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Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in a strike on his residence in Tehran on Wednesday morning. The group has blamed Israel for the attack.
To many analysts, Mr Haniyeh's rise to prominence was the product of the decades-long struggle between Palestinian nationalists and militants and Israel.
He was also a figure viewed by many as defining a struggle of violent resistance to Israeli occupation, spending years in Israeli prisons and vowing to continue fighting after several Palestinian factions renounced armed struggle in the 1990s.
He lived in Gaza for much of his life and was five during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, which led to the decades-long Israeli occupation of Gaza.
He was the political leader of Hamas on October 7, when its fighters surged into southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people. Israel's invasion and bombardment of Gaza has killed about 34,900 Palestinians.
He stepped into the political limelight in 2006, when Hamas won legislative elections that gave it power over the enclave. He had become Palestine's prime minister – a position he held for a year, in a short-lived coalition government.
Infighting between rival factions Fatah and Hamas led to the dissolution of the government, but Mr Haniyeh maintained leadership over Gaza from 2007 to 2014.
Three years later, he replaced Hamas's political bureau chief Khaled Meshaal. Mr Haniyeh's position was taken by Yahya Sinwar.
In 2018, the US added Mr Haniyeh to its Specially Designated Global Terrorists list for allegedly being involved in "terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens".
Who was Ismail Haniyeh?
He was born in 1962 in northern Gaza's Al Shati refugee camp, after his family sought refuge from Ashkelon. At the time, Gaza was controlled by Egypt after the first two Arab-Israeli wars.
Mr Haniyeh grew up attending schools run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. He later obtained a bachelor's degree in Arabic from the Islamic University in Gaza.
While a student, Mr Haniyeh got into politics, joining the Islamic Student Bloc, an organisation viewed as a forerunner to Hamas.
He graduated in 1987, the year of the first uprising against Israeli occupation that began in Gaza, and the year Hamas was founded.
Ten years later, he was selected to run the group's political bureau.
Mr Haniyeh was jailed several times by Israel for his participation in movements against the country in 1988 and 1989. He remained in jail until he was deported to Lebanon in 1992 for a year.
After returning to Gaza a year later, when the Oslo Accords were signed between the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Israel in 1993, he was appointed dean of the Islamic University.
Assassination attempts
In 2003, two years after the second Intifada, Israel carried out a failed assassination attempt on Mr Haniyeh and Hamas co-founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, in a Gaza apartment block where they were meeting.
In 2006, Mr Haniyeh's convoy was struck by gunfire in Gaza. He was not injured in the attack.
Also that year, Hamas accused Israel of sending Mr Haniyeh, prime minster at the time, a letter laced with poison. It was delivered to his Ramallah office. Seven people were taken to hospital.
This year, several of Mr Haniyeh's family members, including children and grandchildren, were killed in Israeli strikes on a convoy carrying in Gaza.
“The occupation thinks that they can break our willpower by targeting the commanders’ homes and pressuring them into squandering our people’s blood and their demands … this will only make us stronger and more resilient,” Mr Haniyeh said at the time.
“The blood of my family is not more valuable than the blood of other Palestinians. All the martyrs in Gaza are my children.”
Haniyeh's life in Qatar
Mr Haniyeh left Gaza in 2019, living in Turkey and Qatar, where he became more prominent as a political leader and spokesman for Hamas.
He became closer to Iranian and Syrian leadership, attending the funeral of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qassem Suleimani in 2020, after he was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq.
Hamas had previously been one of several groups funded by Iran in the Middle East – including Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza – and Mr Haniyeh praised Tehran's support in the run-up to the 2014 Israel-Gaza war.
But until recently, the relationship had been turbulent, particularly after a rift during the Syrian civil war, where Hamas voiced opposition to Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.
In 2021, Mr Haniyeh attended the inauguration of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash this year, along with foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
In 2022, Mr Haniyeh met Mr Al Assad, despite their rift over the uprising in Syria.
At the time of his death, Mr Haniyeh was in Tehran, attending the inauguration of Iran's new President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Brief scores:
Manchester United 4
Young 13', Mata 28', Lukaku 42', Rashford 82'
Fulham 1
Kamara 67' (pen),
Red card: Anguissa (68')
Man of the match: Juan Mata (Man Utd)
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
Get inspired
Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).
Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.
Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Scoreline
Arsenal 0 Manchester City 3
- Agüero 18'
- Kompany 58'
- Silva 65'
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Jawab Iteiqal
Director: Mohamed Sammy
Starring: Mohamed Ramadan, Ayad Nasaar, Mohamed Adel and Sabry Fawaz
2 stars
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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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.”
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
England Test squad
Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts
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MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
