A post recurring on my Instagram feed over the past few months holds an important lesson for us all. It is one of Pope Francis speaking on the phone to Father Gabriel Romanelli, of the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza. The Pontiff has tried to keep in touch with Father Romanelli almost every night since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, so much so that he called even when he was first admitted to the hospital earlier this month.
Pope Francis’s humanity stands in stark contrast to almost any other news coming out of Gaza. In recent weeks, Hamas has been releasing Israeli hostages but in a way that imbues negativity. The bungled return of the body of Shiri Bibas, a mother of two young children – when the wrong remains were handed over – was nothing short of depravity.
The Pope’s example also contrasts with the overall situation in Gaza, an area where the death toll runs in the tens of thousands, and which is likely to be blighted for years by the legacy of this war (should the ceasefire stick). Gaza’s terrible state has allowed for Washington to push for a forced relocation of the territory’s residents, egged on by Israel’s hardliners.
If the negotiations in the early weeks of 2025 can truly deliver two ceasefires that prove sustainable, not just in Gaza but also in Ukraine, we need to be informed by the plight of the people most affected by the unwinding of the conflicts.
Despite being subjected to knee-jerk criticism, Pope Francis has maintained a distinctive voice throughout the duration of both wars. He has asked all his fellow Catholics to pray daily for those who are trying to end these wars through diplomatic means.
On Monday, he described the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine as a marker of a painful and shameful occasion for all of humanity. At the same time, he also called for the powers that be to prioritise their efforts in stopping the loss of more lives. And he has repeatedly called for prisoners of war to be released.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Vatican for a meeting with Pope Francis late last year, asking for help in securing the release of his compatriots held captive by Russia. According to both sides, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the Pope’s special envoy, was even engaged on the issue. In parallel, a UAE-brokered effort saw 400 prisoners swapped by both sides around the turn of the year.
It is a sad fact of life that people, including civilians, will be captured during wartime. I spent some time last week reading a book on the behind-the-scenes negotiations that led to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which deal with the humane treatment of those captured in conflicts.
Drawing on the lessons of the Second World War, it was clear from the readout of the discussions at the time that there was a desire to fix responsibility on humanitarian concerns and shift away from solely defining these issues around states. The term “detaining power” used by the Conventions identifies the responsibilities of military authorities, who hold and manage prisoners of war, and their obligations to treat them according to the principles of the accords.
While humanitarian organisations were introduced into the framework at that point, the Conventions make clear that it is this “detaining power” that bears all responsibility.
In 1998, many survivors of the Japanese-run Second World War internment camps came together to turn their backs on then emperor Akihito who was visiting the UK. The protest was organised to drive home the point that the Japanese wartime government’s treatment of captives was so barbaric, that “it is difficult to understand the human psyche of the people who carried it out, ordered it or condoned it”. Indeed, the treatment of those who were held in those camps was cruel and sadistic.
Emperor Akihito was of course from the post-war generation. His father, the wartime emperor Hirohito, had died more than a decade earlier. And by the time Akihito ascended to the throne, Japan had become a deep and generous ally of the UK, investing in car plants and advanced manufacturing. Nonetheless, he acknowledged the protest at the state banquet. “Our hearts are filled with deep sorrow and pain,” he said.
Unfortunately, human rights violations continue in today’s conflicts as well. So it is small wonder that Mr Zelenskyy has highlighted the plight of his compatriots, even as US President Donald Trump pushes for talks between Washington and Moscow to end the conflict. Speaking on the issue of wartime prisoners, the Ukrainian leader on Monday said: “Ukraine is ready to exchange all for all, and this is a fair way to start.”
As important as the territorial dimension is of any conflict, there is no doubt that the human element matters both now and in the future. Our focus, therefore, should always be on the people who bore the brunt of war and of its unwinding – be it by way of a ceasefire, armistice or surrender.
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
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
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
On the menu
First course
▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water
▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle
Second course
▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo
▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa
Third course
▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro
▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis
Dessert
▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate
▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
The%20Little%20Mermaid%20
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More from UAE Human Development Report:
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham v Ajax, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
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.
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Ponti
Sharlene Teo, Pan Macmillan
The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
LOVE%20AGAIN
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
More coverage from the Future Forum
More coverage from the Future Forum
