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  • Singapore tycoon and wife arrested in Malaysia after 19-year manhunt in SGD 72 million embezzlement case

    Arrest in handcuffs
    Former Citiraya CEO Ng and his wife Thor were hand-in-glove in an embezzlement scam, based on diverting and selling electronic scrap that was given to Citiraya by client companies for precious metal extraction. Representative photo courtesy: Pixabay/Canva

    On the run for 19 years in an SGD 72 million embezzlement case, Singapore tycoon Ng Teck Lee, 58, and his wife Thor Chwee Hwa, 55, were arrested in Malaysia yesterday and charged in a Singapore court today.

    A media release from the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in Singapore said that Ng was Chief Executive Officer of Citiraya “at the material time of the offence” and that he left Singapore with his wife in 2005 when the CPIB “first investigated the case”.

    The arrests of Ng and Thor were made by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), whose agents then handed over the two fugitives immediately to the CPIB. Further investigations are on-going.

    Ng Teck Lee in CPIB custody
    Ng Teck Lee (in the middle) in CPIB custody on 3 December 2024. Photo courtesy: CPIB

    CPIB would like to thank MACC for their strong support in rendering assistance to CPIB on this case. The successful arrest of the two Singaporean fugitives involved in this significant corruption case after almost two decades attests to the longstanding ties and close cooperation between CPIB and MACC. There is zero-tolerance and no safe haven for those who choose to break our laws by engaging in corrupt or criminal activities. CPIB will spare no effort to track them down wherever they may hide and bring them to face justice in Singapore.

    Vincent Lim, Director Investigations, CPIB

    Citiraya had been in the business of recycling and recovering precious metals from electronic scrap, said the media release. The company then changed its name to Centillion Environment & Recycling Ltd, it added.

    Reporting on the matter and quoting The Straits Times, the Singapore news website Mothership said that the clients of Citiraya “included semiconductor giants like AMD, Intel and Infineon”, but Ng did not extract the precious metals from the scrap, and sold the scrap to buyers in Hong Kong and Taiwan, instead.

    The former Citiraya CEO made a fortune of SGD 72 million through this illicit practice of selling the scrap, instead of extracting the precious metals from the scrap, as his company was supposed to. His wife was part of the corrupt business practice.

    Thor Chwee Hwa in CPIB custody
    Thor Chwee Hwa (on the right) in CPIB custody on 3 December 2024. Photo courtesy: CPIB

    In the 19 years during which the former CEO and his wife were on the run, law enforcement agencies tried various methods to catch them — issuance of immigration stoplist; Police Gazette; Singapore Warrant of Arrest; and International Warrant of Arrest through Interpol.

    The charges against them, as laid out in the Singapore court, are as follows:

    ● Charge against Ng Teck Lee
    One charge of an offence punishable under Section 408 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, for allegedly committing criminal breach of trust as a servant by dishonestly misappropriating electronic scraps of various companies, that were entrusted to him, to his own use. Ng instructed certain employees of Citiraya not to crush the electronic scraps, and to repackage, and export them.

    ● Charge against Thor Chwee Hwa
    One charge of an offence under Section 44(1)(a) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (CDSA) (Chapter 65A), punishable under Section 44(5) of the CDSA. Thor allegedly had an arrangement with Ng to open a Credit Suisse Hong Kong Branch account in her name, which she had reasonable grounds to believe that the said account would be used to retain the benefits from Ng’s criminal conduct.

    Mothership reported, quoting ST, that Ng’s brother was the general manager of Citiraya at the time of the embezzlement and this GM would deliver the illicitly diverted scrap to a warehouse managed by Thor’s brother.

    The diverted scrap would be bought by syndicates based in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and then the scrap would be repackaged and sold as new products, as per a report from the ST archives.

    This embezzlement racket came to light through a complaint made in December 2004, which alerted the authorities. But in 2005, as soon as the CPIB began investigations, Ng and Thor fled Singapore — they stayed on the run, until their arrest on 3 December 2024.

    Mothership said: “[The] CPIB later discovered that Ng had allegedly misappropriated 62 shipments of electronic scrap, amounting to approximately 89 tonnes, between 2003 and 2004.” He had also paid bribes amounting to SGD 2 million to Citiraya staff and to the staff of client companies, in order to their buy their silence.

