Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
The US military’s Gaza aid pier encountered more difficulties on Saturday after two vessels broke free from the structure and drifted on to a beach near Ashdod in Israel.
The 550-metre-long floating causeway was built to connect to the shoreline in Gaza, taking months to get into position at a cost of about $320 million.
Experts say the pier is difficult to operate in rough seas and according to maritime expert Sal Mercogliano, a “lighterage” vessel for transferring aid seems to have lost power and drifted towards Israel, while a military landing craft attempted to recover it.
The pier can encounter problems in “sea state 3,” or conditions where waves are three feet high or over. On Thursday, three US soldiers were injured while working on the pier, one of them critically.
Critics of the pier, which is operating as part of a wider multinational maritime aid corridor, say it takes pressure off Israel to open land borders, a vastly more efficient way of getting large volumes of aid into the strip.
The structure was announced by President Joe Biden in early March amid delays getting aid through Gaza’s borders, largely blamed on Israel, leading to famine and deaths from malnutrition, according to the World Food Programme.
There have also been concerns, despite the US stressing that no American forces will set foot in Gaza, that the operation could drag US forces into the war. Mortar bombs were fired at a marshalling area on the shoreline last month, where Israeli forces were said to be securing aid depots.
On Saturday, US Central Command, the US military’s headquarters in the Middle East, said that “personnel continue to team up with USAID and the UN to deliver aid to the people of Gaza via a temporary pier affixed to the beach”.
US military said 1,005 tonnes of aid had been delivered through the pier as of May 24. Estimates of the minimum food aid Gaza requires per week vary, but are often placed at about 4,000 to 5,000 tonnes.
Racecard
6.35pm: American Business Council – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm: British Business Group – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,200m
7.45pm: CCI France UAE – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
8.20pm: Czech Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,400m
8.55pm: Netherlands Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
9.30pm: Indian Business and Professional Council – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
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match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
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