The German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said he was hopeful of a "fresh start" in the Middle East peace process thanks to new US engagement in the region as he kicked off a regional tour on Monday.
"I hope we are on the verge of a fresh start, a fresh start that has been made possible by the initiative of the US president ? a decisive, fervent call for a two-state solution made not only to Israel and the Palestinians but also to the Arab neighbours," Mr Steinmeier told reporters.
"We must work toward having the moderate Arab states participate in this task," he said as he headed into talks with the Israeli president Shimon Peres.
"I believe that is also the point of view behind the new initiative of the American president (Barack Obama). And we, from the German and of course European side, want to do everything we can to support this initiative."
Mr Steinmeier also met with the senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat and was due to hold talks with the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman later in Jerusalem.
Mr Steinmeier arrived in Israel early on Monday at the start of a two-day tour that will also take him to Syria and Lebanon.
His arrival in the Jewish state comes on the same day as a meeting in London between the Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak and US Middle East envoy George Mitchell amid friction between the two close allies over Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Mr Steinmeier said Europe and Germany had a crucial role to play in laying the groundwork for a Middle East peace backed by Arab neighbours, and that "Germany has a voice that is heard in the entire region".
"I will continue to press for Israel's difficult neighbours ? in Syria and in Lebanon ? to participate constructively in these efforts toward a two-state solution. If that is successful, it will be to the advantage of all in the region."
Mr Steinmeier, who is also vice chancellor and is challenging conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel in a September general election, is on his 14th Middle East tour since taking office in November 2005 in a left-right government.
Berlin has described the absence of violence surrounding the Lebanese elections on June 7 and improved relations between Lebanon and Syria as factors that present a "window of opportunity" that Europe must help to seize.
Such steps include building infrastructure for the Palestinians and training local security forces to help prepare for eventual statehood.
During his stop in Damascus on Tuesday, Mr Steinmeier is to hold talks with his Syrian counterpart Walid al Muallem and the president Bashar al Assad, before meeting the Lebanese president Michel Suleiman and the prime minister designate Saad Hariri in Beirut.
*AFP
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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South Africa v India schedule
Tests: 1st Test Jan 5-9, Cape Town; 2nd Test Jan 13-17, Centurion; 3rd Test Jan 24-28, Johannesburg
ODIs: 1st ODI Feb 1, Durban; 2nd ODI Feb 4, Centurion; 3rd ODI Feb 7, Cape Town; 4th ODI Feb 10, Johannesburg; 5th ODI Feb 13, Port Elizabeth; 6th ODI Feb 16, Centurion
T20Is: 1st T20I Feb 18, Johannesburg; 2nd T20I Feb 21, Centurion; 3rd T20I Feb 24, Cape Town
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.