Palestine and Israel latest news: Blinken claims progress in effort to boost Gaza truce


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The morning of Friday 28 May will mark a week since the start of the ceasefire that ended an 11-day war between Israel and the Gaza Strip’s Hamas rulers.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday ended a Middle East mission to shore up the ceasefire.

Mr Blinken won diplomatic support and hundreds of millions of dollars of pledges from Arab allies.

He visited Egypt and Jordan on Wednesday as part of his four-country tour.

In Amman, Jordan's King Abdullah told Mr Blinken that he welcomed the administration's move to reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem.

He travelled to Jordan from Egypt, where he praised Cairo's role in securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Mr Blinken said Egypt was a “real and effective partner” after meeting President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and his foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry.

He said his government was seeking $75 million from Congress for the Palestinians and promised to rally international support for Gaza, without aiding Hamas.

Follow the latest developments below:

Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history

Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)

Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.

 

Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)

A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.

 

Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)

Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.

 

Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)

Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

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Traits of Chinese zodiac animals

Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent   

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