RAMALLAH, WEST BANK // The first week of November promises to be a crucial week in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. US citizens will, on Nov 4, decide who will be the next US president to attempt to broker peace between Palestinians and Israelis.
Israeli politicians, meanwhile, will have decided by Nov 3 if Israelis are to contest early elections next year or whether they can agree on forming a new coalition government under Tzipi Livni, the foreign minister and head of the ruling Kadima Party.
Also on Nov 3, Palestinian factions are to meet in Cairo to see if they can end the current divisions on the Palestinian political scene. The bickering between Fatah and Hamas continues unabated, but pressure is growing on both movements to come to some kind of arrangement that will begin the process of reconciliation.
"November could provide the possibility for a new beginning," said Ali Jarbawi, a Palestinian political analyst. "What we know is that one of the three issues - US leadership - will see change. This should at least ensure that the Palestinian and Arab political landscape is freer from the American hegemony over them by the current administration." This could result in movement on the Palestinian-Palestinian dialogue, he said.
Mr Jarbawi contends that in the absence of the current administration's refusal to countenance letting Hamas in from the cold, Arab countries, notably Syria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, who have a vested interest in Palestinian unity, could force the issue.
"I think there is an opening for the beginning of some kind of reconciliation between Palestinian groups. Syria is insisting, the Egyptians seem to be working hard on this and the Saudis want an opening."
Although there is little likelihood of any agreement between Hamas and Fatah on security control over the Gaza Strip, significantly the distance between the two factions on forming some kind of interim government acceptable to both appears to be diminishing.
The argument now centres mainly on whether such a government should be composed of technocrats, similar to the current government under Salam Fayyad, or whether it should be composed of representatives from all the Palestinian factions.
Should the two parties agree on the make-up of an interim government to lead them to new elections, the likelihood is also that they will agree to hold both presidential and parliamentary elections in early 2010, thus giving Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, another year to pursue negotiations with Israel.
Yet the current US administration is not quite gone yet and should Ms Livni succeed in forming a coalition government by Nov 3, Washington is set to make one last push for an agreement before its time is up. On Thursday, Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, characterised Ms Livni as "dedicated to the peace process" and said should she succeed in forming a government, "of course, we are prepared to make a push".
"Some of the things that prime minister [Ehud] Olmert has said demonstrate that Israelis know that the time has come for an agreement. The parties have already made a lot of progress," Ms Rice said in an interview with the Al Arabiya television network. "The fact is, this is the most robust negotiating process that they've had, perhaps ever."
The prospect of a concerted push to reach an agreement in the dying days of the Bush administration, however, may in fact hamper Ms Livni's coalition-building efforts.
Having signed a deal with the Labor Party, Ms Livni's hopes now rest on agreeing terms with the religious Shas Party.
And although Shas is concerned mainly with forcing a concession from Ms Livni on the amount of child allowances the new government will budget for, the party had threatened to leave the current coalition should Mr Olmert negotiate the status of Jerusalem. Party members have expressed their concern that Ms Livni would seek to pursue a shelf agreement with the Palestinians in the short term.
"The Shas leadership are relative pragmatists," said Hillel Schenker, an Israeli journalist. "But they are afraid that their constituency is more right wing than they are."
Mr Schenker said he was confident that, Shas misgivings notwithstanding, Ms Livni would succeed in forming a coalition government and said the most important near term development would be who the United States will choose as its next leader.
"There is a clear difference between the [Barack] Obama and [John] McCain approach to this conflict. Obama has made a clear commitment to becoming immediately involved while McCain has said he will put it in on the back burner."
Crucial as November is set to be, however, there can be no getting around that no matter who leads Palestinians, Israelis or indeed Americans, and no matter how concerted the short-term diplomatic efforts, the overall political situation is likely, at best, to remain deadlocked for the foreseeable future.
The fundamental differences separating Palestinians and Israelis are as deep as ever. The band may change but the song remains the same.
okarmi@thenational.ae
Company%C2%A0profile
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RECORD%20BREAKER
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Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
FIXTURES
Saturday, November 3
Japan v New Zealand
Wales v Scotland
England v South Africa
Ireland v Italy
Saturday, November 10
Italy v Georgia
Scotland v Fiji
England v New Zealand
Wales v Australia
Ireland v Argentina
France v South Africa
Saturday, November 17
Italy v Australia
Wales v Tonga
England v Japan
Scotland v South Africa
Ireland v New Zealand
Saturday, November 24
|Italy v New Zealand
Scotland v Argentina
England v Australia
Wales v South Africa
Ireland v United States
France v Fiji
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Playing records of the top 10 in 2017
How many games the top 10 have undertaken in the 2017 ATP season
1. Rafael Nadal 58 (49-9)
2. Andy Murray 35 (25-10)
3. Roger Federer 38 (35-3)
4. Stan Wawrinka 37 (26-11)
5. Novak Djokovic 40 (32-8)
6. Alexander Zverev 60 (46-14)
7. Marin Cilic 43 (29-14)
8. Dominic Thiem 60 (41-19)
9. Grigor Dimitrov 48 (34-14)
10. Kei Nishikori 43 (30-13)
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
'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.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
SUE%20GRAY'S%20FINDINGS
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
