On Friday, the Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al Maliki made a last-minute plea to US President Donald Trump to reconsider the so-called Middle East peace plan devised by his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Speaking at Chatham House in London, Mr Al Maliki urged European countries to support Palestinians in their efforts to alter the terms of the deal. He also revealed that at a secret retreat, held in Dublin in February, European and Arab envoys had drawn up a letter to the US president. The message, which was sent by the Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney, aimed to persuade the US to review its current approach, which, according to Mr Al Maliki, promises to give a "stamp of approval to Israel's colonial policies".
Reportedly, the content of Mr Trump's much-touted "deal of the century" will be revealed next month. Given the president's close ties to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US administration's record of pro-Israel policies, there is little chance that the plan will bring peace to the region. In the past year-and-a-half, Mr Trump has taken a series of unilateral decisions that have been detrimental to Palestinians. These include the decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, declaring the divided city Israel's capital, slashing hundreds of millions of dollars in funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and recognising the occupied Golan Heights as Israeli. After narrowly winning an election in April, Mr Netanyahu presides over the most right-wing government in Israeli history. Mr Trump's plan is expected to legitimise further Israel's aggressive settlement of Palestinian land and its brutal oppression of the Palestinian people. Many believe it will be the final nail in the coffin of Palestinian statehood – a prospect that threatens to destabilise the entire region.
Palestinians are vehemently against the deal. "The world left the steering wheel in the hands of a reckless driver," said Mr Al Maliki. "We disregard the view that we should wait until the reckless driver goes over the cliff or runs over the Palestinian people before doing something about it." As it is their future on the line, the demands of Palestinians must be heard, considered and acted upon. During his address, Mr Al Maliki said that a deal that ignores independence, sovereignty, freedom and justice will never be acceptable to Palestinians. These four basic rights have to form the cornerstones of any political solution. Palestinians have fought for their right to exist for the past 80 years. Now, as they face such seemingly unassailable forces, it is clear that the fight for justice is not, in Mr Al Maliki's words, their "responsibility alone".
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Mountain%20Boy
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The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
RESULT
Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)
FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Sevilla v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Athletic Bilbao v Real Sociedad (7.15pm)
Eibar v Valencia (9.30pm)
Atletico Madrid v Alaves (11.45pm)
Sunday
Girona v Getafe (3pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7.15pm)
Las Palmas v Espanyol (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Deportivo la Coruna (11.45pm)
Monday
Malaga v Real Betis (midnight)
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
