TEL AVIV // Negotiations on a ceasefire intensified yesterday as Israeli forces pushed deeper into the densely populated Gaza City in what appeared to be the Jewish state's final assault on Hamas before a truce is sealed.
An Israeli attack on a UN compound prompted a furious response from Ban Ki-moon, the UN chief who is in Israel as part of an effort to advance an immediate ceasefire in the fighting that has so far killed 1,028 Palestinians and left more than 5,000 wounded.
At a press conference in Tel Aviv with Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister, Mr Ban expressed "strong protest and outrage" at the shelling of the compound and said Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, had told him it was a mistake. He added that the number of dead had reached "an unbearable point" and that arrangements were in place to enable a truce "to come reasonably soon".
The strike on the compound - which set several buildings ablaze, destroyed thousands of pounds of food and humanitarian supplies and injured three people - took place as Israeli ground forces intensified their attacks on both outlying districts and central areas of Gaza City.
Ayman Taha, an official of Hamas, was quoted as saying Israel's attacks yesterday were a bid to force the Islamic group to agree to its terms in the truce.
As Israel ended the 20th day of its massive onslaught in the impoverished territory, its representatives and those of Hamas - which controls Gaza - met separately with Egyptian mediators to negotiate a possible end to the fighting. Israel has said it would not agree to a truce that would allow Hamas to rearm itself and has sought assurances that the group will not be able to smuggle in weapons through tunnels from Egypt into Gaza.
Hamas has repeatedly demanded that any pact would call on Israel to pull out its troops and lift a long-standing and crippling blockade on Gaza.
News agencies quoted diplomats as saying the Egyptian proposal included a phased-in truce that would halt to violence to let in humanitarian aid and proceed to a withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza and the reopening of border crossings.
Mr Barak indicated Israel was open to accepting proposals for ending its attacks. "The fighting is continuing in order to reach our targets, but our eye is also open to the possibility of reaching an end to this campaign and completing the extraordinary results and achievements of the army through diplomatic means," he said during a meeting with naval troops in the southern city of Ashdod.
Ehud Olmert, Israel's prime minister, was due to meet Mr Barak and Ms Livni last night to discuss the ceasefire plans and get a briefing by Amos Gilad, a senior defence ministry official who visited Cairo for talks on the truce earlier in the day.
While news reports in Cairo said Israel had reacted favourably to the Egyptian proposal, a spokesman for Mr Olmert said no decision had yet been made.
In parallel to talks on the Egyptian plan, Israel is also close to signing an agreement with the US that will attempt to counter the smuggling of arms by Hamas into Gaza. The pact, which may be signed as early as today, would aim to set up a supervision mechanism to halt Hamas's arm-smuggling routes from Iran to the Gaza Strip through the Arabian Gulf, Sudan and other countries, the paper said. It added that Ms Livni may travel to the US this weekend to seal the agreement.
The diplomatic push on a ceasefire appeared to advance as leaders of the six GCC countries convened for an emergency summit in Saudi Arabia last night to discuss the "Israeli aggression on Gaza". In what suggested growing divisions among Arab and Islamic countries on how to respond to the Israeli offensive, Qatar hastily arranged a separate meeting for the 22-strong Arab League at its capital, Doha, for today. But Saudi Arabia, Egypt and half a dozen other Arab countries announced they would refuse to attend the Doha summit.
In a statement, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, stressed the importance of collective Arab action: "The United Arab Emirates, in its political approach, is committed to the necessity of joint Arab work so as to fortify the security and stability in the region and to guarantee the confrontation of the challenges faced by our Arab world, through a congruent joint vision that will safeguard the unity of our ranks and ensure the clarity and efficacy of our stance.
"Also across the meeting and consultations at the Arab Economic, Social and Development Summit in Kuwait, UAE looks forward to seeing the Israeli aggression on Gaza stopped through a collective and effective Arab work that will put an end to this tragedy."
The ceasefire developments followed deepening rifts among Israel's leaders on when to end the operation. While both Mr Barak and Ms Livni have this week sought a quick end to the campaign, a poll released by Tel Aviv University yesterday showed that 90 per cent of Israeli Jews supported continuing the assault until Israel achieves its objectives.
Talk on the ceasefire prompted mixed reactions from Israeli political parties yesterday. Yuval Steinitz of the right-wing Likud party said Israel should continue the operation until it takes control of southern Gaza, "in order to prevent arm-smuggling" by Hamas.
But Haim Oron, the chairman of the dovish Meretz party, insisted "the only solution" to the fighting was to sign an agreement with the Egyptians that would curb smuggling and reach a pact with Hamas on establishing "a long term calm".
vbekker@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Company%20Profile
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Company%20Profile
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THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
More on Quran memorisation:
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
