German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron said they would assert European sovereignty and the rule of international law in the Eastern Mediterranean after their talks in southern France.
At his summer retreat after meetings with Mrs Merkel, Mr Macron said they wished to show their solidarity with Greece and Cyprus while continuing talks on growing tension caused by Turkey's exploratory drilling in the area.
He has been pushing for Brussels to take a stronger line on Ankara, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean. In a tweet after the discussions, Mr Macron also targeted another aspect of Turkey's regional activities when he demanded new rigour from the European naval coalition that is patrolling the seas off Libya. The Irini mission was launched to intercept shipments of weapons bound for Libya.
Germany's navy, along with France, Italy and Greece, is a direct participant in the Irini naval mission to uphold the UN Security Council resolutions 1970 and 2292 prohibiting arms shipments to Tripoli. Turkey has used the sea lanes across the Mediterranean to supply its allies in western Libya with both an arsenal of weapons and personnel recruited from extremist battalions from the Syrian conflict.
Earlier this month France also boosted its military presence in eastern Mediterranean region amid flaring tension between Athens and Ankara after a Turkish seismic research vessel, the Oruc Reis, was sent into waters off eastern Greek islands.
Mrs Merkel said it was important that Europe spoke with one voice about the Eastern Mediterranean while seeking a multilateral solution to the dispute.
"We need stability there and not tension," she said. "We have a very critical situation.
"I am convinced that if Germany and France join forces here, we will find good solutions that will hopefully make co-operation possible, but that will also make clear we will not accept attacks on the sovereignty of member states of the European Union.
"We are in favour of solving problems through discussion and not by escalating tensions, and that applies to all parties involved.”
Mrs Merkel was the first German chancellor to the visit Fort de Bregancon in the south of France since her country’s reunification.
She was greeted on arrival by Mr Macron and his wife, Brigitte, who exchanged bows instead of handshakes.
"The best place in the world," Mrs Merkel told her hosts in English as they pointed out the features of the fortress.
They then put on surgical masks and went inside to start their talks.
Mrs Merkel has become the principal mediator between Turkey and Greece, which along with Cyprus has borne the brunt of Turkey’s aggression.
At least once in July she was forced to intervene at the 11th hour to stop a direct confrontation between Greek and Turkish naval ships.
Before the meeting, in an interview with the French news magazine Paris Match, Mr Macron railed against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He said Mr Erdogan was pursuing “an expansionist policy that mixes nationalism and Islam, which is incompatible with European interests".
Paris has sought punitive action against Ankara since June, when it said its navy ship, the Courbet, was harassed by Turkish warships as it tried to inspect a Tanzanian-flagged cargo ship suspected of being used by Turkey to flout the EU's arms embargo on Libya.
Despite rebukes from the Brussels over its actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and calls for sanctions from Greece, Turkey has sent a second drilling ship, the Yavuz, into Cypriot waters.
Meanwhile, Nicosia has accused the EU of appeasing Turkey by failing to introduce sanctions.
EU foreign ministers will meet to discuss possible sanctions against Turkey at the end of next week.
On Wednesday night, after a meeting of EU leaders, Mrs Merkel called for dialogue and restraint while asserting support for Greece and Cyprus.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch
Power: 710bhp
Torque: 770Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 340km/h
Price: Dh1,000,885
On sale: now
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20and%20Alex%20Pastor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGeorgina%20Campbell%2C%20Mario%20Casas%2C%20Diego%20Calva%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
ATP RANKINGS (NOVEMBER 4)
1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 9,585 pts ( 1)
2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 8,945 (-1)
3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,190
4. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 5,705
5. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 5,025
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4,000 ( 1)
7. Alexander Zverev (GER) 2,945 (-1)
8. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2,670 ( 1)
9. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,540 ( 1)
10. Gaël Monfils (FRA) 2,530 ( 3)
11. David Goffin (BEL) 2,335 ( 3)
12. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,290
13. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 2,180 (-2)
14. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,125 ( 1)
15. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2,050 ( 13)
16. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 2,000
17. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 1,840 (-9)
18. Alex De Minaur (AUS) 1,775
19. John Isner (USA) 1,770 (-2)
20. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 1,747 ( 7)
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
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
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
