Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Progressive Democratic politicians in Washington on Thursday announced they are seeking a meeting with US President Joe Biden to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.
“We want to hear directly from President Biden,” said Cori Bush, who co-wrote a letter to Mr Biden with Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American congresswoman.
“The majority of voters in this country want a ceasefire … people in this country do not want to be complicit in the atrocities that are happening in Gaza."
The congressional leaders cited a recent poll from Data For Progress that found 77 per cent of Democrats, 69 per cent of Independents and 56 per cent of Republicans wanted "a permanent ceasefire and a de-escalation of violence in Gaza".
Ms Bush added that she and Ms Tlaib were sending the letter to underscore “the urgency of this growing catastrophe”, with an expected Israeli offensive looming over Rafah, the last area of relative safety for Palestinians in Gaza.
Meanwhile at the White House, Mr Biden warned of additional urgency and complications in continuing ceasefire negotiations after Israel was accused of killing scores of hungry Palestinians waiting for food aid.
“We’re checking that out right now; there are two competing versions of what happened. I don’t have an answer yet,” the President said.
The letter from progressive Democrats also follows party voters in Ms Tlaib's state of Michigan casting more than 100,000 protest votes against Mr Biden in Tuesday’s primary election.
He still won the crucial swing state but the “uncommitted” votes against him are could spell trouble in November’s presidential election.
Democratic Representative Ayanna Pressley, who broke down in tears at the press conference over the situation in Gaza, said the Michigan results “made it plain voters are not happy with the United States’ handling of the war in Gaza, and President Biden must change course".
“From Massachusetts to Michigan and all the way to the Middle East, our destinies are tied and our shared humanity is on the line,” Ms Pressley said.
“In case the White House needed any more convincing, I’ll remind them not only is a ceasefire good policy, it is good politics … a ceasefire is the mandate.”
Ms Tlaib has supported the "uncommitted" movement, but when pressed on how that sentiment would translate to the general election, in which Mr Biden is presumed to face off once again against Donald Trump, she emphasised that the President must earn the votes of the pro-ceasefire voting bloc.
“I am incredibly, incredibly scared of a second term for Trump,” she said.
“Our democracy is at stake and I'm asking the President – and I think many of us are saying – change course, because you're threatening literally our democracy. Please."
Gaza protest in Washington - in pictures
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
Indian construction workers stranded in Ajman with unpaid dues
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Where to submit a sample
Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
Anna and the Apocalypse
Director: John McPhail
Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Mark Benton
Three stars
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
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Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
WWE Super ShowDown results
Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title
Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party
Randy Orton beats Triple H
Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley
Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
The Undertaker beat Goldberg
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
