Day: March 26, 2023

Tens of thousands of Israelis have staged protests in cities across the country in a spontaneous outburst of anger after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly fired his defence minister for challenging the Israeli leader’s judicial overhaul plan.

Protesters in Tel Aviv blocked a main highway and lit large bonfires late Sunday night, while police scuffled with protesters who gathered outside Netanyahu’s private home in Jerusalem.

The unrest deepened a monthslong crisis over Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the judiciary, which has sparked mass protests, alarmed business leaders and former security chiefs and drawn concern from the United States and other close allies.

Netanyahu’s dismissal of Defence Minister Yoav Gallant signalled that the prime minister and his allies would barrel ahead this week with the overhaul plan.

But as droves of protesters flooded the streets late into the night, Likud ministers began indicating a willingness to hit the brakes.

Culture Minister Micky Zohar, a Netanyahu confidant, said the party would support him if he decided to pause the judicial overhaul.

Israeli media said leaders in Netanyahu’s coalition were to meet on Monday morning. Later in the day, the grassroots protest movement said it would hold another mass demonstration outside the Knesset, or parliament, in Jerusalem.

Judicial overhaul

Netanyahu decided to fire Gallant after Gallant urged the Israeli leader on Saturday to pause the government’s controversial judicial overhaul plan.

Protests were also reported in Haifa, northern Israel and in the southern city of Beersheba.

Israeli police announced that they were increasing forces at all stations in the country following mass protests and arrests would be made in cases of “severe violence and vandalism.”

Shortly after Netanyahu fired Gallant, Israel’s Consul General to New York Asaf Zamir resigned, saying he opposed the government’s controversial judicial reform.

Meanwhile, all universities across Israel announced a strike starting Monday over the controversial judicial reform plan.

Protest leaders have also called for an emergency protest in Tel Aviv tonight after the sacking of Israel’s defence minister.

Israel has seen mass protests over the past 12 weeks against plans by the government for judicial reforms, which are seen by the opposition as a power grab in favour of the executive authority.

However, Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, claims that his plan would enhance democracy and restore the balance between the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government.

Source: TRTworld.com

DUBAI, The Dubai Police has partnered with Juma Al Majid Est., the exclusive distributor of Hyundai cars in the UAE, to introduce innovative mobility solutions to the market and to employ expertise and resources from both parties, in order to strengthen the security work system with the latest security patrols linked to the best communication systems and artificial intelligence technology.

Major General Saeed Hamad bin Sulaiman, Director of the General Department of Transport and Rescue in Dubai Police, emphasised that this collaboration aligns with the directives of Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, and the attentive supervision of Major General Abdullah Ali Al-Ghaithi, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Operations Affairs. The partnership aims to fortify security and safety systems within security patrols by integrating advanced technological solutions that elevate the performance and efficiency of the operational capabilities of the security patrol system. This, in turn, contributes to achieving Dubai Police’s strategic vision of enhancing security and safety.

Major General Saeed Hamad bin Sulaiman commended the fruitful collaboration and partnership between the two parties, delivering innovative and cutting-edge solutions that augment the Dubai Police security patrol fleet. This collaboration drives performance to new heights by incorporating state-of-the-art technologies and supportive features, empowering the force’s members to actively contribute to the realisation of Dubai Police’s strategic objectives.

Suliman Al Zaben, Director of Hyundai – UAE, said, “We are excited about this partnership with the Dubai Police. We aim to transcend our roles to position ourselves as providers of innovative mobility solutions. We are looking forward to working together with the Dubai Police to develop and deliver cutting-edge solutions to empower the automobile sector.”

Merging the proficiencies and assets of both parties, this strategic alliance endeavours to develop state-of-the-art automobiles that tackle critical aspects of connectivity and artificial intelligence. A principal objective of this collaboration is to bolster security and safety, an indispensable priority for the Dubai Police. By harnessing cutting-edge technologies and crafting sophisticated vehicles outfitted with avant-garde safety features and unparalleled connectivity options, the partnership aspires to deliver unprecedented levels of safety and security to the UAE’s residents and visitors alike.

Source: Emirates News Agency

NEW YORK, During the 2023 United Nations Water Conference, the UAE Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, highlighted the UAE’s inclusive and action-orientated approach to water sustainability and its impact on the nation’s security and economy-wide roadmap to achieve net-zero emissions.

Delivering the UAE’s national statement at the UN Water Conference, Almheiri stressed that responsible water management is a major issue of importance for a country with limited freshwater resources and a growing population and economy.

“As our nation’s founder, the late Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan, taught us, water is not simply a commodity; it is our lifeblood,” remarked Almheiri.

In addition, Almheiri confirmed that the UAE, as upcoming host of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, will place water security and sustainability front and centre on the global climate action agenda.

“We look forward to harnessing the positive momentum generated by the Water Action Decade, the UN 2023 Water Conference, and the Water Action Agenda when we welcome the world for COP28 in November,” she stated.

lmheiri also represented the UAE at a ministerial-level Arria-formula meeting of the UN Security Council focusing on the provision of water and sanitation services to civilians during armed conflict. At the meeting, convened by Mozambique and Switzerland on World Water Day 2023, the UAE Minister of Climate Change and the Environment called on the international community to scale up support for the protection of water systems and humanitarian efforts. “We need more effective action and a stronger response to these challenges,” she emphasised.

On the sidelines of the conference, Almheiri participated in a high-level event co-hosted by the UAE COP28 Presidency, Egypt, the Netherlands, Tajikistan, the Stockholm International Water Institute, and UN Water to identify the priority actions needed to address the water and climate change nexus at COP28 and in the first Global Stocktake. She also participated in a high-level interactive dialogue on identifying inclusive solutions, strategies, and resources to address the links between water, climate change, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, and the environment, co-hosted by Egypt and Japan.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, with the aim of launching the largest Ramadan sustainable food aid endowment fund, has so far recorded AED 247 million, one week after its launch.

