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.
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Saudi Cup race day
Schedule in UAE time
5pm: Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Cup (Turf), 5.35pm: 1351 Cup (T), 6.10pm: Longines Turf Handicap (T), 6.45pm: Obaiya Arabian Classic for Purebred Arabians (Dirt), 7.30pm: Jockey Club Handicap (D), 8.10pm: Samba Saudi Derby (D), 8.50pm: Saudia Sprint (D), 9.40pm: Saudi Cup (D)
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2018 Maserati Levante S
Price, base / as tested: Dh409,000 / Dh467,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 430hp @ 5,750rpm
Torque: 580Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.9L / 100km
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 571bhp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh431,800
Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 455bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: from Dh431,800
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
