Pictures of the week: From an ice factory in Karachi to the Rose Valley in Bulgaria
Syrian Foreign Minister Ahmad Al Shibani, second left, watches as Thomas Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey, who was recently also appointed special envoy to Syria, raises the flag of the United States at the American ambassador's residence in Damascus. AFP
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Khaleej Times
4 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Formed before UAE: How Dubai Police went from fort base to police stations with no officers
Over 65 years back, in the sands of Naif, a fort watched over Dubai. Within its walls were the Dubai Police, keeping their eyes open while the city slept. On June 1, 1956, nearly 15 years before UAE was formed, the Dubai Police came into existence, with an aim to guard their land and its people. Now, 69 years later, times have changed, tools have changed, but the force continues to guard their land and its people. The force's first commander-in-chief was Peter Clayton, a British national who spoke fluent Arabic, and dressed in traditional Bedouin attire. Its first headquarter was the Naif Fort, made of two different types of clay. Dubai Police was founded following a decree issued by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who was the son of then Dubai Ruler Saeed bin Maktoum bin Hasher Al Maktoum. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed went on to become the Ruler of Dubai in 1958, was a founder of UAE, and served as Vice President and Prime Minister of the Emirates. In 1973, their headquarters were shifted to Al Twar, which remains as the police HQ to this day. However, the force has held on to their heritage, with their first headquarters currently turned into the Naif Police Station in Deira. In the early 1990s, Sheikh Mohammed, the then Minister of Defence of the UAE, ordered the restoration of Naif Police Station. In July 1994, the process started, with the reconstruction of the entire building with the exception of the tower, which was subject to only minor external repairs. The tower was the first part of the fort to be built, and was called Al Makbad because it was partly used as a jail. Dubai has long had a love for horses, and the police forces were no different. Along with intelligence offices, live-in quarters, the fort also housed a special stable allocated for patrol horses. Now the fort is home to a Naif Museum, which displays life-size models and interactive exhibits showcasing the story of the Dubai authorities. While the word 'prisoners' brings to mind images of handcuffs, police officers once restrained detainees through a method called 'Al Hataba' in which the suspect's legs were fastened to a log. From its first operations out of a fort in 1956, the Dubai Police is now a sprawling establishment with a force of more than fifteen thousand employees and over 25 smart police stations. These smart stations function around the clock without human intervention, through AI-assisted services and interactive models. Now, customers can even access police help through drive-thrus. Tech now plays a major role in police operations, from sonic scanners capable of detecting signs of life beneath the rubble to rescue drones. Robots assist in field operations, reaching tight, hazardous stations that officers may be unable to traverse. Electro-car robots also patrol the streets, helping police keep an eye on communities 24/7. The authorities also constantly use AI to monitor potentially harmful social media posts that may convey danger to others, or reveal underlying implications about the user's condition. With the force introducing new tech by the minute, it has come a long way from a fort base, but the aim remains the same: policing and safety for all.
The National
6 hours ago
- The National
Oman delivers details of US nuclear proposal to Iran, Araghchi says
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi has presented details of a US proposal for a nuclear deal with Iran during a visit to Tehran on Saturday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the proposal, saying US President Donald Trump 's special envoy Steve Witkoff 'has sent a detailed and acceptable proposal to the Iranian regime'. Mr Araghchi said in a post on X that the Omani Foreign Minister 'paid a short visit to Tehran today to present elements of a US proposal which will be appropriately responded to in line with the principles, national interests and rights of the people of Iran'. Iran and the US have held five rounds of talks – three in Muscat and two in Rome – mediated by the Omani Foreign Minister to resolve a decades-long dispute over Iran's nuclear programme. Mr Araghchi's statement came ahead of an anticipated sixth round, a date and venue for which have not been announced. One of the main sticking points has been US insistence that Iran give up its nuclear enrichment facilities, a demand Iran rejects. Mr Trump, who has restored a 'maximum pressure' campaign on Tehran since February, ditched a 2015 nuclear pact between Tehran and six world powers in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran. In the intervening years, Tehran has overstepped limits set in the 2015 agreement on its nuclear programme, which were designed to make it harder to develop an atom bomb. In recent months it has stepped up its production of highly enriched uranium, according to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) seen by AFP on Saturday. In a separate in-depth report, the IAEA also criticised 'less than satisfactory' co-operation from Tehran over its scrutiny of the nuclear programme. 'While Iran continues to co-operate with the agency on matters of routine safeguards implementation, in a number of respects … its co-operation with the agency has been less than satisfactory,' the report said. Tehran denies it is seeking a nuclear weapon. It said the report is 'politically motivated and repeats baseless accusations', state media reported. Ms Leavitt said on Saturday that 'President Trump has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb'. She confirmed the latest US proposal had been communicated to Iran but declined to provide details. On Friday, Mr Trump said a deal was possible in the 'not-too-distant future'. Earlier in the week, he told reporters he had recently warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to take action that could disrupt the talks with Iran. Those comments appeared to signal US concern that Israel might strike Iran's nuclear facilities. But Mr Trump himself has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities if diplomacy fails to achieve a deal.
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Turkey: At least 87 protesters arrested, say lawyers
Police in Istanbul on Saturday arrested dozens of protesters commemorating the twelfth anniversary of a wave of anti-government protests, lawyers said. The Association of Progressive Lawyers said on X that "at least 87 people were arrested" in the Turkish city, scene of a fresh wave of protests in recent months. Several young people published a message on X saying: "We have been arrested." Police barriers stopped demonstrators from gathering at Taksim Square, adjacent to Gezi Park, a green space that was the heart of protests in 2013 over plans to redevelop it. Protesters instead gathered on Saturday evening on a street near the Beyoglu district, under banners that included: "Gezi remains" and "Resistance everywhere". Turkey has seen more than two months of protests since the arrest of Istanbul's opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19 on corruption charges. Imamoglu, the most high-profile challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdgan, says the charges are politically motivated. Anadolu reported earlier Saturday that authorities had issued an additional 47 arrest warrants for municipal officials and staff across Istanbul.
