US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Tuesday amid a push by Washington to broker a deal aimed at normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr Blinken “reaffirmed the strength of the bilateral partnership and US commitment to Israel’s security”.
According to a readout of the conversation, the two men also discussed “expanding Israel’s regional integration and countering threats posed by Iran”.
The Secretary of State also spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
“The Secretary and President Abbas discussed their support for a two-state solution and opposition to actions endangering its viability,” State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
The timing of the two calls comes as the US appears to be ramping up efforts to help establish relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
“I wouldn't describe [the calls] as run-of-the-mill or routine,” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.
“He speaks with these leaders occasionally, but not every month, but it also does not portend any imminent breakthrough or action with respect to the question of normalisation.”
Mr Sullivan added that the calls were “an important moment for a check-in at a high level”.
President Joe Biden's administration has made it clear that helping the two regional powers normalise relations is a priority ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
A US delegation led by Brett McGurk, White House co-ordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, is travelling to the Gulf this week, the latest in a series of trips to Saudi Arabia that administration officials have made.
While in Riyadh, Mr McGurk is scheduled to meet senior Palestinian officials, Mr Sullivan said.
“He will speak to the Palestinians about the whole range of issues relative to the Israeli-Palestinian file,” Mr Sullivan said.
“Normalisation will be one of the topics on the agenda, but it's not the main thrust of this trip.”
Riyadh has long maintained that it will not pursue normalisation with Israel until progress towards peace with the Palestinians is achieved.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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)
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
