Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Photo: UAE Presidential Court; Reuters
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Photo: UAE Presidential Court; Reuters
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Photo: UAE Presidential Court; Reuters
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Photo: UAE Presidential Court; Reuters

Sheikh Abdullah and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discuss Gaza ceasefire and regional stability


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Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed the significance of the Gaza ceasefire agreement for regional stability during a phone call.

Sheikh Abdullah and Mr Rubio underlined the need to advance “post-conflict planning” for the long-term governance and security of the enclave and discussed the importance of delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip in the talks, the US State Department said.

The UAE minister congratulated Mr Rubio on his appointment as the US's top diplomat in Donald Trump's White House administration. The former Florida senator, who has served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will be a key figure in guiding US foreign policy.

Sheikh Abdullah said he was eager to work with Mr Rubio to “enhance the friendship and strategic partnership between the UAE and the US, contributing to regional and international peace and security”, state news agency Wam reported on Thursday.

The two men reviewed regional and global developments and efforts to combat extremism and hatred, promote tolerance and coexistence, and support worldwide peace, stability and development during the call.

The US State Department said Sheikh Abdullah and Mr Rubio discussed “the importance of the US-UAE partnership for peace and stability in the region”.

“They committed to elevate the relationship and work together on shared opportunities and to counter common threats,” spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. “They discussed the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the release of the hostages, and humanitarian aid for Gaza.

“The secretary reinforced the significance of this agreement for regional security and stability and the need to continue implementation, and further discussions to advance post-conflict planning for the governance and security of Gaza for the longer-term.”

UAE call for peace

Sheikh Abdullah reaffirmed the UAE’s position that a comprehensive peace must be based on the two-state solution in talks with Gideon Saar, Israel’s Foreign Minister, earlier this month.

He said this would bring stability and achieve sustainable security in the region while ending the violence. Protecting the lives of civilians and making every effort to enable the flow of urgent humanitarian aid must be a priority, Sheikh Abdullah added.

Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
  • George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
  • Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
  • Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
  • Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills. 
Hunting park to luxury living
  • Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
  • The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
  • Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds

 

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Company profile

Name: Dukkantek 

Started: January 2021 

Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani 

Based: UAE 

Number of employees: 140 

Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service) 

Investment: $5.2 million 

Funding stage: Seed round 

Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office  

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

Match statistics

Dubai Sports City Eagles 8 Dubai Exiles 85

Eagles
Try:
Bailey
Pen: Carey

Exiles
Tries:
Botes 3, Sackmann 2, Fourie 2, Penalty, Walsh, Gairn, Crossley, Stubbs
Cons: Gerber 7
Pens: Gerber 3

Man of the match: Tomas Sackmann (Exiles)

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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?

Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.

They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.

“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.

He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.

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Rating: 3/5

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Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

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Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series

All matches at the Harare Sports Club:

1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10

2nd ODI, Friday, April 12

3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14

4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16

UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

THURSDAY FIXTURES

4.15pm: Italy v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: Egypt v Mexico (Group B)
6.45pm: UAE v Japan (Group A)
8pm: Iran v Russia (Group B)

Euro 2020

Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Wales, Turkey 

Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland

Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, 
Georgia/Kosovo/Belarus/North Macedonia

Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic, 
Scotland/Israel/Norway/Serbia

Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden, 
N.Ireland/Bosnia/Slovakia/Ireland

Group F: Germany, France, Portugal, 
Iceland/Romania/Bulgaria/Hungary

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Updated: January 23, 2025, 9:19 AM