Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
UK charities have urged British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to put substance to his claim of combating world hunger by calling for a ceasefire and an end to the siege in Gaza.
The directors of twelve British charities, including Oxfam GB, War Child and Action on Hunger wrote to Mr Sunak in an open letter ahead of the Global Food Security Summit in London next week.
“More than two million people in Gaza are going hungry, including one million children. With barely a tenth of necessary food supplies able to enter since the conflict began, the UN is now warning of widespread hunger and even starvation,” the letter said.
The UK is co-hosting this year’s summit with the UAE and Somalia, which it hopes will mark a “reset moment” on the global food security crisis. Mr Sunak is expected to open the summit, where governments, international organisations, scientists, NGOs and the private sector will meet in London on 20 November.
The summit is also part of the UK’s efforts to support communities affected by Russia’s blockade and attacks on Ukrainian grain. At the G20 summit in September, Mr Sunak condemned the “terrible global consequences of Putin’s stranglehold over the most fundamental resources”.
But charity leaders fear the UK's stance will ring hollow as two million people under Israel’s siege in Gaza are running out of food, water, fuel and medical aid to sustain them. The UN's World Food Programme warned on Thursday that civilians in the Gaza Strip are facing starvation because food and water have become “practically non-existent”.
Mr Sunak has defended Israel’s war on Gaza but called for “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid to enter.
The humanitarian crisis had put the UK’s “reputation” on the line. “Civilians are suffering as a result, but so too is the UK’s reputation as custodian of UN Security Council Resolution 2417, which forbids the use of starvation as a weapon of war,” the letter said.
It added that a ceasefire agreed by Israel was necessary for supplies to enter Gaza. “The world has everything it needs to start saving lives in Gaza today, but unless Israel agrees to an immediate ceasefire and to allow food, fuel and other aid to enter, we will all be relegated to powerless bystanders, forced to watch from the sidelines as scores of civilians die from starvation at the hands of a UK ally.”
The letter urged Mr Sunak to condemn Israel’s siege. “We urge you to use your opening remarks on Monday to call for an immediate ceasefire, condemn Israel’s ongoing siege and insist that food, fuel, water and other aid vital for survival is allowed into Gaza with immediate effect,” the letter said.
The letter comes after British MPs voted against a motion for a ceasefire on Wednesday, causing rifts among the Labour party.
British MPs feared the UK had “lost sight of humanity” and “proportionality” in Gaza after hearing from aid agencies on Tuesday.
Melanie Ward, chief executive of Medical Aid for Palestinians, and a signatory to the letter, warned MPs of “massive outbreaks of infection and mass starvation”. Other witnesses at the hearing also feared the crisis in Gaza would have implications for the UK's condemnation of Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine.
The letter’s signatories were:
Jean-Michel Grand, executive director of Action Against Hunger UK
Chris Doyle, director of Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu)
Christine Allen, director of CAFOD
Patrick Watt, chief executive of Christian Aid
George Graham, Chief Executive of Humanity & Inclusion
Waseem Ahmad, chief executive of Islamic Relief
Tareq Shrourou, director of Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights
Melanie Ward, chief executive of Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)
Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, chief executive of Oxfam GB
Rose Caldwell, chief executive of Plan International UK
Rob Williams, chief executive of War Child UK
Caroline Qutteneh, director of the Welfare Association
Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
- Burnley v Brighton
- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
