Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Hezbollah's head of missiles and rockets Ibrahim Qubaisi was among six killed in an Israeli air strike on Beirut, the militia confirmed on Wednesday morning, before launching a missile that reached Tel Aviv before being shot down.
“It is the first time ever that a Hezbollah missile reached Tel Aviv area. It was intercepted,” an Israeli army spokesman told AFP.
The militant group said on Telegram it was announcing the death of Mr Qubaisi “with great pride and honour”.
Fifteen people were wounded in the air strike on Ghobeiry, a southern suburb of Lebanon's capital, on Tuesday afternoon. Israel said it was aimed at Mr Qubaisi, who commanded several Hezbollah divisions, including the precision-guided missile unit. The Israeli army held him responsible for an attack in 2000 that killed three of its soldiers.
Several top Hezbollah commanders have been killed in recent Israeli attacks, including Ibrahim Aqil, who died in an air strike on a residential building in Beirut on Friday. Dozens of people were killed in the attack, including children.
The Israeli army also targeted senior commander Ali Karaki in an air strike on Beirut's suburb of Dahieh on Monday, but Hezbollah denied he was killed.
Dozens of people died and about 3,000 were wounded when pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members exploded last week.
Shortly after Mr Qubaisi's death was confirmed, Israel intercepted a surface-to-surface missile near Tel Aviv, described by Israeli media as the first Hezbollah launch towards central Israel since the group began firing across the border last October.
Hezbollah said it launched a Qader 1 ballistic missile “targeting the Mossad headquarters in the suburbs of Tel Aviv, which is the headquarters responsible for assassinating leaders and blowing up pagers and wireless devices”.
Sirens sounded across Tel Aviv, Netanya and other parts of central Israel but no casualties or damage were immediately reported.
Rockets were also fired at the northern Carmel region. Israel's national electricity provider, which is based in the area, said Hezbollah fired at a “strategic facility” but did not do any damage.
At least 569 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel intensified air strikes across the country on Monday, hitting dozens of towns and villages across the south and in the Bekaa valley.
About 500,000 Lebanese have been displaced as a result of Israel's military offensives, its Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said in New York on Wednesday.
At least 51 people were killed in air strikes on about 280 sites across Lebanon on Wednesday, with attacks moving closer to Beirut.
Israel's army chief told troops on the northern border to prepare for a ground invasion after the military called up reservists for “operational activities” there.
In an apparent reference to the missile aimed at Tel Aviv, Lt Gen Herzi Halev said: “Today, Hezbollah expanded its range of fire, and later today, they will receive a very strong response. Prepare yourselves.”
To achieve the goal of returning the displaced citizens of northern Israel to their homes, “we are preparing the process of a manoeuvre,” he said.
Three people were killed and nine wounded in an air strike on the town of Maaysara, north of Beirut, according to state media. The village is located more than 100km from the border.
Four were killed and seven wounded in a strike on the town of Joun, near Sidon, while a strike on Ain Qana killed three people and wounded 13 others and another three people were killed in Bint Jbeil. Five more, including a baby, were killed in Tyre, a city close to the Israeli border.
State media reported new attacks every few minutes, with “widespread aggression” targeting the southern Nabatieh governorate.
The Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said displaced civilians should not return their homes as Israel was continuing strikes.
“For your safety, do not return to your homes until further notice,” he said in a post to X.
Strikes were reported across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa overnight and at dawn on Wednesday, according to the state-run National News Agency.
At least 17 towns and villages in the south were also struck, including Kfar Kila, Habbouch, Alma Al Chaab, Harouf, Ain Qana, while “violent raids” and intense reconnaissance flights were reported in Bekaa.
Casualties were reported in attacks on Ain Qana, according to state media, with no death toll immediately available, while paramedics were wounded in an air strike that hit their ambulance in Habbouch.
The strikes on Lebanon come as Israel also continues bombardment on Gaza, where more than 41,400 people have been killed in almost a year of war.
A mother and her four children were among the latest fatalities in Rafah, killed in a Tuesday evening air strike, according to the Palestinian official news agency Wafa.
Six people were later killed in strikes on Rafah and the Nuseirat refugee camp.
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
Teaching in coronavirus times
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
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Company%20profile
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THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
Jiu-jitsu calendar of events for 2017-2018:
August 5:
Round-1 of the President’s Cup in Al Ain.
August 11-13:
Asian Championship in Vietnam.
September 8-9:
Ajman International.
September 16-17
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Ashgabat.
September 22-24:
IJJF Balkan Junior Open, Montenegro.
September 23-24:
Grand Slam Los Angeles.
September 29:
Round-1 Mother of The Nation Cup.
October 13-14:
Al Ain U18 International.
September 20-21:
Al Ain International.
November 3:
Round-2 Mother of The National Cup.
November 4:
Round-2 President’s Cup.
November 10-12:
Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro.
November 24-26:
World Championship, Columbia.
November 30:
World Beach Championship, Columbia.
December 8-9:
Dubai International.
December 23:
Round-3 President’s Cup, Sharjah.
January 12-13:
Grand Slam Abu Dhabi.
January 26-27:
Fujairah International.
February 3:
Round-4 President’s Cup, Al Dhafra.
February 16-17:
Ras Al Khaimah International.
February 23-24:
The Challenge Championship.
March 10-11:
Grand Slam London.
March 16:
Final Round – Mother of The Nation.
March 17:
Final Round – President’s Cup.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
More on Turkey's Syria offence
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, David Warner, Adam Zampa
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
