"The world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today." A statement from Associated Press (AP) President and CEO, Gary Pruitt, concluded with this simple line, after Israeli warplanes bombed and destroyed a Gaza building that housed the agency's offices on Saturday.
There will be complicated diplomatic consequences of this strike on a site that housed two major media outlets. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has already called Mr Pruitt to express his "unwavering support for independent journalists". But the fundamental loss of Saturday's strike is that the stock of accurate stories about Palestine-Israel is now diminished in the ruins of Al Galaa tower.
The bombing also threatens norms around the protection of conflict reporters. Journalist Fares Akram captured the fear that many in the industry were already feeling. “The Associated Press office is the only place in Gaza city I feel somewhat safe. The Israeli military has the co-ordinates of the high-rise, so it’s less likely a bomb will bring it crashing down”, he wrote for AP just before the strike. For media organisations old and new this is no longer a war on which they just report, but arguably one that they also have to survive.
Accurate information is not just threatened by bomb-laden warplanes
Traditional outlets are not the only front in Palestine-Israel's information war. Social media beams images, videos, opinions, even poetry and art depicting the conflict to millions. The National has reported on the work of Sheikh Jarrah resident Mohammed Al Kurd, for example, a writer whose posts now reach 350,000 followers and beyond.
As is so often the case in modern unrest and war, the medium itself has become part of the story. Instagram and Twitter are facing accusations of censoring pro-Palestinian content, something which the companies have blamed not on human bias but algorithmic inconsistencies. Not all are convinced. Tech companies have angered sections within the Palestinian cause before. In 2016, Google was accused of removing references to Palestine on Google Maps. In 2019, global renting platform Airbnb was involved in controversy surrounding its decision on whether or not to list properties that were located in Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.
Why all the attention on tech? Because the reach of its material matters. Whether it helps is another question. Accurate information is not just threatened by bomb-laden warplanes. Millions of views have been clocked up on videos depicting partisan mobs attacking innocent victims on both sides, stoking anger and division. Some posts that claim they show today's fighting turn out to be from years ago. This makes the role of journalists – local and international – all the more important in getting out the facts.
Yesterday's destruction of the Al Galaa building is a dramatic reminder of the increasing dangers that reporters face as they carry out their essential work. Media organisations will not be deterred; AP’s very foundation in 1846 happened because of the Mexican-America War. But with one of the agency's offices now turned to rubble, the work of journalists is even more important.
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The team
Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud
Sukuk explained
Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
