Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has joined the French President in Paris to commemorate the victims of a mass arrest of Jews in Nazi-occupied France.
The trip was also an opportunity for Mr Netanyahu to hold direct talks with Emmanuel Macron for the first time. The Middle East peace process is likely to be high on the agenda.
More than 13,000 Jews - 4,000 believed to be children - were arrested by French police in July 1942.
They were taken to the Velodrome D'Hiver, a cycling stadium near the Eiffel Tower, or an internment camp. Many were sent on to Auschwitz concentration camp and fewer than 100 people survived.
Mr Netanyahu is the first Israeli prime minister to attend the Vel d'Hiv commemorations.
"I'm here to mourn the victims," Mr Netanyahu told an audience in Paris, which included Jewish groups and Holocaust survivors.
"Seventy-five years ago, a heavy darkness descended on this city... It seems the values of the French revolution - equality, fraternity, liberty - was crushed brutally under the boot of anti-Semitism."
Some in France have criticised Mr Netanyahu's attendance.
Elie Barnavi, a former Israeli ambassador to France, told AFP news agency: "The presence of Netanyahu makes me a little uneasy.
"This story has nothing to do with Israel."
The Union of French Jews for Peace, a pro-Palestinian organisation, described the decision to invite Mr Netanyahu as "shocking" and "unacceptable".
The episode remains controversial in France. Marine Le Pen, Mr Macron's far-right opponent in this year's election, drew strong criticism when she suggested France was not responsible for the tragedy.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Macron reaffirmed that "it was France that organised" the mass arrest.
Mr Netanyahu is in France during a five-day day trip to Europe. His last official visit to France was to attend the unity march following the attacks on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, police officers, and a kosher supermarket in January 2015.
It is thought the Mr Netanyahu will be pushing to find out Mr Macron’s intentions towards the Middle East process during their conversation following the ceremony.
The French president met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Paris earlier this month. At the time he stated France supports a two-state solution and opposes Israel's building of settlements in occupied territory.
Earlier this week two Israeli policemen were killed and a third wounded by three Israeli Arabs in a gun attack. It occurred close to the compound in Jerusalem known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif. The attackers were later killed by security forces.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Sukuk explained
Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Friday's schedule at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 qualifying, 10:15am
Formula 2, practice 11:30am
Formula 1, first practice, 1pm
GP3 qualifying session, 3.10pm
Formula 1 second practice, 5pm
Formula 2 qualifying, 7pm
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
