Police are surrounded by burning street barricades during protests in Derry, 1969. Getty Images
Police are surrounded by burning street barricades during protests in Derry, 1969. Getty Images
Police are surrounded by burning street barricades during protests in Derry, 1969. Getty Images
Police are surrounded by burning street barricades during protests in Derry, 1969. Getty Images

UK pitches lessons from Northern Ireland for Gaza peace fund


Lemma Shehadi
  • English
  • Arabic

A peace fund modelled on an initiative from Northern Ireland could be launched by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer within months, The National can reveal, as the UK seeks to bolster its role as a peacemaker in the Gaza conflict.

But critics say that a key element from the Northern Ireland peace process is missing in the Gaza plan: the inclusion of Palestinian voices.

“There are many lessons to apply from Northern Ireland, but I don't see them reflected in the Gaza peace plan,” said mediator Oliver McTernan, founder of conflict resolution charity Forward Thinking, who has worked on both conflicts.

The ceasefire in Gaza is intended to lead to rebuilding the strip and a peace process being initiated under US President Donald Trump's plan. The UK government is hosting a three-day summit for the reconstruction of Gaza, which began as Mr Starmer attended a signing ceremony in Egypt finalising the truce on Monday.

Mr Starmer said in Cairo that the UK was ready to “play its full part” in monitoring the ceasefire and decommissioning Hamas’s capability and weaponry. He said the UK would draw on its experience of decommissioning the IRA and other paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland.

Peace in Northern Ireland ... partly came from the realisation that neither side could win. Both communities were tired of violence, fear and burnt out homes
Sir Vincent Fean,
former UK consul general to Jerusalem

“Decommissioning of weaponry is hugely important for the future peace,” he said. “We have got experience in this in relation to Northern Ireland and decommissioning of the IRA’s weaponry. That’s why I’ve suggested the UK would be well placed to carry out that vital role.”

The principles of co-operation and reconciliation that underline the Good Friday Agreement are sometimes described as applicable to the Israel-Palestine conflict – not least by former prime minister Tony Blair who is set to play a role in the governance of post-war Gaza.

The agreement signed in 1998 recognised the aspirations of both sides of the conflict − the nationalists and the unionists. It created a new government for Northern Ireland representing both sides of the conflict. Armed groups including the IRA, agreed to disarm, and the UK scaled back its military presence.

Yet the decommissioning of arms, which was overseen by the Canadian general and diplomat John de Chastelain, took seven years and faced major hurdles along the way, with its initial 2001 deadline passing without full disarmament.

British prime minister Tony Blair And his Irish Counterpart Bertie Ahern present a joint British-Irish blueprint for implementation of the Good Friday Agreement at Stormont Castle in Belfast in June 1999. Getty Images
British prime minister Tony Blair And his Irish Counterpart Bertie Ahern present a joint British-Irish blueprint for implementation of the Good Friday Agreement at Stormont Castle in Belfast in June 1999. Getty Images

UK seeks a role

Reports suggest the UK government wants a separate role from Mr Blair in Gaza, and to make its own mark in the peace process.

There are expectations now that Mr Starmer will lead efforts by the E3, a coalition that includes France and Germany, to set out a reconciliation strategy that deals with issues such as trauma and dehumanisation.

Their inaugural meeting would take place by December and include backing for the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, according to its organisers, the Alliance of Middle East Peace (Allmep), a coalition of more than 160 NGOs.

Mr Starmer had pledged to support the fund at the end of last year, but a planned fundraising conference in April did not take place. The fund aims to support civil society and peace builders in Israel and Palestine, to bring about reconciliation.

It has been modelled on the International Fund for Ireland, which was founded by the British and Irish government in 1986 to support peace building initiatives between nationalists and unionists.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Cairo with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and French President Emmanuel Macron. AP
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Cairo with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and French President Emmanuel Macron. AP

Allmep officials say this helped create conditions on the ground for the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, but acknowledge that the devastation in Gaza is greater than the experience in Northern Ireland, changing the requirements.

“Since October 7, the Israel-Palestine conflict jumped to a different level. Gaza has been devastated to levels that Northern Ireland never was,” said John Lyndon, executive director of Allmep.

“By developing a civil society strategy, like with this international fund concept, we can ensure that diplomacy has a ground game and can engage ordinary Palestinians,” he said.

It comes amid confusion about the UK government's current role in the US-brokered ceasefire. UK ministers have claimed the government helped pave the way for the breakthrough, which US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee dismissed as “delusional”.

Yet more questions were raised after US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff praised the “incredible input and tireless efforts” of the UK’s National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell.

Mr Powell served as chief negotiator in the Northern Ireland peace process under then prime minister Mr Blair.

His charity Inter/Mediate, which he cofounded in 2011, played key mediation roles in the Turkish conflict with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, and conflict involving the rebel-led opposition government of Idlib in northern Syria, before the toppling of president Bashar Al Assad last year.

It is believed Mr Powell played a role in maintaining US-UK relations as Mr Starmer prepared to recognise Palestine in September. He also briefed MPs about the recognition process.

Limitations

The calls for Palestinians to take charge of Gaza's recovery are likely to grow stronger.

Throughout the war, Mr McTernan worked with young Palestinians displaced from Gaza and those in the occupied West Bank to understand the daily issues that impact them and how they envision the future of their country.

“Palestinians can govern themselves. It needs to be an inclusive process,” he told The National.

