Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, delivered his first speech since cross-border clashes erupted weeks ago between Israel and armed militant groups following an unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7, raising concerns of a regional spillover.
Hamas's battle “has extended to more than one front and more than one arena”, Mr Nasrallah said. He added that Hezbollah had “entered the battle on October 8" and warned that the chance of open conflict was “realistic”.
“This glorious operation has caused an earthquake within the Zionist entity,” he said in his speech, which was broadcasted live and shown on large screens across the country. In Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh, thousands of people gathered in a large plaza to watch.
“These operations have created fear in the Israel enemy: military, security and psychological fear that will have strategic consequences on the entity, both in the present and in the future,” he said.
Washington's support for Israel was also condemned by the Hezbollah leader.
“You, the Americans, can stop the aggression against Gaza because it is your aggression,” he said.
The US “will not engage in a war of words” with Hezbollah’s leadership, a White House National Security Council official said on Friday, warning that the war could escalate into one “bloodier” than the 2006 Israel-Gaza war.
“The United States does not want to see this conflict expand into Lebanon. The likely devastation for Lebanon and its people would be unimaginable and is avoidable,” the official told The National.
Thousands cheered as the Hezbollah leader gave his long-awaited speech, which came after the most intense night of cross-border fighting. Israel pummelled southern Lebanon on Thursday night, killing four, after a volley of rockets were fired across the border.
The group claimed responsibility for a simultaneous attack on 19 Israeli military positions, while the military wing of Hamas, Al Qassam Brigades, said it fired 12 rockets from southern Lebanon into the Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona “in response to the massacre in Gaza”.
Mr Nasrallah has been silent since October 8, when Hezbollah opened the floodgates to a regional multi-front war of attrition in support of its ally Hamas.
In Lebanon, which has no president, no empowered government and no functioning parliament, the absence of any meaningful stances by the country's leadership, citizens – even opponents of the Iran-backed party Hezbollah – often look to Mr Nasrallah for insight on their country's foreign policy.
Twenty-one-year old Mohammad said he had travelled from south Lebanon's Tyre city and began tailgating at the plaza in the morning, “just to hear the Sayyed talk”. The plaza was already packed by 10am, he said.
His friend, who preferred to stay anonymous, told The National he had come to the plaza with a group of friends and his family, and that “my neighbours, and their neighbours and all of Dahieh is here”.
'All options are open' in tit-for-tat war of attrition
The clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border have been contained so far, but there is growing concern that any miscalculation or sudden violence could trigger a broader regional conflict, pitting Israel against Iranian proxies.
Mr Nasrallah reinforced the notion, although he stopped short of declaring full war on Israel.
“Every Israeli escalation will be met with a similar action from us. For every civilian, a civilian,” he said forcefully.
“All options are open on the Lebanese front. All options are on the table, and we are ready for all possibilities.”
The death toll in Lebanon since the Israel-Hamas conflict began now stands at 71, as reported by AFP. This count includes mostly Hezbollah fighters and other combatants, but it also includes at least seven civilians, one of whom was a Reuters journalist.
Military strategy
In his speech, the Hezbollah leader explained that the group's strategy for initiating a border war between Lebanon and Israel had succeeded in diverting a significant amount of the Israeli military's forces from Gaza.
Israel's armed forces had been diluted, he said, with a third of its army, half of its naval forces and a quarter of its air force diverted from Gaza to Lebanon.
The group had also succeeded in displacing “tens of thousands of residents from 58 settlements” from northern Israel.
The escalation between Israel and Hezbollah intensified after Israel announced the “second stage” of its operations in Gaza on Friday, marked by increased bombardment and the start of ground operations in the blockade strip.
“Since I was a kid, I heard about the West being champions of human rights,” said Hussein, who also came to watch the speech. “Where are they now? They are all supporting Israel and its crimes, they are all supporting oppression, even Arab countries.”
Hezbollah swiftly endorsed Hamas's deadly attack by commencing a border confrontation, with rockets launched into the occupied Chebaa territories on October 8. The group cited rising Israel incursions into Al Aqsa in Jerusalem, growing settlement expansion and violence in the West Bank, and the ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip.
But, the leader said, “Al Aqsa Flood operation was 100 per cent a Palestinian decision”, implying that Iran and Hezbollah did not have a hand in engineering the operation.
