The UK's Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch will visit the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar this week for talks on a trade deal between Britain and the Gulf.
Ms Badenoch will meet business leaders, ministers and the new head of the Gulf Co-operation Council on a five-day trip to the region.
Britain and the six-member GCC have held three rounds of talks on a post-Brexit trade deal, with a fourth expected to be hosted by the UK later this year.
“I know my counterparts are as ambitious for this deal as I am, and I’m ready to match their ambition,” Ms Badenoch said.
“We already have a strong trade and investment relationship with the Gulf nations, but I’m determined to strengthen this even further.
“The GCC represents an enormous opportunity for UK firms, whether it’s selling brilliant British food and drink products into new markets or offering new consumers for our flourishing digital trade and renewable energy sectors.
The UK government says a deal with the GCC could increase trade by 16 per cent or more.
It believes demand for British exports to the region could rise to almost £1 trillion ($1.24 trillion) by 2035.
Ms Badenoch will also hold talks on inward investment to the UK.
She is expected to speak at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday as part of a programme of business engagements.
A meeting is planned with GCC Secretary General Jasem Al Budaiwi, who recently moved to the post from Kuwait's embassy to the US.
The UK and UAE's foreign ministers held a first “strategic dialogue” last week which they hailed as an “important moment” in bilateral relations.
In a joint statement they affirmed their support for “expanding and deepening trade and investment relations”.
They said the two countries would discuss “annexes or side agreements” to a UK-Gulf trade deal to cover UK-UAE specific issues.
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Director: Akarsh Khurana
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The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
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”.
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.”
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Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
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The users of Reddit
Robinhood
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Short seller
Selling a stock today in the belief its price will fall in the future
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Traders forced to buy a stock they are shorting
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An illegal practice
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
