Live updates: Follow the latest from Israel-Gaza
The World Health Organisation has secured “a preliminary commitment for area-specific humanitarian pauses” in Gaza to allow UN health officials to administer polio vaccinations, it said on Thursday.
The debilitating disease that mainly affects young children has resurfaced in the Palestinian territory after 25 years after vaccination rates plunged during almost 11 months of war between Israel and Hamas.
“The way we discussed and agreed, the campaign will start on September 1, in central Gaza, for three days, and there will be a humanitarian pause during the vaccinations,” said Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for the Palestinian territories.
That will be followed by another three-day pause in southern Gaza, then another in the north, but more days may be needed to complete the vaccination programmes, Mr Peeperkorn said.
The WHO said the pauses will occur between 6am and 3pm on the agreed on days.
Mr Peeperkorn said the aim is to vaccinate 640,000 children under the age of 10 and that the campaign has been co-ordinated with Israeli authorities.
“I’m not going to say this is the ideal way forward but this is a workable way forward,” he said. “It will happen and should happen because we have an agreement.”
The pauses are not the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that mediators from the US, Egypt and Qatar have been seeking, including in talks that are taking place this week.
An Israeli official said a tactical pause is expected to allow for vaccinations. The Israeli army has previously announced pauses in limited areas to allow for international humanitarian operations.
Mr Peeperkorn said the campaigns are being planned in close collaboration with aid agencies, Gaza's Health Ministry and other agencies.
"So let's say, here in Gaza, everyone is on board. We've had these discussions with Israeli authorities ... where we have agreed to what we call humanitarian policies for each zone, three days."
A Hamas official told Reuters that the group would co-operate with international organisations during the campaign.
Cogat, the Israeli military's humanitarian unit, said in a post on X that the vaccination campaign would be conducted in co-ordination with the army “as part of the routine humanitarian pauses that will allow the population to reach the medical centres where the vaccinations will be administered”.
It added that 25,100 vials of polio vaccine have been taken in for 1,255,000 people, and hygiene equipment and further logistical equipment would be allowed into Gaza.
"The current outbreak in Gaza is a stark reminder of how quickly infectious diseases can re-emerge where health systems are compromised," Dr Matthew Ryan, of the WHO, said in a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East.
"Many other diseases are spreading, while our collective capacities to prevent, detect and respond to them continue to be hindered.
"We stress the critical importance for all parties to adhere to the commitments that have been made. The world cannot stand by as Gaza's health system crumbles under the wave of this conflict.”
He added: “The international community must act now to secure humanitarian pauses, ensure the delivery of critical health supplies and support the rapid implementation of the polio vaccination campaign."
Dr Ryan stressed that three days may not be enough to complete the vaccination campaign. saying that vaccination coverage will continue to be monitored "and it has been agreed that vaccination will be extended by one day wherever necessary".
Polio is highly infectious and most often spread through sewage and contaminated water – an increasingly common problem in Gaza with much of the territory's infrastructure destroyed by Israel in its war against Hamas.
The disease mainly affects children under the age of five. It can cause deformities and paralysis, and can be fatal.
The WHO confirmed on August 23 that at least one baby has been paralysed by the Type 2 polio virus.
Agencies and Patrick deHahn contributed to this report
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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Lexus LX700h specs
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Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
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Joker: Folie a Deux
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The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
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Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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Aghadan Alqak (Would I Ever Find You Again)?
Would I ever find you again
You, the heaven of my love, my yearning and madness;
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sadness?
Would your lights ever break the night of my eyes again?
Would I ever find you again?
This world is volume and you're the notion,
This world is night and you're the lifetime,
This world is eyes and you're the vision,
This world is sky and you're the moon time,
Have mercy on the heart that belongs to you.
Lyrics: Al Hadi Adam; Composer: Mohammed Abdel Wahab
A Dog's Journey
Directed by: Gail Mancuso
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Josh Gad, Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Kathryn Prescott
3 out of 5 stars
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.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
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Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: Eghel De Pine, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Sheaar, Szczepan Mazur, Saeed Al Shamsi
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA) Group 3 Dh500,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Torch, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,600m | Winner: Forjatt, Chris Hayes, Nicholas Bachalard
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 1,400m | Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Ridha ben Attia
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Qader, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roaulle
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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