Axis of Resistance
“The Islamic Republic of Iran openly supports the resistance movements in Lebanon, Palestine and the region, but it does not exert control over their leadership,” Mr Nasrallah said. “The decisions of the resistance belong to the leadership of the resistance.”
On Thursday night, Iraqi militia groups claimed that a drone was fired towards Israeli positions on the Dead Sea, while Yemen's Houthi rebels said on Tuesday they had launched three drone and missile attacks towards Israel since the start of the war, vowing to continue such attacks “to help the Palestinians to victory”.
“Iran is pushing its proxies around us, the Houthis, Hezbollah and others, in order to distract us from focusing on Hamas and Gaza,” said Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari on Thursday.
“In the north, the IDF will respond with action, not with words. The IDF is on high alert.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Sunday that Iran does not want war to “spread out”.
People in the region were angry, he said, and “they are not receiving orders from us”.
“They act according to their own interest. Also, what happened, what was carried out by Hamas, it was totally Palestinian.”
The White House National Security Council official said: “We and our partners have been clear: Hezbollah and other actors – state or non-state – should not try to take advantage of the ongoing conflict.”
But Hezbollah's leader advised the US to be cautious in their approach to the conflict, saying during his speech: “The Americans would not only be striking Lebanon – they would also have to strike Iran.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
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
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Continental champions
Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)
Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)
Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)
Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)
Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)
Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)
Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
FIGHT CARD
Welterweight Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Tohir Zhuraev (TJK)
Catchweight 75kg Leandro Martins (BRA) v Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Flyweight Corinne Laframboise (CAN) v Manon Fiorot (FRA)
Featherweight Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB)
Lightweight Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) v Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG)
Featherweight Yousef Al Housani (UAE) v Mohamed Arsharq Ali (SLA)
Catchweight 69kg Jung Han-gook (KOR) v Elias Boudegzdame (ALG)
Catchweight 71kg Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
Featherweight title Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
Lightweight title Bruno Machado (BRA) v Mike Santiago (USA)
HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
The Lowdown
Kesari
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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 specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Meydan race card
6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
7.05pm: Handicap Dh 185,000 2,000m
7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap Dh 190,000 1,400m
8.50pm: Handicap Dh 175,000 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap Dh 175,000 1,200m
10pm: Handicap Dh 165,000 1,600m
Name: Colm McLoughlin
Country: Galway, Ireland
Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free
Favourite golf course: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
Tour de France 2017: Stage 5
Vittel - La Planche de Belles Filles, 160.5km
It is a shorter stage, but one that will lead to a brutal uphill finish. This is the third visit in six editions since it was introduced to the race in 2012. Reigning champion Chris Froome won that race.
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Vault%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBilal%20Abou-Diab%20and%20Sami%20Abdul%20Hadi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELicensed%20by%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Global%20Market%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EInvestment%20and%20wealth%20advisory%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOutliers%20VC%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E14%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
No.6 Collaborations Project
Ed Sheeran (Atlantic)
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
The full list of 2020 Brit Award nominees (winners in bold):
British group
Coldplay
Foals
Bring me the Horizon
D-Block Europe
Bastille
British Female
Mabel
Freya Ridings
FKA Twigs
Charli xcx
Mahalia
British male
Harry Styles
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Michael Kiwanuka
Stormzy
Best new artist
Aitch
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Mabel
Sam Fender
Best song
Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don’t Care
Mabel - Don’t Call Me Up
Calvin Harrison and Rag’n’Bone Man - Giant
Dave - Location
Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove
Lewis Capaldi - Someone you Loved
Tom Walker - Just You and I
Sam Smith and Normani - Dancing with a Stranger
Stormzy - Vossi Bop
International female
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
Camila Cabello
Lana Del Rey
Lizzo
International male
Bruce Springsteen
Burna Boy
Tyler, The Creator
Dermot Kennedy
Post Malone
Best album
Stormzy - Heavy is the Head
Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
Dave - Psychodrama
Harry Styles - Fine Line
Rising star
Celeste
Joy Crookes
beabadoobee
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Allardyce's management career
Clubs (10) - Limerick (1991-1992), Perston North End (1992), Blackpool (1994-1996), Notts County (1997-1999), Bolton Wanderers (1999-2007), Newcastle United (2007-2008), Blackburn Rovers (2008-2010), West Ham United (2011-2015), Sunderland (2016), Crystal Palace (2016-2017)
Countries (1) - England (2016)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
