Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
The US on Thursday urged the UN Security Council to press Hamas to accept the bridging proposal put forward by the US, Egypt and Qatar in order to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza.
“We now have a path forward to save lives, bring relief to the people of Gaza, get the hostages back home and de-escalate regional tensions. Again, Israel has accepted the bridging proposal. Now Hamas must do the same,” said US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
“As members of this council, we must speak with one voice and we must use our leverage to press Hamas to accept the bridging proposal, which includes massive and immediate benefits for the Palestinians in Gaza and incorporates a number of Hamas's earlier demands.”
Ms Thomas-Greenfield’s remarks come as Washington attempts yet another diplomatic blitz aimed at bringing about a ceasefire and securing the release of Israeli hostages from Hamas custody in Gaza.
Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travelled to Israel, Egypt and Qatar in his ninth trip to the Middle East since October 7.
Mr Blinken met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and a host of other leaders, but once again failed to push the ceasefire efforts markedly forward.
Hours after Mr Blinken concluded his trip, President Joe Biden was back on the phone with Mr Netanyahu.
In a call with the Israeli leader on Wednesday, Mr Biden “stressed the urgency of bringing the ceasefire and hostage release deal to closure”, the White House said.
At the UN, Ms Thomas-Greenfield said this was a “decisive moment” in the Middle East.
“It is urgent that we secure a ceasefire and a hostage deal now – not soon, but now.”
That was a call echoed by many at the Security Council, but the Palestinian ambassador asked what had been stopping the council from enacting a ceasefire before.
“For more than two and a half months, who stopped you from implementing Resolution 2735, which starts with a ceasefire?” Riyad Mansour asked the council.
“Are you willing to act? Are you willing to do something on the basis of what you approved, or do you want to continue giving excuses for the Israeli occupying authorities to continue killing?”
The Israeli ambassador hit back after Mr Mansour's speech, accusing him of never issuing a condemnation of Hamas.
“Mr Mansour, if you cannot condemn them, you are one of them. You do not represent the Palestinian people,” said the Israeli representative Danny Danon. “You are a terrorist in a suit.”
Tor Wennesland, the UN special co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, told the council that the spiralling crisis in the Middle East has left the region at an “inflection point”.
“With all of these negative trends, and after more than 300 days of warning Gaza, we are at an inflection point in the Middle East and a ceasefire and hostage release deal is imperative now, for regional peace and security,” he said.
The UN diplomat urged both Israel and Hamas to “reach a deal in the coming days”.
“There is simply no time to lose,” he said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Leading all-time NBA scorers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Kobe Bryant 33,643
Michael Jordan 32,292
LeBron James 31,425
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
SAUDI RESULTS
Team Team Pederson (-40), Team Kyriacou (-39), Team De Roey (-39), Team Mehmet (-37), Team Pace (-36), Team Dimmock (-33)
Individual E. Pederson (-14), S. Kyriacou (-12), A van Dam (-12), L. Galmes (-12), C. Hull (-9), E. Givens (-8),
G. Hall (-8), Ursula Wikstrom (-7), Johanna Gustavsson (-7)
The five pillars of Islam
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: South Africa, field first
Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48
South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