“Northern Ireland was the product of an inclusive process. This is a unilateral declaration by US President Trump agreed to by people fearful of getting on the wrong side of him.”

“It's the continued management of Israel's occupation. It's a distraction from the main issue and the main issue is occupation,he said.

While the IRA were part of peace negotiations with the UK government, the current ceasefire deal requires that Hamas plays no role in the future governance of Gaza.

And, though both sides wanted the war to stop, the Israeli government continues to reject a two-state solution, while a Pew Centre poll in June found that public support for this in Israel was at an all-time low of 21 per cent.

“The relative peace in Northern Ireland is not total but partly came from the realisation on both sides that neither side could win. Both communities were tired of violence, fear and burnt out homes,” said Sir Vincent Fean, former UK consul general to Jerusalem.

Mr McTernan said: “They realised peace only came through when you have justice. Then we got rid of the cycle of violence that had plagued Ireland for centuries.”

There is a risk of repeating the “mistakes made in Iraq” Mr McTernan said. This included an internationally-led provisional government and the process of de-Baathification – where people involved in Saddam Hussein's regime were excluded from the country's future governance.

Working on peace building among communities was crucial as Israel readies for elections within the next year. Though the Palestinian Authority has also pledged to hold its first elections in 30 years, official says this would depend on the stability on the ground in Gaza.

There was an opportunity for leaders to build grassroots support for two states, Mr Lyndon said. “Trump has a huge role to play here because he is more convincing to Israelis than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or indeed anybody else alive,” he said.

Polling by Allmep found that he was 3 times more effective in persuading Israelis to support a diplomatic process, than any other figure internationally or locally. “If he makes it a policy priority, he can create more support and goodwill towards two states,” said Mr McTernan.

US PGA Championship in numbers

Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.

To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.

Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.

4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.

In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.

For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.

Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.

Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.

Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.

10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.

11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.

12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.

13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.

14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.

15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.

16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.

17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.

18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).

ENGLAND SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope 
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold 
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph 
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PRO%20MAX
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The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor

Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000

Engine 3.5L V6

Transmission 10-speed automatic

Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km

SPECS

Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR

Engine: 5.7-litre V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 362hp

Torque: 530Nm

Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)

EA Sports FC 26

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20has%20been%20moored%20off%20the%20Yemeni%20coast%20of%20Ras%20Issa%20since%201988.%3Cbr%3EThe%20Houthis%20have%20been%20blockading%20UN%20efforts%20to%20inspect%20and%20maintain%20the%20vessel%20since%202015%2C%20when%20the%20war%20between%20the%20group%20and%20the%20Yemen%20government%2C%20backed%20by%20the%20Saudi-led%20coalition%20began.%3Cbr%3ESince%20then%2C%20a%20handful%20of%20people%20acting%20as%20a%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ae%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%26esrc%3Ds%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D%26ved%3D2ahUKEwiw2OfUuKr4AhVBuKQKHTTzB7cQFnoECB4QAQ%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.thenationalnews.com%252Fworld%252Fmena%252Fyemen-s-floating-bomb-tanker-millions-kept-safe-by-skeleton-crew-1.1104713%26usg%3DAOvVaw0t9FPiRsx7zK7aEYgc65Ad%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3Eskeleton%20crew%3C%2Fa%3E%2C%20have%20performed%20rudimentary%20maintenance%20work%20to%20keep%20the%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20intact.%3Cbr%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%20is%20connected%20to%20a%20pipeline%20from%20the%20oil-rich%20city%20of%20Marib%2C%20and%20was%20once%20a%20hub%20for%20the%20storage%20and%20export%20of%20crude%20oil.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20%3Cem%3ESafer%3C%2Fem%3E%E2%80%99s%20environmental%20and%20humanitarian%20impact%20may%20extend%20well%20beyond%20Yemen%2C%20experts%20believe%2C%20into%20the%20surrounding%20waters%20of%20Saudi%20Arabia%2C%20Djibouti%20and%20Eritrea%2C%20impacting%20marine-life%20and%20vital%20infrastructure%20like%20desalination%20plans%20and%20fishing%20ports.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League last 16, second leg
Liverpool (0) v Atletico Madrid (1)
Venue: Anfield
Kick-off: Thursday, March 12, midnight
Live: On beIN Sports HD

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
  • George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
  • Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
  • Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
  • Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills. 
Hunting park to luxury living
  • Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
  • The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
  • Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds

 

Multitasking pays off for money goals

Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.

That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.

"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.

Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."

People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.

"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."

What is a robo-adviser?

Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.

These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.

Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.

Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.

%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
The Buckingham Murders

Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu

Director: Hansal Mehta

Rating: 4 / 5

How it works

Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
88 Video's most popular rentals

Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.  

Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.

Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.

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Company%20Profile
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WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Our legal advisor

Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation. 

Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
La Mer lowdown

La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
 

Profile of Tarabut Gateway

Founder: Abdulla Almoayed

Based: UAE

Founded: 2017

Number of employees: 35

Sector: FinTech

Raised: $13 million

Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Kanye%20West
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Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

'Brazen'

Director: Monika Mitchell

Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler

Rating: 3/5

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

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

Look north

BBC business reporters, like a new raft of government officials, are being removed from the national and international hub of London and surely the quality of their work must suffer.

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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 

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
LA LIGA FIXTURES

Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)

Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)

Friday

Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)

Valencia v Levante (midnight)

Saturday

Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)

Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)

Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)

Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)

Sunday

Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)

Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)

Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)

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
French business

France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.

Updated: October 15, 2025, 6:40 AM