Censors pulled back the curtain on Israel's role in detecting an Iranian bomb plot targeting high-profile Paris conference that was orchestrated by the country's embassy in Vienna.
Israel’s spy agency revealed that it helped foil an Iranian terror attack in France last month, which lead to the arrests of a underground network headed by an Iranian diplomat. While the Israeli leader hinted at Israel's role last month, the military censor had suppressed the reports until Friday.
Israel's newspapers said Mossad agents tracked down suspects in several countries, providing crucial intelligence to Belgium, France and Germany in order to foil what was reported to be an Iranian plot to bomb a rally of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) at Villepinte, just outside Paris.
The rally was attended by thousands. The speakers included President Donald Trump’s adviser and lawyer Rudy Guiliani and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Dozens of retired officials and European politicians were at the event.
Based in France, the NCRI is a coalition of groups exiled from Iran and whom most citizens regard as terrorist organisations for wanting the overthrow of the Iranian government. Some analysts consider the group to be synonymous with the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), which was identified as a terrorist group in 1997. The NCRI itself was listed as a terrorist organisation by the United States, but was delisted in 2012.
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Read more:
Iranian diplomat at centre of bomb plot inquiry to lose immunity
Iran diplomat among six held over plot to bomb opposition group
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Six people were arrested in light of the thwarted terror attack, however two were later released. A Belgian couple of Iranian origin were arrested Sunday, carrying 500 grams of homemade explosive TATP, as well as a detonator in their car. Belgian police also arrested a man who is said to be an accomplice of the couple, taken in by police while acting as an anonymous tip-off.
German police swooped in on an Austrian-based Iranian diplomat, who is believed to have headed up the terrorist cell.
The diplomat, Assadollah Assadi, is believed to be a member of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security. The prosecutor’s statement said the diplomat was tasked with the “observation and fight against opposition groups inside and outside Iran”. It is believed that Assadi handed the two Belgian men the explosives at a meeting in Luxembourg in June.
While Israel lifted censorship on the publication of the operation on Thursday, earlier this month Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted that Israeli intelligence may have helped foil the attack in France. During a speech marking the 70th anniversary of the Acre prison break, Mr Netanyahu said the Iranian president “met with leaders in Europe in order to try and overcome President Trump's sanctions regime – and I tell you that this attempt will fail – even as Iran planned a terrorist attack on French soil in Europe."
"It was no coincidence that this attack was thwarted.”
Mr Netanyahu went on to call out the “leaders of Europe” for “financing the terrorist regime that is financing terrorism against you on your soil”, saying it to was time to end the “policy of appeasement and weakness regarding Iran."
The Iranian government strongly denied any involvement in orchestrating the foiled attack, calling it a “sinister false flag ploy” to discredit Iran during a time of tense diplomatic ties with the United States.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Watford 1 (Deulofeu 80' p)
Chelsea 2 (Abraham 5', Pulisic 55')
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
Five expert hiking tips
- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
- Make sure you have plenty of water
- Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
- Take your litter home with you
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Most wanted allegations
- Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
- Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
- Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer.
- Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
- Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
- John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
- Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
- Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
- Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain.
- Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
- James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
- Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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