    Many of the people involved in this Citiraya embezzlement case have been convicted and given prison terms. The masterminds now await trial following their arrest.

  • Manoj Bajpayee’s Despatch to have OTT premiere on December 13; Watch trailer

    What happens when the pursuit of breaking news leads you straight into danger? ZEE5 Global’s highly anticipated investigative crime thriller, Despatch is about to answer that question in the most thrilling way possible. After debuting at the prestigious MAMI Film Festival 2024, followed by a special screening at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Despatch is all set to premiere on ZEE5 Global on December 13.

    Manoj Bajpayee. Photo courtesy: www.instagram.com/bajpayee.manoj
    Manoj Bajpayee. Photo courtesy: www.instagram.com/bajpayee.manoj

    Produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP Movies and directed by Kanu Behl, Despatch stars Manoj Bajpayee as Joy Bag, a crime journalist who becomes embroiled in a dangerous investigation that threatens to unravel his life. The film also stars Shahana Goswami, Arrchita Agarwaal, Ritu Parna Sen, Dilip Shankar, Riju Bajaj and others in supporting roles.

    The exciting yet intriguing trailer gives a sneak peek into the gripping tale of a journalist’s descent into darkness, offering a bold and unfiltered take on crime and society.

    Plot

    Crime journalist Joy Bag sets out on a perilous journey to uncover the truth behind a sinister scam, unknowingly placing his life in grave danger. With mounting threats from unknown enemies urging him to abandon the case, Joy’s pursuit of a breaking story becomes a dangerous game. But as the stakes rise, Joy finds himself caught in a storm far bigger than he anticipated.

    Despatch explores Joy’s turbulent struggle as he navigates the complex seas of media corruption, power battles, and personal difficulties. Will he expose the dark secrets of Mumbai’s criminal underworld, or will the truth destroy him first?

    Speaking about his role, Manoj Bajpayee said: “I have undergone intense prep work for this role and Kanu is a tough taskmaster who has pushed us beyond our comfort to deliver our absolute best, so we hope that this movie strikes a chord with the viewers and pushes us to do better.”

    “After multiple festival rounds like MAMI, IFFI and JFF, we are incredibly excited for the release of Despatch on ZEE5 Global. My association with ZEE5 Global goes a long way and post the success of Dial 100, Silence and Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai, we are thrilled to bring forth another engaging and entertaining film which is sure to keep the viewers hooked to the screen,” he added.

    Director Kanu Behl shared he began working on Despatch in 2016, and after immersive research, the team “uncovered a treasure trove of untold, jaw-dropping stories about the world of journalism, particularly those navigating the dangerous Mumbai underworld”.

    “Our goal was not to create just a thriller, but to dive into the flawed, human side of investigative journalism—showing the raw, gritty truth behind the headlines. Once the script was in place, we knew no one but Manoj Bajpayee could bring the character of Joy Bag to life – and he is nothing short of spectacular in the film. With an extraordinary cast including Shahana Goswami and Arrchita Agarwal, I can say that Despatch is an electrifying ride that I can’t wait for audiences to experience!” he said.

    Ronnie Screwvala of RSVP Movies said: “With Despatch, we are thrilled to present a gripping narrative that pushes the boundaries of storytelling in Indian cinema. Manoj Bajpayee’s stellar performance accompanied by Shahana Goswami and Arrchita Agarwal’s ace acting presented together by Kanu Behl’s unique vision have brought an edge to this exciting tale. Our long standing collaboration with ZEE5 Global has been instrumental in ensuring such bold stories reach a global audience, reaffirming our commitment to delivering premium content to viewers everywhere.”

    Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer ZEE5 stated: “ZEE5 is deeply committed to bringing audiences across the globe original content that not only entertains but also sparks meaningful dialogue. Cinema’s power to connect through compelling storytelling is at the heart of what we do, and our latest release, Despatch is a perfect example. Manoj Bajpayee’s outstanding performance, combined with Kanu Behl’s direction, has made this project one we’re incredibly proud of. We look forward to bringing this impactful film to a wider global audience as we continue to push boundaries in content creation.”

