Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
In peacetime, Gaza streets are bustling during Eid Al Fitr, thrumming with the sound of Takbirat Eid as people prepare for Eid Iftar.
This year, there will be none of those traditions. In the ruins of Gaza city, the much loved Al Remal and Al Saha markets used to be filled with crowds of people purchasing new clothes for their children, as well as chocolates and Eid sweets.
Today, the two markets are completely devastated, with streets closed and shutters on any shops still standing.
Nobody is there to buy, because few venture from their homes, except for the dangerous task of seeking out aid deliveries, amid a continuing hunger crisis.
“Eid is all about children, and Gaza has lost more than 5,000 of its children. How can we celebrate Eid? Even if the Israeli soldiers were to withdraw from the city, our hearts are filled with sorrow and despair,” 50-year-old Mona Yousef told The National.
Ms Yousef has been staying at a friend's house in Gaza city's Al Nasser neighbourhood since her home in Tal Al Hawa, southern Gaza, was destroyed.
“I feel like my grandson, who should be 10 years old, is already 15. He asked me if children in other Arab countries feel the same way we do,” she added.
“There is sadness and despair evident on the faces of the people, and they are silent most of the time,” she continued.
Mohammed Aziz, 10, has been staying with his married sister in one of the UN-run schools in Jabalia, northern Gaza, since losing his parents and one of his brothers. The small town – mainly a refugee camp – has been heavily bombed by Israel, causing massive casualties.
“Most of the children around me have their parents, and I miss my father and mother. My mother used to take me to buy new clothes for Eid, but now there is no Eid,” Mohammed told The National.
During the first month of the war, Mohammed went to buy potatoes for his mother when their home was destroyed and his parents and brother killed in an Israeli air strike.
His sister is trying to fill the void left by their mother, but is struggling because she also misses their family in these difficult moments.
Hanneen Hinawi, 35, displaced from Gaza city and now living in a tent in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, said her children understand that they are experiencing challenging times and that there will not be an Eid celebration in the enclave this year.
“I bought Eid kaek biscuits for them, because they love it and wanted to eat it on the first day after Ramadan, as they always do,” Ms Hinawi told The National.
“Eid is about family gatherings, children playing in the park, giving them money, and buying toys, but they have deprived us of these basics.”
Ms Hinawi, who is staying in a tent with her husband and two children, is separated from her family, and her children have not seen their cousins for six months.
She said all they want is to gather with their friends and relatives in Gaza.
“Our spirits are weary, and we can no longer bear this situation. We used to fully enjoy all the festive occasions, but now all we can focus on is continuing to live our lives.”
Umm Hassan Al Massri, 65, insists on cooking somakia and distributing it to her neighbours in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza.
Somakia is a traditional food that Gazans typically cook on the last day of Ramadan and eat on the first day of Eid.
“I used to cook somakia every Eid, and I will continue to do so, but without meat because meat is now too expensive,” Ms Al Massri told The National.
About 20 members of her family are staying at her home, having been forced to flee from other parts of Gaza.
“This is not the first time we will not celebrate Eid. We are used to this situation, we have lost the joy. Each household and family has lost something in this war,” Ms Al Massri said.
“Even when the war ends, our lives will not return to how they were before.”
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
More Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions:
Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
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
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Star%20Wars%3A%20Episode%20I%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Phantom%20Menace
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THE SPECS
Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 518bhp
Torque: 625Nm
Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds
Price: Dh633,435
On sale: now
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Scores
Wales 74-24 Tonga
England 35-15 Japan
Italy 7-26 Australia
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
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Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
AGUERO'S PREMIER LEAGUE RECORD
Apps: 186
Goals: 127
Assists: 31
Wins: 117
Losses: 33
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