US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani discussed Manama’s recent elevation of ties with Israel by phone on Friday.
“Secretary Blinken and the foreign minister discussed Bahrain’s historic opening with Israel, ways to capitalise on progress made at the US-Bahrain strategic dialogue held in December and joint regional security initiatives throughout the Gulf,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a readout of the call.
Mr Blinken's discussion with Dr Al Zayani comes after Bahrain appointed its first ambassador to Israel on Tuesday. King Hamad bin Isa appointed Khalid Yusuf Al Jalahma as ambassador in two royal decrees that also established the Bahraini mission in Israel in Tel Aviv.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi welcomed Mr Jalahma’s appointment on Thursday.
“I am pleased to see our commitment to implementing the agreements between us [and] promoting real peace between our peoples,” wrote Mr Ashkenazi.
Bahrain jointed the UAE last year as an initial signatory to the Abraham Accords that normalised relations between Israel and the two Gulf states. Sudan and Morocco subsequently signed on to the accords in the following weeks.
The United States and Bahrain launched an inaugural, two-week strategic dialogue in December.
A joint statement from both countries after the dialogue emphasised both the Abraham Accords and Bahrain’s improved efforts to combat human trafficking – a point that Mr Blinken reiterated during his Friday call with Dr Al Zayani.
“Secretary Blinken outlined key policy objectives, including continued progress on human rights and commended Bahrain for its successful efforts to combat human trafficking," said Mr Price.
The positive tone on Bahrain's progress contrasted with a statement released by Mr Price, following Mr Blinken's call with Mr Ashkenazi, also on Friday.
Mr Price said that Palestinian rights must be central to ongoing rapprochement in the region.
"The secretary emphasised the administration’s belief that Israelis and Palestinians should enjoy equal measures of freedom, security, prosperity, and democracy," Mr Price said.
He said Mr Blinken reiterated the United States’ "strong commitment to Israel and its security and looks forward to strengthening all aspects of the US-Israel partnership."
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
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Gulf Men's League final
Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
UAE'S%20YOUNG%20GUNS
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How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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6026 – Dh 200
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Royal Birkdale Golf Course
Location: Southport, Merseyside, England
Established: 1889
Type: Private
Total holes: 18
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
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The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
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
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