Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Rising anger in Gaza fuelled by hunger and desperation to survive could make it dangerous for aid workers to operate, as people struggle and die for food and other supplies, a senior UN official told The National.
“I witnessed families begging much more than I saw before and I could imagine,” said Nestor Owomuhangi, the UN Population Fund's representative for Palestine. “They're doing it not because they want to, but because they don’t have anything in their households.”
On his fifth and most recent trip to the enclave, Mr Owomuhangi said people were even more angry and demanding answers. He told how at a UN-backed site in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, a gynaecologist asked him: “Is there nobody in the entire world that can stop this?”
Mr Owomuhangi did not have an answer that could satisfy her, in a war in which nearly 55,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 126,000 injured.
Against the backdrop of the chaos, looting is on the rise. But Mr Owomuhangi agreed with other UN officials that those responsible are simply desperate people struggling to secure food for their families.
“These are not criminals or people who want to attack the UN and other NGOs. But we're seeing looting attacks, like at a recent health facility, that are unprecedented,” he said.
UN sidelined
The UN has been sidelined by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation which is running an aid operation in the enclave that has left dozens of people killed and injured.
“At least with us, people know they're safe,” Mr Owomuhangi said, adding that people endangering their lives to get aid run the risk of starving to death if they do not.
Despite running out of supplies and being paralysed from carrying out their work after decades, the UN has maintained that it will remain in Gaza. But the rising threats from looters and their impact concern Mr Owomuhangi.
“My worry is that soon we’ll be seeing desperate people going into our guesthouses and looting our property, which will make it extremely difficult for the international community to stay in Gaza,” he said.
People are taking items that they can sell, he said, including air conditioners and tyres, as prices for basic good soar.
“We have staff who have run out of food completely. A 25kg bag of wheat flour costs $400,” he said.
Regardless of the chaos and the risks of remaining in Gaza, Mr Owomuhangi hopes that the situation is contained long before the UN and groups like it are forced to leave the enclave entirely.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Opening weekend Premier League fixtures
Weekend of August 10-13
Arsenal v Manchester City
Bournemouth v Cardiff City
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Huddersfield Town v Chelsea
Liverpool v West Ham United
Manchester United v Leicester City
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Burnley
Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton
What is an ETF?
An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.
There is no fund manager deciding which stocks and other assets to invest in, instead they passively track their chosen index, country, region or commodity, regardless of whether it goes up or down.
The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five largest providers BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisers, Deutsche Bank X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
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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.
Hurricanes 31-31 Lions
Wellington Hurricanes:
Tries: Gibbins, Laumape, Goosen, Fifita tries, Barrett
Conversions: Barrett (4)
Penalties: Barrett
British & Irish Lions:
Tries: Seymour (2), North
Conversions: Biggar (2)
Penalties: Biggar (4)
