Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Hezbollah unleashed a multipronged attack on sites in northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights on Thursday.
The Iran-backed group said it fired missiles at six Israeli military sites, including a barracks, in a co-ordinated attack the day after it launched a barrage of rockets from southern Lebanon.
Simultaneously, it also launched several squadrons of assault drones at positions in northern Israel, including the main intelligence base in northern Israel that Hezbollah said was responsible for the assassinations of its fighters.
The Israeli military said approximately 40 projectiles were launched towards the Galilee and Golan Heights area.
Two people were wounded by shrapnel, Israel's national ambulance service said, and a number of wildfires were set off by rockets that landed in open areas.
Hezbollah pledged to intensify its attacks on Israel after the assassination of a senior commander on Tuesday night.
The Lebanese armed group, which is also a political party, said its attacks came in response to the Israeli strike on the south Lebanese village of Jouaiya, about 15km from the Israeli border, that killed Taleb Sami Abdallah, also known as Abu Taleb, and three other members of Hezbollah.
“Our response after the martyrdom of Abu Taleb will be to intensify our operations in severity, strength, quantity and quality,” said senior Hezbollah official Hashem Saffieddine at the funeral of Mr Abdallah on Wednesday.
His remarks came after Hezbollah had already fired more than 200 rockets on northern Israel, its largest barrage yet since hostilities broke out along the Lebanese-Israeli border area on October 8.
“Let the enemy wait for us in the battlefield,” he added.
There were no immediate reports of casualties. Some projectiles were intercepted, while others ignited brush fires.
Fires have become common on both sides of the border as the dry summer heat has begun.
“It is natural that Abu Taleb was a permanent target,” Mr Saffieddine said of the commander, the most senior Hezbollah leader to be killed since October.
Mr Abdallah is among 300 Hezbollah fighters to have been killed since the conflict broke out, but one of only two who the group has formally referred to as a commander.
More information has since been released about Mr Abdallah, who was the commander of the Nasr Unit, which is responsible for part of the border area.
He was described by Mr Saffieddine as an important leader in the 2006 Hezbollah-Israel war, the last time the two sides fought a full-on conflict.
Israel has upped military drills on the border, some of which involve brigades withdrawn from Gaza, the army announced on Thursday.
“In the last two weeks, a series of brigade exercises were carried out in which the troops were trained for different combat patterns in the northern arena,” it said in a statement, publishing images of soldiers training with weapons.
“The exercise simulated a combat scenario at varying ranges, while emphasising the capabilities of movement in a tangled terrain, progress along a mountainous route, the use of multi-scale fire and combat in different areas,” it added.
G7 'concerned'
The conflict on the Israel-Lebanon border was also the subject of discussions in Baghdad and Italy on Thursday.
Iraq and Iran's foreign ministers discussed the “dangerous signs” of Israel possibly attacking Lebanon, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said after meeting with visiting Iranian Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani.
“If there is an attack on southern Lebanon, God forbid, it will affect the whole region,” Mr Hussein said during a press conference in Baghdad. He warned that “expanding the war is not only a danger to Lebanon but to the entire region”.
Mr Bagheri Kani said “the Zionists, due to their failure in Gaza, might make another mistake and expand their aggression”. Both countries called for an immediate ceasefire in the continuing war in Gaza. Iran is a key backer of Hezbollah.
Ahead of a G7 meeting in Puglia, where a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was top of the agenda, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the situation in Lebanon would also be discussed.
US President Joe Biden would discuss “the increasing intensity and scope of the strikes by Hezbollah deeper into Israel, and including into civilian areas”, Mr Sullivan said, adding that a ceasefire in Gaza would help bring calm to that region as well.
Hezbollah says it is carrying out the attacks in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has undertaken a brutal bombardment that has killed more than 37,100 people. Hezbollah says it will not end its attacks until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
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The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
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How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
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Our family matters legal consultant
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THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Racecard
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
The National selections
6.30pm: Chaddad
7.05pm: Down On Da Bayou
7.40pm: Mass Media
8.15pm: Rafal
8.50pm: Yulong Warrior
9.25pm: Chiefdom
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