Source: CNBC

The UAE's peace deal with Israel is a 'win-win solution,' says UAE minister
By: Abigail Ng
14 August 2020
CNBC via MSN

The United Arab Emirates' peace deal with Israel is a "win-win solution" that takes away the "looming threat" of annexation in the West Bank, according to the Gulf country's minister of state for foreign affairs. "We were in Arab League meetings ... and the whole idea was, what do we do to stop this annexation? Somehow, annexation seemed as a looming threat that will undermine any prospects of a two-state solution," Anwar Gargash told CNBC's Dan Murphy on Thursday. His comments were made shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced yesterday that both countries agreed to normalize relations, making the UAE the first Persian Gulf state and the third Arab nation to have open diplomatic ties with Israel.

"The UAE was quite active diplomatically and we took an unprecedented step of our ambassador ... saying basically that annexation will just wreck the whole prospect of negotiations and peace, and will affect Israel's prospects of establishing relations with the Arab world," Gargash said. "I can't really pinpoint a certain moment, but the idea developed that why don't we actually create a win-win solution," he added.

Thomas Warrick, non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, agreed with the sentiment. "It's a good day for Israel and for the UAE, they both get something out of this that they very much want," he said. "The UAE shows its value as a strategic partner to both U.S. political parties. Israel gets out of their being stuck over the settlements issue ... This gives them a valuable prize, normalization of relations with the UAE."

Gargash described the deal as a way of "defusing a real threat" to a two-state solution and "hopefully" allowing negotiations to restart, but not a "roadmap for peace" between Israel and Palestine. "This is really up to the Palestinians, up to the Israelis, up to other traditional brokers such as the Americans," he said.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/the-uaes-peace-deal-with-israel-is-a-win-win-solution-says-uae-minister/ar-BB17XnZy

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Probably the most important news of 2020, outside of Covid. It's a remarkable achievement, and a clear signal to Iran and Turkey, neither of which has the best interest of the region in mind.

Daily Mail (UK)
11 August 2020
By: Frances Mulraney

North Carolina police have charged a neighbor with the murder of a five-year-old boy who was riding a bike in his own yard when he was shot at point blank range on Sunday evening. Darius Sessoms, 25, was taken into custody by Wilson police around 24 hours after he allegedly approached Cannon Hinnant in front of the young boy's father's house at 5:30pm and shot him in the head. Hinnant's seven-year-old and eight-year-old sisters witnessed the killing, their mother told WRAL.

Sessoms lived next door to the family, and the killing is not believed to be random. Neighbors claim he had dinner with Hinnant's father Austin on Friday and had been over at the house earlier on Sunday. The motive for the killing is still under investigation, but a GoFundMe established by a family member says that the young boy rode into Sessoms' yard. 'Sunday, August 9, 2020 a sweet soul named Cannon Hinnant was taken from this world over a senseless act,' it reads. 'A beautiful 5 year old baby boy riding his bicycle was shot by his neighbor point blank in Wilson NC. One minute he is enjoying his life, the next it all ends because he rode into his neighbors yard.'

The young boy was set to start Kindergarten on Monday and had just learned to write his name. 'He was just a loving kid,' his mother Bonny Waddell told the Wilson Times. 'He had the biggest heart.' 'It’s devastating. No one should ever have to bury their child. No mother should have to go through this.'

Hinnant's family said they have known the suspect for years and did not believe he could be capable of murder. 'We used to play together and I never thought he’d kill someone. A mother now has to lay her son to rest at 5 years old which she should never have to do. He’ll never be forgotten,' Rachel Pipkin, a cousin of Cannon’s mother told CBS. Police were called to the scene on Archers Road at around 5.30pm Sunday where Hinnant was found with a gunshot wound.


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8615711/Five-year-old-boy-riding-bike-shot-dead-neighbor-25-two-sisters.html
Excerpted. More at link above.