Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Three weeks after the war on Gaza broke out, Yahya Al Qassas, 28, wanted to make a change. Determined to help solve some of the seemingly compounding issues facing Gazans, he began distributing blankets to people in need, just as temperatures were beginning to drop.
Shortly afterwards, donations began to come in, Mr Al Qassas said, and close friends turned into teammates.
Today, Mr Al Qassas's One Body initiative has a GoFundMe account that has raised about $10,000.
"We started building tents, 18 in total, inside displacement camps, by just finding families that were living on the streets," he said.
Donations go towards the purchase and distribution of medicine, blankets, sleeping bags, nappies, food and building tents.
As well as offering blankets and tents, Mr Al Qassas and his team started to source materials to build toilets for people in displacement camps, and eventually, shelters, as needs grew beyond availability.
Ahmed Al Faraa, 46, who was displaced from Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis, is one of hundreds of Palestinians who have been helped by the initiative.
He now lives in the Tall Al Sultan refugee camp in Rafah, on the border with Egypt, together with 20 other families, all living in tents.
The toilets built through Mr Al Qassas's initiative have been very helpful, Mr Al Faraa said, especially for the women in his family. Although basic, the toilets were more accessible than other options they had.
"The nearest toilet was at least 1km away," Mr Al Faraa told The National. "And once we got there, we had to wait in line, with about 100 to 120 people ahead of us."
By the time they got to the front of the queue, the toilets were not in a good condition, he added.
The UN has said Gazans in overcrowded spaces are foregoing what little food and water they can find to avoid having to use unsanitary toilets.
Amid a lack of basic hygiene, displacement camps and UN schools, where thousands of people are seeking shelter, have become hotbeds of diseases like Hepatitis A, with at least 8,000 cases recorded due to people's close proximity to sewage and waste.
Despite all of the work that has been done, Mr Al Qassas said it had been difficult to source materials including nylon, and prices are rocketing amid the scarcity.
One nail at a time, he and his team join wooden planks and nylon panels, which are becoming increasingly difficult to find as Israel continues its blockade on Gaza. The shortage of essential building tools and materials, like hammers, steel and cement, leaves people like Mr Al Qassas – and millions in need of shelter – with little to work with.
In these conditions, Mr Al Qassas and his team are resorting to using whatever they can find.
"We use car tyres to create the shape of the well, which a pipe flowing out of the toilet travels into," he said.
This temporary fix requires constant maintenance, as the infrastructure for a proper sewage system has either been destroyed or did not exist to begin with, in places that have seen a sudden increase in their population, such as Al Mawasi, which Israel has designated as a "safe zone" for Gazans.
The next project, Mr Al Qassas said, involves building shelters for people in need, using the funds that continue to flow in from all over the world, one click at a time.
Pakistan World Cup squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez(subject to fitness), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain
Two additions for England ODIs: Mohammad Amir and Asif Ali
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
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
Results:
Men's 100m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 15 sec; 2. Rheed McCracken (AUS) 15.40; 3. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 15.75. Men's 400m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 50.56; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 50.94; 3. Henry Manni (FIN) 52.24.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
WWE Evolution results
- Trish Stratus and Lita beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James in a tag match
- Nia Jax won a battle royal, eliminating Ember Moon last to win
- Toni Storm beat Io Shirai to win the Mae Young Classic
- Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley beat The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag match
- Shayna Baszler won the NXT Women’s title by defeating Kairi Sane
- Becky Lynch retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match
- Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women’s title by beating Nikki Bella
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
The years Ramadan fell in May
The five pillars of Islam
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
Chatham House Rule
A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”.
The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.
The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events.
Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.
That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.
This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.
These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.
Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
