the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip represents one of the worst crises in modern history, resulting from the ongoing Israeli aggression and its accompanying grave violations of international humanitarian law. He added that this aggression has claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, including a significant number of women and children, and caused widespread destruction of infrastructure, healthcare facilities, and schools. It has also led to the spread of famine and epidemics under a suffocating blockade and inhumane living conditions. Oman's Permanent Representative explained that this escalating tragedy demands urgent international action based on international law and principles of justice, aimed at halting violations, holding perpetrators accountable, ensuring civilian protection, and delivering immediate humanitarian assistance—free from double standards. In a related context, Oman expresses deep concern over the military escalation in the region, particularly Israel's attacks targeting the Islamic Republic of Iran, which constitute a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter, directly undermining state sovereignty and regional stability. Oman believes such actions only fuel further tension and threaten regional and international peace and security. In this regard, Oman stresses the importance of returning to diplomatic channels and adopting dialogue and understanding as an effective and sustainable approach to resolving disputes and strengthening collective security.