Swedish activist Greta Thunberg is one of the most high-profile activists on the yacht. Getty Images
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg is one of the most high-profile activists on the yacht. Getty Images
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg is one of the most high-profile activists on the yacht. Getty Images
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg is one of the most high-profile activists on the yacht. Getty Images

Who are the activists on board the aid yacht intercepted by Israel?


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Israel has intercepted an aid yacht carrying activists and humanitarian aid that was trying to reach the Gaza Strip, detaining the 12 activists on board and taking them to Israel.

All eyes have been on the vessel, called Madleen, since it departed Catania, Sicily, on June 1. The Gaza Freedom Flotilla crew publicised their journey with online trackers and called on their governments to protect them.

The yacht carried a small shipment of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula. But who was on board?

Greta Thunberg

Swedish activists Greta Thunberg. Getty Images
Swedish activists Greta Thunberg. Getty Images

Best known as the face of a youth movement demanding action on climate change, the Swedish activist, 22, has frequently spoken up about the war in Gaza – at times dividing her climate movement.

She said before the Madleen departed from Italy that "it falls on us to be the adults in the room … we have to keep our promise to the Palestinians to do everything in our power to protest the genocide".

Rima Hassan

Rima Hassan, French-Palestinian lawyer and founder of the Refugees Camps Observatory. AFP
Rima Hassan, French-Palestinian lawyer and founder of the Refugees Camps Observatory. AFP

A French member of the European Parliament representing the Green Party. She is of Palestinian descent and has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli actions towards Palestinians.

Yasemin Acar

German human rights activist Yasemin Acar. AFP
German human rights activist Yasemin Acar. AFP

A German activist, she has been an advocate for refugees and human rights since the age of 15. She described resistance as being a "way of life", having been born to Kurdish parents from Turkey.

Baptiste Andre

Flotilla crew member Baptiste Andre
Flotilla crew member Baptiste Andre

A French activist and doctor is among the crew. In a video posted on the flotilla's website, he calls on his friends and family to put pressure on Paris to secure his release.

Marco van Rennes

Dutch activist Marco van Rennes
Dutch activist Marco van Rennes

A Dutch activist is also a member of the flotilla. In a video posted online, he has also called for his country's government to push for his release "and that of all other peaceful activists".

Omar Faiad

Journalist Omar Faiad
Journalist Omar Faiad

A French journalist with Al Jazeera Mubasher. A video posted on social media shows Faiad on board the vessel with his hands up, after it is intercepted by the Israeli military.

Pascal Maurieras

Flotilla crew member Pascal Maurieras
Flotilla crew member Pascal Maurieras

He is an experienced crew member, having taken part in a voyage in 2018. The French activist and sailor was detained and interrogated by Israel at that time as well.

Reva Viard

Flotilla crew member Reva Viard
Flotilla crew member Reva Viard

A French activist who has been involved in various humanitarian causes throughout the years.

Sergio Toribio

Spanish activist Sergio Toribio
Spanish activist Sergio Toribio

The activist from Spain is a member of the Spanish Boat to Gaza the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been vocal about his support for Palestinians in Gaza.

Suayb Ordu

Suayb Ordu Freedom Flotilla
Suayb Ordu Freedom Flotilla

A Turkish activist who has been involved in volunteer projects and advocacy for Palestine for years. "If any harm comes to me, if they kill me, and they cannot prove it with visual evidence, let it be known that I took no action," he said in a video on Instagram.

Thiago Avila

Thiago Avila Freedom Flotilla
Thiago Avila Freedom Flotilla

The Brazilian activist is co-ordinator of Freedom Flotilla Brazil and father of a six-month-old daughter.

Yanis Mhamdi

Yanis Mhamdi Freedom Flotilla
Yanis Mhamdi Freedom Flotilla

A French journalist and film director at the Blast platform. He previously worked in the occupied West Bank to make a film about settlers.

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Company%20profile
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Tips from the expert

Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.

  1. Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
  2. It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
  3. Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
  4. Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
ABU DHABI T10: DAY TWO

Bangla Tigers v Deccan Gladiators (3.30pm)

Delhi Bulls v Karnataka Tuskers (5.45pm)

Northern Warriors v Qalandars (8.00pm)

UAE squad to face Ireland

Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind

STAR%20WARS%20JEDI%3A%20SURVIVOR
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Respawn%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electronic%20Arts%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PC%2C%20Playstation%205%2C%20Xbox%20Series%20X%20and%20S%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2A)
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Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Women & Power: A Manifesto

Mary Beard

Profile Books and London Review of Books 

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.”

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FLIP5
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Brief scores:

Manchester City 3

Aguero 1', 44', 61'

Arsenal ​​​​​1

Koscielny 11'

Man of the match: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House 

UAE%20Warriors%2033%20Results
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UAE SQUAD

Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan

RACECARD
%3Cp%3E5pm%3A%20Al%20Shamkha%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(Turf)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E5.30pm%3A%20Khalifa%20City%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E6pm%3A%20Masdar%20City%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E6.30pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(T)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E7pm%3A%20Emirates%20Championship%20%E2%80%93%20Group%201%20(PA)%20Dh1%2C000%2C000%20(T)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E7.30pm%3A%20Shakbout%20City%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%202%2C400m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: June 09, 2025, 10:01 AM