  • Yoon Suk Yeol: Opposition coalition members submit motion of impeachment against South Korea President

    A day after South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol imposed martial law and later lifted it, opposition coalition members, on Wednesday, submitted a motion to impeach him.

    South Korean opposition submits impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol. Photo Courtesy: Videograb of his televised address from YouTube

    The President’s sudden imposition of the marital law had forced thousands of people to the streets, who protested against the move.

    The main opposition, Democratic Party, and five other minor opposition parties, including the Rebuilding Korea Party and Reform Party, submitted the motion to the office of the bill at the National Assembly at 2:43 p.m, local Yonhap news agency reported.

    The motion was reportedly signed by 190 opposition lawmakers and one independent lawmaker.

    However, no ruling party lawmaker signed it.

    The impeachment motion will need a two-thirds majority to pass.

    Of the 300-member National Assembly, the opposition will need eight votes from the ruling People Power Party to pass the bill, reported Yonhap.

    Joon Hyung Kim, a member of the National Assembly for the Rebuilding Korea party, told BBC that the president is “the biggest risk in Korea right now”.

    South Korea’s night of political turmoil

    In a surprise move, President Yoon Suk Yeol had imposed the martial law late at night after accusing the opposition of “anti-state activities”. 

    Last week, opposition MPs approved a significantly downsized budget plan through a parliamentary committee.

    The opposition has slashed approximately 4.1 trillion won (USD 2.8 billion) from Yoon’s proposed 677 trillion won budget plan, cutting the government’s reserve fund and activity budgets for Yoon’s office, the prosecution, police, and the state audit agency, Yonhap reported.

    The imposition of emergency martial law came as Yoon’s approval rating dropped to 19 percent in the latest Gallup poll last week, with many expressing dissatisfaction over his handling of the economy and controversies involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee.

  • Devendra Fadnavis to take oath as Maharashtra CM tomorrow, stakes claim to form govt 

    Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, on Wednesday staked a claim to form the new government in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.

    Flanked by allies from Shiv Sena -- ex Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde -- and NCP -- Ajit Pawar -- Fadnavis reached the Raj Bahvan and met the state's Governor CP Radhakrishnan.
    Devendra Fadnavis to take oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra tomorrow. Photo Courtesy: Devendra Fadnavis X page

    Flanked by allies from Shiv Sena — ex Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde — and NCP — Ajit Pawar — Fadnavis reached the Raj Bahvan and met the state’s Governor CP Radhakrishnan.

    Fadnavis will take oath on Thursday.

    Fadnavis was unanimously elected as the BJP legislature party leader at a meeting held in Mumbai earlier in the day.

    All BJP leaders have endorsed his name for the post of CM in the presence of Central observers Nirmala Sitharaman and Vijay Rupani, reported UNI.

    The BJP-led Mahayuti returned to power for another term after winning 235 seats in the polls.

    The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats.

    The Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party won 57 and 41 seats respectively in the state.

  • Donald Trump’s FBI pick Kash Patel targeted by Iranian hackers: Report

    Kash Patel, US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for the FBI chief, has been allegedly targeted by hackers from Iran, media reports said.

    Hackers are believed to have accessed at least some of Patel’s communications, sources told CNN.
    Kash Patel targeted by Iranian hackers. Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

    Hackers are believed to have accessed at least some of Patel’s communications, sources told CNN.

    In a statement issued to CNN, Trump transition spokesman Alex Pfeiffer said: “Kash Patel was a key part of the first Trump administration’s efforts against the terrorist Iranian regime and will implement President Trump’s policies to protect America from adversaries as the FBI Director.”

    However, the spokesperson did not specifically mention the attack.

    The Indian-American Pentagon official is a Trump loyalist, who has championed the cause to dismantle the “deep state” within the government.

    “Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.

    Who is Kash Patel?

    Kashyap Patel was born in 1980 in New York to Indian parents who had immigrated to the United States through Canada from Gujarat.

    He received a degree in criminal justice and history from the University of Richmond in 2002.

    Two years later, he received a certificate in international law from the University College London in the UK and a graduate-entry professional duty from Pace University School of Law in 2005.

    He worked as a public defender in Florida for eight years after graduating in 2005.

    Patel was hired as a trial attorney in the US Department of Justice National Security Division in 2014.

