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Your smartphones now as Nol cards
Your smartphones now as Nol cards Amanda Fisher / 28 September 2013 By tomorrow, millions of Dubai’s public transport users will be able to pay for their trips simply by using their smartphones — but not if you have an iPhone. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced the launch of its ‘Smart Nol’ service on Friday, a tie-up with etisalat and du that will also enable users to top up their Nol credit and check their balance. RTA Corporate Technical Support Services CEO Abdulla Ali Al Madani said the mobile system only worked on phones with Near Field Communication (NFC) technology — but should be able to be used for other small payments in the future. “We are providing this service for NFC-enabled mobile phone users via a special SIM card to use Nol services for public transport and in future for micropayments in (the) UAE. Customers will have a similar experience to Nol cards and there is no major change in using it. Currently we have more than six million Nol cards and we are expecting good (adoption) from our customer base since (the) UAE has a good number of NFC-enabled handsets.” The NFC is similar to bluetooth technology — though more streamlined. The Smart Nol will work by users placing their smart phones against the card readers at metro station gates or onboard buses and water buses. The SIM cards will be available at etisalat and Du business centres from tomorrow. Etisalat chief marketing officer Khaled El Khouly said in a statement the new technology would revolutionise travel. “The launch of the latest NFC technology solution will be the beginning of a new era on how we empower our customers, as well as service providers in the country.” Du chief commercial officer Fahad Al Hassawi said Du’s role went beyond providing telecom services but “to be a catalyst for society’s advancement”, in line with the Smart Government initiative. Jacky’s Electronics chief operating officer Ashish Panjabi said NFC technology was simpler to use than bluetooth and allowed information to be transmitted simply by tapping two devices together. “The issue is at the moment not everything is NFC-enabled…if you look at Apple, it’s got nothing NFC-enabled. With every new iPhone launch, we’re wondering whether it will be equipped with NFC, but I don’t think it will happen. I don’t think it’s something they believe in.” Apple was such a “significant player in the market” which compromised the chances NFC technology would become commonplace. More than 65 per cent of bus users in Sweden already use their mobile phones to pay for public transport, but there are other forms of technology than NFC such as the mobile barcode, which requires people to purchase barcodes which are sent to their phones, and the Google Wallet ‘tap-and-pay’ system already being used to pay for public transport in parts of America. Local company Beam are trialing a payment system using a mobile app which stores credit card details. Panjabi said the pitfalls of the NFC system were that many parties were required to cooperate, including the credit card companies, local banks, telecommunication companies and merchants. Apple may have “something up their sleeve”, such as plans to create their own mobile payment system. “Apple has got the largest repository of credit card data because hundreds of millions of people who have signed up with Apple have given credit card details, whether it be for music or games or devices…you would think (payment) would be something they could control and dominate through that material.” However, he said most people who had purchased a mainstream smartphone such as Samsung, LG or BlackBerry in the past two years would likely have the technology. The RTA advised people to check with their mobile phone providers about whether their phones were compatible. British consulting firm Juniper Research recently predicted mobile ticketing across all forms of transit would triple in the next five years, led by public transport — though it also said in markets where the iPhone was popular, such as North America and Western Europe, NFC technology would probably not take off. Panjabi said there was “no limit” of where cellphones would go next. “We’re looking now at the next step, which is wearable technology…we’ve seen the smart watch, Google Glass…that may eliminate cell phones one day.” – amanda@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
UN resolution orders Syria chemical arms destroyed
UN resolution orders Syria chemical arms destroyed (AFP) / 28 September 2013 The UN Security Council unanimously passed a landmark resolution on Friday ordering the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons and condemning a murderous poison gas attack in Damascus. The major powers overcame a prolonged deadlock to approve the first council resolution on the conflict, which is now 30 months old with more than 100,000 dead. UN leader Ban Ki-moon, a critic of the council’s paralysis, called the resolution “the first hopeful news on Syria in a long time.” Ban also said he hopes to convene a peace conference in mid-November. Resolution 2118, the result of bruising negotiations between the United States and Russia, gives international binding force to a plan drawn up by the two to eliminate President Bashar Al Assad’s chemical arms. There are no immediate sanctions over a chemical weapons attack confirmed by the UN. But it allows for a new vote on possible measures if the Russia-US plan is breached. Divisions over the war remained clear, however, in comments by their foreign ministers after the vote. “Should the regime fail to act, there will be consequences,” US Secretary of State John Kerry warned the 15-member council after the vote sealing a US-Russian agreement. But Kerry hailed the resolution. “The Security Council has shown that when we put aside politics for the common good, we are still capable of doing big things,” he said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed that there were no automatic punitive measures and that the resolution applied equally to the Syrian opposition. He said the council would take “actions which are commensurate with the violations, which will have to proven 100 percent.” Russia, Assad’s main ally, has rejected any suggestion of sanctions or military force against Assad. It has already used its veto power as a permanent Security Council member to block three Western-drafted resolutions on Syria. The resolution “condemns in the strongest terms any use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic, in particular the attack on August 21, 2013, in violation of international law.” The United States says the attack on the Damascus suburb of Ghouta left more than 1,400 dead. It blamed Assad’s government for the sarin gas assault and threatened a military strike over the attack. The government has denied responsibility. Should Syria not comply with the resolution, the Security Council members agreed to “impose measures under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.” The charter can authorize the use of sanctions or military force. But diplomats said Russia would fiercely oppose any force against its ally. All sides agreed that new action will require a new vote. Russia also rebuffed calls by European powers Britain and France for the Ghouta attack to be referred to the International Criminal Court. The resolution expressed “strong conviction” that those responsible for chemical weapons attacks in Syria “should be held accountable.” It formally endorsed a decision taken hours earlier in The Hague by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to accept the Russia-US disarmament plan. The plan called for Syria’s estimated 1,000 tonnes of chemical