Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman opened a summit between GCC and Asian nations by saying innocent civilians are "paying the price" of the Israel-Hamas war.
The summit, between GCC members and Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) was taking place in Riyadh on Friday, with full participation from South-East Asia leaders.
Leaders collectively condemned the attacks on Gaza and called for access to humanitarian aid and relief supplies, as well as the restoration of electricity and water.
They also called for the unhindered delivery of fuel, food and medicine to the enclave.
The Saudi Crown Prince said: ”It pains us as we gather to see the escalating violence that Gaza is witnessing today, the price of which is being paid by innocent civilians.”
Leaders urged concerned parties to adhere to international humanitarian law, specifically those in the Geneva Convention regarding the protection of civilians during times of war, as well as supporting peace initiatives mapped out by Saudi Arabia, the EU and the Arab League.
Member states emphasised the importance of reviving the Middle East peace process, co-ordinating with the efforts of Jordan and Egypt.
Prince Mohammed said: ”Conditions must be created for the return of stability, reaching a just solution, establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, and stopping military operations against civilians and infrastructure.
“We affirm our categorical rejection of targeting civilians in any way and under any pretext and the necessity of stopping military operations and creating conditions to achieve lasting peace that guarantees the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
Prince Mohammed reassured summit members: ”Our countries will continue to be a safe and reliable source of energy in its various sources and maintain the stability of energy markets globally.”
GCC member states signed the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in South-East Asia, established in 1976 and which embodies universal principles of peaceful coexistence and friendly co-operation among states in South-East Asia.
Bahrain was the first Gulf country to join the treaty, signing it in November 2019 in Thailand. Gulf countries' exports to Asean countries constitute 9 per cent of their total exports.
Leaders began arriving in the Saudi capital on Thursday and stood together for a memorial picture before it began on Friday.
Prince Mohammed received UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, who is participating in the summit, upon his arrival in the capital, Riyadh, early on Friday. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad and Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa were also at the summit.
On the Asean side are Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. The GCC bloc contains Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE.
The joint statement of the Asean summit called for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and civilian detainees, especially women, children, the sick and the elderly, and urged all parties involved to work towards a peaceful solution to the conflict.
The leaders emphasised the need for consultations to explore co-operation in specific areas of common interest, such as co-operation in the maritime field, communications, sustainable development goals, the economic field, and other possible areas of co-operation.
The joint statement also stated that all countries are in favour of Saudi Arabia’s candidacy to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh as well as its candidacy to host the 2034 Fifa World Cup. All members welcomed the announcement of the establishment of an international water organisation based in the city of Riyadh.
After Saudi Arabia announced its initiative for a green Middle East, the kingdom said it would set up a secretariat dedicated to the initiative and the allocation of $2.5 billion to support its projects.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, leading the 10-nation summit, called for an end to violence in Gaza.
The next summit will be held in Malaysia in 2025.
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
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
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh289,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
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Janet Yellen's Firsts
- In 2014, she became the first woman to lead the US Federal Reserve
- In 1999, she became the first female chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers
