The Israeli President, Shimon Peres, said that he believed the conditions were ripe for the Middle East to head towards peace and expected the region to positively change during the coming three years.
Speaking to the London-based Arabic daily Alsharq Alawsat before yesterday's air strikes on Gaza, Mr Peres rejected projections that a right-wing Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu would take a radically different direction. "The public in Israel wants peace if there is a conviction that the other party wants it too", he stressed. "There have been seven wars between Israel and the Arabs and that is enough. When are we going to stop?", Mr Peres added.
According to the Israeli President, the Arab peace initiative can be a good basis for negotiations between Israel and the whole Arab world. The initiative is the result of new vision in the Arab world and can be used as a strong basis for achieving peace, he said. In a reference to the Israeli threats against the Palestinian movement Hamas, Mr Peres said that, "Israel will take all necessary measures to stop rockets, but we will not enter Gaza. There are other ways I won't tell you about, but we didn't leave Gaza to come back to it".
The Chinese navy has launched a three month mission to escort and protect merchant ships and their cargo from Somali pirates, in an unprecedented move in the history of the country's military, wrote the Bahraini Arabic newspaper Akhbar al Khaleej.
Three war ships, including two destroyers and a supply vessel, left from a base in the southern province of Hainan Friday. They will operate alongside other international warships patrolling the area near the Gulf of Aden.
"It is the first time that we sail abroad to protect our strategic interests" with military force, said the Chinese navy commander Wu Shengli. "It is also the first time a maritime force is involved in an international humanitarian mission and the first time our navy is in charge of protecting ships away from Chinese waters", he added.
This mission, noted Chinese media and quoted by the Bahraini daily, "sends a strong political message to the international community that China, with its enhanced economic and military strength is willing to play a larger role in maintaining world peace and security."
The Syrian flag was seen for the first time in years on Friday, flying over a diplomatic building in the Lebanese capital, reported the Jordanian daily Al Rai.
According to witnesses, the flag was hoisted during the night on the premises located on the al Maqdisi street in the western neighbourhood of Al Hamra. Tens of photographers were gathered in front of the building to catch the historic moment.
The Syrian Foreign Minister, Walid Muallem, had said the embassy would open its doors "immediately after Christmas", although no official date for the inauguration has been announced so far, indicated Al Rai.
The Lebanese have been used to seeing Syrian flags in various parts of their country over the last 30 years, during the Syrian military presence in Lebanon, but this is the first time a Syrian diplomatic representation is opening in Beirut, noted the newspaper.
Lebanon and Syria announced the establishment of diplomatic relations on October 15 for the first time since the independence of the two countries.
Libya has warned Switzerland that it will face further sanctions if it does not move to close the investigation procedure launched against a son of the Libyan leader, Muammar Kaddafi, wrote the London-based daily al Quds.
According to the newspaper, Hannibal Kaddafi was arrested in Geneva on July 15 2008 and charged with mistreating two domestic employees, a Tunisian woman and a Moroccan man, who later withdrew their complaints. He was later freed on bail, but the case had angered Tripoli.
The Libyan Foreign Ministry announced in a statement earlier that the two countries had agreed to set up an independent committee to investigate the incident. The committee has now almost completed its investigation which showed that the arrest was illegal.
"The facts are now clear and display the misuse of authority and infringement of legal procedures by Geneva police, but the Swiss side in the committee attempts to issue a final report to save the face for the Swiss authorities", the ministry added.
* Compiled by Mideastdigest.com
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh289,000
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.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
Starring: Ali El Ghoureir, Khalil El Roumeithy, Mostafa Abo Seria
Stars: 3
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon
Rating:*****
Champions League Last 16
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Manchester City (ENG)
Benfica (POR) v Ajax (NED)
Chelsea (ENG) v Lille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP) v Juventus (ITA)
Inter Milan (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)
Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Health Valley
Founded in 2002 and set up as a foundation in 2006, Health Valley has been an innovation in healthcare for more than 10 years in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
It serves as a place where companies, businesses, universities, healthcare providers and government agencies can collaborate, offering a platform where they can connect and work together on healthcare innovation.
Its partners work on technological innovation, new forms of diagnostics and other methods to make a difference in healthcare.
Its agency consists of eight people, four innovation managers and office managers, two communication advisers and one director. It gives innovation support to businesses and other parties in its network like a broker, connecting people with the right organisation to help them further