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The Middle East is being reshaped but it is unclear what will emerge next, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Monday as he highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the future of Palestine.
He told a high-level UN Security Council meeting that the region was “in a period of profound transformation – rife with uncertainty, but also possibility”.
“We have a responsibility to help make sure the people of the Middle East come out of this turbulent period with peace, dignity and a horizon of hope grounded in action,” Mr Guterres added.
He expressed particular concern about an “existential threat” to Gaza and the occupied West Bank. A total or partial annexation of the West Bank by Israel “would constitute a most serious violation of international law”, he warned. Mr Guterres pointed out that senior Israeli officials have discussed the possibility of formally annexing parts of the West Bank in the near future.
“Israeli administrative changes over the past two years have streamlined and accelerated the settlement approval process,” he said. “As a result, control over many aspects of planning and daily life in Area C of the West Bank has been transferred to Israeli civilian authorities.”
Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler, said recently that 2025 would be “the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria”, referring to the name Israel uses for the West Bank.
The Palestine Authority’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Varsen Aghabekian, said the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem were being breached by Israel and settlers “without any accountability”.
She said Israeli authorities aimed to undermine the two-state solution and weaken the official institutions of the state of Palestine.
Ms Aghabekian reaffirmed the importance of unity and national identity under the “umbrella of the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organisation]”, which she described as the “only legitimate” representative of the Palestinian people.
“It also requires everyone to commit to the PLO political programme and international commitments and to work under one regime, one law and a single armed force,” she said.
Israel has maintained a firm position against allowing either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza after the war, describing either scenario as “a reward” for the attacks on October 7, 2023.
US deputy ambassador Dorothy Shea welcomed the Palestinian leadership’s recent statements emphasising how Hamas is placing the interests of Tehran over that of the Palestinian people and thereby bringing about the destruction in Gaza.
"We have an historic opportunity to dramatically transform the Middle East. It is long past time for the fighting to end and the work of building peace and security to begin," she said.
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
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
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
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
