Five aid lorries for Gaza 'a drop in the ocean', says UN


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Israel said on Monday it has permitted just five aid lorries into Gaza as it partially eased a two-month blockade that had left the territory’s population on the verge of famine.

The cargo, which included baby food, entered Gaza through the Karam Abu Salem crossing after a "thorough security inspection" by the Defence Ministry, the Israeli military said.

It was the first such entry since March and the UN said nine lorries had been approved for Monday.

But the volume of aid reaching Gaza was merely "a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed", said UN's Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Co-ordinator.

Hundreds of lorries were entering Gaza each day during a ceasefire from January to March but the stockpile has run low and the blockade has resulted in shortages of food and medicine.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office approved the partial resumption of aid, reportedly on the recommendation of the military and in an effort to expand operations in the enclave.

Nine lorries arrived at the Karam Abu Salem crossing, unloading supplies that were expected to reach civilians within hours, according to the Shehhaiber Transport Association in Gaza.

“Early this morning, Palestinian truck drivers, co-ordinating with United Nations agencies, headed to the crossing in preparation for the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” Nahid Shehhaiber, director of the association, told The National.

Mr Shehhaiber said that Israeli authorities had requested a list of drivers the night before to carry out security checks and issue transport permits.

The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) said it had been contacted by Israeli authorities to resume limited aid deliveries. “We are currently in discussions with them on how this would take place, given the conditions on the ground,” an OCHA media co-ordinator told The National.

Displaced Palestinians gather to collect cooked food at a charity distribution centre in Jabalia, northern Gaza. AFP
Displaced Palestinians gather to collect cooked food at a charity distribution centre in Jabalia, northern Gaza. AFP

Olga Cherevko, spokeswoman and Head of Communications at OCHA, said the agency had stated its position clearly "and that is that we cannot be part of any scheme that is not in line with internationally established humanitarian principles – humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality".

"The system for aid delivery we have in place has been tested across the globe and has been proven to work, by reaching those who need it most. We have about 400 distribution points that can quickly and effectively provide assistance in line with humanitarian principles," she told The National.

“We are ready to deliver at scale and have shared a detailed plan of how we plan to deliver aid to people in dire need," added the spokeswoman. "We just need the supplies to enter. Too much time has already been wasted and too many lives lost.”

Highly sensitive

Mr Shehhaiber stated that the initial phase is highly sensitive. “This is a trial period. Civilians must avoid approaching aid trucks, as any disruption could provide Israeli authorities with grounds to halt future deliveries.”

A staff member from the World Food Programme (WFP) confirmed that preparations began overnight. “We were informed shortly after midnight of the decision to allow aid into Gaza. By morning, we had begun readying warehouses to receive the supplies,” he told The National.

According to the WFP, the same aid distribution mechanisms used before will apply, without direct Israeli to US supervision.

While the exact volume of the aid remains unclear, early reports suggest the shipment falls far short of meeting Gaza’s humanitarian needs. “The situation is extreme. Every minute without aid leads to more deaths from starvation and lack of medicine,” the WFP representative said.

The initial shipment includes flour, milk, baby food, essential supplies, and critical medicine – all needed after more than two months of border closures. However, efforts to restart Gaza’s bakeries remain uncertain and depend on the amount of flour and fuel delivered.

Lorries loaded with humanitarian aid for Gaza wait at Al Arish in Egypt. Reuters
Lorries loaded with humanitarian aid for Gaza wait at Al Arish in Egypt. Reuters

Ismail Al Thawabti, director of Gaza’s Government Media Office, described the situation as “catastrophic”.

“People are dying every day from malnutrition and lack of access to basic food and medicine,” he told The National.

Gaza needs more than 500 aid lorry loads each day to meet basic needs, in addition to at least 50 fuel carriers daily to power water wells and maintain essential services, he added.

“Despite the Israeli announcement, only a very limited number of trucks – fewer than 30, possibly as few as 20 – have entered,” Mr Al Thawabti said. “That’s just 5 per cent of what’s required.”

He called for the immediate and unrestricted flow of essential goods. “The people of Gaza urgently need unimpeded access to food and supplies to survive the famine caused by 20 months of a genocidal war,” he said.

Mr Al Thawabti also urged the international community to intensify pressure on Israel. “Israel must stop using starvation as a weapon of war. This is a clear violation of international law and humanitarian conventions.”

Hamas and “all Palestinian people” reject an earlier US-Israeli plan for aid distribution through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, Hamas politburo member Bassem Naem told The National on the sidelines of a conference in Tehran.

“It's not just us as Hamas that reject that plan. All Palestinian people reject that project, so does the UN, and other international organisations, in short because this project violates international humanitarian law.”

At its core this project is “a militarisation of aid and imposing control over the people so that Israel can control who eats and who does not eat, who can get medicine and who cannot,” the official said, describing it as a “step in a project that they are preparing to gather people in concentration camps in the north and south in preparation for mass displacement”.

Israel, he said, is permitted to operate “above the law”. The US and Europe, “Must take steps to force Israel, political steps, [an] economic blockade.”

The UN, the US administration, Arab and EU countries, and key mediators have been urging a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory. But in recent days, those calls have been repeatedly met with Israeli government statements announcing plans to intensify the military campaign — and potentially seize more land.

“The Israeli government’s position is increasingly isolated, both from global calls and from reality. They’ve been told time and again that now is the moment to end the war. There’s nothing left to fight for. Their hardline, far-right stance is keeping the Middle East on edge," an Arab diplomat close to the ceasefire talks told The National.

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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

US PGA Championship in numbers

Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.

To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.

Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.

4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.

In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.

For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.

Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.

Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.

Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.

10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.

11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.

12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.

13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.

14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.

15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.

16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.

17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.

18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).

Ponti

Sharlene Teo, Pan Macmillan

How to get there

Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
 

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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.”

Results

2-15pm: Commercial Bank Of Dubai – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Al Habash, Patrick Cosgrave (jockey), Bhupat Seemar (trainer)

2.45pm: Al Shafar Investment – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Day Approach, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash

3.15pm: Dubai Real estate Centre – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Celtic Prince, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly

3.45pm: Jebel Ali Sprint by ARM Holding – Listed (TB) Dh500,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Khuzaam, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

4.15pm: Shadwell – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Tenbury Wells, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

4.45pm: Jebel Ali Stakes by ARM Holding – Listed (TB) Dh500,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson

5.15pm: Jebel Ali Racecourse – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Rougher, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson

Top 10 most polluted cities
  1. Bhiwadi, India
  2. Ghaziabad, India
  3. Hotan, China
  4. Delhi, India
  5. Jaunpur, India
  6. Faisalabad, Pakistan
  7. Noida, India
  8. Bahawalpur, Pakistan
  9. Peshawar, Pakistan
  10. Bagpat, India

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Various artists, Sony Music Turkey 

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Stars:Robert Pattinson

Director:Matt Reeves

Rating: 5/5

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Engine: 3.5-litre V6

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MATCH INFO

West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')

Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Switch%20Foods%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Edward%20Hamod%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Plant-based%20meat%20production%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2034%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%246.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Based%20in%20US%20and%20across%20Middle%20East%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

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Results

6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m, Winner: RB Frynchh Dude, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)

7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Mnasek, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.

7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Grand Dubai, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m, Winner: Meqdam, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson.

8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Thegreatcollection, Pat Cosgrave, Doug Watson.

9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m, Winner: Sanad Libya, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Madkhal, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

The specs

Common to all models unless otherwise stated

Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi

0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)

Power: 276hp

Torque: 392Nm

Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD

Price: TBC

Updated: May 20, 2025, 7:05 AM