German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is travelling to the Middle East on Saturday with a message to Israel that the supply of aid to besieged Gaza “must get better”.
Mr Scholz will meet Jordan's King Abdullah II and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog on a two-day trip, his office said.
On his previous visit in October, Mr Scholz stressed Israel's right to defend itself and lauded it as a democracy like Germany that would seek to minimise civilian casualties in Gaza.
Since then, the mounting humanitarian crisis triggered by Israel's offensive has prompted its allies, including Germany, to take a sharper tone.
While officials emphasise Germany's solidarity with Israel, they are urging it to open more land crossings to Gaza and make the port of Ashdod available as an aid route.
Mr Scholz “massively warns against” an Israeli offensive in Rafah, in the south of Gaza, and believes the supply of humanitarian aid “must get considerably better”, his spokesman said.
While in Israel he will also say that a hostage release being negotiated with Hamas could open the door to a ceasefire and wider peace talks.
In Jordan, Mr Scholz is expected to the discuss air route into Gaza, in which aid packages are dropped into the strip by parachute.
Two German C-130J Hercules transport planes are using Jordan as a base for their humanitarian airlifts, which began this week with aid from the World Food Programme.
Germany is also involved behind the scenes in a UAE-backed maritime corridor, where the first ship and its 200 tonnes of aid arrived off the Gaza coast on Friday.
However, the air and sea routes are “at most, a second-best solution” and Israel should open further land crossings such as Erez and Karni to allow more aid in, German officials said.
Unloading maritime aid is difficult because Gaza has no working port and a US plan to build a temporary pier is likely to take weeks.
“The simplest and most effective method to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza is by land transport,” a second German official said. “We are still working on that, and we call for border checks to be carried out faster and more effectively.”
In addition, “our appeal to our Israeli friends is finally to open the port of Ashdod … the port infrastructure is available there, ships can be unloaded with no problem.”
Germany will take the stand before the International Court of Justice in April to respond to allegations by Nicaragua that it is enabling a genocide in Gaza, it was announced on Friday.
Lawyers for Germany, which rejects the claim that a genocide is taking place, also plan to intervene on Israel's side in its legal battle with South Africa at the ICJ.
Nicaragua's case rests partly on Germany's decision, in common with several other countries, to suspend funding to aid agency UNRWA, which looks after Palestinian refugees.
Payments were suspended after allegations emerged that some UNRWA staff were involved in Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.
Germany will decide on its next steps regarding UNRWA once it has seen the results of two investigations and the response by UN staff, officials say.
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
Results
ATP Dubai Championships on Monday (x indicates seed):
First round
Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5)
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS x4) 6-4, 6-1
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Milos Raonic (CAN x7) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
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.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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
Teaching in coronavirus times
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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 four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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TALE OF THE TAPE
Floyd Mayweather
- Height
- Weight
- Reach
- Record
Conor McGregor
- Height
- Weight
- Reach
- Record
Zayed Sustainability Prize
MATCH INFO
Newcastle 2-2 Manchester City
Burnley 0-2 Crystal Palace
Chelsea 0-1 West Ham
Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Tottenham 3-2 Bournemouth
Southampton v Watford (late)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Read more about the coronavirus
