Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
At least 500 children from Hezbollah's Al Mahdi schools gathered in solidarity with Gaza's children on Thursday morning in Beirut, responding to the militant group's call to protest against “Zionist and American aggression and their commission of massacres against children in Gaza and Lebanon”.
“We're here to show the world that our hearts are in Gaza, and that we are standing in solidarity with innocent children who are dying for nothing in Gaza and southern Lebanon,” said Mohamed, 16, wearing a kaffiyeh around his head.
At least 4,324 children have been killed in more than a month since the Israel-Gaza war erupted when Hamas fighters launched an unprecedented attack into Israel, killing about 1,000 civilians and taking 240 hostages.
The assault kicked off a massive escalation of violence with relentless Israeli air strikes and a ground operation in Gaza, a Palestinian territory controlled by the Islamist group.
Samia, a 46-year-old teacher from the Mahdi school network, said: “Children need to be aware early on that Israel is a terrorist state, and they need to know who are the oppressed ones.”
“We want to show them that the Palestinian cause is a human cause,” she added.
The Mahdi schools are part of the private educational system of Lebanese Hezbollah – an Iran-backed militia and powerful political party, which is allied with Hamas. Several branches of the Mahdi school's network across Lebanon were mobilised for the protest.
The rally followed the killing of three sisters from Ainata in south Lebanon – Rimas, Taline, and Liane Chour, aged 14, 12, and 10, along with their grandmother, in an Israeli air strike on Sunday.
In the square where the children gathered, a large picture of the three sisters read: “From Ainata to Gaza, children living on the road to Jerusalem.”
Daily clashes pitting Hezbollah against Israel along the Israel-Lebanon border have erupted since October 8, against the backdrop of the Israel-Gaza war.
The violence has resulted in at least 14 civilian deaths on the Lebanese side, including Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, and about 60 Hezbollah fighters.
At the rally in downtown Beirut, pupils held pictures of children killed in Gaza along with signs proclaiming, “Stop the genocide in Gaza” and “Free Palestine”.
The crowd, carrying Palestinian, Lebanese, and Hezbollah flags, chanted “From Gaza to Beirut, united we cannot die” and “Death to Israel, death to America”.
“We stand with the children of Gaza, unwavering and unafraid. We will not leave,” said Celine, a 10-year-old pupil.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned on Friday that “all options are open” on the Lebanese front, promising every attack would provoke retaliation.
“For every civilian, a civilian,” he said in a long-awaited televised speech.
Concerns are rising that the slightest miscalculation could lead to a wider escalation dragging Lebanon into a devastating war.
So far Israel and Hezbollah have refrained from launching full-scale military offensives, while conducting deadly skirmishes.
The last conflict between Israel and Hezbollah occurred in 2006. It claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Lebanese – mostly civilians – and 165 Israelis, mainly soldiers, over 34 days.
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About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
Boulder shooting victims
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• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
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Tamkeen's offering
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Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
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
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
