Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
The deputy head of Hamas' political bureau and at least six others were killed in an Israeli drone strike on one of the group's offices in southern Beirut on Tuesday, the Palestinian armed faction said, in the first direct attack on the Lebanese capital since the Gaza war began in October.
A powerful explosion struck the Hamas office in the suburb of Dahieh, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported, with footage showing smoke and flames billowing from the site after a series of loud explosions.
Saleh Al Arouri, deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, was killed in the strike, Hamas confirmed.
Ismail Haniyeh, a senior political leader in Hamas, confirmed in a televised address that Mr Al Arouri and six other Hamas officials and militants had been killed in the strike.
"This crime shall make us stronger," he said. "This is a terrorist act and a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty."
A Hamas official told The National last week that Israel was unlikely to attack the group's leaders in Lebanon, as that would signal a major escalation on Hezbollah's territory.
Israel did not immediately claim responsibility. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in November said Hamas leaders would be targets “wherever they are”.
Security sources in Egypt in direct contact with Hamas said the militant group’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, had told Egyptian mediators following news of Mr Al Arouri's death that negotiations to end the Gaza war would be indefinitely suspended.
Hamas negotiators have consistently demanded that any deal with Israel to end the war must include guarantees that Israel would not attack the group’s leaders in Gaza or elsewhere.
The strike marks a major escalation in Israel's attacks on Lebanon, which until now have concentrated on southern border areas. It coincides with the anniversary of the US assassination of the late Maj Gen Qassem Suleimani, a senior commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force, in Iraq.
An official from the Lebanese Hezbollah group, a close ally of Hamas, said two members of Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine Al Qassam Brigades, were also killed.
“The occupation [Israel] will pay the price,” the official added.
In a televised address last year, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel against conducting targeted assassinations in Lebanon.
“Any assassination on Lebanese lands that targets a Lebanese or a Syrian or an Iranian or a Palestinian will face a strong response,” he said in August. “It will not be tolerated. We will not allow Lebanon to become a new field of assassinations for Israel.”
Videos circulating on Telegram channels and social media showed the extent of the destruction after the assassination, with an entire floor blown out of a multistorey building and several cars destroyed.
Tuesday's strike occurred in the heavily populated residential neighbourhood of Msharafieh, in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahieh.
“I almost died,” said Abou Adel, owner of a restaurant in front of the targeted building.
He said that part of the missile had hit the counter where he and his colleague, Mohamed Mahdi, were standing.
“We heard three strikes and immediately thought it was Israel,” he added. “Tomorrow, Hassan Nasrallah will speak, and it's up to him to decide. We trust his decisions.
“But there should be a strong response. God willing, we will hit Tel Aviv, and we're not afraid of the war spreading because this is a significant escalation in the heart of Dahieh."
Leader-in-exile Mr Al Arouri was a founding member of Al Qassam Brigades and deputy chairman of Hamas’s political bureau.
He was exiled from Gaza in 2014 and relocated to Turkey before moving to Lebanon. Hamas’s media department released a video of Mr Al Arouri shortly after the announcement of his death, calling it “the last message from the martyr Sheikh Saleh Al Arouri to the Palestinian people”.
In the video, Mr Al Arouri called on Palestinian youth to “resist with rocks, with guns, with handmade rifles, with everything and anything you have on hand to resist”.
“This is our land,” he said, referring to Palestine.
More than 150 people, including at least 19 civilians, have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since border clashes began on October 8.
Israel has launched attacks on Hamas and Hezbollah, which have both launched missiles into northern Israel, leaving southern Lebanese villages fearing an expansion of the conflict.
Iran Tuesday evening warned that the killing of Mr Al Arouri would further ignite resistance against Israel, "not only in Palestine but also in the region," according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani.
Brian Katulis, a senior fellow and vice president of policy at the Middle East Institute, said the strike could signal things to come as Israel shifts some of its forces away from Gaza.
“This may be the first of many [strikes] as the Israelis ramp down parts of their combat operations in Gaza,” Mr Katulis told The National.
“They'll look for ways to continue to degrade what they see as the threat posed by Hamas regionally. It may be sort of a turning point in terms of how Israel may be moving away from high intensity combat operations in Gaza.
"I think it launches us into an even more uncertain and dangerous phase.”
The US Department of Sate said that Mr Al Arouri had worked closely with the late Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander Qassem Suleimani, who was killed in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport on January 3, 2020
The killing of the Hamas leader came hours before the anniversary of Mr Suleimani's assassination.
Jihan Abdalla in Washington and Hamza Hendawi in Cairo contributed to this report
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
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
Calls
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Karen Gillian, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
4/5
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
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 Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