    Three years later, he was appointed senior counsel on counterterrorism at the House Select Committee on Intelligence.

    In 2017, Patel significantly became the senior committee aide to House Intelligence Committee chair Devin Nunes.

    He has reportedly played a role in Republicans’ opposition to the probe into Trump and Russia’s interference in the 2016 US polls.

    He worked as a senior counsel at the House Reform and Oversight Committee after the Democrats took control over the House of Representatives in 2019.

  • Reducing air pollution could help prevent pregnancy complications, study suggests

    Exposure to PM 2.5 pollution could lead to higher inflammation levels among pregnant women, potentially resulting in adverse birth outcomes, such as low birth weight and preterm birth, according to a study examining how pollution alters human DNA.

    Representational image. Photo courtesy: Unsplash
    Representational image. Photo courtesy: Unsplash

    The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, provided a new understanding of the biological routes through which air pollution affects pregnancy and birth outcomes, researchers said.

    Particulate matter (PM) 2.5 pollution is caused by particles sized 2.5 micrometres or less. Common sources are vehicular and industrial emissions, while natural ones can include carbon from wildfires and dust.

    The study, led by Harvard University’s School of Public Health, US, found that exposure to PM 2.5 can influence the histones of pregnant women. Histones are proteins found in chromosomes, vital to DNA structure and cell function.

    Air pollution can, thus, disrupt the normal balance of cytokine genes — genes involved in producing immune responses — and lead to increased inflammation in both women and foetuses, the researchers said.

    ALSO READ: Oral microbiome during pregnancy could be key to understanding maternal mental health: Study

    Among pregnant women, the increased inflammation could be related to adverse pregnancy outcomes, they said.

    “Our findings highlight the importance of minimising air pollution exposure in pregnant women to protect maternal and foetal health,” co-author Youn Soo Jung, a research associate at Harvard University’s School of Public Health, said.

    “Policy interventions to improve air quality as well as clinical guidelines to help pregnant women reduce their exposure to pollution could have a direct impact on reducing pregnancy complications,” Soo Jung said.

    While previous studies have found links between PM 2.5 exposure and complications in maternal and child health including low birth weight and developmental delays, the study is the first to examine the effects of PM2.5 on maternal and foetal health at a cell level, the authors said.

    The study involved both non-pregnant women and 20-week pregnant women. Average exposure to PM2.5 was calculated using air quality data from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

    Within each cell, the researchers were able to map changes to histones — the proteins that help control the release of cytokines, which are known to help regulate inflammation.

    “These modifications in specific histones and cytokines could indicate the toxicological mechanism of PM 2.5 exposure in inflammation, inflammasome pathway, and pregnancy complications,” the authors wrote.

  • Chinmoy Krishna Das to remain in jail till 2025, Bangladesh defers bail hearing for a month

    Bangladeshi court defers bail hearing of Hindu priest for a month. Photo Courtesy:  Save Bangladeshi Hindus X page

    A Bangladeshi court on Tuesday deferred the bail hearing of arrested Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das till January 2, 2025.

    The Chittagong Metropolitan Session Judge Saiful Islam set the new date for the hearing as the defence lawyer was absent from the courtroom at 11am, reported Dhaka Tribune.

    Security in the court premises was increased due to the hearing.

    His bail hearing was deferred just a day after ISKCON spokesperson Radharamn Das claimed the only lawyer who was ready to defend Chinmoy Krishna Das was attacked by ‘Islamists’.

    Radharamn Das said the lawyer is currently fighting for his life in hospital.

    Sharing an image of the lawyer, who was identified as Ramen Roy, Das wrote on X: “Please pray for Advocate Ramen Roy. His only ‘fault’ was defending Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu in court.”

    “Islamists ransacked his home and brutally attacked him, leaving him in the ICU, fighting for his life,” the ISKCON spokesperson said.

    Bangladesh is once again witnessing turmoil since Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested recently, triggering massive protests by minority community members in the country.

    Bangladesh has been struggling for the past several months since a massive anti-job quota demonstration forced former PM Sheikh Hasina-led government to topple, ending her new term prematurely. She left the country amid a political crisis.

    It is suspected that foreign hands were at play in orchestrating the unrest and planning her ouster.

    Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus-led government took charge of the country just three days after Hasina exited the country. Yunus, known for his closeness to the US Democrats, also accepted later in an event in America that there was “design and conspiracy” involved in the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.

  • MAS slaps penalty of SGD 2.4 million on JPMorgan Chase Bank for misconduct by relationship managers in 24 bond transactions

    A view of JPMorgan Singapore
    A view of JPMorgan Singapore. JPM is one of the largest banking operations in the world. Screenshot courtesy: www.jpmorgan.com/SG

    The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has imposed a civil penalty of SGD 2.4 million on JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JPM), according to a media release issued by the central bank of Singapore. The penalty was for JPMorgan Chase Bank failing to prevent and detect misconduct committed by its relationship managers (RMs).

    The media release said: “In 24 over-the-counter (OTC) bond transactions, the RMs had made inaccurate or incomplete disclosures to clients, resulting in the clients being charged spreads that were above the bilaterally agreed rates.” These transactions took place between November 2018 and September 2019, said MAS.

    This enforcement action on JPM follows MAS’ review of pricing and disclosure practices in the private banking industry. Investigations found that for OTC bond transactions, JPM’s practice was to charge clients a spread over the interbank prices. As the interbank prices were not available to clients, they had to rely on the RMs’ representations to them regarding the interbank prices and spreads.

    Monetary Authority of Singapore

    Explaining that the RMs of JPMorgan Chase Bank had misled the clients into paying more than what they should have paid, MAS said that “JPM did not establish adequate processes and controls to ensure that its RMs adhered to pre-agreed spreads with clients when executing OTC bond transactions on their behalf”.

    The central bank “sampled OTC bond transactions conducted by JPM’s RMs” and found that in the 24 transactions, the RMs had “either misrepresented the price components or omitted material information that the spreads charged were above the agreed rates”. The phrase “price components” refers to the executed interbank price and/or spread charged.

    MAS said that this misrepresentation and omission by the RMs was “in contravention of sections 201(c) and 201(d) of the Securities and Futures Act (SFA)”.

    Informing that the private bank had accepted these violations and its responsibility for what the relationship managers did, MAS said: “JPM has admitted liability under section 236C of the SFA for its failure to prevent or detect the misconduct by its RMs and has paid MAS the civil penalty. The bank has refunded the overcharged fees to affected clients.”

    At the same time, JPMorgan Chase Bank has taken measures to prevent a repeat of this. “The bank has also enhanced its pricing frameworks and internal controls to prevent the recurrence of such misconduct,” said MAS. “Separate reviews into the individual RMs involved in the misconduct are ongoing.”

    What is the MAS civil penalty?

    “A civil penalty action is not a criminal action and does not attract criminal sanctions. The civil penalty regime, designed to complement criminal sanctions and provide a nuanced approach to combat market misconduct, became operational at the beginning of 2004,” said the MAS media release.

    “Under section 232 of the SFA, MAS may enter into an agreement with any person for that person to pay, with or without admission of liability, a civil penalty for contravening any provision of Part 12 of the SFA. The civil penalty may be up to three times the amount of the profit gained or loss avoided by that person as a result of the contravention, subject to a minimum of $50,000 (if the person is not a corporation) or $100,000 (if the person is a corporation).”

    ● Section 201(c) of the SFA
    Under section 201(c) of the SFA, no person shall, directly or indirectly, in connection with the subscription, purchase or sale of any capital market products, make any statement he knows to be false in a material particular.

    ● Section 201(d) of the SFA
    Under section 201(d) of the SFA, no person shall, directly or indirectly, in connection with the subscription, purchase or sale of any capital market products, omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

    ● Section 236C of the SFA
    Under section 236C of the SFA, a corporation which fails to prevent or detect a contravention of any provision in Part 12 of the SFA that is committed by an employee or officer for its benefit and attributable to its negligence, commits a contravention and shall be liable to an order for a civil penalty.

  • India-China ties moving in the direction of improvement, says EAM Jaishankar in Lok Sabha

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar comments on the recent development in the relationship between India and China following the border truce.
    Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India and China relationship is moving toward improvement. Photo Courtesy: IBNS File.

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said ties between India and China, which remained ‘abnormal’ ever since the 2020 border clash, have moved in the direction of improvement, following continuous diplomatic engagement.

