Organisation of Islamic Cooperation secretary general Dr Yousef Al Othaimeen (left) chats with Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al Malki during an extraordinary meeting of the OIC's foreign ministers in Istanbul on August 1, 2017. Murad Sezer / Reuters
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation secretary general Dr Yousef Al Othaimeen (left) chats with Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al Malki during an extraordinary meeting of the OIC's foreign ministerShow more

Metal detector removal at Al Aqsa 'small victory in long battle for freedom'



Israel's removal of metal detectors and security cameras from Al Aqsa mosque compound was "a small victory in the long battle for freedom", the Palestinian foreign minister told the main grouping of the world's Muslim nations on Tuesday in Istanbul.

But Riyad Al Malki accused Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to change the longstanding agreement whereby only Muslims are allowed to pray inside Al Aqsa mosque compound, although anyone can visit, including Jews.

"Netanyahu will try again to impose his status quo and we should prepare for the next round which could come very soon and be very nasty," he added.

Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu chaired the extraordinary meeting of his counterparts from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which Ankara had called in its current capacity as chairman of the body to discuss the crisis that erupted in Jerusalem last month.

Turkey has full diplomatic relations with Israel after resolving a crisis in ties last year but president Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains vehemently critical of its policy towards the Palestinians.

The meeting brought together foreign ministers and top officials from key Muslim nations, including Saudi foreign minister Adel Al Jubeir and his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Israel angered the Islamic world by installing metal detectors and security cameras at Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, known as Haram Al Sharif, following a July 14 attack in which Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli policemen.

The move sparked protests and deadly unrest, and last week the Israeli government removed the detectors and cameras.

Mr Cavusoglu said it was time Muslim countries started to help the Palestinians "not just with words but with actions".

"We must act to protect the Al Aqsa mosque and Palestine," he said. He reaffirmed a call made by Mr Erdogan on all Muslims to visit Jerusalem.

Last year Turkey and Israel ended a rift triggered by Israel's deadly storming in 2010 of a Gaza-bound ship that left 10 Turkish activists dead. The two sides have since embarked on a close energy cooperation venture to pipe Israeli gas to Turkey.

But Mr Erdogan, who regards himself a champion of the Palestinian cause, is still often critical of Israeli policy. His comments on the latest crisis have been among his toughest on Israel since the reconciliation deal.

The OIC's Saudi secretary general, Dr Yousef Al Othaimeen, meanwhile, called upon member states, financial institutions, both public and private sectors and individuals to provide all forms of assistance to the people of Jerusalem, particularly in the critical sectors, such as education, housing and health, according to the UAE's state news agency, Wam.

He said Monday's meeting was important in order to co-ordinate the efforts of OIC member states to confront Israeli plans to take control of Al Aqsa, which Israel has blockaded and isolated from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories.

Dr Al Othaimeen added that the continuation of Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Jerusalem placed singular and collective responsibility on the shoulders of member states who he said should assume responsibility for ending Israeli aggressions and infractions at Al Aqsa.

* Reporting by Agence France-Presse

Squid Game season two

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

The bio

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France

Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines

Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.

Favourite Author: My father for sure

Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst

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.
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

MATCH INFO

What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

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RESULTS

6.30pm Handicap (TB) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

Winner Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

7.05pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,410m

Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

7.40pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner Switzerland, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar

8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m

Winner Lord Giltters, Adrie de Vries, David O’Meara

8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.

9.25pm Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Land Of Legends, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor

10pm Dubai Dash Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,000m

Winner Equilateral, Frankie Dettori, Charles Hills.

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'Joker'

Directed by: Todd Phillips

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix

Rating: Five out of five stars

Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.

Stat of the day - 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.

The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227 for four at the close.

Pieces of Her

Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick   

Director: Minkie Spiro

Rating:2/5

Sustainable Development Goals

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

10. Reduce inequality  within and among countries

11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects

14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
If you go

The flights 

Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.

The trip

The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore  offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.

The hotel

There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.

 

 

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.