UK PM visits Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi

UK PM visits Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi
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Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, Dec. 9 (AFP)
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Updated 09 December 2024
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UK PM visits Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi

UK PM visits Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi
  • Keir Starmer praises mosque as a ‘site where people meet in peace’
  • He was gifted a compass designed after the mosque’s chandeliers

LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer toured the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi as part of state visit to the UAE on Monday.

Mansour Belhoul Al-Falasi, the Emirati ambassador to the UK, and Edward Hobart, the UK ambassador to the UAE, accompanied Starmer during his visit to the iconic site, Emirates News Agency reported.

Yousef Al-Obaidli, director-general of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, gave Starmer a tour of the site’s external halls, arcades and prayer hall.

The mosque, which opened for worship in December 2007, calls for coexistence, tolerance and openness to other faiths, and aspires to connect cultures and peoples from around the world.

Starmer was briefed about the mosque’s design, which was inspired by centuries-old Islamic architecture.

The British premier said that the UK and UAE “have a common history and a deep relationship dating back centuries.”

He added that the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is making efforts “to promote common human values between religions and cultures,” and is a site where “people from all over the world meet in peace.”

At the end of the tour, the center gifted Starmer a compass designed after the chandeliers in the mosque.

Earlier, Starmer met UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at Al-Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi. The two leaders discussed regional and global issues.


Lufthansa group suspends Tel Aviv flights through May 25

Lufthansa group suspends Tel Aviv flights through May 25
Updated 12 sec ago
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Lufthansa group suspends Tel Aviv flights through May 25

Lufthansa group suspends Tel Aviv flights through May 25
BERLIN: Airline group Lufthansa will suspend its flights to Tel Aviv through May 25, it said on Thursday, citing the “current situation.”
This affects flights operated by Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, ITA Airways, Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo, it added.
Global airlines have again halted their flights to and from Tel Aviv after a missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels toward Israel on May 4 landed near the country’s main international airport in Tel Aviv.

Madinah municipality continues intensive food safety inspections

Madinah municipality continues intensive food safety inspections
A picture taken on April 4, 2024 shows a view of one of the minarets of the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Saudi Arab
Updated 17 min 9 sec ago
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Madinah municipality continues intensive food safety inspections

Madinah municipality continues intensive food safety inspections

MADINAH: Food safety inspections have been stepped up ahead of the arrival of Hajj pilgrims, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Thursday.

The Madinah Regional Municipality has carried out routine testing of commercial establishments, with 4,165 samples to date confirmed as conforming to approved standards. So far, 186 samples have been deemed unfit for human consumption.

The municipality emphasized the importance of adhering to health standards for the safety of consumers. Individuals are encouraged to report any food safety concerns via the hotline on 940 or through other official communication channels.


Jordan evacuates second group of cancer patients from Gaza

Jordan evacuates second group of cancer patients from Gaza
Updated 33 min 21 sec ago
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Jordan evacuates second group of cancer patients from Gaza

Jordan evacuates second group of cancer patients from Gaza

AMMAN: Jordan’s government on Wednesday began evacuating four child cancer patients and 12 family members from Gaza.

They are the second group of patients evacuated for treatment under the Jordan Medical Corridor initiative, started in March this year, that aims to treat 2,000 Gazan children.

The children and their families were evacuated by the Royal Jordanian Air Force in cooperation with the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health.

They will be treated at the King Hussein Cancer Center.

The first evacuees were 29 children and 44 family members. Seventeen of these children have since returned to Gaza with their families after completing their treatment.


Trump: Iran has ‘somewhat agreed’ to terms of a deal

Trump: Iran has ‘somewhat agreed’ to terms of a deal
Updated 41 min 37 sec ago
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Trump: Iran has ‘somewhat agreed’ to terms of a deal

Trump: Iran has ‘somewhat agreed’ to terms of a deal
  • Trump says the US is in serious negotiations with Iran to reach a long-term peace

DUBAI: President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Iran had “somewhat agreed” to the terms of a potential long-term agreement with the United States, signaling progress in ongoing negotiations aimed at defusing tensions over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program.

“We are in very serious negotiations with Iran to reach a long-term peace,” Trump said, adding that the US was seeking to resolve the Iran issue “in a smart, but not violent, way.”

Donald Trump, in his first term as president, effectively torpedoed the accord in 2018 by unilaterally withdrawing the US.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has revived his campaign on Tehran, backing nuclear diplomacy but warning of military action if it fails.

He also reaffirmed Washington’s strategic role in the region, stating, “America is a strong ally of the Middle East.”

Speaking on broader foreign policy, Trump criticized US aid oversight in Ukraine: “We don’t know where the money we gave to Ukraine went,” he said. “The war in Ukraine must stop.”

Turning to defense, Trump claimed the US possesses “the most powerful military in the world—not Russia or China,” and “the most powerful weapons in the world.” 


54 people killed in overnight airstrikes on southern Gaza city, hospital says

54 people killed in overnight airstrikes on southern Gaza city, hospital says
Updated 15 May 2025
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54 people killed in overnight airstrikes on southern Gaza city, hospital says

54 people killed in overnight airstrikes on southern Gaza city, hospital says
  • Some bodies arrived in pieces, with some body bags containing the remains of multiple people
  • There had been hope that Trump’s regional visit could usher in a ceasefire or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza

KHAN YOUNIS: A hospital in southern Gaza says 54 people have been killed in overnight airstrikes on the city of Khan Younis.
An Associated Press cameraman in Khan Younis counted 10 airstrikes on the city overnight into Thursday, and saw numerous bodies taken to the morgue in the city’s Nasser Hospital. Some bodies arrived in pieces, with some body bags containing the remains of multiple people. The hospital’s morgue confirmed 54 people had been killed.
It was the second night of heavy bombing, after airstrikes Wednesday on northern and southern Gaza killed at least 70 people, including almost two dozen children.
The strikes come as US President Donald Trump visits the Middle East, visiting Gulf states but not Israel. There had been widespread hope that Trump’s regional visit could usher in a ceasefire deal or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza. An Israeli blockade of the territory is now in its third month.