Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday ruled out Israel's participation in a de-escalation initiative proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, accusing Paris of being hostile towards Israel.
Mr Macron said on Thursday that France, the US and Israel would form a contact group to work on defusing tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.
“As we fight a just war, defending our people, France has adopted hostile policies against Israel,” Mr Gallant said. “Israel will not be a party to the trilateral framework proposed by France.”
He accused France of ignoring “the atrocities committed by Hamas against Israeli children, women and men”, referring to the Palestinian armed group's incursion into southern Israel on October 7.
Last month France blocked Israeli defence companies from participating in a major arms show in Paris. France has also condemned Israeli attacks on Rafah in Gaza.
Mr Gallant's rejection of the French proposal came amid heightened cross-border attacks between Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and the Israeli military.
Hezbollah said it fired dozens of rockets at northern Israel on Friday in response to an overnight Israeli strike on a residential building in south Lebanon that killed two civilians and injured several others, including children.
The group said it fired Katyusha rockets and Falaq missiles at the area around the border town of Kiryat Shmona.
Israeli emergency services reported dealing with a string of fires in northern Israel after the attacks.
The two women killed in the Israeli strike were identified as Sally Sakiki and Dalal Ezzeddine. A political source close to Hezbollah told The National that everyone in the building was a civilian.
The three-storey residential building is between the towns of Jannata and Deir Qanoun En Nahr. Hospitals in the area issued a call for blood donations to help the injured, who included women and children.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati hit out at what he described as Israel's “destructive and terrorist aggression to which the international community must put an end”.
Israel has repeatedly launched attacks against Hezbollah since hostilities broke out between them on October 8, with civilians killed in the cross-border violence.
The target of Israel's latest strike was not immediately clear. It comes as the conflict, running in parallel with the war in Gaza, continues to intensify.
The Israeli military said on Friday two soldiers were injured “as a result of an anti-tank projectile attack in the area of Manara” on Thursday.
Hezbollah launched attacks on northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights on Thursday in response to the killing of a senior commander.
The Iran-backed group fired missiles at six Israeli military sites and used squadrons of drones in an attack on three Israeli bases. Targets included the main intelligence base in northern Israel.
Hezbollah, which announced more strikes overnight, said the attacks were “part of the response to the assassination” of its commander, Taleb Sami Abdallah, on Tuesday.
Mr Abdallah is among 300 Hezbollah fighters killed since the conflict broke out in October, but is one of only two who Hezbollah has formally referred to as a commander.
The Israeli government warned it would hit back at attacks from the Lebanese group. “Israel will respond with force to all aggressions by Hezbollah,” government spokesman David Mencer said.
He added that Israel would “restore security on our northern border”.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Company%20profile
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War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
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The five pillars of Islam
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Profile of Tarabut Gateway
Founder: Abdulla Almoayed
Based: UAE
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 35
Sector: FinTech
Raised: $13 million
Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
The specs
Price, base: Dh228,000 / Dh232,000 (est)
Engine: 5.7-litre Hemi V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 552Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.5L / 100km
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
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
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Roll of honour: Who won what in 2018/19?
West Asia Premiership: Winners – Bahrain; Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership: Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Winners – Dubai Hurricanes; Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference: Winners – Dubai Tigers; Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
Gulf rugby
Who’s won what so far in 2018/19
Western Clubs Champions League: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Dubai Hurricanes
West Asia Premiership: Bahrain
What’s left
UAE Conference
March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Hurricanes II v Al Ain Amblers, Jebel Ali Dragons II v Dubai Tigers
March 29, final
UAE Premiership
March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Exiles v Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Hurricanes
March 29, final
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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