Israel has no right over Jerusalem in international law. But since 1967, asserting its authority with brute force, it has annexed every inch of the ancient city, home to the holy sites of three faiths. It has been able to do this because the world has looked away. US president Donald Trump has not only legitimised the illegal occupation of Jerusalem by conferring unilateral recognition on the city as Israel's capital; he is now seeking to punish the Palestinians for protesting their own dispossession by cutting aid totalling $65 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency, which has played a vital role in helping Palestinian families displaced by the illegal occupation. The "dignity and human security of millions of Palestine refugees", the agency said in a statement, is now in jeopardy.
Those in the international community who have remained silent are complicit in Israel's actions. But those with a conscience can still make a difference. As Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday at the World Conference in Support of Jerusalem hosted by the Al Azhar university in Cairo: "Visits by Muslims, Arabs and Christians lend support to the city, amount to the protection of its holy sites and give support to its residents." Israel, he said, must feel the glare of the world. "If there are no visitors," Mr Abbas reminded the world, "the occupier can deal with the citizens as they wish and kick them out."
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Read more
Abbas urges Arabs to visit Jerusalem
Israel judge orders Ahed Tamimi to remain in custody until trial ends
Palestinian refugees across Middle East brace for Trump aid cuts
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Palestinians of all ages live in a perpetual state of fear of expulsion or detention. Israeli soldiers are at liberty to burst into the homes of Palestinian families and cart away people at any hour. In December they did just that with Ahed Al Tamimi, the teenager who was filmed slapping an Israeli soldier stationed in her village. For this offence, she has been accorded the kind of treatment ordinarily reserved for terrorists and murderers. The military court at which she was arraigned refused to grant her bail and on Wednesday a judge declared that "the gravity of the offences of which she is accused does not allow an alternative to custody".
Against the milieu of crimes Israel so routinely perpetrates against the Palestinians, from corralling people into walled-off effective prisons to bombing entire villages and cities, even to categorise Ahed's action as an offence seems risible – or would seem risible, had Israel been a normal state. Tragically, it is anything but. The commentator Gideon Levy once observed that Israel has gobbled up so much Palestinian land that what's left is fit for an amusement park, not a state. Al Azhar university has declared 2018 the Year of Jerusalem. Where others have elected to turn a blind eye to Israel's atrocities, choosing to be a witness can be a courageous act of solidarity with the Palestinians.
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
Results
2pm: Handicap Dh 90,000 1,800m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,950m; Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Classic Conditions Dh300,000 1,400m; Winner: Thegreatcollection, Adrie de Vries, Doug Watson.
4pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Oktalgano, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Conditions Dh250,000 1,400m; Winner: Madame Ellingtina, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Mystery Land, Fabrice Veron, Helal Al Alawi.
5.30pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,000m; Winner: Shanaghai City, Jesus Rosales, Rashed Bouresly.
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
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
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Timeline
1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line
1962
250 GTO is unveiled
1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company
1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens
1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made
1987
F40 launched
1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent
2002
The Enzo model is announced
2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi
2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled
2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives
2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company
2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street
2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
