President Donald Trump's nominee to be the next US ambassador to the UN, Elise Stefanik, has refused to say if Palestinians have the right to self-determination.
At her confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Ms Stefanik repeatedly sidestepped questions from Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, saying: “I support human rights for all.”
She added: “We need to ensure that we are standing up for human rights, and Israel is standing up for human rights, it's the beacon of human rights.”
The hearing, which comes a day after Mr Trump's inauguration, saw an emboldened hostility towards the UN and a more aggressively pro-Israel posture as Republicans work to permanently defund the UN's Palestinian relief agency UNRWA.
Ms Stefanik told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that she agrees with Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that Israel has a biblical claim to the occupied Palestinian territories and condemned what she called “the anti-Semitic rot inside the United Nations”.
She said that Mr Trump has endorsed a “commitment to defunding” UNRWA and advocated for transitioning support for Palestinians away from the agency and moving efforts under the purview of the UNHCR.
“We should never tolerate any US taxpayer funds going towards terrorism … [UN agencies] still need reform efforts and modernisation, but they don't have the terror ties that UNRWA had,” she told the committee.
Democratic committee member Senator Chris Murphy argued that UNRWA had addressed "almost all" of Washington's concerns and that most partners had resumed funding.
"You cannot keep the peace if you don't feed people," Mr Murphy told The National after the hearing. "I just think if you're sincere about peace in that region, you've got to find a way to be supportive of the reformed."
Pro-Israel and anti-UNRWA sentiment is not new in Washington, but is expected to grow more strident under the new administration and Republican-led Congress.
The Democratic Joe Biden administration was frequently a global outlier in the use of its veto power on Security Council efforts to pass Gaza ceasefire resolutions. The Biden administration also halted US funding to UNRWA in the aftermath of claims that some of its employees had participated in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
According to the State Department, the pause prevented approximately $300,000 in unobligated FY2024 funds and just over $2.5 million in obligated but unpaid balances for FY2023 from being disbursed to UNRWA.
Republicans have since worked to make cuts permanent, including Senator James Risch, who has previously said the whole of Congress wants to completely shut UNRWA down. Nearly every Republican on the committee asked Ms Stefanik about the Palestinian relief agency.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, warned last week that agency’s disintegration jeopardises the Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal, and would “immeasurably” worsen Palestinian living conditions in Gaza.
The nominee, currently a Republican congresswoman, has been a leading conservative voice on Israel on Capitol Hill, equating anti-Zionism to anti-Semitism.
Senator Tom Cotton, the Republican leading legislation to strip the term occupied West Bank from any official US reference and instead use the Judeo-Christian “Judea and Samaria”, was one of the leaders to introduce Ms Stefanik at the confirmation hearing.
Republicans heralded the Abraham Accords as an example of diplomatic success that had “absolutely no involvement” of the UN.
Mr Risch praised the Accords, which he said would be “looked at in history as a turning point … so we can do these things. We put a tremendous amount of money into the United Nations to do things that we can do.”
Senator Jean Shaheen, the top Democrat on the committee, noted she believes Ms Stefanik is “qualified” but issued concerns about the Trump nominee's move to defund the UN and “its specialised agencies”, as well as the broader anti-UN rhetoric from the Trump administration.
Ms Shaheen countered that the UN is “flawed” but a “force multiplier” for the US.
Mr Murphy also pressed Ms Stefanik on Elon Musk's alleged fascist salute at the Trump inaugural parade on Monday.
Ms Stefanik defended Mr Musk, a supporter with a cozy relationship to Mr Trump and the world's richest man, and said the gesture was not a Nazi salute.
“Elon Musk did not do those salutes … that is simply not the case, to say so the American people are smart, they see through it,” she said. “What concerns me is this is what the question you are most important to ask the UN ambassador.”
Mr Murphy accused her response as a partisan defence that diminishes the credibility of her work to combat anti-Semitism: “I simply don't believe that if a member of the [progressive] squad made that same gesture last night that there wouldn't be commentary from you and others,” he said.
Ms Stefanik also added that Washington must be “cautious and judicious” with the new leadership in Syria, and said that UNSC 2254 is “a starting point” for international policy towards Syria in the aftermath of the historic ousting of Bashar Al Assad.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
AT%20A%20GLANCE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWindfall%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAn%20%E2%80%9Cenergy%20profits%20levy%E2%80%9D%20to%20raise%20around%20%C2%A35bn%20in%20a%20year.%20The%20temporary%20one-off%20tax%20will%20hit%20oil%20and%20gas%20firms%20by%2025%20per%20cent%20on%20extraordinary%20profits.%20An%2080%20per%20cent%20investment%20allowance%20should%20calm%20Conservative%20nerves%20that%20the%20move%20will%20dent%20North%20Sea%20firms%E2%80%99%20investment%20to%20save%20them%2091p%20for%20every%20%C2%A31%20they%20spend.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EA%20universal%20grant%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EEnergy%20bills%20discount%2C%20which%20was%20effectively%20a%20%C2%A3200%20loan%2C%20has%20doubled%20to%20a%20%C2%A3400%20discount%20on%20bills%20for%20all%20households%20from%20October%20that%20will%20not%20need%20to%20be%20paid%20back.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETargeted%20measures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMore%20than%20eight%20million%20of%20the%20lowest%20income%20households%20will%20receive%20a%20%C2%A3650%20one-off%20payment.%20It%20will%20apply%20to%20households%20on%20Universal%20Credit%2C%20Tax%20Credits%2C%20Pension%20Credit%20and%20legacy%20benefits.%0D%3Cbr%3ESeparate%20one-off%20payments%20of%20%C2%A3300%20will%20go%20to%20pensioners%20and%20%C2%A3150%20for%20those%20receiving%20disability%20benefits.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ICC Intercontinental Cup
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (captain), Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Saqlain Haider, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Naveed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Boota, Amir Hayat, Ashfaq Ahmed
Fixtures Nov 29-Dec 2
UAE v Afghanistan, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Hong Kong v Papua New Guinea, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Ireland v Scotland, Dubai International Stadium
Namibia v Netherlands, ICC Academy, Dubai
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Date: Sunday, November 25
Pathaan
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'Project Power'
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback
Director: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman
Rating: 3.5/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
MATCH INFO
Iceland 0 England 1 (Sterling pen 90 1)
Man of the match Kari Arnason (Iceland)
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
John%20Wick%3A%20Chapter%204
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The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The Specs:
The Specs:
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 444bhp
Torque: 600Nm
Price: AED 356,580 incl VAT
On sale: now.
