Germany on Monday called for a peace summit on Israel and Palestine with the participation of France, Jordan and Egypt.
Annalena Baerbock, the German Foreign Minister, said a four-power conference in Berlin could build on peace steps recently brokered by Jordan.
Visiting Berlin on Monday, Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi said his country supported the so-called Munich format.
Germany's call came amid what Ms Baerbock called a worsening situation in the Middle East.
She said Ramadan was not playing out against a backdrop of "peace, family and joy" as would be hoped.
Palestinians staged a strike on Sunday after two people were killed by Israeli troops. Israel's parliament last month repealed a 2005 law banning four settlements in the West Bank.
"It is important to keep a political approach to solving the conflict in our sights," Ms Baerbock said at a press conference with Mr Al Safadi.
"Our countries agree that the two-state solution still offers the best basis for Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, dignity, security and self-determination."
She said Germany wanted to link the planned talks to the negotiations in Aqaba, Jordan, that in February produced a joint communique between Israeli and Palestinian authorities.
Israel agreed to stop "discussion of any new settlement units" in occupied territories for four months.
"A meeting soon in the Munich format would be important," Ms Baerbock said, as she invited her French and Egyptian counterparts to Berlin.
The Munich group first met in 2020 and has held several meetings at the level of foreign ministers.
In talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last year, they warned against "unilateral measures" that could close the door to a two-state solution.
Mr Al Safadi, who was meeting senior German officials in Berlin, said the Munich group had helped to prevent the situation deteriorating further.
"The situation is very explosive," he said, speaking through a German translator.
"We either allow the extremists to guide the way, which will definitely lead us to a catastrophe with much more conflict and violence, or those of us striving for peace work together to prevent dangerous developments."
In February, Ms Baerbock voiced concern about the Israeli government’s plans to overhaul the country’s legal system.
She said that a right-wing proposal to introduce the death penalty for Palestinians convicted in deadly attacks would be “a big mistake”. In a press conference with her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, Ms Baerbock echoed remarks by Mr Biden that rule of law in Israel was an important part of the the two country's alliance.
"The values that bind us together include the protection of principles of the rule of law such as judicial independence. This was always a hallmark of Israel," she told reporters alongside Mr Cohen.
Mr Cohen defended the judicial reforms proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they would "strengthen Israeli democracy".
Critics say the proposed reforms amount to a power grab by the prime minister. The move to overhaul the judiciary has sparked the largest protests in Israel's history, accompanied by strikes in almost every sector of the economy, including in the security forces.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day – 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227-4 at the close.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
More on animal trafficking
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
RESULT
Norway 1 Spain 1
Norway: King (90 4')
Spain: Niguez (47')
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support
Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR
Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps
Audio: Stereo speakers
Biometrics: Touch ID
I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular
Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue
Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
If you go
Flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.
The stay
Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.
A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
