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Khaleej Times
18 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
UK, 24 nations urge 'permanent ceasefire' to Gaza war in joint plea
Britain and 24 Western allies including Australia, Canada, France and Italy, said in a joint statement Monday the war in Gaza "must end now", arguing civilians' suffering had "reached new depths". "We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire," the grouping added in the communique.
The National
18 minutes ago
- The National
Artist Hazem Harb's 10-year-old niece killed by Israeli airstrike in Gaza: 'I lost my trust in humanity'
On July 17 – his birthday – Hazem Harb received news that his family in Gaza had been hit by an Israeli strike. His niece Lara, 10, suffered injuries that would claim her life two days later. His sister, Huda, remains in critical condition. The Palestinian artist, known for confronting loss through his work, now finds himself mourning the ineffable. 'I am the one who named Lara,' Harb, who lives in Dubai, says. 'When she was born, my sister Huda asked me to name her. I am close to my sister and I had a profound connection to Lara. She was an incredibly smart and beautiful child. She was the first in her class. I could write a book about her.' Huda and her children were returning from a visit to their sister's house on Thursday when the airstrikes hit. The visit was meant to be a small relief – a respite from the monotony and fear brought on by Israel's war on Gaza. 'The children were getting restless. Like many children in Gaza right now, they have no toys or anything to distract them. They are home most of the time so, naturally, they get restless and bored,' Harb says. 'Lara asked my sister to get them. Huda took them to my older sister's house.' While Lara's two sisters and brother survived the airstrike with minimal injuries, her head was struck by shrapnel. 'She remained under intensive care for nearly two nights,' Harb says. 'We didn't have much hope. She was breathing, but she was unconscious. We received news on Saturday that she was martyred.' Huda, meanwhile, suffered significant injuries to her stomach and head. 'Huda is now in intensive care. We moved her to a house because there is no proper hospital or infrastructure to care for her. She can't process anything right now. Her injuries are extremely dangerous, and she can't yet process that she lost her daughter. 'There are no words left to describe the horror we are living and the loss my family and I have endured,' Harb adds. 'Lara was the entire world to her parents and to our family. She is one of tens of thousand of children slaughtered by this monstrous state. Each of them, the entire world to their families, and each of them mattered.' This tragedy, he points out, is one of innumerable ones ripping families apart in Gaza. Their deaths are not tragic mistakes, but the result of systematic brutality by Israel. At least 59,029 Palestinians have been killed and 142,135 wounded since October 2023. According to a May report by Unicef, more than 50,000 children were either killed or injured in the Palestinian enclave. 'Everyone is starving to death, literally,' Harb says. 'Feelings have almost no meaning. Sadness, loss and grief are almost secondary because you are dying from the inside. You are dying from hunger, so all feelings are mixing incomprehensibly together. 'I lost my trust in humanity,' he adds. 'How can this happen? How can this happen in today's world? We aren't learning from history. We are seeing these horrors on our screens. I have no hope, no trust in humanity.' Tabari Artspace, the Dubai gallery that represents the artist, issued a statement in response to the tragedy. 'This devastating loss is a painful reminder of the reality thousands face daily in Gaza,' the gallery posted on Instagram. 'Children and innocent people continue to die – from bombs, from starvation, from systemic violence. These are not just headlines. These are lives. This demands our attention, our outrage and our compassion. No forgiveness.'
Zawya
an hour ago
- Zawya
Ministry of Sports applauds UAE Chess Federation's pioneering initiative to include resident members in Board of Directors
United Arab Emirates, The extraordinary general assembly meeting of the UAE Chess Federation recently marked a pioneering milestone by adopting the 'List System' for the 2025–2028 Board of Directors electoral term, in alignment with the Sports Law. The Assembly approved the inclusion of resident members on the Board with a representation of up to 30 per cent. This marks a qualitative shift in the way in which sports federation boards are formed, reinforcing the principle of involving all segments of society in the decision-making process, aligning with the vision of the UAE's wise leadership. It also lays the foundation for a new model that responds to the precise needs of the current development phase in the national sports sector. The Ministry of Sports affirmed that the UAE Chess Federation's experience constitutes a historic milestone in the nation's sports governance development journey. The new system will be adopted as a pilot model within a well-studied, integrated approach aimed at assessing the institutional and technical impact of this initiative on the federation's performance and its ability to achieve its goals. This includes evaluating decision-making efficiency, diversity of expertise, speed of initiative implementation, as well as internal governance effectiveness. Based on the outcomes of this experience, a comprehensive analysis will be conducted to help shape future policies for the development of board formation mechanisms across other federations. The approach may be gradually generalised depending on the extent to which the intended objectives are achieved, in alignment with the principles of professionalism, sustainability, and inclusivity within the sports sector. The Ministry considers the inclusion of resident members in the boards of sports federations as a practical embodiment of the values of openness, tolerance, and diversity. This inclusion enhances the contribution of the residents to sports development by harnessing their expertise and talents, further reinforcing the role of sports as a national tool for development, social integration, and empowerment. This experience also highlights the need to integrate elite talents into sports leadership, particularly in specialised areas such as sports marketing, strategic planning, technical analysis, and the adoption of modern technologies. The Ministry believes that involving members with advanced expertise serves as an institutional enabler for achieving performance excellence. This step aligns with the Ministry's vision to develop the administrative structure of sports federations and instate qualified professionals capable of transforming these entities into pioneering institutions characterised by responsible decision-making, agility, and innovation. This initiative highlights the Ministry's efforts to instil a robust governance culture as the guiding framework for all institutional processes within the sports sector. Moreover, the adoption of the electoral list system is considered a significant organisational advancement, reinforcing the commitment of sports bodies to the principles of integrity, transparency, specialisation, and administrative integration. The Ministry views governance not merely as a regulatory tool, but as a comprehensive approach that supports the development of stronger partnerships with all sports institutions. It helps foster a collaborative working environment and contributes to empowering these entities by enhancing their ability to identify talent, increase the number of active sports participants, and improve overall sports performance efficiency. The Ministry emphasises that its support for sports federations goes beyond financial or logistical assistance, extending to the development of effective administrative models, ensuring comprehensive governance, and empowering the board of directors by offering them institutional innovation tools.
