Trump's AI-generated vision of a future Gaza. Photo: Donald J Trump / Truthsocial
Trump's AI-generated vision of a future Gaza. Photo: Donald J Trump / Truthsocial
Trump's AI-generated vision of a future Gaza. Photo: Donald J Trump / Truthsocial
Trump's AI-generated vision of a future Gaza. Photo: Donald J Trump / Truthsocial

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'In poor taste': reactions to Trump's AI video

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Our readers have their say on the stories of the week

February 28, 2025

'In poor taste': reactions to Trump's AI video

With regard to Rory Reynolds and Nagham Mohanna's report 'Trump Gaza': US president's AI video angers Gazans (February 26): This is awful. I don't dislike Donald Trump but I dislike this. Imagine going to Gaza on a holiday knowing the scale of tragedy that has just happened. It's just so wrong.

Cherry Kathryn Watson, Dubai

How is this happening in 2025 without full-blown international protests and rejections? The fact that the US President can post something like this and not be apologetic is unbelievable to me.

Tayyab Anajeeb, Lahore, Pakistan

This video from the US president is in such poor taste. Imagine making a resort over Auschwitz.

Laura M, via email

UN spotlight on aid for Gaza

With reference to Mina Al-Oraibi's interview UN humanitarian chief on tackling global need and rebuilding Gaza and Syria (February 26): Tom Fletcher is a wonderful and brilliant humanitarian. He is a voice of reason, trust and empathy in this horror show that Gaza has been made into by Israel. May his work and that of all the fantastic aid teams continue.

Siobhan Sullivan, Abu Dhabi

This is so gut wrenching to listen to. Thank you to Tom Fletcher for these testimonials and the tireless advocacy. He's part of the few reasons that some people's faith today in the UN and humanitarian work still stands, amid this tragedy and flagrant injustice we're witnessing.

Hend El Taweel, Cairo, Egypt

The UAE and Italy as strategic partners

In reference to Fareed Rahman's article UAE to invest $40bn in Italy across sectors such as energy and AI (February 24): It's a good feeling for me to read about the UAE investing so much in Italy, across diverse sectors and strengthening relations. I am from Rome and I live in Dubai and this post really moved me.

Silivia Iacucci, Dubai

The consequences of Elon Musk's ways

Regarding the video of Musk's "chainsaw to bureaucracy" (February 21): Elon Musk appears disassociated from reality and doesn't seem to realise how important agencies such as USAID are, how they save millions of lives. Or how the millions of dollars they are cutting rom NIH is for precious research into saving lives from deadly diseases such as cancer.

Sehr Amjad Ismial, Karachi, Pakistan

A chainsaw to bureaucracy? By which he means cutting the safeguards that prevent delusional and entitled people doing whatever they want, with little regard to the law. Makes one think of some European nations in the 1930s, and it didn't end well.

Paul Guthrie, Malmo, Sweden

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Best Young Women’s Player
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Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)

Best Women’s Goalkeeper
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Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Coach of the Year
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Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)

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Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

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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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The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800


Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder


Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm


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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis

Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.

A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.

Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.

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The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.

Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.

The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later. 

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Updated: February 28, 2025, 3:00 AM