Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Two paramedics were killed in separate Israeli strikes on Saturday as Israeli troops reached the deepest point into Lebanon since it invaded six weeks ago, the country's state media reported.
The attacks on medics came just two days after 15 civil defence workers were killed in a strike on the Douris Civil Defence centre in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley.
One paramedic killed in an attack in the town of Borj Rahal in the south was "directly targeted by the Israeli enemy during his rescue work to pull out a wounded person", Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health wrote in a statement on X.
Just 45 minutes away by car in Kfar Tebnit, another paramedic was killed and four injured in a strike on an ambulance team from the Islamic Health Authority on a rescue mission. Two paramedics remain missing. Israel has not commented on the strikes, but the Ministry of Public Health reiterated its "condemnation of these barbaric attacks on paramedics during their humanitarian rescue work, which shows an unprecedented level of violence that leaves no room for humanitarian values that were previously absent during wars and conflicts."
Israeli troops on the ground in Lebanon also briefly captured a strategic hill in the southern Lebanese village of Chamaa, about 5km from the Israeli border early on Saturday before being pushed back, the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA)reported.
It added that Israeli troops blew up the Shrine of Shimon the Prophet in Chamaa as well as several homes before they withdrew, but the claim could not be immediately verified. Israel's military said in a statement that its troops “continue their limited, localised, and targeted operational activity in southern Lebanon”. The military did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Lebanese media reports.
Strikes at the heart of Lebanon's capital also continued as an eviction notice was followed by bombings on Haret Hreik, in south Beirut. They were the latest in a series of strikes on the city's southern suburbs, an area traditionally seen as one where Hezbollah is popular that is also the densely populated home of many civilians, since Tuesday. Saturday's strikes came shortly after the Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesman, Col Avichay Adraee, announced on X that Lebanese civilians should leave the area.
“You are close to facilities and interests belonging to Hezbollah, against which the Israeli military will be acting with force in the near future,” the post said in Arabic, identifying specific buildings and telling residents to move at least 500 metres away.
The NNA reported three air raids were conducted, damaging a number of buildings in the area. Footage posted online purported to show large clouds of smoke and debris billowing into the sky after the strikes. On Saturday afternoon, the ever-present sound of Israeli drones above could be heard across Beirut.
Israel confirmed it had carried out the strikes, saying in a statement that Iran-backed Hezbollah “has systematically embedded its terrorist infrastructure amid the Lebanese civilian population, cynically exploiting them as a human shield”.
Repeated Israeli air strikes on south Beirut have led to a mass exodus of civilians from the area, although some return during the day to check on their homes and businesses.
Israel carried out several strikes on Friday night and into Saturday in southern Lebanon, according to the NNA.
Elsewhere, Israeli strikes on villages in south Lebanon killed at least two medics early on Saturday, the Lebanese health ministry said. At least 15 civil defence workers were killed in Baalbek in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Thursday night.
The Israeli army on Saturday said approximately 20 projectiles had been identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory. Some of the projectiles were intercepted, it said.
It also said that sirens sounded in the Eilat area after a projectile was launched from the east but did not cross into Israeli territory on Saturday.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a pro-Iran group, claimed that fighters launched two drone attacks targeting a “vital target” in Eilat. The group has been launching attacks on Israel since the start of the war in Gaza.
Overnight, Hezbollah also claimed two rocket attacks targeting the headquarters of an infantry battalion in northern Israel.
Since September 23, Israel has ramped up its air campaign in Lebanon, later sending in ground troops, following almost a year of limited, cross-border exchanges begun by Hezbollah over the Gaza war.
Lebanese authorities say that more than 3,300 people have been killed since October last year, when the Lebanese militant group and Israel began trading fire.
The conflict has cost Lebanon more than $5 billion in economic losses, with actual structural damage amounting to billions more, the World Bank said on Thursday.
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday asked Iran to help secure a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah and appeared to urge it to convince the militant group to agree to a deal that could require it to pull back from the Israel-Lebanon border.
As a top adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei visited Lebanon for talks, Lebanese officials said an American proposal for a ceasefire deal had been passed on to Hezbollah, aiming to end 13 months of exchanges of fire between Israel and the group. Iran is a main backer of Hezbollah and for decades has been funding it.
Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel the day after Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 ignited the war in Gaza.
On Friday, Israel struck the Mazzeh district of the Syrian capital Damascus, the second such attack in two days to hit the neighbourhood that is home to embassies, security headquarters and United Nations offices.
Attacks blamed on or claimed by Israel have also intensified in Syria, including in areas near the Lebanese border, mainly targeting bastions of Hezbollah.
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
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• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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Aston martin DBX specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Top speed: 291kph
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: Q2, 2020
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
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
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
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Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
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Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
The five pillars of Islam
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
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
Zayed Sustainability Prize
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
