Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Seventeen judges led by an American and a Russian and including one each from Israel and South Africa sat on the panel which dismissed Israel's request to throw out a case accusing it of genocide in Gaza.
The judges on the International Court of Justice, the UN's highest judicial body, deliberated for two weeks behind closed doors on South Africa's request to order a halt to Israel's offensive.
The keenly awaited verdict on the Gaza war was delivered in The Hague on Friday. Judges stopped short of ordering a ceasefire but demanded that Israel try to contain death and damage in its military offensive.
The ICJ has 15 permanent judges who serve a nine-year term, are elected by UN members and swear to be impartial as they hear disputes between states.
In addition, a country involved in a dispute may nominate an “ad hoc judge” to hear its case, if there is nobody of that nationality already on the bench.
Both Israel and South Africa made use of that right when the court held oral hearings on January 11 and 12 to hear the claim the Palestinians are being subjected to genocide.
Israel chose its former supreme court president Aharon Barak, who was sworn in with South Africa's former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke.
Why did Ugandan judge vote against the ICJ’s Israel-Gaza order?
In an 11-page dissent, Ugandan ICJ judge Julia Sebutinde has revealed why she disagreed with the court’s ruling on the Israel-Gaza war.
Ms Sebutinde cast the only dissenting vote on the 17-judge panel apart from Israeli appointee Aharon Barak.
She argued the dispute was “essentially and historically a political one” between Israel and the Palestinians rather than a legal matter for the court.
Provocative statements by senior Israeli officials, relied on by South Africa as evidence of genocidal intent, were “taken out of context” and referred to Hamas rather than the Palestinian people, Ms Sebutinde wrote.
In addition, she argued the order to Israel to do everything possible to prevent genocide merely restates its existing duties under international law and “is therefore redundant”.
German judge Georg Nolte meanwhile voted with the majority “even though I do not find it plausible that the military operation is being conducted with genocidal intent”.
He did so because the “dehumanising and discriminate language” used by Israeli officials gives rise to the risk of future violations of the genocide convention, according to a five-page justification of his vote.
Obama adviser leads judges
The only judge to speak during the hearings was court president Joan Donoghue, a US lawyer who advised on foreign policy under Barack Obama's administration.
Elected to the court in 2010, she became president in 2021, succeeding Somalia's Abdulqawi Yusuf, who still sits on the bench. Ms Donoghue's term on the court expires next month.
Russia's Kirill Gevorgian, a career diplomat, is the court's vice president but he too will soon leave the ICJ after UN Security Council members failed to back him for another term.
Candidates must win a majority of votes in the UN General Assembly (97 votes) and Security Council (eight votes). The court's statute says they must be of “high moral character”.
Mix of countries
Electors are asked to take to ensure the court represents “the main forms of civilisation and the principal legal systems of the world”. No country can have two judges in The Hague.
Morocco, Lebanon, Somalia, China, France, Germany, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Slovakia, Uganda, India and Jamaica each have a judge on the court.
Mohamed Bennouna of Morocco is one of the court's longest-serving members, sitting in The Hague since 2006 after previously working on the war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Lebanon's Nawaf Salam, a former ambassador to the UN, took his seat in 2018. He has remained in The Hague despite persistent rumours he could parachute into domestic politics as Lebanese prime minister.
India's Dalveer Bhandari assumed his role the same year after pipping British candidate Christopher Greenwood, leaving the UK unrepresented for the first time.
Peter Tomka (Slovakia), Ronny Abraham (France), Xue Hanqin (China), Julia Sebutinde (Uganda), Patrick Robinson (Jamaica), Yuji Iwasawa (Japan), Georg Nolte (Germany), Hilary Charlesworth (Australia) and Leonardo Nemer Caldeira Brant (Brazil) are also hearing the Israel-South Africa case.
Judges decide cases by majority vote, with Ms Donoghue as president holding the power to break a tie. Members of the court receive an annual salary of $191,263, with a $25,000 bonus for the president.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Atalanta v Juventus (6pm)
AC Milan v Napoli (9pm)
Torino v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Sunday
Bologna v Parma (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Lazio (6pm)
Roma v Brescia (6pm)
Verona v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Udinese (9pm)
Lecce v Cagliari (11.45pm)
Monday
SPAL v Genoa (11.45pm)
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
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Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
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- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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%3Cp%3ESixteen%20boys%20and%2015%20girls%20have%20gone%20on%20from%20Go-Pro%20Academy%20in%20Dubai%20to%20either%20professional%20contracts%20abroad%20or%20scholarships%20in%20the%20United%20States.%20Here%20are%20two%20of%20the%20most%20prominent.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeorgia%20Gibson%20(Newcastle%20United)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20reason%20the%20academy%20in%20Dubai%20first%20set%20up%20a%20girls%E2%80%99%20programme%20was%20to%20help%20Gibson%20reach%20her%20potential.%20Now%20she%20plays%20professionally%20for%20Newcastle%20United%20in%20the%20UK.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMackenzie%20Hunt%20(Everton)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAttended%20DESS%20in%20Dubai%2C%20before%20heading%20to%20the%20UK%20to%20join%20Everton%20full%20time%20as%20a%20teenager.%20He%20was%20on%20the%20bench%20for%20the%20first%20team%20as%20recently%20as%20their%20fixture%20against%20Brighton%20on%20February%2024.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Three stars
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
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%3Cp%3EThe%20influx%20of%20talented%20young%20Afghan%20players%20to%20UAE%20cricket%20could%20have%20a%20big%20impact%20on%20the%20fortunes%20of%20both%20countries.%20Here%20are%20three%20Emirates-based%20players%20to%20watch%20out%20for.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EHassan%20Khan%20Eisakhil%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMohammed%20Nabi%20is%20still%20proving%20his%20worth%20at%20the%20top%20level%20but%20there%20is%20another%20reason%20he%20is%20raging%20against%20the%20idea%20of%20retirement.%20If%20the%20allrounder%20hangs%20on%20a%20little%20bit%20longer%2C%20he%20might%20be%20able%20to%20play%20in%20the%20same%20team%20as%20his%20son%2C%20Hassan%20Khan.%20The%20family%20live%20in%20Ajman%20and%20train%20in%20Sharjah.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMasood%20Gurbaz%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20opening%20batter%2C%20who%20trains%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Academy%2C%20is%20another%20player%20who%20is%20a%20part%20of%20a%20famous%20family.%20His%20brother%2C%20Rahmanullah%2C%20was%20an%20IPL%20winner%20with%20Kolkata%20Knight%20Riders%2C%20and%20opens%20the%20batting%20with%20distinction%20for%20Afghanistan.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOmid%20Rahman%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20fast%20bowler%20became%20a%20pioneer%20earlier%20this%20year%20when%20he%20became%20the%20first%20Afghan%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE.%20He%20showed%20great%20promise%20in%20doing%20so%2C%20too%2C%20playing%20a%20key%20role%20in%20the%20senior%20team%E2%80%99s%20qualification%20for%20the%20Asia%20Cup%20in%20Muscat%20recently.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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0-100kmh in 9.4 seconds
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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