US calls for calm between Israelis and Palestinians as Abbas and Blinken speak


Mina Aldroubi
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The US is calling for a de-escalation of tensions between Israelis and Palestinians after the storming of Al Aqsa mosque courtyard in East Jerusalem.

Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas discussed the matter in a call to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken late on Tuesday.

The pair spoke about the “importance of Israelis and Palestinians working to maintain calm and de-escalate tensions”, according to a statement by the US State Department.

At the weekend, thousands of Israelis rallied for their annual national flag march, with some chanting “death to Arabs”.

The event regularly stokes Palestinian anger, with last year's tensions in the disputed city leading to war.

The rally resulted in the injury of at least 79 Palestinians, according to the Red Crescent, prompting condemnation from across the Arab region and the UN.

“The secretary emphasised the importance of the US-Palestinian relationship, and the administration’s support for a negotiated two-state solution,” state department spokesman Ned Price said about the call between Mr Abbas and Mr Blinken.

“Secretary Blinken underscored the importance of concluding the investigations into the death of Palestinian-American Shireen Abu Akleh,” Mr Price said.

The prominent Al Jazeera reporter Abu Akleh was shot dead on May 11 during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank.

Washington has previously told Israeli and Palestinian authorities it expects “the investigations to be transparent and impartial, a full, thorough accounting into the circumstances of the killing”.

“We do expect full accountability for those responsible for her killing. Again, we are not going to prejudge that investigation. Both investigations are ongoing,” Mr Price said last month.

The official said the US had pressed both sides for full accountability and are not expected to be updated on the status of the investigation.

Mr Price said US President Joe Biden's administration is committed to reopening a US consulate in Jerusalem. The US will discuss the issue with Israelis and Palestinians, he said.

Former US president Donald Trump moved Washington's Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018 and shut down a separate facility in Jerusalem that served as a consulate for Palestinians.

The figures behind the event

1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew

2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show

3) 1,000 social distancing stickers

4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue

THE BIO

Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.

Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.

Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.

Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.

 

 

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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.
The specs

Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Power: 300hp

Torque: 420Nm

Price: Dh189,900

On sale: now

World Sevens Series standing after Dubai

1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia

The biog

Favourite colour: Brown

Favourite Movie: Resident Evil

Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices

Favourite food: Pizza

Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Mina Cup winners

Under 12 – Minerva Academy

Under 14 – Unam Pumas

Under 16 – Fursan Hispania

Under 18 – Madenat

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi

Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser

Rating: 4.5/5

Brief scores:

Day 2

England: 277 & 19-0

West Indies: 154

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Updated: June 01, 2022, 8:54 AM`