    Speaking at the Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Indian Parliament), Jaishankar said: “Our ties have been abnormal since 2020 when peace and tranquillity in the border areas were disturbed as a result of Chinese actions.”

    The EAM said: “Recent developments that reflect our continuous diplomatic engagement since then have set our ties in the direction of some improvement.”

    Ending the longstanding standoff that erupted following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, India and China recently announced a breakthrough to resume patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

    Following the disengagement, the troops of the two Asian giants returned to the status which prevailed before the deadly Galwan clash in 2020.

    Galwan Clash

    The Galwan skirmish erupted from a dispute over a temporary bridge built by the Chinese in the Galwan River valley in northern India’s Ladakh.

    On June 15, 2020, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a six-hour clash in the rugged terrain of Ladakh, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with makeshift weapons such as stones, batons, and iron rods.

    The face-off occurred in near-complete darkness and freezing temperatures, leading to fatalities as soldiers fell or were pushed from ridges.

    Twenty Indian soldiers were martyred in the clash, while China officially acknowledged four casualties, although reports indicate higher Chinese losses, as soldiers drowned in the choppy waters of the Galwan River.

    Among the Indians, Colonel B Santosh Babu, the Commanding Officer of the 16th Bihar Regiment, was martyred during the unprovoked aggression by PLA troops.

    The Galwan clashes highlighted China’s aggressive stance towards its neighbouring countries.

    Many observers on social media noted similarities between the Chinese attack on Philippine navy ships and the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.

  • All hell to pay, Trump issues deadline to Hamas to release Gaza hostages

    Donald Trump issues deadline to Hamas
    Donald Trump issues deadline to Hamas to ensure release  of hostages from Gaza. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

    US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday warned that those responsible for holding the hostages in Gaza will face massive repercussions if captives are not released by the time he assumes office.

    “Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East – But it’s all talk, and no action! Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity. Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!” Trump said in his post on Truth Social.

    During the October 7 attack on Israel, Hamas members had taken 251 members as hostage.

    Several of the hostages have been released since then but Hamas members are still holding a large number of people in captivity.

    Meanwhile, describing the situation in Gaza as “appalling and apocalyptic” the UN Deputy Secretary-General on Monday called on world leaders to act decisively to alleviate suffering and prevent the further devastation of the enclave.

    Speaking at a ministerial conference on humanitarian aid for Gaza, convened in Cairo by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, UN deputy chief Amina Mohammed emphasised the urgent need for lifesaving assistance and a plan for the enclave’s long-term recovery.

    “We are here to help secure an immediate surge in lifesaving aid for the Palestinian people, ensure preparedness for a potential ceasefire, and begin laying the groundwork for recovery and reconstruction – this cannot happen soon enough,” she said, speaking on behalf of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

    Organised looting forces UNRWA to pause aid

    Deliveries of desperately needed food and other supplies into Gaza have had to be halted through the enclave’s Kerem Shalom crossing because of looting by armed gangs, the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees, UNRWA, has announced.

    The agency took the decision on Sunday after it said that lorries carrying food were “all taken” after crossing into Gaza through what is the main aid corridor.

    Explaining the move, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said that the route had not been safe “for months”. On 16 November, a large convoy of aid trucks which also crossed through Kerem Shalom was stolen by armed gangs.

    Further inside Gaza, aid workers are deeply concerned that malnutrition levels are spiralling.

    UNRWA Senior Emergencies Officer, Louise Wateridge, speaking from one of the UN agency’s schools in Deir Al-Balah where 6,000 people are sheltering on Monday, described families sleeping on cold, wet floors and witnessing one young child “crying and screaming in the corner, just screaming for a piece of bread. She was just crying for a piece of bread”.

    Mohammed outlined the devastating toll of the conflict: with over 44,000 Palestinian lives reportedly lost, according to the authorities in Gaza, widespread displacement and the collapse of essential services.

    Children have been the worst impacted, with nearly 19,000 hospitalised in the past four months alone due to acute malnutrition. Gaza now has the highest number of child amputees per capita globally, with many surgeries conducted without anaesthesia.

    “What we are seeing may well amount to the gravest international crimes,” she said.