There will be at least 55 funerals today as Palestinians mark the 70th anniversary of an enduring occupation; 55 funeral rites and prayers read over the bodies of victims as young as 12 and 55 handfuls of earth scattered on their graves – earth from the very soil they are repeatedly and ritually denied from calling their own. The tragedy of the Palestinian plight is that this is nothing unusual; it amounts to yet more blood spilled in the falsehood peddled by Israel of protecting a state when in reality, it has been stolen from Palestinians.
But today's Nakba Day is not simply a moment to remember the violent, brutal dispossession of 700,000 Palestinians in 1948. In the 70 years since, Israel's efforts to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from the land have continued in earnest, through land occupation, ritual degradation and the denial of basic necessities like water and electricity. Today, while the diaspora of seven million Palestinians are spread across the Middle East and beyond, those in the occupied territories continue to inhabit an open-air prison. Any hope of real change and of a two-state solution to the conflict was all but shattered yesterday when the United States embassy moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. As besuited officials applauded politely in a masquerade of civility, 50 miles away on the border with Gaza, at least 55 Palestinians were being murdered and 1,800 injured by Israeli soldiers in protests. When will the world wake up to the brutality of an army that wilfully spills the blood of those it occupies?
Conflict in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere often diverts attention from Palestine but the grinding, unrelenting injustice cannot be forgotten. It is all too easy to fall back on hand-wringing but what the Palestinian people need is a fair and just solution – and one that can help stabilise the region. This is more than just a historic moment to remember the losses that continue to plague an entire people. It is a reminder of all the principles entrenched in trying to reach that solution, upheld over the years, at their heart the notion that Jerusalem is a shared capital. The US embassy move has violated those parameters. "We extend to Israel the right we extend to any other nation: the right to designate its capital city," boasted David Friedman, the US ambassador to Israel, at the embassy opening. But where is that right for Palestinians?
The Israeli cabinet is already advancing plans to build settlements in East Jerusalem. A peaceful resolution has rarely looked more remote. Successive US administrations have insisted that recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital would present a security threat and undermine the US's role as an honest broker; instead, Mr Trump has given Israel licence to occupy Jerusalem. It is in the interests of Israelis as much as Palestinians to find a peaceful path for co-existence. Without it, there can only be more bloodshed and violence. "Our greatest hope is peace," Mr Trump said. It is not yet clear how this peace will come about with the current developments but it is imperative to find a path to it.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
