Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Gulf leaders called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities" and Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, demanding during the 44th Gulf Co-operation Council summit in Doha an end to the blockade on the Palestinian enclave.
The meeting came as the Israeli military pushed further south into Gaza on Tuesday, driving deep into the southern city of Khan Younis and bringing a new wave of destruction to an area crammed with displaced Palestinians who had fled from the north.
The final statement issued after the summit called for the "immediate cessation of hostilities and Israeli military operations, ensuring the provision of all humanitarian and relief aid, meeting basic needs, resuming the supply of electricity and water, and allowing the entry of fuel, food and medicine to the people of Gaza".
The leaders demanded "an end to the illegal Israeli blockade", condemning the "unlawful prevention of humanitarian aid delivery and the use of starvation of civilians as a prohibited method under international humanitarian law".
At least 16,248 people including 7,112 children and 4,885 women have been killed in Gaza by Israeli military action since October 7. Thousands more are missing and feared buried under rubble, according to the local health authorities.
Gazans say there is no safe place since a seven-day truce ended last week, with remaining towns and shelters already overwhelmed and Israel continuing to bomb the areas where it is telling people to go.
The Gulf leaders commended "the successful efforts of the state of Qatar, in partnership with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America, in reaching a humanitarian ceasefire agreement to alleviate the tragic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip".
The agreement allowed the release of hostages and detainees from both sides and the entry of more humanitarian convoys and relief aid, including fuel designated for humanitarian needs.
The summit expressed hope that the agreement "would contribute to stopping the escalation, the targeting and forced displacement of Palestinian civilians, leading to a complete cessation of the war on the Gaza Strip, lifting the blockade imposed on the region, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people".
It called for "providing international protection to the Palestinian people and held Israel legally responsible for its ongoing attacks", calling on "all parties to the conflict to protect civilians", and demanding "the release of civilian hostages and detainees, especially women, children, the sick, and the elderly".
During the summit, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim described the situation in Gaza as a "disgrace to the international community."
Sheikh Tamim said self-defence “does not permit the crimes of genocide that Israel is committing".
The talks focused almost entirely on Gaza, with Sheikh Tamim also calling on the UN Security Council to force Israel to return to the negotiating table.
The six countries of the GCC – the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar – are united in the call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
"What is happening in the Gaza Strip in terms of the occupation forces’ violation of moral and humanitarian standards is a disgrace to the international community," Sheikh Tamim said. "A temporary truce cannot be an alternative to a ceasefire in Gaza."
"Our summit is being held in light of the continuing serious tragedy to which the Palestinian people are exposed to due to violations committed by the occupation forces."
"It is shameful for the international community to allow this heinous crime to continue for nearly two months, during which the systematic and deliberate killing of innocent civilians continues, including women and children. Israel’s occupation forces have violated all political, ethical and humanitarian values."
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "pushing the entire region into danger" in a bid to protect his political future. Mr Erdogan was in Doha for the Turkey-Qatar Supreme Strategic Committee meeting, which he leads alongside Sheikh Tamim.
"Israel's war crimes – crimes against humanity in Gaza – should not be left unanswered," Mr Erdogan said.
"Turkey's priority is to ensure a permanent ceasefire is implemented in Gaza and humanitarian aid is delivered without any interruption."
President Sheikh Mohamed also attended the summit and was received at Doha's Hamad International Airport by Sheikh Tamim.
Sheikh Mohamed led a UAE delegation that includes Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, National Security Adviser and Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
"While we regret that the truce has not continued, we urge further efforts to achieve a ceasefire," Sheikh Mohamed said.
"We also stress that the top priority remains providing humanitarian support and ensuring safe, sustained and at-scale humanitarian corridors to respond to the increasing needs of civilians in the Gaza Strip."
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman led the kingdom's delegation to Qatar at Sheikh Tamim's invitation.
On other topics, the Gulf leaders affirmed that the "entire Dorra Field is located within the maritime areas of the State of Kuwait. The ownership of the natural resources in the submerged area adjacent to the Saudi-Kuwaiti divided zone, including the entire Dorra Field, is jointly owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait only", rejecting any claims of rights by any other party, including Iran.
They welcomed the agreement reached between Saudi Arabia and Iran in Beijing to resume diplomatic relations.
The GCC's Supreme Council expressed "concern about the developments in the Iranian nuclear file, reaffirming its readiness to cooperate and effectively deal with this issue" and "emphasised the importance of Iran's commitment not to exceed the uranium enrichment levels required for peaceful uses".
It reaffirmed its firm positions and previous decisions regarding the "condemnation of Iran's continued occupation of the three islands (Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa) belonging to the United Arab Emirates".
It also stressed the importance of maintaining maritime security and waterways in the region and "countering activities that threaten the security and stability of the region and the world. This includes targeting commercial vessels, threatening maritime navigation routes and international trade, as well as oil facilities in the member states".
On Syria, the GCC council reaffirmed "its steadfast positions regarding the preservation of the unity of the Syrian Arab Republic's territories, respect for its independence and sovereignty over its lands, rejection of regional interventions in its internal affairs".
The leaders also welcomed the resumption of talks between Sudanese parties and called for a peaceful solution to the Yemeni conflict.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The five pillars of Islam
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate
Pieces of Her
Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick
Director: Minkie Spiro
Rating:2/5
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About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Race card
1.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m
2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m
3pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1.950m
3.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m
MATCH RESULT
Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2
Jazira: Mabkhout (52'), Romarinho (77'), Al Hammadi (90' 6)
Persepolis: Alipour (42'), Mensha (84')
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
NBA Finals so far
(Toronto lead 3-1 in best-of-seven series_
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
