Latest news with #Swiss-Italian
Economist
5 days ago
- Business
- Economist
The looming deadline for the Panama Canal ports deal
Two ports, one at either end of the Panama canal, have become a battlefront in the power struggle between China and America. Both countries view them as vital to their trading and security interests. By July 27th talks were supposed to wrap up on the terms of a $23bn deal that would see ownership of their terminals, as well as those in 41 other ports in 22 other countries around the world, handed from CK Hutchison (CKH), a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, to two Western firms: BlackRock, an American investment company, and MSC, a Swiss-Italian shipping giant. But China has stuck its oar in.
Nahar Net
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Israel refuses to renew visas for heads of at least 3 UN agencies in Gaza
by Naharnet Newsdesk 18 July 2025, 17:05 Israel has refused to renew visas for the heads of at least three United Nations agencies in Gaza, which the U.N. humanitarian chief blames on their work trying to protect Palestinian civilians in the war-torn territory. Visas for the local leaders of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, known as OCHA; the human rights agency OHCHR; and the agency supporting Palestinians in Gaza, UNRWA, have not been renewed in recent months, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric confirmed. Tom Fletcher, U.N. head of humanitarian affairs, told the Security Council on Wednesday that the U.N.'s humanitarian mandate is not just to provide aid to civilians in need and report what its staff witnesses but to advocate for international humanitarian law. "Each time we report on what we see, we face threats of further reduced access to the civilians we are trying to serve," he said. "Nowhere today is the tension between our advocacy mandate and delivering aid greater than in Gaza." Fletcher said, "Visas are not renewed or reduced in duration by Israel, explicitly in response to our work on protection of civilians." Israel's U.N. Mission said it is looking into the issue. Israel has been sharply critical of UNRWA, even before Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack in southern Israel — accusing the agency of colluding with Hamas and teaching anti-Israel hatred, which UNRWA vehemently denies. Since then, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies have claimed that UNRWA is deeply infiltrated by Hamas and that its staffers participated in the Oct. 7 attacks. Israel formally banned UNRWA from operating in its territory, and its commissioner general, Swiss-Italian humanitarian Philippe Lazzarini, already has been barred from entering Gaza. The U.N. identified the other two local leaders affected as Jonathan Whittall, a South African humanitarian expert for OCHA, and Ajith Sunghay, a British-educated international lawyer for OHCHR. At Wednesday's Security Council meeting, Fletcher called conditions in Gaza "beyond vocabulary," with food running out and Palestinians seeking something to eat being shot. He said Israel, the occupying power in Gaza, is failing in its obligation under the Geneva Conventions to provide for civilian needs. In response, Israel accused OCHA of continuing "to abandon all semblance of neutrality and impartiality in its statements and actions, despite claiming otherwise." Reut Shapir Ben-Naftaly, political coordinator at Israel's U.N. Mission, told the Security Council that some of its 15 members seem to forget that the Oct. 7 attacks killed about 1,200 people and some 250 were taken hostage, triggering the war in Gaza and the humanitarian situation. "Instead, we're presented with a narrative that forces Israel into a defendant's chair, while Hamas, the very cause of this conflict and the very instigator of suffering of Israelis but also of Palestinians, goes unmentioned, unchallenged and immune to condemnation," she said. More than 58,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants but says more than half were women and children. Ravina Shamdasani, chief spokesperson for the Geneva-based U.N. human rights body, confirmed Thursday that the head of its office in the occupied Palestinian territories "has been denied entry into Gaza." "The last time he tried to enter was in February 2025 and since then, he has been denied entry," she told The Associated Press. "Unfortunately, this is not unusual. Aid workers, U.N. staff, journalists and others have been denied access to Gaza." Israel has accused a U.N.-backed commission probing abuses in Gaza, whose three members just resigned, and the Human Rights Council's independent investigator Francesca Albanese of antisemitism. Albanese has accused Israel of "genocide" in Gaza, which it and its ally the U.S. vehemently deny. The Trump administration recently issued sanctions against Albanese. Fletcher, the U.N. humanitarian chief, told the Security Council that Israel also is not granting "security clearances" for staff to enter Gaza to continue their work and that U.N. humanitarian partners are increasingly being denied entry as well. He noted that "56% of the entries denied into Gaza in 2025 were for emergency medical teams — frontline responders who save lives." "Hundreds of aid workers have been killed; and those who continue to work endure hunger, danger and loss, like everyone else in the Gaza Strip," Fletcher said.
