In the two weeks since Hamas militants infiltrated Israel in a cross-border attack and dealt it its severest blow in decades – killing nearly 1,400 people, injuring hundreds more and taking nearly 200 people hostage – the devastation has only widened, and a disproportionate price is being paid by Palestinian civilians.
In Israel's ensuing retaliatory attacks on Gaza, at least 4,385 Palestinians have been killed. Just in the past week, hospitals have been bombed in Gaza, entire families wiped out, children made orphans and parents left to burying their shrouded children.
In all of this acute despair, the faintest glimmer of hope was visible on Saturday when humanitarian aid was finally allowed in to the Gaza Strip. After a wait of more than a week by nearly 200 lorries queued on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing in the Sinai Peninsula, 20 lorries carried in essentials for the desperate population of Gaza. It is uncertain whether Israel will let in more aid or fuel, for fear of Hamas seizing it for its own ends.
For a population of 2.3 million in the Gaza Strip, however, 20 lorries of necessary supplies is a start but it is nowhere near sufficient. As UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said in Cairo, the aid cannot be a one-time delivery.
Fuel is needed in Gaza so that hospitals can use electricity; intensive care units, incubators for babies can function, and desalination units provide potable water, at the minimum. Even before October 7, the Israeli blockade kept Gazans in a chokehold, deprived of normality and fully dependent on aid to survive. "We heat the salt water and when it cools, we drink it," said Mahmoud Muhammad Al-Shorbaji, a resident of Gaza, just one among the barricaded 2.3 million trying to survive bombings, with no water, no bread, no electricity, fuel or respite.
The international community witnessing the siege of Gaza, watching images and reports of killings, must continue to rally together to end this war. A collective regional message of de-escalation was heard at the Cairo summit on Saturday. Even though a final statement did not emerge, an upside was the urgency with which the various stakeholders attempted to address the problem, a crucial first step. Indeed, the need for international mediation and diplomacy, as has been called for in these pages, has never been more urgent. It is the best, and perhaps only, way to resolve this crisis.
On Saturday, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed called for an immediate end to hostilities in Gaza. He joined leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Italy and Spain, foreign ministers of other nations, as well as organisations such as the UN, EU, the Arab League and the African Union, to speak in one voice, recognising the need to prevent this already disastrous war from raging further. In the war between Israel and Hamas, civilian lives, including that of children, must not be allowed to be collateral.
The coming together of divergent voices on a humanitarian issue of this scale is necessary to begin talk of a ceasefire, and embark on the elusive project of long-term peace for Palestinians and Israelis – and for stability of the entire region.
Israel's need to see the hostages return safely should be the government’s highest priority. On Friday, two US hostages came home. But even as Judith Raanan, 59, and her daughter Natalie, 17, were released from captivity in Gaza, there were almost 200 people still held by Hamas, among them reportedly 30 teenagers and children.
Hamas claims that Israeli air strikes have killed 20 among the hostages. More lives should not be added to that tally, for which talks remain crucial.
The anguish of families to get their loved ones back can only be imagined. It must be at the centre of reasons to call for a ceasefire, despite incendiary rhetoric from Israel’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, of neutralising and destroying. “We shall demolish it [Gaza] and it will never be built again,” he has said.
The faint hope delivered by aid lorries and by the talks in Cairo has to be built on. There is no other choice. As one Arab diplomat said in Cairo of the summit, it's like breaking bread at gunpoint. The tragedy remains, though, that for people in Gaza, the situation has gone far beyond gunpoint and can get much worse still.
Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
|
Age
|
$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEducatly%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohmmed%20El%20Sonbaty%2C%20Joan%20Manuel%20and%20Abdelrahman%20Ayman%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEducation%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%242%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEnterprise%20Ireland%2C%20Egypt%20venture%2C%20Plus%20VC%2C%20HBAN%2C%20Falak%20Startups%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Sugary teas and iced coffees
The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.
For instance, the non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
