Education campaigner Malala Yousafzai raised the alarm over Britain's foreign aid cuts which she said could hinder her drive to ensure schooling for girls.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner, 23, spoke to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday and said she applauded his dedication to girls' education.
But she said she was "concerned he won't reach his goal of helping 40 million girls go to school" unless Britain restores its commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid.
The commitment was reduced to 0.5 per cent in a spending review last year, in a cut which ministers blamed on the "seismic impact of the pandemic".
Ms Yousafzai's warning comes after a string of charities including Oxfam and Save The Children joined a statement condemning the aid cuts as a "tragic blow for many of the world's most marginalised people".
The charities accused ministers of "making cuts with no consideration for the human harm they will cause".
"These cuts will trim UK borrowing by a fraction, but devastate lives across many of the world’s poorest countries," the statement backed by 200 NGOs read.
"The UK’s hard-won reputation for international leadership in aid is in tatters."
Ms Yousafzai also called on the UK to commit £600 million ($831m) to the US-based Global Partnership for Education.
The UK committed £225m to the project in 2018 in a three-year plan that expires this year.
Britain is due to co-host a Global Partnership summit with Kenya later this year.
Asked to respond to Ms Yousafzai's comments, Downing Street pointed to a tweet by Mr Johnson which said the UK was using its G7 presidency to lead efforts to get more girls into school.
"I spoke to Malala this morning about how girls' education is one of the smartest investments countries can make as we build back better," Mr Johnson said.
Ms Yousafzai became the world's most famous education activist after her campaign for girls' schooling led to an assassination attempt by the Taliban when she was a teenager.
After recovering from the shooting, she became the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate at 17. Last summer she graduated from the University of Oxford.
Last year she was among those to urge Britain not to cut its foreign aid commitments during the spending review.
However, the cut was announced in November in what ministers described as an "overhaul" of foreign aid.
The government insisted when the cut was announced that the reduction to overseas aid was temporary.
The 0.7 per cent threshold would be restored when the fiscal situation allows for it, ministers said.
The move drew criticism at the time from former UK prime ministers David Cameron and Tony Blair.
The cuts come in a year in which Britain tries to position itself as a global leader by chairing the G7 and the Cop26 climate summit.
Campaigners say the budget cuts hit 32 of the 45 countries most at risk from climate change.
“As the host of Cop26, the UK has a huge opportunity and responsibility to bring the world together behind a plan to tackle climate change and support the communities worst affected,” said Save The Children's chief executive Kevin Watkins.
“Calling on other countries to do more while the UK does less is a dereliction of leadership.”
STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
THE%20HOLDOVERS
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The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos
Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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THE SPECS
GMC Sierra Denali 1500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Price: Dh232,500
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
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Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
Planes grounded by coronavirus
British Airways: Cancels all direct flights to and from mainland China
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific: Cutting capacity to/from mainland China by 50 per cent from Jan. 30
Chicago-based United Airlines: Reducing flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong
Ai Seoul: Suspended all flights to China
Finnair: Suspending flights to Nanjing and Beijing Daxing until the end of March
Indonesia's Lion Air: Suspending all flights to China from February
South Korea's Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and Jin Air: Suspend all flights
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)