Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
The war in Gaza must stop, the UN Secretary General has told The National, warning of the risks of the conflict proliferating across the region.
“We are seeing a horrible situation in Gaza, with the unprecedented number of people killed and level of destruction that never existed in my mandate as the Secretary General,” said Antonio Guterres, referring to the aftermath of Hamas's October 7 attacks and the suffering of people in the enclave.
In an in-depth interview in New York, Mr Guterres warned that “we are seeing the risks of this conflict spreading to Lebanon, to other parts of the Middle East”.
“We must absolutely avoid a situation which we will have in Lebanon, a situation of deaths and destruction similar to the one that we have in Gaza,” he said.
Settlements are illegal. Grabbing of land is illegal. What we have is a massive violation of international law that needs to stop
Antonio Guterres
On October 7, Hamas fighters infiltrated southern Israel, and killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities. In response, Israel began a military operation to destroy Hamas, which has been in power in Gaza since 2007. Its land and air offensive has killed more than 41,200 people so far, according to the enclave's health authorities.
As the war approaches its anniversary and ceasefire talks overseen by the US, Egypt and Qatar remain deadlocked, Mr Guterres expressed hope for a “complete ceasefire”.
When asked if the UN is failing in its peace mandate as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government continues to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank in defiance of international law, the UN chief responded sharply, saying: “It is not the UN that fails.
“What we see is a constant violation of international law. Settlements are illegal. Grabbing of land is illegal. The International Court of Justice has said that the occupation itself is illegal, and what we have is a massive violation of international law that needs to stop.”
Mr Guterres acknowledged the UN's limited ability to enforce these laws: “Unfortunately, the UN does not have the capacity to make it stop." But, he said: “Our voice will remain clear and loud in defence of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination.
“International humanitarian law must be respected, and the protection of civilians is essential. So, the fact that Hamas might violate international humanitarian law does not give any excuse for Israel to do the same."
Despite the conflict and high regional tensions, Mr Guterres said that “hope is the last thing we should lose”.
“Negotiations are going on and … problems that exist are relatively minor if there is political will to solve them.”
He urged all parties involved to demonstrate the political will necessary to end the conflict. “My appeal is for the parties to show, finally, political will to put an end to this horrible tragedy,” Mr Guterres said.
He said it was “absolutely essential” that Israel recognises that whatever has happened in Gaza, there needs to be a solution wherein Israelis and Palestinians can live together side by side in peace and security.
“There is no alternative to the two-state solution,” he said. “Can you imagine a one-state solution in which millions of Palestinians would live without any rights, victims of discrimination in a way that it would be totally unacceptable in present times?”
Mr Netanyahu has not returned the Secretary General’s calls since October, leaving Mr Guterres with little hope for a breakthrough during the General Assembly's High Level Week, set to begin on Sunday.
Mr Guterres said the attacks made by Mr Netanyahu and his government against the UN and its head “are unfair and meaningless”.
On Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi attacks on shipping in support of Hamas, he said the “escalation is also something that should stop”.
“We are having the situation of violation of the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea that's having a very negative impact in the global economy, and particularly in the economy of the countries of the region. And the freedom of navigation is an absolutely essential principle,” he said.
Six UNRWA staff among 18 killed in Israeli bombing of Gaza school
Mr Guterres will also call for an end to Sudan's devastating conflict and for unrestricted humanitarian aid during talks with Sudanese military leader Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan at the High Level Talks next week.
The war, which erupted in April last year after rising tension between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has plunged the nation of 50 million into crisis. More than half of the population now faces acute hunger.
The UN chief said he would make a “strong appeal” to end of the war and call for “humanitarian aid to be freely distributed across the country”.
“It's important that the international community mobilises in all possible forms to make these two actors understand that this war is causing a devastating impact in the people of Sudan, that this war must stop.”
RESULT
Valencia 3
Kevin Gameiro 21', 51'
Ferran Torres 67'
Atlanta 4
Josip Llicic 3' (P), 43' (P), 71', 82'
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
UAE and Russia in numbers
UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years
Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018
More than 3,000 Russian companies are registered in the UAE
Around 40,000 Russians live in the UAE
The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Elvis
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The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
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
Results
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Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
SHAITTAN
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
