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Palestinian archaeological site Tell Umm Amer has been added to the Unesco World Heritage List.
Its inclusion comes after an emergency nomination due to the Israel-Gaza war. The announcement was made as part of the ongoing session of the organisation's World Heritage Committee, which runs until Wednesday in New Delhi.
In addition to the international recognition of its history and heritage, being part of the World Heritage List provides the settlement access to emergency funding and technical assistance from Unesco to protect and preserve the site.
Located south of Gaza city, Tell Umm Amer dates back to the fourth century. It is home to the ruins of the monastery of Saint Hilarion with its two churches, a burial site, a baptism hall, a public cemetery, an audience hall and dining rooms.
As part of its 2012 submission to the Unesco World Heritage Tentative List, an inventory of cultural and heritage sites preceding the World Heritage List, the Permanent Delegation of Palestine to Unesco highlighted Tell Umm Amer’s significance to the origins of Christianity in Palestine.
“The monastery of Saint Hilarion is one of the rare sites in its architectural elements and which bears an exceptional historical, religious and cultural testimony. The monastery used to be an important station on the crossroads between Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Mesopotamia,” it read.
"The site is tangibly associated with the phenomenon of the flowering of monastic desert centres in Palestine during the Byzantine period. Saint Hilarion’s monastery was perhaps a centre of missionary work in the Gaza region, seemingly isolated in the desert but actually at the centre of affairs at communications crossroads.”
More than 200 of Palestine's historical and archaeological sites have been damaged or destroyed since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war, according to a statement from the Palestinian Ministry of Culture on January 1.
These include the 1,400-year-old Al Omari Mosque, Gaza's oldest, whose minaret was left standing amid the rubble after an Israeli military offensive. Also destroyed was the Hamam Al Sumara, the only functioning bathhouse remaining in Gaza and dating back to 1320.
Palestine currently has four sites on the World Heritage List – the Church of Nativity of Bethlehem, first completed in 339; the village of Battir in southern Jerusalem famed for its olive groves and vine fields; and the Tell es Sultan site (also known as Ancient Jericho) that contains archaeological deposits dating back to 10,500 BC.
As part of the latest session by Unesco's World Heritage Committee, three other sites from a list of 28 hail from the Middle East, each of which will be considered for addition to the list over the next several days.
These are Umm Al Jimal, an ancient town in northern Jordan with a history dating back to the Nabataean period between the first century BC and second century; the Al Faw archaeological area in Saudi Arabia, a site of a once-bustling city in the Arabian Peninsula that flourished between the fourth century BC and the fourth century; and Hegmataneh and Historical Centre of Hamedan, considered one of Iran's oldest inhabited cities with a history dating back to the first millennium BC.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
The line up
Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego
Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh
Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Scotland's team:
15-Sean Maitland, 14-Darcy Graham, 13-Nick Grigg, 12-Sam Johnson, 11-Byron McGuigan, 10-Finn Russell, 9-Ali Price, 8-Magnus Bradbury, 7-Hamish Watson, 6-Sam Skinner, 5-Grant Gilchrist, 4-Ben Toolis, 3-Willem Nel, 2-Stuart McInally (captain), 1-Allan Dell
Replacements: 16-Fraser Brown, 17-Gordon Reid, 18-Simon Berghan, 19-Jonny Gray, 20-Josh Strauss, 21-Greig Laidlaw, 22-Adam Hastings, 23-Chris Harris
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LILO & STITCH
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Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
