More than 300 public figures have signed an open letter calling on the British government to cease what they describe as its “complicity in the horrors in Gaza.”
The letter was initiated by the UK-based charity Choose Love and is addressed to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. It features figures from across the entertainment industry, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Dua Lipa, Annie Lennox, Tilda Swinton and Riz Ahmed.
“We urge you to take immediate action to end the UK’s complicity in the horrors in Gaza,” the letter, obtained by Sky News, reads. “Right now, children in Gaza are starving while food and medicine sit just minutes away, blocked at the border. Words won’t feed Palestinian children – we need action. Every single one of Gaza’s 2.1 million people is at risk of starvation, as you read this.
“Mothers, fathers, babies, grandparents – an entire people left to starve before the world’s eyes," the letter continues. "290,000 children are on the brink of death – starved by the Israeli government for more than 70 days.”
The letter urges the British government to block sales of UK arms to Israel. It also calls for immediate humanitarian access to Palestinians for aid agencies, and for the UK to help in brokering a ceasefire.
“Words won’t save the lives of Palestinian children as they are being killed, words won’t fill their empty stomachs,” Josie Naughton, co-founder and chief executive of Choose Love, said in the open letter.
“We need action from Keir Starmer now. That means stopping all arms sales and licences, making sure that legitimate humanitarian organisations can reach people in Gaza. It means doing everything possible to make these horrors end. Action is a choice, just as inaction is one. History will remember what we did in this moment. We are begging the Prime Minister to make the right choice.”
The letter was co-signed a handful of Arab figures, including surgeon Dr Ghassan Abu Sitta and filmmakers Farah Nabulsi and Waad Al Kateab.
“History is written in moments of moral clarity,” the letter concludes. "This is one. The world is watching and history will not forget. The children of Gaza cannot wait another minute. Prime Minister, what will you choose? Complicity in war crimes, or the courage to act?”
Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 54,084 Palestinians and injured 123,308 since October 7, 2023, the enclave's Health Ministry said on Wednesday. Israel resumed military operations in the territory on March 18 ending a two-month ceasefire. Since then, 3,924 people have been killed. The Israeli military began its offensive after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel and killed 1,200 people.
The complete list of signatories:
- Abigail Lawrie
- Abnit Nijjar
- Afua Hirsch
- Aimee Croysdill
- Aisling Bea
- Aiysha Hart
- Alewya
- Alex Eagle
- Alex Hannaby
- Alex Lockwood
- Alex Lawther
- Alex Boateng
- Alexei Sayle
- Alexi Lubomirski
- Alexis Bamforth
- Alice Aedy
- Alison Oliver
- Amalia Vitale
- Amanda Rajkumar
- Amber Massie-Blomfield
- Amelia Dimoldenberg
- Amy Jackson
- Anais Aida
- Andi Oliver
- Andrea Kapos
- Andrea Riseborough
- Andrew Wilkinson
- Andy Sewell
- Anna Chancellor
- Anna Hussain
- Annabelle Wallis
- Annie Lennox
- Annie Mac
- Anoushka Shankar
- April De Angelis
- Asif Kapadia
- Basma Khalifa
- Becky Bowe
- Becky Hill
- Bella Freud
- Ben Howard
- Benedict Cumberbatch
- Bill Paterson
- Brian Cox
- Brian Eno
- Caitriona Balfe
- Callum Grieve
- Camilla Brady
- Camilla Whitehill
- Camille Charriere
- Candice Brathwaite
- Carmen Busquets
- Cassandra Stavrou
- Cathy Runciman
- Cecily Eno
- Celina Teague
- Charlene Ryan
- Charlie Waterhouse
- Charlie Murphy
- Charlie Brooker
- Chloe Abrahams
- Chris O’Dowd
- Clare Patey
- Clover Hogan
- Cosima Davies
- Courttia Newland
- Dame Harriet Walter
- Dame Tracey Emin DBE RA
- Dan Smith
- Daniel Lismore
- Danny Boyle
- David Lan
- Dawn O’Porter
- Dawn Butler
- Daze Aghaji
- Deanna Rodger
- Deborah Curtis
- Deborah Frances-White
- Deirdre Moran
- Denise Gough
- Dermot O’Leary
- Díana Bermudez
- Dr Ghassan Abu-Sitta
- Dr Inua Ellams MBE, FRSA, FRSL
- Dr James Smith
- Dua Lipa
- Dylan Brady
- Ed Burnside
- Ed Gillespie
- Edward Davis
- Eleanor Tomlinson
- Elizabeth Slade
- Ellis Howard
- Emma Findlay
- Emma Naomi
- Eve De Haan
- Eve Ensler
- Everyday Racism
- Farah Nabulsi
- Farrah O'connor
- Federico Gaggio
- Felix White
- Fisayo Akinade
- Frederica Lovell-Pank
- Gary Lineker
- Geoff Lumb
- George Gwynne
- Giada Lubomirski
- Gideon Berger
- Giles Duley
- Giles Taylor
- Gizzi Erskine
- Grace Campbell
- HAAi
- Hannah Menzies
- Hannah Lowe
- Harriet Walter
- Harry Williams
- Hildegard Bechtler
- Himesh Patel
- Ian Drysdale
- Ian Kershaw
- Ian Rickson
- Ieuan Williams
- Imad Al Arnab
- Imran Yusuf
- Indira Varma
- Isabella Nefar
- Jack Casey
- Jack Rooke
- Jake Dunn
- James Smith
- James McVey
- Jamie Byng
- Jan Woolf
