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France and the US will work harder to prevent a broader escalation in the Middle East with a key priority to calm the situation between Israel and Hezbollah, President Emmanuel Macron said.
France held a state visit for US President Joe Biden on Saturday where Gaza, the war in Ukraine and international trade topped the political agenda.
“We are redoubling efforts together to avoid a regional explosion, particularly in Lebanon,” Mr Macron said in a joint statement with Mr Biden.
Mr Macron said they were working on “advancing parameters” to reduce tensions and end an institutional vacuum in Lebanon.
The state visit in Paris came on the same day that four Israeli hostages were freed in the enclave and, according to Gazan government sources, at least 210 Palestinians were killed.
Both men welcomed the hostage rescue operation carried out by the Israeli military.
“We won't stop working until all the hostages come home and a ceasefire is reached,” Mr Biden said.
The Israeli military said the hostages – Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27 and Shlomi Ziv, 40 – were freed in an operation in Nuseirat city.
The Hamas government media office said at least 210 Palestinians, including children, were killed in Nuseirat on the same day.
Mr Biden's state visit began with a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe, where both leaders paid their respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Accompanied by their wives, they greeted army veterans. Then, escorted by French guards on horseback, they drove down the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, en route to the Elysee Palace.
The day concluded with dinner at the French presidential palace, where celebrities including Pharrell Williams and John McEnroe joined political and business leaders.
Mr Biden and Mr Macron share a warm relationship despite past tensions, including over a submarine deal with Australia.
They are aligned in their countries' support for Ukraine and opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“It’s about much more than Ukraine. All of Europe will be threatened, but we’re not going to let that happen,” Mr Biden said. “The United States is standing strong with Ukraine. We’re standing with our allies. And we’re standing with France.”
Beyond Ukraine, trade issues loomed large, especially the US’s Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law in August 2022. European officials see it as a protectionist move that siphons off investments from EU companies.
They also agreed on the need to better co-operate to counter China’s economic practices, a topic that has sometimes caused friction between the two leaders.
In Washington, thousands of Gaza war protesters held a “red line” rally near the White House on Saturday, angry at what they say is Mr Biden's tolerance of Israel's military campaign.
Chanting “From DC to Palestine, we are the red line”, the demonstrators held a long banner with the names of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces.
“I no longer believe any of the words that Joe Biden says. This 'red line' in his rhetoric is rubbish … it shows his hypocrisy and his cowardice,” said Zaid Mahdawi, a protester from Virginia whose parents are Palestinian.
Last month, Washington said an Israeli strike on Rafah did not cross a “red line” that Mr Biden had seemingly set two months earlier.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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
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
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Wednesday and the pair embraced but he failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset was due to a personal matter.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
