Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Palestinians have found creative ways to stay connected in the Gaza Strip, where electricity is unreliable or non-existent due to the continuing Israeli war in the enclave.
Israeli authorities cut off the electricity supply to Gaza in October after the outbreak of war following the deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel.
In the overcrowded refugee camps across the enclave, Palestinians are using solar panels and e-sims to try to stay connected with loved ones during the war.
Khaled Al Shurafa, who runs a makeshift charging station in Al Nusseirat camp in central Gaza, purchased two solar panels and set them up on top of his car next to a table.
He then connected the panels with a converter to charge a large battery, which powers an array of phone chargers.
“As there is no source of electricity for people, I help them charge their phones to make calls or listen to the radio and charge their small batteries that can be connected to lights,” Mr Al Shurafa told The National.
Mona Al Hasomi, a child living in a tent next to Mr Al Shurafa, brought her mother's mobile phone and asked him to charge it to 50 per cent battery, paying him one Israeli shekel ($0.27). Mr Al Shurafa charges double for a full charge.
Thirty minutes later, she was able to return the phone with charge to her mother.
Another camp resident spoke to The National while waiting for his phone to charge so he could listen to the latest news.
“I only use the mobile now as a spotlight so we can light the tent or listen to the news by radio as there is no TV,” said Abed Al Rahman Darahma.
“Also, there is no phones network to make calls or internet to surf. I hope this suffering ends soon; we are fed up with the general situation."
The only way to connect to the internet in Gaza since the war is through e-sims, which are electronic versions of normal sims that connect to networks outside of the destroyed Gazan network.
Palestinians from the Al Nuseirat camp said that the signal is much stronger by the sea.
They gather by the sea in the coastal Al Zawayda area, holding their phones up in the air to boost their chances of getting a connection.
Many are seeking news from loved ones.
“I came to this area to contact my family who is still in Gaza, so I received their messages and sent messages to them, telling them about our news,” Ahmed Al Bittar told The National from Al Zawayda.
Mr Al Bittar fled to central Gaza from Gaza city, where the most intense ground fighting took place at the start of the war, but some of his family chose to stay behind.
“Most of the time, the connection is so weak, but what can we do? It is the only source of communication we have, as there are no phone networks,” he said.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SHAITTAN
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
SPECS
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