Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Egyptian MP Sahar Albazar has called for Arab countries to formulate an alternative to US President Donald Trump's Gaza evacuation demands, calling the White House proposal a distraction from realistic and sustainable solutions for peace.
Speaking to The National at the Munich Security Conference, Ms Albazar said the starting point in moving beyond Washington's proposal is that displacing people breaks international law.
“We should not entertain unrealistic proposals because that distracts our focus and energy in bringing about realistic, sustainable solutions for peace in the Middle East.
“If there’s no peace in the Middle East, there will be a lot of problems for neighbouring countries,” she said.
“I'm sure that the Arab world, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar were going to bring another proposal that rebuilds Gaza while keeping Palestinians in their own land."
A member of the foreign relations committee of the Egyptian House of Representatives, Ms Albazar noted the trip this week of new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the Middle East as a chance to change direction.
Israeli measures are not allowing us to send as much aid as we need
Ayman Safadi
“I hope that after his visit in the Middle East we can find a common ground between the Arab proposal and the US proposal, where we can at least maintain the ceasefire,” she said. “We definitely need to empower Palestinians and push for the sustainable peace solution, which is the two state solution.”
Gaza aid
The ceasefire has led to an increased flow of aid into Gaza, but the bottlenecks imposed by Israel have again created shortages.
“We see some obstacles when it comes to the number of aid [shipments],” she said. " There are difficulties when it comes to the other party because it's definitely not a question of why one track goes and the other does not. This kind of situation creates a struggle to continue with the ceasefire.”
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Ayman Safadi, Jordan's Foreign Minister, shared the same concerns.
“I just want to address the humanitarian situation,” he told a Munich Security Conference panel. “Our priority number one is that the ceasefire holds (and) that we go through phase one, phase two and phase three of the deal.
“We have a route through which we're sending trucks; Israeli measures are not allowing us to send as much aid as we need.
“We have a problem of getting aid into Gaza. People are starving. Foods not is getting in, tents are not getting in, caravans are not getting in, medicine is not getting in. We have two hospitals operating in Gaza, and we're told horror stories of what's happening there.”
Sigrid Kaag, the UN Special Co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, spoke of Palestine at risk of “dropping out of sight permanently” as a result of the situation on the ground, not just in Gaza but the West Bank and East Jerusalem as well.
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
%3Cp%3E97%25%20of%20Jewish-Americans%20are%20concerned%20about%20the%20rise%20in%20anti-Semitism%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E76%25%20of%20US%20Jewish%20voters%20believe%20Donald%20Trump%20and%20his%20allies%20in%20the%20Republican%20Party%20are%20responsible%20for%20a%20rise%20in%20anti-Semitism%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E74%25%20of%20American%20Jews%20agreed%20that%20%E2%80%9CTrump%20and%20the%20Maga%20movement%20are%20a%20threat%20to%20Jews%20in%20America%22%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
GCC-UK%20Growth
%3Cp%3EAn%20FTA%20with%20the%20GCC%20would%20be%20very%20significant%20for%20the%20UK.%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20My%20Department%20has%20forecast%20that%20it%20could%20generate%20an%20additional%20%C2%A31.6%20billion%20a%20year%20for%20our%20economy.%3Cbr%3EWith%20consumer%20demand%20across%20the%20GCC%20predicted%20to%20increase%20to%20%C2%A3800%20billion%20by%202035%20this%20deal%20could%20act%20as%20a%20launchpad%20from%20which%20our%20firms%20can%20boost%20their%20market%20share.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
match info
Manchester United 3 (Martial 7', 44', 74')
Sheffield United 0
Superliminal%20
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ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Company%20profile
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
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