weapons to be put under international control by mid-2014. Experts say the timetable is very tight. International experts are expected to start work in Syria next week. Britain and China announced that they will offer finance to the disarmament operation. Ban said the resolution “will ensure that the elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons program happens as soon as possible and with the utmost transparency and accountability.” Ban also told the Security Council he wanted to hold a new Syria peace conference in November. “We are aiming for a conference in mid-November,” Ban said, adding that foreign ministers from Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States had agreed to make sure the two sides in the conflict negotiate in “good faith.” A first peace conference was held in June 2012 but there has been no follow up because of divisions in the Syrian opposition and the international community. Ban will start contacts with his Syria peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi next week on setting the firm date and who will attend the new meeting, diplomats said. The Security Council resolution gave backing to the 2012 conference declaration, which stated that there should be a transitional government in Syria with full executive powers. It also determined that the new peace conference would be to decide how to implement the accord. A car bomb north of Damascus that killed at least 30 people earlier in the day and 11 more deaths in a government air raid highlighted the continued slaughter in Syria’s long-running civil war. “We must never forget that the catalog of horrors in Syria continues with bombs and tanks, grenades and guns,” said Ban. “A red light for one for one form of weapons does not mean a green light for others.” Highlights of UN resolution on Syria chemical weapons Key extracts from the UN Security Council resolution passed on Friday condemning the use of chemical weapons in Syria and calling for their destruction: Sanctions “Decides, in the event of non-compliance with this resolution, including unauthorized transfer of chemical weapons, or any use of chemical weapons by anyone in the Syrian Arab Republic, to impose measures under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.” Accountability “Expresses its strong conviction that those individuals responsible for the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic should be held accountable.” Syrian chemical arms “Condemns in the strongest terms any use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic, in particular the attack on August 21, 2013, in violation of international law. “Decides that the Syrian Arab Republic shall not use, develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile or retain chemical weapons, or transfer, directly or indirectly, chemical weapons to other States or non-State actors. “Decides to review on a regular basis the implementation in the Syrian Arab Republic of the decision of the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons’ executive council of September 27, 2013 and this resolution, and requests the Director-General of the OPCW to report to the Security Council, through the Secretary-General, who shall include relevant information on United Nations activities related to the implementation of this resolution, within 30 days and every month thereafter.” Political transition “Endorses fully the Geneva Communique of June 30, 2012, which sets out a number of key steps beginning with the establishment of a transitional governing body exercising full executive powers, which could include members of the present government and the opposition and other groups and shall be formed on the basis of mutual consent; “Calls for the convening, as soon as possible, of an international conference on Syria to implement the Geneva Communique, and calls upon all Syrian parties to engage seriously and constructively at the Geneva Conference on Syria, and underscores that they should be fully representative of the Syrian people and committed to the implementation of the Geneva Communique and to the achievement of stability and reconciliation.” International law “Deeply outraged by the use of chemical weapons on August 21, 2013 in Rif Damascus, as concluded in the (UN) mission’s report, condemning the killing of civilians that resulted from it, affirming that the use of chemical weapons constitutes a serious violation of international law, and stressing that those responsible for any use of chemical weapons must be held accountable. “Decides to review on a regular basis the implementation in the Syrian Arab Republic of the decision of the Organisation for the Prohibition Chemical Weapons executive council of September 27, 2013 and this resolution, and requests the director general of the OPCW to report to the Security Council, through the secretary general, who shall include relevant information on United Nations activities related to the implementation of this resolution, within 30 days and every month thereafter and requests further the director general of the OPCW and the secretary general to report in a coordinated manner, as needed, to the Security Council, non-compliance with this resolution or the OPCW executive council decision.” Continue reading
UAE reaffirms support to UN role in Syria crisis
UAE reaffirms support to UN role in Syria crisis (Wam) / 27 September 2013 Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, met Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary-General, at the organisation’s headquarters on Wednesday. The two discussed ways of enhancing cooperation between the UAE and the United Nations, and exchanged views on important regional and international issues, particularly current developments in Syria and Egypt, and the situation in the Middle East in general, including developments in the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and the Iranian file, as well as other issues of common concern. Ban Ki-moon receives Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed at UN headquarters. -Getty Images The UN Secretary-General briefed Shaikh Abdullah on the priorities of the United Nations during the next phase, and its views on developments in Egypt and on the Syrian crisis, including the issue of the Syrian chemical programme. Ban Ki-Moon also briefed Shaikh Abdullah on international efforts being made to prepare for the convening of the Geneva-2 Conference. The UAE Foreign Minister reaffirmed the UAE’s firm support for the UN’s efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis and to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, as well as its efforts in support of peace negotiations. He reiterated the UAE’s commitment to continue its support for the activities of the United Nations, especially the political and humanitarian efforts to restore stability in Syria and the region as a whole. ShAikh Abdullah also met with some of his counterparts from different countries within the framework of his meetings on the sidelines of the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly. Shaikh Abdullah met with the Foreign Ministers of Poland, Portugal, Uruguay, New Zealand, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina, in addition to the Prime Minister of Tonga, Sialeataongo Tuivakano. The parties discussed ways to develop bilateral relations and cooperation in all fields, especially economic, commercial and cultural fields, including promoting programmes of official visits. Shaikh Abdullah also exchanged views with his counterparts on many issues of mutual interest, especially the Syrian crisis and the developments in Egypt, Libya and the Iranian nuclear file, along with the peace process in the Middle East and global economic conditions. Continue reading
