The US on Friday said it will deny and revoke visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the Palestinian Authority seeking to attend next month’s UN General Assembly in New York, where France is leading an effort to recognise a Palestinian state.
A State Department official confirmed on Saturday that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is among the officials who will be denied a visa. "Abbas is affected by this action along with approximately 80 other PA officials," a State Department official said.
The State Department said waivers would be granted for the Palestine mission at the UN.
The move will serve to undermine an international push at the General Assembly in September, when several nations including Canada and Australia, have said they will recognise Palestinian statehood. France and Saudi Arabia will host a meeting at the start of the assembly to focus on the two-state solution.
Washington, firmly aligned with Israel, says statehood amounts to a reward for the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023.
“Before the PLO and PA can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism including the October 7 massacre and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by US law and as promised by the PLO,” a State Department statement read on Friday.
Under an agreement as host of the UN in New York, the US is not supposed to refuse visas for officials heading to the world body.
But the US has targeted Palestinian officials by visa denials, including when former leader Yasser Arafat tried to go to the UN in 1988 and 1990.
Other figures seen as hostile to the US including former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Libya's Muammar Qaddafi and former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez all had visas to visit the UN.
“We call upon the American administration to reverse its decision," said Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh on Saturday. "This decision will only increase tension and escalation.
“We have been in contact since yesterday with Arab and foreign countries, especially those directly concerned with this issue. This effort will continue around the clock."
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Saturday he “deplores” the US decision.
"The UN headquarters is a sanctuary in the service of peace. It should not be subject to any access restrictions,'' he said after meeting with his counterparts from around the EU.
The EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas issued a statement about the revoked visas. ‘’In light of the existing headquarters agreements between the UN and its host state, we urge for this decision to be reconsidered,'' she said.
Friday's move is the latest in a series of steps the Trump administration has taken to target Palestinians with visa restrictions and comes as the Israeli military declared Gaza's largest city a combat zone.
Richard Gowan, UN director at the International Crisis Group, told The National it was “one more sign of how the UN is a symbolic battlefield in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”.
Mr Gowan said the move would also “provide ammunition for other UN members whose officials have run into visa restrictions on visiting New York, like the Russians, to argue that the UN should quit Manhattan or at least conduct more business in other centres like Geneva”.
The State Department also suspended a programme that had allowed injured Palestinian children from Gaza to travel to the US for medical treatment after a social media outcry by conservatives.
The Palestinian presidency called Friday's move unlawful and called on the Trump administration to reconsider and reverse its decision.
“The presidency stressed that this decision contravenes international law and the Headquarters Agreement, especially since the state of Palestine is an observer member of the United Nations,” Wafa news agency reported.
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar hailed the US move as a “bold step”.
“We thank [President Donald Trump] and the administration for this bold step and for standing by Israel once again,” Mr Saar posted on his official X account.
The State Department said the PA must end its attempts to bypass negotiations through “international lawfare campaigns”, including appeals to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, and “efforts to secure the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state.”
“Both steps materially contributed to Hamas’s refusal to release its hostages, and to the breakdown of the Gaza ceasefire talks.”
Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley said blocking international diplomats from participating in UN debates “damages American leadership in the world and undermines the ability of the UN to serve as a forum for debating and addressing challenging world issues.”
The US said it remains open to re-engagement “that is consistent with our laws, should the PA/PLO meet their obligations and demonstrably take concrete steps to return to a constructive path of compromise and peaceful coexistence with the state of Israel.”
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters at the UN that he hopes the matter will be resolved.
“It is important that all member states and permanent observers be able to be represented, especially, in this case with, as we know, the upcoming two-state solution meeting that that France and Saudi Arabia will host at the beginning of the General Assembly,” he said.
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.
Oppenheimer
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Motori Profile
Date started: March 2020
Co-founder/CEO: Ahmed Eissa
Based: UAE, Abu Dhabi
Sector: Insurance Sector
Size: 50 full-time employees (Inside and Outside UAE)
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Safe City Group
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
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Uefa Champions League play-off
First leg: Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Ajax v Dynamo Kiev
Second leg: Tuesday, August 28, 11pm (UAE)
Dynamo Kiev v Ajax
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go...
Flying
There is no simple way to get to Punta Arenas from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi requiring at least two connections to reach this part of Patagonia. Flights start from about Dh6,250.
Touring
Chile Nativo offers the amended Los Dientes trek with expert guides and porters who are met in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. The trip starts and ends in Punta Arenas and lasts for six days in total. Prices start from Dh8,795.
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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Get inspired
Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).
Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.
Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).
TOUR RESULTS AND FIXTURES
June 3: NZ Provincial Barbarians 7 Lions 13
June 7: Blues 22 Lions 16
June 10: Crusaders 3 Lions 12
June 13: Highlanders 23 Lions 22
June 17: Maori All Blacks 10 Lions 32
June 20: Chiefs 6 Lions 34
June 24: New Zealand 30 Lions 15 (First Test)
June 27: Hurricanes 31 Lions 31
July 1: New Zealand 21 Lions 24 (Second Test)
July 8: New Zealand v Lions (Third Test) - kick-off 11.30am (UAE)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth