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Oman Airports signs strategic MoU to develop land around Muscat airport
Oman Airports signs strategic MoU to develop land around Muscat airport

Times of Oman

time2 days ago

  • Business
  • Times of Oman

Oman Airports signs strategic MoU to develop land around Muscat airport

Muscat: Oman Airports signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with WCT International Sdn Bhd to explore and develop strategic investment opportunities across lands surrounding Muscat International Airport City. The move comes as part of Oman Air's ongoing efforts to support economic growth and tourism development in the Sultanate of Oman. The Memorandum of Understanding marks the beginning of a strategic collaboration aimed at developing a comprehensive master plan for the area. The initiative will focus on enhancing the commercial and leisure appeal of the airport city through the development of hospitality venues, entertainment spaces, interactive experiences, and other mixed-use services. The collaboration also includes workshops and planning sessions with Oman Airports' stakeholders to ensure optimal land utilisation and value creation. Both parties aim to maximise investment returns and create long-term value through joint projects and real estate ventures. This initiative underscores Oman Airports' strategic role in supporting Oman Vision 2040, strengthening Oman's position as a regional aviation and integrated development hub. -ONA

Did Sir Tony Blair's 12-point plan to tackle terrorists work?
Did Sir Tony Blair's 12-point plan to tackle terrorists work?

Telegraph

time07-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Telegraph

Did Sir Tony Blair's 12-point plan to tackle terrorists work?

Following the July 7 terrorist outrages 20 years ago, the then government came under intense pressure to prevent similar attacks ever again. In the aftermath of the suicide bombings, it became clear that as well as a series of missed opportunities, counter-terror laws were weak and outdated. A month after the attacks, Sir Tony Blair, the prime minister at the time, set out what was described as a 12-point plan to counter the threat from terrorism. He said it would provide a 'comprehensive framework for action' in tackling the risk posed by extremists. But within weeks, many of the planned policies were starting to unravel in the face of opposition from MPs on all sides of the House and legal critics, who suggested the strategy had been written 'on the back of a fag packet'. While some of the laws did eventually make it onto the statute books, others were defeated in the Commons or the courts, or were simply dropped in the face of widespread opposition. Here we assess what happened to each of Sir Tony's suggestions. New grounds for deporting undesirables, including fostering hatred, advocating violence to further a person's beliefs or justifying or validating such violence. Deportations had previously been blocked because Article 3 of the Human Rights Act prevents people being sent back to countries where they could be subject to torture or inhumane treatment. The Blair government sought to circumvent this by proposing newly negotiated Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with around a dozen countries. In the end MOUs were signed with just four countries: Jordan, Libya, Lebanon and Algeria. New anti-terrorism legislation to include an offence of condoning or glorifying terrorism in the UK or abroad. The Terrorism Act 2006 created an offence of glorifying terrorism, either in the UK or abroad, with a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment. It has been used successfully numerous times particularly in prosecuting those who supported or promoted Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The automatic refusal of asylum for anyone who has participated in terrorism or has anything to do with it anywhere in the world. The government decided against pressing ahead with legislation, preferring to rely instead on the provisions of the 1951 Convention on Refugees. Article 1F of the Convention specifies that refugee status shall not be granted to anyone with 'serious reasons for considering' they have committed crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity, or serious non-political crimes outside the country of refuge prior to being admitted as a refugee. The exclusion even applies even if the individual is facing persecution in their home country. The government pledged to consult on expanding the power to strip citizenship from individuals with British or dual nationality who were engaged in extremism. The power already existed in other areas of the law and were further enshrined in the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. The power was exercised most famously in the case of Shamima Begum who was stripped of her citizenship after travelling to Syria and joining Isil in 2015 when she was 15-years-old. In 2019 the then Home Secretary used Section 40(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 which allows for deprivation of citizenship if it's deemed conducive to the public good and the individual is a dual national. In Begum's case, the decision was made on national security grounds, and the UK government argued she was a dual British and Bangladeshi nationality. The government sought to introduce a maximum time limit for extradition cases involving terrorism. Rather than introduce a time limit for cases the then government decided it would be more effective to speed up the process for all extradition cases. They also secured an agreement from the European Court to give priority to UK cases. It is a matter of debate as to whether those things were successfully enacted. The most controversial of the proposals was the plan to extend the period during which terror suspects could be held without charge from 14 days to 90 days. The government was responding to calls from the police to extend detention without charge, but the proposals were immediately unpalatable with MPs. The law was put to a vote in November 2005, just four months after the bombings, but the Blair government suffered its first Commons defeat since coming to power. In the end the issue was defeated by 322 votes to 291, with 49 Labour MPs rebelling. Parliament later voted for a rebel amendment that increased the period of detention to 28 days. In 2009 Gordon Brown, the then Prime Minister, made a renewed attempt to raise the limit to 42 days but the measure was abandoned after defeat in the Lords. Control orders on British nationals who cannot be deported. The 2005 Prevention of Terrorism Act gave the Home Secretary the power to impose control orders on people suspected of involvement in terrorism but who had not breached the law. The power allowed the authorities to impose restrictions on a person's liberty for the purpose of 'protecting members of the public from a risk of terrorism'. A total of 52 control orders were imposed. All were men and all were suspected of involvement in Islamist terrorism. They were replaced in 2011 by the updated Tpims (Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures). While the details were kept secret only a handful of Tpims are thought to have been imposed. Anticipating a big increase in the number of control orders that were expected to be issued, the government pledged to expand court capacity. They were also plans for the Lord Chancellor to increase the number of special judges to hear such cases. However because in reality there were only ever a small number of control orders applied for, it was decided this measure was unnecessary. The government of the day announced plans to proscribe the international Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir and also the numerous successor organisations of Al Muhajiroun, the UK based terror organisation. Hizb ut-Tahrir was founded in 1953 as an international political movement calling for a single Islamic government across the Muslim world. Despite the Blair government's pledge to ban the group, it was not actually proscribed until 2024 following alleged support for Hamas. Back in the mid 2000s it was felt its influence in the UK was waning and lawyers warned the government that the organisation had not crossed the threshold of breaking terrorism laws. Al-Mujahiroun was banned in 2006 but just kept changing its name. Another of the recommendations was that citizenship ceremonies should be reviewed to make sure they were adequate. A commission was also planned to advise on better integration amongst some parts of the Muslim community. A review of citizenship ceremonies did take place in an attempt to enhance their significance and promote better social integration. But in recent years there has been criticism from those who claim migrants have found it too easy to game the system. The Church of England has been accused of making it easier for failed asylum seekers to stay in the country by allowing them to easily convert to Christianity. The failed Liverpool suicide bomber, Emad Al Swealmeen, claimed to have converted to Christianity after twice having an asylum application rejected. Consultation on a new power to close a place of worship used as a centre for fomenting extremism. This was intended to give the authorities more power to close mosques associated with hate preachers. But this plan was dropped following widespread opposition from community leaders. Bringing forward proposed border security measures, and designate some countries specifically for biometric visas. The government is also compiling an international database of individuals who will be excluded from entering Britain. The UK Border Agency was launched and biometric visas were introduced. All visa applicants are now fingerprinted.

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