With regard to the report UAE's UN ambassador Lana Nusseibeh's full statement to ICJ (February 21): The UAE has been a champion of international understanding on this issue. It was a wonderful speech and well delivered. The Palestinian people have suffered for far too long under an occupation that is seemingly immune from international law.
Ms Nusseibeh touched upon all the most pressing matters that are preventing peace and statehood of Palestinians. Her point was especially sound on Israel’s occupation – that it breaches the cardinal principal that an occupation must be temporary and cannot become permanent. It should be evident to all that Palestinians and Israelis deserve to thrive, side by side, in their own independent, prosperous and secure states.
Stefan Ragan, Oslo, Norway
A straight-talking opposition leader
With reference to Thomas Harding's interview Netanyahu the main obstacle to peace, Israeli opposition leader says (February 21): A good interview. I appreciate that Merav Michaeli did not mince her words. She's right in saying that two-state solution is a real possibility. They need to be talking about a way towards peace but the government's stance, as Ms Michaeli said, has made any deal with the Palestinians extremely difficult.
Pauline Van Lelyveld, Blantyre, Malawi
Is India's expensive election a done deal?
I write to you in reference to Bibhudutta Pradhan's article India's general election set to be the world's most expensive at more than $14 billion (February 21): The recent verdict of India's Supreme court to scrap electoral bonds has been a turning point in election financing. Those bonds would have allowed donors, including companies, to fund political parties without their names being made public.
Even without electoral bonds, India's upcoming general election will still be among the world's most expensive. And while there are parties who want to defeat the ruling NDA government, the results seem to be a foregone conclusion. The ultimate verdict, however, will come from the voters. We will have to wait and see the reality and results.
K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India
Crypto's doing just fine
With reference to the report Bitcoin touches key $50,000 level for first time in two years (February 13): Bitcoin does appear to have recovered all its losses since May 2022. The emergence of increasingly complex financial instruments that cater to expert traders and ease institutional adoption of crypto is a sure sign of the market maturing.
Lucas Kiely, Chicago, US
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
The%20specs
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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
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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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.
Company%20Profile
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