Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Iran’s Foreign Minister warned on Thursday that if Israel's assault on Gaza persists, the US will “not be spared from this fire”.
“I say frankly to the American statesmen, who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome expansion of the war in the region,” Hossein Amirabdollahian told the 193 member states at the UN General Assembly in New York.
“But if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire.”
He added that “West Asia is our region” and that Iran does not compromise “when it comes to our home’s security”.
US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that Washington has not ruled out retaliation after the Pentagon said American forces had been attacked by Iran-backed militants at least 13 times in the Middle East in recent days.
“My warning to the Ayatollah [Ali Khamenei] is that if they continue to move against those troops, we will respond and he should be prepared,” Mr Biden told reporters.
During his speech at the UN, Mr Amirabdollahian disclosed that Hamas is prepared to release civilian hostages but that “the world should support the release of 6,000 Palestinian prisoners”.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran stands ready to play its part in this very important humanitarian endeavour, along with Qatar and Turkey," said.
The UN General Assembly is scheduled on Friday to vote on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.
The draft ceasefire resolution circulated by the Arab Group, which includes that UAE, featured calls for accountability, compliance with international humanitarian law and unrestricted aid.
Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called on member states to “unite for justice” by voting for the resolution.
“Let's unite for the rights of every Palestinian and every Israeli child to live free from the horrors of war … free from fear and looking for a life full of promise and full of opportunity.”
Israel's UN ambassador Gilad Erdan noted that this is not a war against the Palestinians but rather war with “the genocidal jihadist Hamas terror organisation”.
“Israel will continue combating the genocidal terrorists committed to our destruction,” he said. “We will not rest until Hamas is obliterated and our hostages are returned home. And we will bring them home.”
UN General Assembly resolutions lack legal binding authority, unlike Security Council resolutions.
Inside the Gaza Strip – in pictures
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
Notable cricketers and political careers
- India: Kirti Azad, Navjot Sidhu and Gautam Gambhir (rumoured)
- Pakistan: Imran Khan and Shahid Afridi (rumoured)
- Sri Lanka: Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan (rumoured)
- Bangladesh (Mashrafe Mortaza)
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
INFO
What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
