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Large green tents near Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus have been prepared for almost a year as Israel's war reaches Lebanon.
Now, in a tragic echo of Cyprus's role in assisting people fleeing the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, it looks like these temporary shelters might finally be put to use to host thousands, as Israel intensifies its bombing campaign.
“The next 48 to 72 hours will be critical,” Maj Andreas Zacharia, deputy commander of the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre, an agency of the Cyprus Ministry of Defence, told The National. “The situation is escalating day by day. It's difficult to predict what will happen, but we think there may be a large-scale operation.”
No country has announced an official evacuation plan, but deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon in the past weeks have already pushed tens of thousands to leave either by plane or by land to Syria, in some cases with the assistance of their local embassies. Israel on Friday bombed the main border crossing to Syria, saying it was targeting Hezbollah weapons caches.
The closest EU country to the Levant, the island of Cyprus lies 144km from the Lebanese coast, a 10-hour trip by sea. Larnaca Airport has in the past 10 days witnessed a flurry of arrivals from Lebanon, as countries such as France have asked the national carrier, Middle East Airlines, to increase flight frequencies to for citizens wishing to leave. The UK has so far organised three flights.
Cypriot Foreign Affairs Minister Constantinos Kombos said that on Thursday a plane landed from Beirut carrying 38 Cypriots and 22 Greek nationals after consultation between the countries' defence ministries. Most of Lebanon's 900 or so shelters are full, according to the UN. People fleeing Israeli military strikes are increasingly sleeping out in the open on the street or in parks.
“We hope we are ready”
In 2006, Cyprus was caught like many by surprise by the mass evacuations caused by the full-blown Hezbollah-Israel war. The closure of the airport in Beirut forced more than 100,000 people to flee via Cyprus. Two years later, it established the so-called Estia plan to increase its level of preparedness and assist large numbers of evacuees from nearby countries in crisis by providing them a temporary safe haven.
Annual exercises followed, involving hundreds of participants from 25 countries, including from the EU, the US, Canada and Australia, to help them become familiar with Estia. “Lessons learnt from 2006 drove us to develop this plan in the unfortunate event of a new crisis,” said Maj Zacharia. “We hope we are ready.”
For the third time since its establishment, the Estia plan was activated by the Cypriot state on Tuesday night as the situation escalates in Lebanon. The first was after the start of a civil war in Sudan in April 2023, and the second, following the Hamas-led October 7 attacks against Israel. Operations are overseen by the JRCC – also known as Zenon – which is located near Larnaca Airport.
Numbers so far have been much lower than in 2006. Around 3,000 people fled Sudan conflict via Cyprus, and another 2,500 people from 32 countries transited through the island from Israel last year.
That was when Maj Zacharia, ordered tents to be set up near the JRCC, where more than 40 people working under the Defence Ministry run what is described as the “brain” of crisis management in the country. Combined with 12 prefab buildings, they can host for up to six hours up to 300 people, as they rest before taking another flight for repatriation.
Earlier evacuees left, but the tents have stayed. “Since October 7, the situation has never been calm, with the constant conflict between Hamas and Israel,” said Maj Zacharia. “So, there was always a possibility of escalation to neighbouring countries – including Lebanon.”
Should evacuations start in the coming days, the Cypriot government also plans to temporarily accommodate people on other premises including military bases, schools and sports centres.
“We need a smooth flow of evacuees,” said Maj Zacharia. With a population of just under one million people, Cyprus cannot afford to have thousands more stay long-term. The coming days will be a test of more than 15 years of preparation for another full-blown Middle East war.
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Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
Gulf Under 19s
Pools
A – Dubai College, Deira International School, Al Ain Amblers, Warriors
B – Dubai English Speaking College, Repton Royals, Jumeirah College, Gems World Academy
C – British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Yasmina Academy
D – Dubai Exiles, Jumeirah English Speaking School, English College, Bahrain Colts
Recent winners
2018 – Dubai College
2017 – British School Al Khubairat
2016 – Dubai English Speaking School
2015 – Al Ain Amblers
2014 – Dubai College
The five pillars of Islam
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
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.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
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How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
The Gandhi Murder
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RESULT
Brazil 2 Croatia 0
Brazil: Neymar (69'), Firmino (90' 3)
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
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The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
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