Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
The US and its allies in the Middle East have been focused on establishing “responsible leadership” in Gaza “that could lead to the West Bank and Gaza forming a sovereign state”, the top foreign affairs senator has told The National.
Senate foreign relations committee chairman Ben Cardin this week met Qatar's Prime Minister, the Jordanian ambassador to Washington and will soon meet Israeli officials, he said, for conversations “looking at what happens after the war is over in regards to a path forward”.
“There needs to be responsible leadership for the people of Gaza that can protect their security and respects Israel's security and provides an economic future,” Mr Cardin explained.
“That seems to be the common thread I hear from all the leaders in the region, and that could lead to the West Bank and Gaza forming a sovereign state living in peace with Israel.”
He told The National at a press round-table: “We are seeing through this tragedy, that unless we want to see a repeat of this in the future, we need to have a more permanent way of solving the Palestinian issue.”
But he cautioned that “it's going to take some time”.
“The connection between the West Bank and Gaza is not easy. Security is not easy. The ability to effectively operate a government is not easy,” he added, emphasising that Hamas must be “neutralised”.
President Joe Biden's administration has continued Washington's legacy of funding Israel's military and defending its policies towards Palestinians.
That has included billions of dollars in funding and twice circumventing congressional authorisations to provide more in military sales, as Israel continues its campaign in Gaza, which officials say has killed more than 27,000 Palestinians.
Since the war began, the Biden administration and its allies in Congress have adopted rhetoric vaguely endorsing “political horizons for the Palestinians”.
Gaza protest in Washington – in pictures
Mr Cardin himself has been one of the Democratic Party's most ardent advocates of the US-Israel relationship over his career.
But despite rejections from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a more concrete resolve on Palestinian statehood has in recent days appeared to gain momentum in the West.
US outlets, citing unnamed administration officials, have reported that Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked his department to review policy options on possible US and international recognition of a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza.
And in the UK, Foreign Secretary David Cameron has called for the establishment of a diplomatic campaign by “all the friends of a Palestinian state”.
“We with allies will look at the issue of recognising a Palestinian state including at the United Nations,” Lord Cameron said this week.
“This could be one of the things that helps to make this process irreversible.”
All of this hinges on an end to Israel's Gaza siege and a return of hostages taken by Hamas during its deadly October 7 attack.
During his visit to Washington this week, Mr Cardin met Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and they “had a chance to go over the current hostage offers”.
News circulated this week that a hostage framework had been achieved, including the freeing of Palestinian detainees held by Israel, at a rate of three detainees for each hostage, a temporary repositioning of Israeli troops away from high-population areas of Gaza and a significant increase in humanitarian aid flowing into the enclave.
Sheikh Mohammed has said in his meetings in Washington that hostage negotiations are “in a much better place than where we were few weeks ago”.
“We've seen a lot of starts that were not successful. We hope this one will be because it will not only lead to a large number of hostages being released, but also a pathway forward,” Mr Cardin said.
The US is “thoroughly involved” in efforts together with Egypt, Qatar and Israel to put together a proposal to forward to Hamas and kick off a deal to release the hostages including a humanitarian pause, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Barbara Leaf told reporters.
Displaced Gaza children describe living in a school – video
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
The National selections:
6.30pm AF Alwajel
7.05pm Ekhtiyaar
7.40pm First View
8.15pm Benbatl
8.50pm Zakouski
9.25pm: Kimbear
10pm: Chasing Dreams
10.35pm: Good Fortune
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2
(Martial 30', McTominay 90 6')
Manchester City 0
ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
more from Janine di Giovanni
Fixtures
Wednesday
4.15pm: Japan v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: UAE v Italy (Group A)
6.45pm: Russia v Mexico (Group B)
8pm: Iran v Egypt (Group B)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
HWJN
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbocharged
Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 445bhp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh474,600
On Sale: Now
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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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.
FIXTURES
Fixtures for Round 15 (all times UAE)
Friday
Inter Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Saturday
Atalanta v Verona (6pm)
Udinese v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Juventus (11.45pm)
Sunday
Lecce v Genoa (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (6pm)
SPAL v Brescia (6pm)
Torino v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Parma (9pm)
Bologna v AC Milan (11.45pm)
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008
Price, base / as tested: Dh99,900 / Dh134,900
Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 240Nm @ 1,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
'Project Power'
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback
Director: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman
Rating: 3.5/5
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FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
