A Palestinian refugee family warm themselves by a fire in their house during cold weather in Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. Mohammed Saber/ EPA
A Palestinian refugee family warm themselves by a fire in their house during cold weather in Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. Mohammed Saber/ EPA

India quadruples financial contribution to UN agency for Palestinian refugees



India has announced it will quadruple its contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The Indian government has committed to the increase for the next three years in response to an urgent appeal by UNRWA for help.

"The Government of India has increased its annual contribution for UNRWA from US$1.25 million to US$5 million from 2018 for three years. This enhancement was made in the backdrop of the unprecedented financial crisis being faced by UNRWA, which has been delivering valuable public services to Palestine Refugees around the world," the Ministry stated.

UNRWA defines Palestine refugees as “persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict.” Around five million Palestinians are eligible for UNRWA services today, according to the organisation’s website.

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The announcement follows Narendra Modi’s visit to Ramallah in February, the first time an Indian Prime Minister has visited Palestine.

Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Pierre Krahenbuhl, visited New Delhi recently to seek further support from the Indian government. Following the visit, Sushma Swaraj, India’s Minister of External Affairs, appealed to other countries within Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) for help in increasing humanitarian relief efforts.

"I can think of no better way to manifest in a practical manner, NAM solidarity for the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people," Ms Swaraj said during a NAM meeting in New York in September 2017.

In January the US froze two planned payments worth more than $100m to UNRWA, citing the agency’s performance as the reason.

However, UNRWA said that diplomatic tensions were behind the freeze, following President Donald Trump’s decision to formally recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December. The Palestinian leadership refused to have anything to do with the Trump administration after the move.

President Trump claimed that the US pays "HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS" to Palestine and gets "no appreciation or respect".

"With the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?" he tweeted days before the payment freeze.

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The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
  • 2018: Formal work begins
  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
  • October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
  • November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Business Insights
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City's slump

L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT

Aston Villa 1
Samatta (41')
Manchester City 2
Aguero (20')
Rodri (30')

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Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning. 
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval. 
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
 

Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage

Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid 

Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani

Rating: 4/5

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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  • Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
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  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

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Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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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Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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