Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Sultan Haitham of Oman on Wednesday discussed the continuing war in Gaza with King Abdullah II on a two-day visit to Jordan, Jordan's official news agency reported.
The two leaders repeated their calls for an immediate ceasefire after meeting at Basman Al Zahir Palace in Jordan's capital Amman, it said.
"The king and the Sultan of Oman stress the necessity of reaching an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, protecting civilians and intensifying efforts to deliver sufficient humanitarian aid to all parts of the strip without objection or delay," Petra News reported.
They called for an expansion of economic ties between Jordan and Oman, including joint investment and co-operation.
King Abdullah received the Al Said medal, the highest Omani award, while the king presented the Order of Al Hussein bin Ali to Sultan Haitham in appreciation of the ties between the two countries and their respective people.
The Sultan was received by King Abdullah II on his arrival at Marka Airport at the start of his state visit to the country, Jordan's Royal Court confirmed on Wednesday afternoon.
Oil producer Oman has been playing an interlocutor role to reduce tensions between Iran and the US over Gaza and other regional conflicts. The two-day visit is the first by Sultan Haitham to Jordan since he succeeded the late Sultan Qaboos in 2020.
Oman's ambassador to Jordan, Fahd Al Ojeili, had said the visit was aimed at increasing co-operation on “issues of bilateral interest, especially the Palestinian cause”, said Oman’s ambassador to Jordan, Fahd Al Ojeili.
The two US allies are seen as stable, moderate monarchies supported by Washington, with Jordan dependent on the US for aid flows. Jordan has a peace treaty with Israel while Oman has open channels.
In October 2022, King Abdullah II and Queen Rania went to Muscat on an official visit.
Last month, Jordan helped Israel take down missiles and rockets launched by Iran, while maintaining vocal criticism of Israeli conduct in Gaza. Jordan said it acted in defence of its sovereignty and would not accept its territory being used as a pathway for conflict.
The Gaza war started on October 7 with an attack by the Iran-backed militant group Hamas on southern Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed.
More than 36,700 people have been killed in the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials.
Jordan and Oman grew closer under Sultan Qaboos, who came to power in 1970, and was friends with the late King Hussein, the father of King Abdullah II.
Jordanian state television reported that King Abdullah II and Sultan Haitham have similar “political visions” and that both “always emphasise the need to treat the Palestinian file with wisdom”.
The two leaders have “spared no effort” to stop the Israeli invasion of Gaza and “empower the Palestinian brethren to establish their own, independent state”, it said.
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
PFA Team of the Year: David de Gea, Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Alonso, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
