Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
The standstill traffic between Sidon and Beirut convinced many people fleeing Israel's intensive air assault on Monday to pull over. For some, it was a rest from hours of driving in congestion. For others, it was an opportunity to assess and co-ordinate their next steps.
Where would they sleep that night? If the war continued, where would they live? What had become of the homes and belongings they had left behind?
“The house was bombed right after we left it,” said Hayat Al Hajj, an older woman from the southern Lebanese village of Ansar, which had been relatively untouched by Israel's bombardment until this week. "Right as we were leaving our house was destroyed right in front of us."
Ms Al Hajj's nephew, holding his phone up to indicate that he had just watched a video, interjected to tell her: "Ansar has been completely destroyed. Forget it. Not a single house left standing."
An extensive air campaign announced by Israel earlier that morning has so far killed at least 492 people, including 35 children and 58 women, and wounded 1,645. The toll is expected to rise.
Ms Al Hajj and her family had been parked along the motorway heading north for at least six hours, she told The National. Like thousands of others, they were trying to co-ordinate a place to live with relatives and solidarity groups.
Fleeing families were packed into lorries and vans loaded with mattresses, clothing and belongings, racing to find refuge away from the south. A petrol station owner told The National that so many people had fled that his station had run out of fuel.
His employees distributed water bottles to stuck families. Rest stops and bakeries along the road were crowded with families stocking up on provisions.
Suddenly, the Hajj family set off: they had found a place in Bchamoun, in the mountains.
Ms Al Hajj's daughter Najat said they were lucky: “When you see how congested Saida is with people escaping, it really makes you wonder where they'll go."
By Monday afternoon, Lebanon's government had opened schools and other vocational institutes for displaced people with no other housing to take shelter.
Israel intensified its air campaigns on Lebanon after an unprecedented week of attacks on Hezbollah, including an Israeli air strike in Beirut that was aimed at a senior Hezbollah commander along with top members of the group, killing at least 70 people, including civilians.
Israeli military's spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari ordered Lebanese civilians on Monday morning to stay away from Hezbollah-controlled areas or leave immediately, as the Israeli army would “engage in extensive, precise strikes against targets embedded widely throughout Lebanon”.
Lebanese telecoms company Ogero reported at least 80,000 suspected Israeli call attempts across the country, telling people to vacate their areas, sparking panic among civilians.
Later on Monday, Health Minister Firass Abiad said that “thousands of families from the targeted areas have been displaced”.
Fadwat, 35, is among them. She hurriedly left the southern town of Burj El Chemali with her toddlers in the early hours of the morning, grabbing what few belongings she could before piling into a car with her relatives. Hours later, she sat on the road trying to figure the situation out.
“We're used to this, it's been like this since the '70s,” she said. “But it's the children I'm worried about. They don't know what's happening around them. My job is to take care of them, and I don’t want them to experience this.”
Her son Ali, eight, pointed at Israeli jets as they released their distinctive trails in the sky. He was looking forward to school on Tuesday, but classes have now been suspended in most regions. Instead of accommodating pupils, classrooms will now house displaced families.
'Worst day'
Mohamed Ghamloush, a resident in the southern city of Sidon, further from the bombing, told The National that the situation in the city is “insane", with people from the south rushing to leave and roads blocked.
“Cars are going in every direction. I'm more afraid of accidents than of air raids,” he said. “It's completely insane.”
“It's a bit chaotic here,” Farah M, 34, a Palestinian Lebanese in Sidon, told The National. “We don't know where the next strike will hit. Some family members are moving to Beirut – others are coming here. And with children involved, it's hectic.
Mr Ghamloush decided to return to his village near the border to pick up his wife, who had stayed behind. “I have to go back. Everyone is telling me not to, but I can't leave her alone. She’s extremely scared.”
On his way, he told The National he saw many residents fleeing in cars, while others were walking on foot because they had no means of transport.
Co-ordination groups in the town of Jiyeh, in southern Lebanon, have begun opening schools and empty houses to host displaced people. WhatsApp groups have been set up in solidarity, where those willing to open their homes share their contact details en masse.
This is the worst it’s been since the war started
Wafa Raghda,
resident of southern Lebanon
Two estate agents based in Beirut said they were receiving constant calls from people fleeing the shelling and trying to find temporary accommodation in Beirut.
“Since yesterday and this morning, people are looking for a place in the safer areas of Beirut for one week to one year,” one of the agents from Beirut Living Real Estate said, adding that he had taken at least 60 calls that day.
But some were not able to leave. Wafa Raghda, 42, from Burj El Moulouk near the border with Israel told The National that she was stuck between two bombed areas and has no option but to stay. There is no safe shelter for her and her children, who usually take refuge in the bathroom during shelling.
“My children are extremely scared,” she told The National over the phone. “This is the worst it’s been since the war started. It's extremely dangerous. I'm right across from the plain that is being bombed and the house is shaking.”
Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Company%20Profile
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What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The Greatest Royal Rumble card
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More coverage from the Future Forum
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Naga
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Selected fixtures
All times UAE
Wednesday
Poland v Portugal 10.45pm
Russia v Sweden 10.45pm
Friday
Belgium v Switzerland 10.45pm
Croatia v England 10.45pm
Saturday
Netherlands v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Denmark 10.45pm
Sunday
Poland v Italy 10.45pm
Monday
Spain v England 10.45pm
Tuesday
France v Germany 10.45pm
Rep of Ireland v Wales 10.45pm
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Ajax v Real Madrid, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
