The US is continuing to push for progress on Gaza ceasefire negotiations, despite a recent stall, and is engaging in “extensive and quite assertive diplomacy” to avert the widening of the conflict, the White House National Security spokesman said.
Speaking to ABC on Sunday, John Kirby said that not much progress has been made in ceasefire talks over the past couple of weeks – “not for lack of trying”.
“It doesn't appear like Mr [Yahya] Sinwar is prepared at all to keep negotiating in good faith, especially after he murdered six hostages in a tunnel,” Mr Kirby said, referring to the head of Hamas's political bureau and the deaths of several hostages in Gaza this month. “It doesn't appear as if he's willing to move this, move this forward, but it doesn't mean that we're not trying.”
He pointed to President Joe Biden's remarks on the issue, who said on Friday that “a lot of things don’t look realistic until we get them done”.
As to recent Israeli strikes on Lebanon and a pager attack on members of Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has also been blamed on Israel, Mr Kirby said that the US was not involved and that Washington does not believe escalating the conflict is in anyone's best interest.
“We have been involved in extensive and quite assertive diplomacy,” he said, referring to a visit by US special envoy Amos Hochstein to the region. "We will certainly keep up those conversations as best we can. And we're talking to both sides, here.”
Mr Kirby said there is still “time and space” for a diplomatic solution.
“We don't believe … that kinetic action, military action, by either side is really in either side's best interest, certainly not in the interest of what the Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] says he wants to do, which is get families back to their homes [in northern Israel],” he said. “There's a better way forward here, and we're going to keep trying to proffer that.”
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
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