The UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process welcomed an announcement that the Palestinian prime minister would return to Gaza on Monday after Hamas disbanded its administrative committee in the territory.
Nicolay Mladenov, the Secretary General’s envoy, spoke to the Security Council by video link after a visit to Gaza in which he pledged support for the restoration of government control over local services.
Rami Hamdallah, the prime minister, announced he would hold a cabinet meeting on his return to establish control over ministries and agencies after talks in Egypt ended a 10-year impasse over the Gaza administration.
Mr Mladenov said the move presented an opportunity to accelerate the rebuilding of Gaza and bring closer the end of the Israeli blockade. “The breakthrough decision of the defacto Gaza leadership to dissolve the administrative committee will boost fiscal sustainability, economic recovery and Gaza reconstruction,” he said.
Mr Hamdallah said in a post on his Facebook page that he will "head to the beloved Gaza Strip next Monday, heading the government and alongside all commissions, authorities and security bodies."
Officials have hailed the deal as a crucial moment and urged all involved to extract maximum benefits from the understandings achieved in talks on reconciliation earlier this month in Cairo.
The biggest immediate challenge facing Mr Hamdallah was finding a way to address the severe shortage of electricity in Gaza so that he can show real benefit to residents. During the dispute the Palestinian government had cut payments to Israel for electricity supplies to the enclave, leading to cuts in power to less than four hours on some days, and never more than six hours a day. The cabinet will also face pressure to reverse a 30 per cent cut in the salaries of the 60,000 Gazans employed as public servants.
Palestinian consensus government spokesman Yousef Al Mahmoud declared earlier on Monday that the government will hold a weekly cabinet meeting in Gaza city next Tuesday for the first time in two years.
Abdulatif Al Qanou, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, issued a statement that his movement welcomes Mr Hamdallah's decision to come to Gaza, hold his weekly cabinet meeting and handover the various ministries.
"Hamas wishes success to the consensus government in all its missions, duties and responsibilities, and hopes that the government will withdraw all the punitive measures which had been taken against Gaza and its people," he said.
The UN envoy also warned that accelerating settlement building in East Jerusalem poses an immediate threat to the homes of more than 500 Palestinians.
Despite intensified efforts by the White House to restart talks between Palestinian and Israel negotiators, Mr Mladenov said efforts to build across the 1967 dividing lines were undermining diplomacy.
“Increasing settlement activity is making a sustainable peace process increasingly unattainable and undermines the Palestinian faith in international efforts,” he said.
The UN envoy said that Israel had granted for 2,300 settlement units since his least report, 30 per cent more than in all of 2016. Evictions in Sheikh Jarrah and other parts of East Jerusalem had soared since the passage of Security Council resolution 2334 last December that demanded Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, demanded Security Council action to censure Israel for its intensified building activity since the resolution was passed. “Israel after 10 months has not respected 2334 or implemented it or stopped illegal behaviour,” he said. “It is not only in defiance, it has went in the opposite direction of intensifying settlement activities.
“What is the UN secretary general going to do with a member state that is defying the security council? The Security Council must step up. Israel is in contempt. The government is determined to make all of Jerusalem, including East Jerusalem, its eternal capital.”
Going into the meeting, Matthew Rycroft, the British ambassador, also warned that the overall outlook for diplomatic efforts was gloomy. “It’s hard to see how this is going to have a positive breakthrough,” he said. “In all honesty it is hard to see how the two sides come together given how far they are apart.”
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
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.
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
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
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 biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
FIGHT CARD
Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:
Toss: Australia, chose to bat
Australia: 272-9 (50 ov)
Khawaja 100, Handscomb 52; Bhuvneshwar 3-48
India: 237 (50 ov)
Rohit 56, Bhuvneshwar 46; Zampa 3-46
Player of the Match: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
Player of the Series: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Scoreline
Saudi Arabia 1-0 Japan
Saudi Arabia Al Muwallad 63’
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Company%20profile
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SHADOWS%20AND%20LIGHT%3A%20THE%20EXTRAORDINARY%20LIFE%20OF%20JAMES%20MCBEY
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Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FIXTURES
Fixtures for Round 15 (all times UAE)
Friday
Inter Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Saturday
Atalanta v Verona (6pm)
Udinese v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Juventus (11.45pm)
Sunday
Lecce v Genoa (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (6pm)
SPAL v Brescia (6pm)
Torino v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Parma (9pm)
Bologna v AC Milan (11.45pm)
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
