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At least eight people were injured after an Israeli drone fired several missiles at a residential building in the southern Lebanese town of Nabatieh on Tuesday afternoon, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said.
Videos published online showed the entire fifth floor of the building blown out. The Israeli army did not comment on the attack and it was not known whether any Hezbollah members were in the building at the time of the strike.
Nabatieh, which lies only 14km from Israel, remains well-populated despite regular cross-border violence since October. Ten civilians were killed in an Israeli strike on a residential building in the area last month.
The attack on Nabatieh mirrored that of Hezbollah’s the previous day, when the Iran-backed group launched a volley of drones into northern Israel – one of which hit a residential tower block in the coastal city of Nahariyya. It is not a typical target of attack for Hezbollah, which has mostly limited forays to within a few kilometres of Israel’s border area.
The attack on the building in Nabatieh followed the assassination of a Hezbollah commander earlier in the day who was killed on his motorbike as he was driving in the western Bekaa Valley. Hezbollah later identified him as Mohammas Qassem Al Shaer but did not clarify his position within the group.
Israel announced Mr Al Shaer’s death and identified him as a “commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in southern Lebanon”. Two civilians were injured in the strike in Bekaa.
Hezbollah retaliated by targeting an Israeli artillery position belonging to a battalion in the northern Neve Zeve area and fired “dozens” of Katyusha rockets at a headquarters used by Israel’s Golani Brigade in the Mount Neria area. The group said its attacks were in response to Israel’s assassination of Mr Al Shaer and the strikes on the building in Nabatieh.
Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border have been displaced since the hostilities began, with little hope of returning until a ceasefire is reached. In Lebanon, 615 people – the vast majority of whom are fighters but at least 138 civilians – have been killed by Israeli bombardment since October.
On the Israeli side, including in the occupied Golan Heights, the army says at least 24 soldiers and 26 civilians have been killed.
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
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Wayne Rooney's career
Everton (2002-2004)
- Appearances: 48
- Goals: 17
Manchester United (2004-2017)
- Appearances: 496
- Goals: 253
England (2003-)
- Appearances: 119
- Goals: 53
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.
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
