The US on Thursday called on Ethiopia’s government to end the suffering in Tigray amid growing concerns of human rights violations and widespread suffering in the northern region.
After closed-door UN Security Council talks, US ambassador to the world body Linda Thomas-Greenfield said fighting in Tigray was having "devastating consequences for thousands of innocent people" and threatened the region's security.
The council met amid growing alarm over the crisis in Tigray, where more than five million people are caught up in fighting between Ethiopian and allied troops and those backing the fugitive Tigray leaders who once dominated the government.
“The onus to prevent further atrocities and human suffering falls squarely on the Ethiopian government's shoulders,” Ms Thomas-Greenfield said after council talks did not reach an agreement.
“We urge the Ethiopian government to support an immediate end to the fighting in Tigray.
"And to that end, the prompt withdrawal of Eritrean forces and Amhara regional forces from Tigray are essential steps.”
There have been new reports of rape and murder in Tigray, where clashes between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s federal troops and members of the former Tigray People’s Liberation Front have claimed thousands of lives since they began in November.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield says that ending Tigray's conflict will be a priority for the Biden administration in March when the US, a major aid donor to Ethiopia, holds the Security Council's rotating presidency.
International media and relief workers have struggled to gain access to the mountainous region, but refugees leaving Tigray and others have spoken of rape, looting, massacres and other horrors.
The UN's Geneva-based human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, earlier on Thursday described reports of "sexual and gender-based violence, extrajudicial killings" and property damage.
Ms Bachelet called for an independent assessment of refugees’ witness accounts.
A preliminary investigation has found that Ethiopia’s army, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, the Eritrean military and troops and militia from the neighbouring Amhara region may have been responsible for serious human rights abuses, she said.
“Without prompt, impartial and transparent investigations and holding those responsible accountable, I fear violations will continue to be committed with impunity, and the situation will remain volatile for a long time to come,” Ms Bachelet said.
Amnesty International’s regional director in Africa, Sarah Jackson, said it was time to send “an international, impartial investigation to monitor and report” on alleged war crimes and other abuses in Tigray.
“Given the complexity and gravity of the situation, a UN-led investigation, rather than a joint investigation with Ethiopian institutions, is urgently needed to establish the truth and lay the foundations for accountability,” Ms Jackson said.
Action by the UN’s top body appeared unlikely on Thursday, given disagreements between its permanent members Britain, France, the US, Russia and China.
The National contacted Ethiopian and Eritrean diplomats for comment, but neither UN mission responded.
Addressing closed-door talks of the 15-nation council, UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said that 4.5 million people in Tigray urgently need food, water, medicine and other assistance.
A lack of fresh water and washing facilities left locals at risk of waterborne diseases, measles and Covid-19, while less than a quarter of the region’s 205 health centres are fully open, a UN spokesman said.
“Much more needs to be done to get aid to people who need it,” he said.
Estonia’s UN envoy, Sven Jurgenson, said it was “unacceptable” that people in Tigray had gone without food, water and health care for the past four months.
Mr Jurgenson urged Ethiopia’s government to “step up its efforts to provide the basic services”.
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
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Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
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Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
Plastic tipping points
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
Tomorrow 2021
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
War on waste
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National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
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Mustafa Alrawi: To get the 'jab' done, there must be patience and empathy
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Tomorrow 2021
While you're here
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
AT%20A%20GLANCE
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
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School uniforms report
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
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Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
----
Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
----
Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
Kareem Shaheen on Canada
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Vikram%20Vedha
The specs
Engine 60kwh FWD
Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power 204hp Torque 360Nm
Price, base / as tested Dh174,500
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
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Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
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World Mental Health Day
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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- Sam Williams: Departure is influenced by its sense of place
Mina Al-Oraibi: Suleimani death casts a long shadow over decade ahead
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National Editorial: Hezbollah's murky dealings in Iraq have been unveiled
