• (FILES) In this file photo taken on November 23, 2020 former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei speaks at his office in the West Bank town of Abu Dis. - Qurei died at the age of 86 late on February 22 at in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian president announced. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)
    (FILES) In this file photo taken on November 23, 2020 former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei speaks at his office in the West Bank town of Abu Dis. - Qurei died at the age of 86 late on February 22 at in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian president announced. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)
  • Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas (L) pays his respects during the funeral of Mr Qurei in Ramallah on February 22. AFP
    Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas (L) pays his respects during the funeral of Mr Qurei in Ramallah on February 22. AFP
  • An honour guard carries Mr Qurei's coffin, draped in the Palestinian flag. AFP
    An honour guard carries Mr Qurei's coffin, draped in the Palestinian flag. AFP
  • The funeral took place in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. AFP
    The funeral took place in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. AFP
  • Palestinian Authority official Hussein Al Sheikh, right, said of Mr Qurei's death: 'We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.' Reuters
    Palestinian Authority official Hussein Al Sheikh, right, said of Mr Qurei's death: 'We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.' Reuters
  • Mr Qurei at a press conference in Abu Dis in the West Bank, near Jerusalem, in January 2011. Reuters
    Mr Qurei at a press conference in Abu Dis in the West Bank, near Jerusalem, in January 2011. Reuters
  • Chief Palestinian negotiator Mr Qurei reads out a statement during a news conference in Cairo in February 2009. Reuters
    Chief Palestinian negotiator Mr Qurei reads out a statement during a news conference in Cairo in February 2009. Reuters
  • Mr Qurei at Amman Airport in December 2007. Reuters
    Mr Qurei at Amman Airport in December 2007. Reuters
  • Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak (L) talks to Mr Qurei at the White House in Washington in November 2007. Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice are in the background. Reuters
    Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak (L) talks to Mr Qurei at the White House in Washington in November 2007. Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice are in the background. Reuters
  • Mr Qurei with Condoleeza Rice in November 2007. Getty
    Mr Qurei with Condoleeza Rice in November 2007. Getty
  • Prime minister Qurei talks to reporters while painting a wall in Gaza in August 2005. Reuters
    Prime minister Qurei talks to reporters while painting a wall in Gaza in August 2005. Reuters
  • The Palestinian PM is flanked by bodyguards as he arrives to attend weekly cabinet meeting in Gaza city in July 2005. Reuters
    The Palestinian PM is flanked by bodyguards as he arrives to attend weekly cabinet meeting in Gaza city in July 2005. Reuters
  • British PM Tony Blair (L), Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (R) and Mr Qurei in Ramallah, December 2004. Reuters
    British PM Tony Blair (L), Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas (R) and Mr Qurei in Ramallah, December 2004. Reuters
  • Palestinian president Yasser Arafat with Mr Qurei in Ramallah in July 2004, after the latter had withdrawn his resignation as prime minister. Reuters
    Palestinian president Yasser Arafat with Mr Qurei in Ramallah in July 2004, after the latter had withdrawn his resignation as prime minister. Reuters
  • Mr Arafat watches as Mr Qurei swears allegiance on the Quran in November 2003. Getty
    Mr Arafat watches as Mr Qurei swears allegiance on the Quran in November 2003. Getty
  • Mr Qurei sits prepares for a meeting at the Palestinian Legislative Council in September 2003 in Gaza city. Getty
    Mr Qurei sits prepares for a meeting at the Palestinian Legislative Council in September 2003 in Gaza city. Getty
  • Mr Arafat and Mr Qurei, September 2003. Getty
    Mr Arafat and Mr Qurei, September 2003. Getty

Former Palestinian PM and negotiator Ahmed Qurei dies aged 85


Ismaeel Naar
  • English
  • Arabic

Former Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qurei, also known as Abu Al Alaa, died on Wednesday. He was 85.

Sources close to Mr Qurei's family said he recently suffered from infections that required hospital treatment. He received intravenous antibiotics, but his condition deteriorated overnight.

“With great sadness, we mourn the death of the national leader, Ahmed Qurei, ‘Abu Al Alaa’, who passed away. We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. May his soul RIP,” Palestinian Authority official Hussein Al Sheikh said on Twitter.

Mr Qurei held positions in the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the Fatah movement, serving on the PLO Executive Committee, and led the Palestinian Authority team that negotiated with Israel.

As a member of the Fatah Central Committee, Mr Qurei played an important role in the negotiations leading to the 1993 Oslo Accords.

From 1994 to 1996, he served as Minister of Economy and Trade and Minister of Industry in the first Palestinian government.

In 2000, he took part in negotiations at Camp David in the US with Ehud Barak, Israeli prime minister at the time.

Ahmed Qurei, bottom right, sits alongside senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and opposite Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, during peace talks in May 2008.
Ahmed Qurei, bottom right, sits alongside senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and opposite Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, during peace talks in May 2008.

Mr Qurei served as prime minister of the Palestinian Authority for two terms between 2003 and 2006.

In 2010, Israel revoked his diplomatic privileges after he suggested the PA would have to use violence if the peace talks failed.

Israeli police arrested him in 2013 at the entrance to the Maaleh Adumim settlement in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described Mr Qurei as a "great patriotic fighter" before a ceremony to honour him at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah.

"Abu Al Alaa spent his life as a solid fighter defending Palestine, its cause, its people and its independent national decision," Mr Abbas said.

Mr Qurei's body will be taken from Ramallah to his home village of Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem, where he will be laid to rest after the asr prayer.

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
 
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20myZoi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Syed%20Ali%2C%20Christian%20Buchholz%2C%20Shanawaz%20Rouf%2C%20Arsalan%20Siddiqui%2C%20Nabid%20Hassan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2037%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Initial%20undisclosed%20funding%20from%20SC%20Ventures%3B%20second%20round%20of%20funding%20totalling%20%2414%20million%20from%20a%20consortium%20of%20SBI%2C%20a%20Japanese%20VC%20firm%2C%20and%20SC%20Venture%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal

Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.

School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.

“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.  

“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”

Grand Slam Los Angeles results

Men:
56kg – Jorge Nakamura
62kg – Joao Gabriel de Sousa
69kg – Gianni Grippo
77kg – Caio Soares
85kg – Manuel Ribamar
94kg – Gustavo Batista
110kg – Erberth Santos

Women:
49kg – Mayssa Bastos
55kg – Nathalie Ribeiro
62kg – Gabrielle McComb
70kg – Thamara Silva
90kg – Gabrieli Pessanha

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

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Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Cricket World Cup League Two

Oman, UAE, Namibia

Al Amerat, Muscat

 

Results

Oman beat UAE by five wickets

UAE beat Namibia by eight runs

 

Fixtures

Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia

Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE

Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia

Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia

THE%C2%A0SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%204-cylinder%202.5-litre%20%2F%202-litre%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20188hp%20%2F%20248hp%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20244Nm%20%2F%20370Nm%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%207-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20now%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh110%2C000%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
STAGE 4 RESULTS

1 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 4:51:51

2 David Dekker (NED) Team Jumbo-Visma

3 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal 

4 Elia Viviani (ITA) Cofidis

5 Matteo Moschetti (ITA) Trek-Segafredo

General Classification

1 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 12:50:21

2 Adam Yates (GBR) Teamn Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:43

3 Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:03

4 Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:43

5 Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45

As it stands in Pool A

1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14

2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11

3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5

Remaining fixtures

Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am

Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm

Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm

Updated: February 23, 2023, 4:41 PM