This week, a US-Israeli delegation headed by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner departed from Tel Aviv and landed in Abu Dhabi aboard a commercial flight, the first of its kind to the Gulf. The delegation discussed co-operation in a variety of fields, including trade, agriculture and technology following the signing of the Abraham Accord on August 13. The agreement states that the UAE has decided to establish diplomatic ties with Israel in exchange for halting the annexation of Palestinian land.
The UAE is now the first country in the Gulf to establish formal relations with Israel. The ensuing agreements stemming from the accord are still being rolled out, but perhaps the most compelling are the many opportunities the accord can open. Mr Kushner laid out Washington's vision for a peaceful Middle East in an interview with The National.
Mr Kushner referred to the Abraham Accord, which he helped to broker, as a “a big turn for optimism” and repeated Mr Trump’s commitment to a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This assurance is crucial to peace efforts between Israelis and Palestinians. The UAE’s commitment to the two-state solution remains unwavering, and preserving it was among the drivers for the peace accord. In a video addressed to the Palestinian community of the UAE, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, reaffirmed the Emirates’ support. For the UAE, peace-building is a “strategic necessity” in a region rife with conflict, but Sheikh Abdullah maintained that it will never “come at the expense of our support for the Palestinian cause”.
The US and the UAE have publicly stated their support for a two-state solution several times since the Abraham Accord was announced. It is now up to Israelis and Palestinians to build on these efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, with the mediation of Arab and Western allies. A major part of the drive for peace lies in empowering Palestinians through investment in the economy and strengthening their institutions, according to Mr Kushner.
In a joint US-UAE-Israeli communique on August 13, the three nations stated that they will keep striving to "achieve a just, comprehensive and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" and that the agreement will lead to "better lives for the peoples of Israel, the UAE and the region".
A major part of the drive for peace lies in empowering Palestinians
Achieving a peaceful Middle East requires, however, a broader perspective, which includes supporting reformers, creating opportunities and supporting geopolitical stability. That means curbing Iranian influence in the Arab world. Tehran’s armed proxies have wreaked havoc in Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq and beyond, destabilising entire nations and fuelling extremism. The US’s maximum pressure campaign has hindered these activities to a great extent, but punitive actions must also be complemented by diplomatic efforts. This includes building closer ties with reformers like Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi, as well as renegotiating a new, better nuclear deal with Iran. The now-defunct Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, from which the US withdrew in 2018, had failed to address Tehran’s destabilising actions. Should he win a second term, Mr Trump will focus on striking “the right deal” with Iran, according to Mr Kushner.
The path to peace in the Middle East is multi-faceted and requires a holistic approach. It requires effort and compromise from all sides when it comes to resolving complex, decades-old disputes. Most importantly, peace and stability cannot be achieved without strengthening state institutions and curbing the power of extremists. But the Abraham Accord just gave the region a significant move towards peace.
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
Tentative schedule of 2017/18 Ashes series
1st Test November 23-27, The Gabba, Brisbane
2nd Test December 2-6, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
3rd Test Dcember 14-18, Waca, Perth
4th Test December 26-30, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
5th Test January 4-8, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
WTL%20SCHEDULE
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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
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
