Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Arab officials met G7 foreign ministers on Monday in a bid to bring about a ceasefire in the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
The Middle East led the agenda at the meeting, with senior officials from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar attending the G7 summit in Italy.
“We need a ceasefire, a permanent ceasefire,” said Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. “That will stop the killings and stop the destruction and restore a sense of normality to life.”
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo would host a minister-level conference next Monday that aims to boost international aid for Gaza.
The ministers are also discussing the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas's military chief Mohammed Deif, as well as “the possible effects on the current crises in Lebanon and Gaza”, Italy's Foreign Ministry said. Later in the week, the G7 will hold sessions on efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
The Quintet group – the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and US – has been working to finalise recovery plans for Gaza to be ready for when the conflict ends.
The first session, on Monday afternoon, was dedicated to the Gaza war and its wider impact on Lebanon and the Red Sea region. Another session will include ministers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar, as well as Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the Arab League, the Italian government said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attended the talks in Fiuggi alongside the UK, Canada, Germany, France and Japan.
The Arab foreign ministers joined the discussions on mechanisms for government, reconstruction and security for the territory once the fighting is over. US officials are trying to complete the formation of that structure before President Joe Biden leaves office in January.
“We have asked for the presence of partners in the region to foster dialogue with the members of the G7,” said Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. “Only together can we find concrete solutions that can bring peace and stability to the region.”
US president-elect Donald Trump is expected to pursue a policy that strongly favours Israel over the Palestinians and others hoping for a two-state solution to the conflict. He has nominated several officials who are staunchly pro-Israel.
The other major talking point of the G7 meeting is Ukraine, where tensions have heightened since Russia escalated the war by attacking Ukraine using an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is expected to be in Fiuggi on Tuesday, and Nato and Ukraine are holding emergency talks on the same day in Brussels. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strike was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of US and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
THE DRAFT
The final phase of player recruitment for the T10 League has taken place, with UAE and Indian players being drafted to each of the eight teams.
Bengal Tigers
UAE players: Chirag Suri, Mohammed Usman
Indian: Zaheer Khan
Karachians
UAE players: Ahmed Raza, Ghulam Shabber
Indian: Pravin Tambe
Kerala Kings
UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Abdul Shakoor
Indian: RS Sodhi
Maratha Arabians
UAE players: Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
Indian: S Badrinath
Northern Warriors
UAE players: Imran Haider, Rahul Bhatia
Indian: Amitoze Singh
Pakhtoons
UAE players: Hafiz Kaleem, Sheer Walli
Indian: RP Singh
Punjabi Legends
UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Sandy Singh
Indian: Praveen Kumar
Rajputs
UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed
Indian: Munaf Patel
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