The campaign received donations from 13,220 major contributors, individuals, businesses and public and private sector players.

mong those, 13,195 contributors donated via smart channels.

The campaign is a practical example of the UAE’s long-held values of giving and generosity, and a community-wide response to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed’s call for aiding those in need.

Key Milestone Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary General of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, said: “The “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for sustaining charitable efforts, opening the door for everyone hoping to make a lasting impact. On the other hand, the remarkable response we see across the UAE community is a reflection of its long-held values of giving and generosity, and a testament of its moral sense of responsibility towards the global efforts to eradicate hunger around the world. “The campaign paves the way for a new concept of charitable work that is sustainable and impactful in a way that meets the specific needs of underprivileged populations. The food aid endowment fund created under the campaign is a key milestone in UAE’s humanitarian efforts. “Our community’s race to contribute, with 13,220 contributors donating AED 247 million in one week only, is not new to our community. We are confident that the next days will see more contributions to the endowment fund,” he concluded.

Organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign aims to create sustainable solutions and implement effective programmes to fight and eradicate hunger, and support vulnerable groups around the world.

Donation Channels The “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign continues to welcome donations and contributions to the endowment fund from institutions and individuals across five main channels including the campaign’s website (www.1billionmeals.ae), as well as a dedicated call centre via the toll free number (800 9999).

Donations are also possible via bank transfers in the UAE Dirham to the campaign bank account number with Emirates NBD (AE30 0260 0010 1533 3439 802).

Donations via SMS give contributors the option to donate AED 1 daily through a monthly subscription, by sending the word “Meal” to 1020 for du users, or to 1110 for Etisalat by eand users. Those who wish to donate to the campaign through the DubaiNow app can do so by clicking on the “Donations” tab.

ood for All “1 Billion Meals Endowment” campaign builds upon the success of previous food aid campaigns launched under directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum over the past 3 years, starting in Ramadan of 2020 with “10 Million Meals”, which was the first and largest show of solidarity of its kind, supporting victims of the COVID-19 pandemic within the UAE. This was followed by the “100 Million Meals” campaign in 2021, the largest regional food support campaign spanning 20 countries in the Arab region, Africa and Asia. Last year’s “One Billion Meals” was the largest on its kind regionally, providing 1 billion meals in 50 countries.

Further establishing the UAE’s leading position in humanitarian work, regionally and internationally, and highlighting its community’s solidarity with those in need without discrimination, the campaign helps establish the role of endowment as a development tool that ensures the sustainable charity and contributes to the global endeavour to fight and eradicate hunger in line with Sustainable Development Goals.

Source: Emirates News Agency

BAGHDAD, A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck the southern borderline between Iraq and Iran, Iraq’s General Authority for Meteorology and Seismic Monitoring reported on Sunday.

The quake was felt 66 km northeast of Amarah city, about 500 km south of the capital, Baghdad.

There have been no reports about victims or possible damages.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has introduced the pioneering Comprehensive Digital Experience Lab, a first-of-its-kind initiative among Dubai Government organisations. The Lab aims to bolster the quality of customer service provided via digital channels and enhance employees’ experience with digital systems by engaging relevant personnel in digital service design stages. The Lab enhances the quality and design of services from customers’ perspectives while simultaneously improving and standardising their experiences across various digital channels. It also boosts the customer happiness index, the adoption of digital services and supplies the necessary technologies and skilled personnel to operate the Lab. Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, stated during a tour of the facility, “The establishment of the Comprehensive Digital Experiment Lab aligns with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to enhance the well-being of Dubai and its global competitiveness. It also contributes to offering a variety of choices for residents to transform Dubai into the world’s best city for living. “The Lab also embodies the instructions of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council, to transform Dubai into the world’s smartest city. This involves delivering comprehensive, interconnected, and proactive digital experiences for customers to ensure maximum happiness with the RTA’s services. This drive aligns with the Services 360 Policy, which seeks to provide seamless and forward-thinking services across all digital platforms to measure up to customer aspirations,” he explained. “The RTA is committed to playing a leading role in service digitisation by mapping out a comprehensive roadmap for automating services and tasks. It also strives to enhance artificial intelligence and data sciences, improve the operational efficiency through optimising the use of the existing resources, and expand the scope of digital partnerships and innovation,” Al Tayer added. Mohammed Yousef Al Mudharreb, CEO of the Corporate Technology Support Services Sector, said, “The Lab has been designed in line with the world’s best practices, utilising international expertise and benchmarks from leading international companies. It features a dedicated test room for customers to evaluate services and engage with various experiments through guided sessions, trialling specific services on apps or alternative digital platforms.” “By applying a range of tools, software, and devices, operators can gain insight into user behaviour to enhance and refine experiences. For example, CCTV cameras and eye-tracking instruments will record the user’s interactions with the service, which are then represented on heat maps displaying areas of focus and inattention. Accordingly, it enables the analysis of strengths and weaknesses, allowing for targeted improvements to the service based on customer reactions and attitudes,” he continued. “The Lab also includes an observation room for monitoring the testing process or engaging in focus groups on service delivery. The room has screens that detect the customer’s behaviour and interaction with the service on digital platforms,” Al Mudharreb added. “The Comprehensive Digital Platform is a new concept in designing the User’s Experience. It focuses on engaging external and internal customers (employees) in various service design phases. The Lab has been used in key current projects such as RTA App, smart kiosks, and dashboards that serve the RTA’s decision-makers,” Al Mudharreb said in conclusion.

Source: Emirates News Agency