Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Relatives of hostages held by Hamas visited Washington on Wednesday to call on the US to pressure Benjamin Netanyahu's government to stop the war in Gaza.
They accused the Israeli Prime Minister of playing politics and failing to bring their loved ones home.
The Senate foreign relations committee hosted a bipartisan press briefing to mark more than 100 days since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel that killed about 1,200 people. About 240 people were taken hostage.
Liz Hirsh Naftali, the aunt of returned hostage Abigail Mor Edan, 4, who survived after Hamas killed her parents, said the Israeli government is not doing enough for the hostages, 132 of whom remain in Gaza.
“This hold-up is with the Netanyahu government,” Ms Naftali said.
“The lack of action to bring home these loved ones clearly demonstrates to us that he wants to keep this war going to remain an office.
"Let me be clear, the loved ones all these family members, they will not come home alive if there is a prolonged war."
The far-right Mr Netanyahu has in phone calls with President Joe Biden “made clear that Israel will pursue the war until all of its objectives are fully met”, his office said in December.
With bipartisan support, Mr Biden's administration has circumvented Congress and fast-tracked extra military sales to Israel for its operation in Gaza, which has so far killed more than 24,000 people.
The US is Israel's largest donor country, providing billions in funding that largely goes towards its military and defence systems.
Israel says 25 hostages have died in captivity. Dozens of the original 240 hostages were released during a short-lived November truce.
It has been a roller-coaster week in the hostage negotiations.
Hamas on Monday released photos of what appeared to be the dead bodies of two Israeli hostages.
Then came a small breakthrough after the militants struck a deal with Israel to deliver medicine to hostages in exchange for more aid deliveries for civilians in Gaza.
“The announcement now that medicines will be brought in to some hostages after 103 days is not enough,” said Jon Polin, father of Hersh Goldberg Polin, 23, who was taken hostage by Hamas at the Supernova music festival.
“While world leaders have worked toward a deal to secure the hostage release, international aid organisations must be permitted to offer medical care to the hostages."
Mr Polin said the last image he has of his son was from October 7 footage that showed he'd “his left arm, his dominant arm, blown off".
Ms Naftali urged the Biden administration, which has increased its financial and military support to Israel since it launched its siege on Gaza, to take a tougher stance with the right-wing administration in Israel.
“President Biden has been very clear that he and the US government are friends of Israel and the Israeli people," she said.
"But sometimes friends have to deliver hard messages … We need to make sure that Israel is put under the pressure to make a deal to stop this war and bring home these hostages."
The Senate committee chairman Ben Cardin said Washington's focus is on “using every effective avenue” to get the hostages home.
Mr Cardin avoided questions on whether he agreed that the US should take a harder line with the Israeli government.
“We're going to continue to use every method we have and that at times will mean we'll be offering some strong suggestions to our own government, to Israelis and to third-party countries, their country leaders,” he told The National at the briefing.
Another family member, who identified himself as the father of an Israeli-American hostage, stepped forward to show group consensus.
“We all recognise the fact that [Mr Netanyahu] is responsible because it was on his watch what happened on October 7, and he has the authority of bringing this to the finish line for us, the families,” he said.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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.”
'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.
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
EMILY%20IN%20PARIS%3A%20SEASON%203
%3Cp%3ECreated%20by%3A%20Darren%20Star%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Lily%20Collins%2C%20Philippine%20Leroy-Beaulieu%2C%20Ashley%20Park%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202.75%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Maestro
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%2C%20Carey%20Mulligan%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
