Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Gulf airlines are delaying the resumption of flights to Beirut as they wait to learn if a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah holds.
Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, flydubai, Saudia and Oman Air are among the companies whose flights remain suspended. Emirates airline and Etihad Airways recently said flights would be off until January. Tens of thousands of expatriate Lebanese in the Gulf are expected to try to visit family in the coming weeks, amid hopes that a 60-day ceasefire is not breached.
Flydubai told The National it was closely monitoring the situation. Emirates also said flights were suspended, while Etihad's website showed that flights to Beirut are on hold until January 13. The websites of Qatar Airways, Saudia and Oman Air show that their services remain cancelled. Jordan’s flag-carrier Royal Jordanian, which suspended flights in August, has not updated any information on flights to Lebanon.
Lebanon's national airline Middle East Airlines (MEA) is the only carrier that has kept flights operating from Beirut, even as the area around Rafic Hariri International Airport was bombed by Israeli jets.
MEA operates flights to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi but services are full in the coming days. Before they were fully booked for December 1, a ticket for the flight is just under Dh2,500 ($680), far more than usual.
The Skyscanner website shows an option to fly to Cairo, Kuwait and Amman from Dubai and onwards to Beirut through MEA with prices for a single seat from Dh4,000.
'Finally going home'
Dubai resident Rabih Takkoush, 28, who works in social media, said that as soon as he heard about the ceasefire on Tuesday night he booked his ticket home.
"It was a struggle to get a ticket because Middle East is the only airline operating to Beirut. And, as soon as the ceasefire was announced, people started booking tickets. Many of my friends even took to social media to post about their frustration of not being able to fly home because they couldn't get a ticket." Mr Takkoush said people want to “go home to be with our families”.
“I’m just lucky I got a ticket. I can’t wait to go home and hug everyone. I don’t want anything more than to be with my family, and to hold them close to me.”
It’s nearly a year and a half since he last went home. “I’m someone who goes to Beirut at least two to three times a year, so this has been tough.”
It has been an emotional few days for Mr Takkoush and his family. "Last night was particularly tough because my mother and father had to move out of our family home and go to a quieter neighbourhood where my grandparents used to live. But, no matter where they went, the air strikes were relentless."
Mr Takkoush posted a video of a call to his mother as air strikes sounded in the background on his social media. She was crying as they talked. He said he decided to post the video to show the world what they have been going through.
Company%20Profile
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Diaa%20Jubaili%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20180%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Deep%20Vellum%20Publishing%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Fiorentina v Torino (8pm)
Hellas Verona v Roma (10.45pm)
Sunday
Parma v Napoli (2.30pm)
Genoa v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (8pm)
Juventus v Sampdoria (10.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Bologna (10.45om)
Playing September 30
Benevento v Inter Milan (8pm)
Udinese v Spezia (8pm)
Lazio v Atalanta (10.45pm)
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