- Jemima Khan
- Jen Brister
- Jess Mills
- Jessica Fostekew
- Jessie Ware
- Jo Rendle
- Joel Gray
- Joel Murphy
- John Fass
- John Keane
- John Lithgow
- Johnny Bleasdale
- Jolyon Maugham KC
- Jolyon Rubinstein
- Jon Hopkins
- Jonathan Pryce
- Jordan Stephens
- Joy Crookes
- Julie Hesmondhalgh
- Juliet Stevenson
- Juno Dawson
- Katharine Hamnett
- Kathy Lette
- Katie Davies
- Katie Leung
- Kelly Eastwood
- Kerry McDermott
- Khalid Abdalla
- Konnie Huq
- Laline Paull
- Lara Savikl
- Laura Hawkins
- Laura Whitmore
- Laura Bailey
- Lauren Lyle
- Lauren Mayberry
- LED BY DONKEYS
- Lee Hall
- Lena De casparis
- Lena Headey
- Lennie Ware
- Leyla Hussein
- Liam Smith
- Lilly Heine
- Lily Cole
- Linda Maitland
- Lise Mayer
- Livia Giuggioli Firth
- Lolly Adefope
- Lorna Tucker-McGarvey
- Lottie Coll
- Louisa Young
- Love Ssega
- Lydia West
- Mabel
- Mackenzie Davis
- Maddy Neghabian
- Mae Martin
- Malcolm Garrett
- Marcia Cross
- Margo Mars
- Mark Grimmer
- Mark Ruffalo
- Marli Siu
- MASSIVE ATTACK
- Matt Black
- Matt Haig
- Max Porter
- Maxine Peake
- Meera Soda
- Melisa Basol
- Merck Mercuriadis
- Mhoira Leng
- Michael Collins
- Michelle Mao
- Misan Harriman
- Mohsan Alvi
- Morgan Spector
- Moss Barclay
- Munroe Bergdorf
- Myriam Francois
- Nabhaan Rizwan
- Nadia Sawalha
- Najjib Rahman
- Nancy Strang
- Nansi Nsue
- Natalie Pinkham
- Nathalie Emmanuel
- Nathaniel Curtis
- Neil Griffiths
- Neneh Cherry
- Nicholas Donovan
- Nicola Coughlan
- Nicola Thorp
- Nicole Cox
- Nihal Arthanayake
- Nikesh Shukla
- Nikesh Patel
- Nikita Gill
- Nilly (Pauline) Brook
- Nish Kumar
- Noé Sébert
- Noomi Rapace
- Olivia Marcus
- Olivia West
- Oluwakemi Davies
- Omar Abdel-Mannan
- Onjali Q Rauf
- Ophelie Bedier
- Paapa Essiedu
- Paloma Faith
- Patrick Walker
- Paul Ewen
- Paul Laverty
- Paul Reynolds
- Payzee Mahmod
- Pete Wyer
- Peter Straughan
- Phoebe Collings-James
- Poppy Ajudha
- Primal Scream
- Professor Jacqueline Rose
- Rachel Chinouriri
- Raghib Ali
- Rebecca Hall
- Rehana Kapadia
- Richard Bacon
- Riz Ahmed
- Robert Diament
- Robert Gilbert
- Roger Hartley
- Rosa Hesmondhalgh
- Rose Williams
- Rosie O’Donnell
- Ruby Stokes
- Ruth Negga
- Sabrina Mahfouz
- Sadie Frost
- Salena Godden
- Sam Fender
- Sam Roddick
- Samuel West
- Savannah Miller
- Scott ODonnell
- Seamus McGarvey
- Shalini Peiris
- Shappi Khorsandi
- Sharmadean Reid
- Sharon Watson
- Shelagh Wright
- Sheridan Kates
- Shola Mos-Shogbamimu
- Siobhan McSweeney
- Sophia Di Martino
- Sophie Hunter
- Sophie Willan
- Stephen Kapos
- Steve Coogan
- Sunetra Sarker
- Susan Wokoma
- Sydney Lima
- Sylvia Banafsheh Brook
- Taban Shoresh OBE
- Tadhg Hickey
- Tallulah Greive
- Tanya Haj-Hassan
- Tilda Swinton
- Tim McInnerny
- Tobias Menzies
- Toby Jones
- Tom Rutherford
- Tony ‘Gad’ Robinson
- Tracey Seaward
- Twana Omer
- Tyler Richardson
- Tyson McVey
- Vic Hope
- Victoria Harwood
- Victoria Moseley
- Waad Al Kateab
- Waleed Elgadi
- Will Attenborough
- Will Sharpe
- WolfAlice
- Wretch 32
- Yasmin Evans
- Yomi Adegoke
- Zareen Rahman
- Zarlasht Halaimzai
- Zawe Ashton
- Zowie Broach
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TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
All Black 39-12 British & Irish Lions
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
BELGIUM%20SQUAD
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Pakistan Super League
Previous winners
2016 Islamabad United
2017 Peshawar Zalmi
2018 Islamabad United
2019 Quetta Gladiators
Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286
Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65
The 12
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
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
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
Emiratisation at work
Emiratisation was introduced in the UAE more than 10 years ago
It aims to boost the number of citizens in the workforce particularly in the private sector.
Growing the number of Emiratis in the workplace will help the UAE reduce dependence on overseas workers
The Cabinet in December last year, approved a national fund for Emirati jobseekers and guaranteed citizens working in the private sector a comparable pension
President Sheikh Khalifa has described Emiratisation as “a true measure for success”.
During the UAE’s 48th National Day, Sheikh Khalifa named education, entrepreneurship, Emiratisation and space travel among cornerstones of national development
More than 80 per cent of Emiratis work in the federal or local government as per 2017 statistics
The Emiratisation programme includes the creation of 20,000 new jobs for UAE citizens
UAE citizens will be given priority in managerial positions in the government sphere
The purpose is to raise the contribution of UAE nationals in the job market and create a diverse workforce of citizens
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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