Pro-Palestine protesters gather outside the Palestinian embassy in Bogota, Colombia. EPA
Pro-Palestine protesters gather outside the Palestinian embassy in Bogota, Colombia. EPA
Pro-Palestine protesters gather outside the Palestinian embassy in Bogota, Colombia. EPA
Pro-Palestine protesters gather outside the Palestinian embassy in Bogota, Colombia. EPA

Colombia to open embassy in Ramallah


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Colombia is to open an embassy in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, the administrative capital of the Palestinian Authority, Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo has said.

President Gustavo Petro has instructed us to open a Colombian embassy in Ramallah – and this is the next step we will take,” El Tiempo reported Mr Murillo as saying on Wednesday.

He added that Mr Petro had recently led a meeting of regional leaders in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, where he gave his support for Palestine being "recognised as a state with full rights at the United Nations”.

The UN General Assembly this month voted overwhelmingly in favour of Palestine's right to full membership, after the US vetoed the proposal in the Security Council.

Colombia announced its embassy plan the same day Norway, Spain and Ireland said they would recognise Palestine as a state. Colombia recognised Palestine in 2018.

Mr Petro, a critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said earlier this month he would cut diplomatic ties with Israel over its actions in Gaza.

“Here in front of you, the government of change, of the President of the Republic, announces that tomorrow we will break diplomatic relations with the state of Israel”, Mr Petro told cheering crowds in Bogota, describing Israeli leadership as “genocidal”.

That declaration drew an immediate response from Israel, with Foreign Minister Israel Katz accusing Mr Petro of being “anti-Semitic and full of hatred”.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Gulf Under 19s final

Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B

The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV

Day 2, Dubai Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Pakistan’s effort in the field had hints of shambles about it. The wheels were officially off when Wahab Riaz lost his run up and aborted the delivery four times in a row. He re-measured his run, jogged in for two practice goes. Then, when he was finally ready to go, he bailed out again. It was a total cringefest.

Stat of the day – 139.5 Yasir Shah has bowled 139.5 overs in three innings so far in this Test series. Judged by his returns, the workload has not withered him. He has 14 wickets so far, and became history’s first spinner to take five-wickets in an innings in five consecutive Tests. Not bad for someone whose fitness was in question before the series.

The verdict Stranger things have happened, but it is going to take something extraordinary for Pakistan to keep their undefeated record in Test series in the UAE in tact from this position. At least Shan Masood and Sami Aslam have made a positive start to the salvage effort.

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
The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side

8 There are eight players per team

There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.

5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls

Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs

B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run

Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs

Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

The Book of Collateral Damage

Sinan Antoon

(Yale University Press)

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Updated: May 23, 2024, 7:51 PM