A surging number of wars and less global co-operation are putting women in dire peril, as numbers living close to conflict zones climb to their highest in three decades, UN Women chief Sima Bahous warned on Monday.
“Today, 676 million women and girls live within reach of deadly conflict, the most since the 1990s,” Ms Bahous told the UN Security Council at a debate marking the 25th anniversary of UN Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
The landmark resolution, passed in 2000, calls for women’s full participation in building peace and protection from violence.
In a recent report, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres highlighted progress made over the past quarter of a century, which includes more than 100 countries adopting national action plans.
“But gains are fragile and, very worryingly, going in reverse,” Mr Guterres warned. “Around the globe, we see troubling trends in military spending, more armed conflicts, and more shocking brutality against women and girls.”
He said sexual violence has also surged, with a 35 per cent rise in incidents against girls. In some places, they accounted for nearly half of all victims.
“And while women’s organisations remain lifelines for millions in crisis, they are being starved of resources,” Mr Guterres said, quoting a recent survey by the UN, which promotes gender equality globally.
The survey revealed that 90 per cent of local women-led groups in conflict zones are in dire financial straits, with nearly half expected to shut down within six months.
Abuses in Gaza
Human rights lawyer Noura Erakat, who was the second Palestinian woman to brief the UN Security Council since October 7, 2023, delivered a stark account of the toll the conflict has taken on women and girls.
The Palestinian American said that in Gaza, one woman and one girl have been killed every hour for the past 730 days, describing the pattern as part of a broader assault on Palestinian existence.
Ms Erakat detailed how Israeli attacks on the reproductive capacity of Palestinian women and girls “collectively aim to eliminate the possibility of a Palestinian future”.
“The systematic sexual abuse and torture of Palestinians in captivity, including rape of men, women and children, filmed forced nudity, and electrocution of genitalia have resulted in mental and physical trauma that impede an ability to engage in sexual intimacy at all,” she said.
In addition to the trauma of incessant bombing, Ms Erakat said, hunger, disease and attacks on medical centres make it is impossible for women to meet basic needs, let alone exercise their sexual and reproductive rights.
"It is a struggle for Palestinians to survive, let alone conceive in Gaza," she said.
Ms Erakat cautioned that US President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan for the enclave, unveiled last week, must not come at the expense of justice.
The plan calls for an immediate ceasefire once Hamas releases all hostages, the group's disarmament, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Indirect talks began Monday in Egypt's resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, with mediators shuttling between delegations under tight security.
“Despite the recent enthusiasm to end this war, the terms of the current proposal are setting up Palestinians to live under permanent occupation and siege,” Ms Erakat told the Security Council. “The end of this genocide cannot come at the expense of accountability and justice for its survivors.”
After her briefing to the council, she told The National that the latest US peace proposal “is full of illegalities".
“Everybody is focused on ending the genocide and understandably so,” Ms Erakat said. “But in doing so, they’re taking for granted all the other provisions.
"The proposal as it stands is proposing colonisation, permanent occupation, a tighter siege, and the denial of Palestinian self-determination. It offers no accountability for genocide and would effectively whitewash it, as if it never happened.”
She said the plan would hold only the Palestinian militant group Hamas accountable through demilitarisation and a transfer of power, while ignoring Israeli violations in Gaza.
“All the terms of the proposal as is are illegal. So when you ask about the continuation of violence in the West Bank, I would say it’s a continuation, and a proliferation, of violence, extending even to Palestinians globally,” Ms Erakat said.
“The only reason there is support for it is because the United States would finally impose pressure on Israel to stop the genocide … pressure it always had the power to exert.”
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
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NBA Finals so far
(Toronto lead 3-1 in best-of-seven series_
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
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INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
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Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
TOUR RESULTS AND FIXTURES
June 3: NZ Provincial Barbarians 7 Lions 13
June 7: Blues 22 Lions 16
June 10: Crusaders 3 Lions 12
June 13: Highlanders 23 Lions 22
June 17: Maori All Blacks 10 Lions 32
June 20: Chiefs 6 Lions 34
June 24: New Zealand 30 Lions 15 (First Test)
June 27: Hurricanes 31 Lions 31
July 1: New Zealand 21 Lions 24 (Second Test)
July 8: New Zealand v Lions (Third Test) - kick-off 11.30am (UAE)
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
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Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
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Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