Euronews
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Israel refuses to renew visas for agency heads in Gaza, UN says
Israel has refused to renew the visas for the heads of at least three United Nations agencies in Gaza, which the UN humanitarian chief said was "explicitly in response to our work on protection of civilians." Visas for the local leaders of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the human rights agency OHCHR and the agency supporting Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) have not been renewed in recent months, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed. Tom Fletcher, UN head of humanitarian affairs, told the Security Council on Wednesday that the UN's humanitarian mandate is not just to provide aid to civilians in need and report what its staff witnesses, but to advocate for international humanitarian law. "Each time we report on what we see, we face threats of further reduced access to the civilians we are trying to serve," he said. "Nowhere today is the tension between our advocacy mandate and delivering aid greater than in Gaza." Israel's UN Mission said it is looking into the issue. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies have claimed that UNRWA is deeply infiltrated by Hamas and that its staffers participated in the 7 October 2023 incursion into southern Israel. Israel formally stopped UNRWA from operating in its territory and its commissioner general, Swiss-Italian humanitarian Philippe Lazzarini, is subject to a ban on entering Gaza. The UN identified the other two local agency chiefs affected as Jonathan Whittall, a South African humanitarian expert for OCHA, and Ajith Sunghay, a British-educated international lawyer for OHCHR. At Wednesday's Security Council meeting, Fletcher called conditions in Gaza "beyond vocabulary," with food running out and Palestinians seeking something to eat being shot. He said Israel, the occupying power in Gaza, is failing in its obligation under the Geneva Conventions to provide for civilian needs. In response, Israel accused OCHA of continuing "to abandon all semblance of neutrality and impartiality in its statements and actions, despite claiming otherwise." Ravina Shamdasani, chief spokesperson for the Geneva-based UN human rights body, confirmed on Thursday that the head of its office in the occupied Palestinian territories "has been denied entry into Gaza." Fletcher, the UN humanitarian chief, told the Security Council that Israel is also not granting "security clearances" for staff to enter Gaza to continue their work and that UN humanitarian partners are increasingly being denied entry as well. He noted that "56% of the entries denied into Gaza in 2025 were for emergency medical teams — frontline responders who save lives." "Hundreds of aid workers have been killed; and those who continue to work endure hunger, danger and loss, like everyone else in the Gaza Strip," Fletcher said. But in a rare entrance to the territory by a delegation of outsiders, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III entered Gaza on Friday morning to express the "shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land." The delegation said it was also planning on sending hundreds of tons of food aid, medical supplies and equipment to families in Gaza, the patriarchate said, adding they also had "ensured evacuation" of individuals injured in the attack to hospitals outside the Strip. Funerals for Christians killed in church attack Meanwhile, funerals were held at the Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza for two of the three Christians killed in an Israeli strike on the Holy Family Catholic Church on Thursday. The three people killed in the Israeli attack were Christian Orthodox living at the Holy Family Church together with dozens of others people who had been displaced. The shelling also damaged the church compound, which was being used as a shelter for both Christians and Muslims, including a number of children with disabilities, according to Fadel Naem, the acting director of Al-Ahli Hospital which received the casualties. US President Donald Trump called Netanyahu to express his frustration with Israel's military striking the church, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Leavitt said Trump did not have a "positive reaction" to the strike and that Netanyahu "agreed" to put out a statement as part of the conversation. Netanyahu later released a statement saying Israel "deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church." The Israeli military said an initial assessment indicated that "fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly" and said it was still investigating. The military said it only strikes militant targets and "makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures, and regrets any unintentional damage caused to them." Israel has repeatedly struck schools, shelters, hospitals and other civilian buildings, accusing Hamas militants of sheltering inside and blaming them for civilian deaths.
Business Insider
27-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
I was in Venice for George Clooney's wedding. Jeff Bezos' feels completely different — and not in a good way.
Christine Matthey is a Swiss-Italian art gallery owner. Business Insider interviewed her in Venice, where she lives, ahead of Jeff Bezos' wedding to Lauren Sánchez. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. I was living in Venice when George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin. The mood in the city was nothing like it is now, for the wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez. To start with, George Clooney is not Jeff Bezos. Bezos is a friend and donor to Donald Trump. Ivanka Trump is even here for the wedding. For that reason, among others, I'm not happy with Jeff Bezos being this close to my house, or in Venice at all, for that matter. It's not only because of politics, but also because of Amazon, what he represents, and the potential damage his wedding is bringing to this city. I grew up in Venice until I moved to Switzerland for school. I now live here for six months of every year, and I care about the city's preservation. One major concern is the "moto ondoso," or "wave motion." It refers to the damage caused by the yachts, water taxis, and other boats in the canals, which erode the foundations of Venice's historic buildings. It's causing real damage to the city. Bezos has hired fleets of water taxis. It adds to the problems of a city already in danger. He says he has donated 3 million euros to three local institutions, but what does 3 million euros mean to him? (Editor's note: The wedding will use around 30 of Venice's 280 water taxis, according to Venice city officials.) Sure, the wedding brings money to the local economy. But I don't think the long-term damage is worth the short-term gain. Around San Marco, many people depend on tourism. They sell expensive goods to wealthy visitors. I imagine they're happy to see celebrities, and less concerned with the politics. But for young Venetians, it's a different story. Wages are low. Housing is nearly impossible to afford. It's hard to be OK with a billionaire wedding in the middle of all of these difficulties. That's part of what is fueling the protests. On Monday, I passed by San Marco Square just as Greenpeace unfurled a huge banner with Bezos's face. It read: "If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax." I've also been following the "No Space for Bezos" movement on Instagram. As of Thursday, I haven't noticed major disruption. But I'm nervous. I have an art gallery near the Arsenale, and I just hope I can get to it this weekend without being blocked by police because of the wedding. The wedding has divided Venice. For me, I sit in the camp of thinking the protesters are brave, especially so in a country where the police can be tough. They're putting themselves on the line, unafraid of being hurt or brutalized, to make their point. And honestly, I admire them for it.
