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For months now, the children at the displacement centre at the Hotel Montana, in southern Lebanon, have faced a familiar routine characterised by boredom.
Sometimes they play tennis or football in the hotel's wide courtyard, but school is on hold and online learning almost impossible because of the shaky internet, meaning there is little to do.
Fresh arrivals come on an almost daily basis to the previously empty hotel, at the village of Marwanieh, halfway between the cities of Saida and Nabatieh. The owner is allowing the displaced to stay free of charge.
The children come from the dozens of families who call the hotel their temporary home. They fled there when hostilities broke out along the south Lebanon border last October between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces.
Not only have they been uprooted from their homes – all come from the border villages that dot the south Lebanese border, some of which have been destroyed in the fighting – but they’ve seen almost an entire school year collapse.
But for some 20 students, sat diligently at their laptops in a ground floor reception room, last week heralded something new and the prospect of picking up new skills.
With the help of local NGOs, coding and robotics classes have been taking place at the hotel turned shelter.
The classes are being implemented by CodeBrave, an organisation with around 25 teachers which seeks to give the children aged between 12 to 18 “essential 21st-century digital skills”.
“It’s very important because it’s closing a gap for the children. They have nothing to do. Of course they are benefiting from the education they are taking,” said Salam Badreddine, the head of the disaster management committee for the Saida-Zahrani area.
Teachers say that coding builds logical thinking, while also giving the displaced children a chance to disconnect from their everyday anxieties.
None of the children have coded before, while for many it also marks the first time they have used a laptop.
“Definitely it is getting them away from the stress they are living in … and learning things they never learnt in schools,” says Rania Said, a programme development co-ordinator from humanitarian aid charity World Vision, which is supporting the classes.
And while the classes mark a break from the routine that the Montana's residents have been facing, experts say coding and robotics are skills all children should be learning.
CodeBrave says the Middle East's digital economy is projected to grow four-fold between now and 2030.
“Yet, 88 per cent of Lebanese tech companies report being unable to find the tech talent they need. Lack of digital talent is the number one obstacle faced by start-ups in Lebanon and the tech skills gap in the region is well documented,” the organisation said.
“Access to tech education in Lebanon has become prohibitively expensive for the majority of young people, especially those from lower socio economic brackets.”
And the Lebanese government agrees over the importance of boosting tech skills. In its 2022-2023 crisis response plan, it highlighted that a tech-literate workforce is essential for Lebanon’s economic recovery.
“CodeBrave is responding to the urgent need to equip students with skills that align with the demands of the future workforce,” the Beirut-based organisation said.
An uncertain future
The surroundings at the Hotel Montana, with the large – but now empty – outdoor swimming pool, tall ceilings and marble flooring, speak of better days.
Medical experts have warned that the uncertainty of the residents over their situation is taking its toll. They have reported seeing an increase in anxiety disorders and depression among the displaced people.
Around 100,000 people have been displaced from the fighting, which has gradually escalated in its scope with seemingly no end on the horizon.
For the adults, Mr Badreddine says a big problem they face is obtaining work. The hotel is quite isolated in a relatively small town, and many are unable to afford to travel. While many might have had some savings when the conflict broke out, those have dried up as the situation drags on.
Mr Badreddine lists the villages that the Montana's residents come from – all places on the border to which they cannot return at the moment.
“They are from frontline villages,” he said. “It’s a risk to visit their homes because of the war.”
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 2 (Willems 25', Shelvey 88')
Manchester City 2 (Sterling 22', De Bruyne 82')
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
The years Ramadan fell in May
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
