The UK's former head of security to the Middle East has been appointed as its new ambassador to Israel.
Simon Walters succeeds Neil Wigan who will be transferring to another diplomatic service appointment.
On the announcement, Mr Wigan tweeted: “I am delighted (and a bit sad) to announce that Simon Walters will succeed me as UK Ambassador to Israel this summer. And jealous of his much better Hebrew.”
Mr Walters has been taking Hebrew language lessons in preparation for the role.
He served for two years as the foreign office's Director of National Security for the Middle East and Africa.
He also previously worked for the consulate in Jerusalem from 2008 to 2011, and held postings in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Yemen. He served as the head of Arabian Peninsula team and was the regional lead for South-Eastern Europe, Istanbul.
His predecessor Mr Wigan served for more than four years in the role.
Mr Walters will take up his post in August.
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If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
Sole survivors
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- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
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Water waste
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Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
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The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
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HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
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