Decision on Israel’s capital
AUSTRALIA formally recognised West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, reversing decades of Middle East policy, but would not move its embassy there immediately, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said yesterday.
“Australia now recognises West Jerusalem, being the seat of the Knesset and many of the institutions of government, is the capital of Israel. We look forward to moving our embassy to West Jerusalem when practical,” he told reporters in Sydney.
Morrison also confirmed Australia’s support for a two-state solution with a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem.
In October, Morrison said he was open to shifting Australia’s embassy from Tel Aviv.
US President Donald Trump’s move of its embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in May delighted Israel, infuriated Palestinians and upset the wider Arab world and Western allies.
Morrison’s unexpected announcement in October was viewed cynically at the time because it came days before a crucial by-election in an electorate with a strong Jewish representation, a poll his party subsequently lost.
It also drew criticism from Muslim-majority neighbours such as Indonesia and Malaysia, neither of whom formally recognise Israel’s right to exist. Arab countries are worried that the move will unnecessarily inflame tensions in the Middle East. | LONDON: A British zoo tweeted that a fire had broken out at one of its enclosures and that visitors had been evacuated.
Images of the Chester Zoo on the BBC showed thick black smoke and flames shooting out from a structure with a rounded roof. The fire broke out in the Monsoon Forest Habitat which is the UK’S largest zoological building. It has its own tropical weather conditions to replicate conditions in Southeast Asia.
Chester Zoo is said to be the UK’S most visited zoo outside London, drawing nearly 2 million visitors annually. It has more than 21000 animals of 500 different species and has been the subject of many TV programmes, including the BBC’S
drama in 2014. |