Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and senior Middle East officials agreed on the need to bolster humanitarian relief for Gaza after a meeting in Jordan on Saturday but disagreed over a permanent ceasefire in the month-long war between Hamas and Isreal.
Mr Blinken met foreign ministers from Jordan, Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, all US allies, as well as a senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The Secretary of State repeated a US call for a “humanitarian pause” and said maximum assistance must reach Palestinians in Gaza.
He told reporters that a ceasefire would allow Hamas to “regroup and repeat what they did on October 7“, referring to their surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,400 people and prompted massive Israeli retaliation.
The US wants Hamas, an Iran-supported group linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, to be defeated.
Before meeting Mr Blinken, the Arab officials discussed among themselves bringing an “immediate halt to the military operations” that have “victimised the innocent” and delivering humanitarian aid “immediately and urgently” to Gaza, according to the Saudi official news agency.
“It is necessary to achieve a unanimous agreement on a permanent and lasting ceasefire without any restriction or condition,” said Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.
Mr Shoukry has also said Egypt would “spare no effort” in allowing the transfer of aid to Gaza.
Jordan's King Abdullah II met the Arab officials earlier in the day, telling them that “the duty” of Arab countries is to pressure “the active international powers” to stop the war in Gaza, official Jordanian TV reported.
King Abdullah “reaffirmed that the security or military solution will not succeed in ending the Arab-Israeli struggle”, it said.
Mr Blinken met the king separately on Saturday evening.
He met Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in the morning.
The meeting took place a day after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said “all options are on the table” in his first speech since cross-border clashes broke out between Israel and armed militant groups in Lebanon.
Hezbollah and other Iran-linked militias have not yet mounted sustained military operations that could trigger a regional war, observers said.
US and Arab officials have been also discussing postwar scenarios aimed at replacing Hamas with a more moderate administration in Gaza, western diplomats said.
Two Egyptian officials said on condition of anonymity that the US has sought to temper the Arab reaction to the Israeli operation, partly by adopting a tough line against any Iranian attempts to expand the war.
One of the officials said once the war is over, Washington will look to “internationalise” the Gaza Strip, possibly by convincing Arab states to join an international peacekeeping force and support the Palestinian Authority as a de facto replacement to Hamas in administering the area.
After repeated calls from its Arab allies for a ceasefire, the US last week called for a humanitarian pause in the Israeli operation.
A former US administration official told The National that fears over derailing an already fraught peace process between Saudi Arabia and Israel has contributed to tempering US rhetoric on Gaza.
“Conversations are happening in Washington and the Arab world to help alleviate at least part of the immediate needs in Gaza,” the former official said.
In a change in tone yesterday, Mr Blinken told reporters: “We’ve been clear that, as Israel conducts its campaign to defeat Hamas, how it does so matters.”
Hussein Al Sheikh, Secretary General of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation and an ally of Mr Abbas, is expected to be at the meeting with the Arab foreign ministers.
Mr Al Sheikh has assumed higher political and diplomatic profiles in the past several months. He is widely believed to be the planned successor of Mr Abbas, who is 87.
The Hamas attack on Israel included the abduction of 240 people, currently being held in Gaza.
The Israeli retaliatory bombardment of Gaza and subsequent ground invasion have reportedly killed more than 9,000 people.
Additional reporting by Kamal Tabikha and Hamza Hendawi in Cairo
Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 48
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
England's lowest Test innings
- 45 v Australia in Sydney, January 28, 1887
- 46 v West Indies in Port of Spain, March 25, 1994
- 51 v West Indies in Kingston, February 4, 2009
- 52 v Australia at The Oval, August 14, 1948
- 53 v Australia at Lord's, July 16, 1888
- 58 v New Zealand in Auckland, March 22, 2018
Schedule
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Men's football draw
Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica
Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea
Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA
Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
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TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PLUS
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Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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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
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
MATCH INFO
Fulham 0
Aston Villa 3 (Grealish 4', Hourihane 15', Mings 48')
Man of the match: Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
