Pope Francis marked the International Day of Human Fraternity by calling on the world to join together to use harmony and tolerance as a “shield against hatred, violence and injustice'.
The head of the Catholic church said fraternity is a universal value that can unite people of all backgrounds and faiths as one “human family".
He stressed that the international community must celebrate unity through its rich diversity and help to heal divisions for the betterment of all.
The pontiff delivered his message of hope three years to the day since he signed the declaration known as the Document on Human Fraternity alongside Sheikh Ahmed Al Tayeb, Grand Iman of Al Azhar, during a visit to the Emirates by both men.
The milestone event gave rise to the UN-recognised International Day of Fraternity, which was held for the first time last year.
Pope Francis praised Sheikh Ahmed and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, for walking on the path to peace with him.
“Fraternity is one of the fundamental and universal values that should underpin relations between peoples so that disadvantaged people or those who suffer do not feel excluded and forgotten but welcomed and supported as part of this one human family,” said Pope Francis.
“By sharing feelings of fraternity, all of us must promote a culture of peace, which encourages sustainable development, tolerance, inclusion, mutual understanding and solidarity.”
Pope Francis said the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic served to highlight how the world can work as one to fight a common cause.
“We all live under the same sky, regardless of where and how we live, of skin colour, religion, social class, gender, age, health and economic conditions. We are all different, yet we are all the same, and this pandemic proved it,” he said.
“The right time to walk together is today, not tomorrow or in the future we don't know will be. Today is the right time to walk together as believers and people of goodwill. It is an auspicious day to hold hands, to celebrate our unity in diversity — unity, not uniformity, unity in diversity — to tell our communities and societies that the time of fraternity has come.
“I thank all those who will join our journey of fraternity and I encourage everyone to commit themselves to the cause of peace and respond to the concrete problems and needs of the deprived, the poor and the defenceless.
“The proposal is to walk side by side, 'all brothers', to become real artisans of peace and justice, in the harmony of our differences and respect for everyone's identity. Sisters and brothers, let's march together on this path of fraternity.”
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
Persuasion
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The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Iran's dirty tricks to dodge sanctions
There’s increased scrutiny on the tricks being used to keep commodities flowing to and from blacklisted countries. Here’s a description of how some work.
1 Going Dark
A common method to transport Iranian oil with stealth is to turn off the Automatic Identification System, an electronic device that pinpoints a ship’s location. Known as going dark, a vessel flicks the switch before berthing and typically reappears days later, masking the location of its load or discharge port.
2. Ship-to-Ship Transfers
A first vessel will take its clandestine cargo away from the country in question before transferring it to a waiting ship, all of this happening out of sight. The vessels will then sail in different directions. For about a third of Iranian exports, more than one tanker typically handles a load before it’s delivered to its final destination, analysts say.
3. Fake Destinations
Signaling the wrong destination to load or unload is another technique. Ships that intend to take cargo from Iran may indicate their loading ports in sanction-free places like Iraq. Ships can keep changing their destinations and end up not berthing at any of them.
4. Rebranded Barrels
Iranian barrels can also be rebranded as oil from a nation free from sanctions such as Iraq. The countries share fields along their border and the crude has similar characteristics. Oil from these deposits can be trucked out to another port and documents forged to hide Iran as the origin.
* Bloomberg
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
