Rishi Sunak has reaffirmed Britain’s long-standing position on the Middle East peace process in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The UK Prime Minister congratulated Mr Netanyahu on his reappointment and they agreed to advance bilateral relations, including on trade.
The pair discussed how a free-trade agreement, which remains under negotiation, has the potential to “unlock further opportunities for both our countries, building on our shared leadership in areas like technology and services,” Downing Street said.
In a statement, Mr Sunak’s office also said the Abraham Accords would serve as a foundation on which nations in the Middle East could improve relations with each other.
The pacts facilitated by the US were signed between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain in 2020.
The Tony Blair Institute said in December that Britain should capitalise on the landmark accords to foster closer ties with Middle Eastern nations.
“The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Netanyahu also discussed co-operation between the UK and Israel on security issues, where both countries have an interest in promoting regional stability,” the statement continued.
“The Prime Minister outlined the steps the UK has taken to respond to abuses of human rights and breaches of international law by the Iranian regime, including sanctioning Iran for illegally supplying military drones to Russia. The Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Netanyahu for his support to Ukraine.
“The Prime Minister reaffirmed the UK’s long-standing position on the Middle East Peace Process. The leaders agreed that the Abraham Accords had the potential to bring about a permanent step change in relations between Israel and its neighbours, with far reaching benefits.
“The leaders looked forward to meeting in person soon and to marking Israel’s 75th anniversary later this year.”
Mr Netanyahu made a comeback as Israel's leader in the latest election after more than a year in opposition, extending his record-setting tenure as Prime Minister.
He is facing fierce criticism and protests at home over moves to overhaul the country's judicial system and weaken the supreme court.
The changes could help Mr Netanyahu, who still faces court proceedings for alleged corruption, evade conviction.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
