British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted King Abdullah II of Jordan at his Downing Street residence on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr Starmer greeted the Jordanian King at the door of No 10 and the two smiled as they shook hands and then posed for photos.
They then went inside and spoke briefly in front of journalists.
Jordan marks the silver jubilee of King Abdullah II - in pictures
The Prime Minister welcomed King Abdullah to Downing Street and said he was glad to catch up with him on his way between visiting the US and travelling home.
“It’s very good to have this early opportunity to have this discussion of vital issues of common concern," Mr Starmer said.
“We’ve got a long and shared history. We have an excellent co-operation that I think we can build and progress on.”
Mr Starmer updated King Abdullah on the government’s decision to lift the pause on funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, adding that he remained deeply concerned by the trajectory of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The leaders agreed that securing a ceasefire and ensuring the acceleration of aid deliveries to Gaza was the immediate priority. They also discussed the need to restore hope and peace on both sides.
Jordanian state television said the king “emphasised the role of Britain in … efforts to reach a ceasefire in the strip, and bolster the humanitarian response to halt the catastrophe that the Gazans are living”.
Mr Starmer and King Abdullah also spoke about the strong and long-standing security partnership between the UK and Jordan, as well as the opportunities to further technology, energy and education ties.
In a post on X later on Wednesday, Mr Starmer said: “We both agree that securing an immediate ceasefire and increasing aid into Gaza is an immediate priority.
“I look forward to continuing the UK and Jordan’s strong and long-standing security partnership.”
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Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR
US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.
KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.
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- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Scoreline
UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