Gulf Today
15-06-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Christopher Aleo emerges as potential buyer for Dubai's Palazzo Versace Hotel
Gulf Network The iconic Palazzo Versace Dubai, one of the most prestigious luxury hotels in the city, may soon change ownership. Known for its neoclassical architecture and interiors designed by the Italian fashion house Versace, the property has entered a public auction process due to the financial distress of its current ownership. The auction has drawn attention from various international players, and among the potential bidders is Christopher Aleo, a Swiss-Italian entrepreneur and founder of the international financial group iSwiss. However, the potential acquisition is not expected to be carried out directly by iSwiss Bank, but rather through its U.S.-based investment arm, the iSwiss Hedge Fund, headquartered in New York. According to market sources familiar with the matter, the fund is evaluating the opportunity as part of a broader financial strategy, which may include structuring the investment through a listed vehicle on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). A Strategic Real Estate Opportunity Located in Jaddaf Waterfront, just minutes from Dubai's financial district, Palazzo Versace is being offered at a base price of approximately AED 600 million (around USD 163 million), significantly below its previously reported valuation of over AED 1.3 billion. Despite the financial challenges facing the current owner, the hotel remains fully operational and continues to deliver high standards of hospitality. For investors, the property represents a prime real estate asset, combining strategic location, brand equity, and established luxury credentials. With 215 rooms and suites, multiple high-end restaurants, lounges, a spa, and views over Dubai Creek, the hotel has long been a preferred destination for international travelers, business leaders, and celebrities. Aleo's Role and the Hedge Fund Angle Christopher Aleo, founder and majority shareholder of the iSwiss Group, is a well-known figure in European financial circles and has had an increasing presence in Dubai's business environment in recent years. While he has made no official comment on the matter, his New York-based hedge fund is reportedly among the entities conducting due diligence on the potential acquisition. Industry analysts note that the deal, if completed, could be structured as a public investment vehicle listed on the NYSE, making it not only a hospitality acquisition but also a sophisticated financial transaction involving international capital markets. This model — integrating high-profile real assets into institutional investment frameworks — has become increasingly common among hedge funds and private equity firms, particularly in cases involving luxury or landmark properties. A Return to Italian Style and New Investment Should the acquisition materialize, the new ownership may consider a strategic repositioning of the hotel, involving significant reinvestments in both infrastructure and service offerings. Sources close to the matter suggest the potential for a refresh of the hotel's Italian design identity, with renewed focus on aesthetic coherence and luxury standards aligned with current global trends. The acquisition by a European-led fund could also represent a reintroduction of Italian influence into the brand's identity, preserving and enhancing the stylistic DNA originally conceived by Versace. Any such repositioning would likely be supported by fresh capital for renovations, branding updates, and enhanced guest services, aligning the hotel more closely with Dubai's rapidly evolving luxury hospitality landscape. No Official Statements At this stage, neither the current ownership of Palazzo Versace nor the iSwiss Group has issued formal statements regarding the potential deal. However, the market has taken note of the growing involvement of hedge funds and international financial players in Dubai's real estate and tourism sectors. The city continues to assert itself as a global hub for tourism, finance, and luxury, offering a fertile environment for cross-sector investment strategies that blend real estate, branding, and financial engineering. Institutional Finance Meets Luxury Real Estate If completed, the acquisition by iSwiss Hedge Fund would represent one of the most significant hospitality-related transactions in the Gulf region this year, further highlighting the convergence of institutional finance and the real economy. Such a move would also reflect a broader trend: financial groups increasingly looking to diversify portfolios by integrating tangible assets into structured investment frameworks, leveraging global equity markets as a source of liquidity and visibility. The coming weeks will likely determine whether this interest translates into a formal bid. If so, it would mark an important milestone for both the iSwiss Group and the hotel itself, setting the stage for a new chapter in the life of one of Dubai's most recognizable hospitality landmarks. For now, Christopher Aleo's name remains one of the most closely watched among potential buyers — a sign of how traditional finance is steadily expanding its footprint into high-end sectors like branded real estate and luxury travel.
