The UN's special rapporteur for the Palestinian territories on Tuesday urged countries to make concrete moves to stop the “genocide” in Gaza.
Francesca Albanese spoke to delegates from 30 countries who met in Colombia’s capital to discuss the Israel-Gaza war and ways that nations can try to stop Israel’s military offensive in the territory.
“Each state must immediately review and suspend all ties with the state of Israel … and ensure its private sector does the same,” Ms Albanese said. “The Israeli economy is structured to sustain the occupation that has now turned genocidal.”
She stressed the importance of completely cutting ties. “Cutting ties only with the components that are in the occupied territories would only treat the symptoms,” Ms Albanese said.
She has previously accused Israel of carrying out one of the “cruellest genocides in modern history”.
The two-day conference is the first meeting of the Hague Group, a collection of developing countries who have vowed to uphold the rulings of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court with respect to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Many of the countries attending have described what is happening in Gaza as genocide, which Israel has rejected.
It is not clear whether the conference's participating countries have enough influence over Israel to force it to change its policies in Gaza, where more than 58,300 people have been killed in Israeli military operations. They followed a deadly Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed about 1,200 people.
The conference is co-chaired by the governments of South Africa and Colombia. South Africa in late 2023 filed a case with the ICJ, accusing Israel of committing genocide. Colombia in May last year cut relations with Israel in response to the Gaza war, and has requested to join South Africa's ICJ case.
Colombia’s vice minister for foreign affairs, Mauricio Jaramillo, said on Monday that the nations taking part in the Bogota meeting, which also include Qatar and Turkey, will be discussing diplomatic and judicial measures that can put more pressure on Israel to stop its attacks.
Mr Jaramillo described Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as an affront to the international order.
“This is not just about Palestine,” he told reporters. “It is about defending international law … and the right to self-determination.”
Ms Albanese's comments and her attendance at the event come after the US imposed sanctions against her over her efforts to have the ICC take action against US and Israeli officials, companies and executives.
The move came after a February executive order by US President Donald Trump placed sanctions on the ICC and anyone assisting its work.
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
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Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
SRI LANKS ODI SQUAD
Perera (capt), Mendis, Gunathilaka, de Silva, Nissanka, Shanaka, Bandara, Hasaranga, Udana, Dananjaya, Dickwella, Chameera, Mendis, Fernando, Sandakan, Karunaratne, Fernando, Fernando.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
RESULTS FOR STAGE 4
Stage 4 Dubai to Hatta, 197 km, Road race.
Overall leader Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Stage winners: 1. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal) 2. Matteo Moschetti ITA (Trek - Segafredo) 3. Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The burning issue
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
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Company%20Profile
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- 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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