The deep crater only metres from the wreckage of Sunday's Israeli strike on Beirut shows bombings are not a new threat in the city.
“It happened during the war,” a Hezbollah official said when asked about the attack that led to the wide, sunken crater in the capital's southern suburbs. He was referring to Israel's campaign in Lebanon last year, but the violence has not ended in Lebanon's capital.
Diggers still lift the rubble from the crater, nearly six months after a tenuous ceasefire was agreed to between Israel and Hezbollah. Sunday's attack on an alleged weapons storage facility in the Hadath neighbourhood has added another demolished building to the list.
It marked only the third time Beirut has come under attack since the ceasefire was agreed on. The city still bears the scars of the war, but people have tried to resume their normal lives while Israeli drones are heard above them.
“I have no idea why they are doing it and when this will end,” said Fawzi Al Ayan, who lives in a neighbourhood next to Hadath but spends a lot of time in the area.
On the morning after the attack, local security officials restricted access to the site, but journalists were allowed to film nearby with a limited view of where the Israeli attack hit. They escorted The National to the bombing site on the provision that no images were taken and that mobile phones remained hidden.
The target appeared to be a small warehouse, surrounded by six-storey residential buildings with scorch marks and shattered windows.
There was no obvious evidence to support Israel's claims of a weapons facility – although security was tight, as engineers worked to restore a damaged electricity line.
“Israel is sending the following message with this third strike on Dahieh: that the freedom of movement Israel has given itself on the ground from the time of the ceasefire until now – if you think it’s just limited to the Bekaa and the south, no – that free movement also applies to Dahieh,” said Gen Mounir Shehadeh, who until recently was the Lebanese government's co-ordinator with the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (Unifil.)
Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to strike southern Lebanon and other areas of the country on a daily basis and it occupies five points of Lebanese territory.
A month ago, when Israel hit Beirut for the first time since the ceasefire came into effect, it also bombed Hadath – levelling a tall building near two busy schools on a Friday, sending children and residents fleeing. Sunday's assault was a reminder that the danger is far from over, as Israel seeks to further degrade the perceived threat from Hezbollah.
Israel's relentless bombardment of southern Lebanon, its aggressive rhetoric and strikes on Beirut have been viewed by many as a tactic to increase the pressure on the government in Beirut to disarm Hezbollah.
“Why would you bomb it now when you could have done six months ago? They know everything. When you have a ceasefire, you have a ceasefire. They are putting pressure [on Lebanon],” Mr Al Ayan said.
In a joint announcement of the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they would not allow Beirut to be a “sanctuary” for Hezbollah. They added that the Lebanese state has a “direct responsibility for preventing” that from happening.
The Lebanese government is under pressure from the international community, as well as some factions inside Lebanon, to disarm Hezbollah – a highly sensitive, complicated task that just last year would have been a taboo topic of discussion.
Hezbollah has said vaguely that it is open to talks about a national defence strategy once Israel withdraws from Lebanon, but it has firmly rejected calls for it to hand over its weapons. It described calls for it to disarm as a tactic to cause strife between the group and the Lebanese military.
Gen Shehadeh said the latest Israeli attack sought to exacerbate divisions between the government and Hezbollah over the subject of disarming.
On Monday, Hezbollah MP Hassan Ezzedine rejected Israeli claims that the site of Sunday's attack was a weapons storage facility. He said the strike was an attempt by Israel to cause instability and increase pressure on the state.
The Lebanese government has urged international sponsors of the ceasefire, including the US and France, to put pressure on Israel to stop its attacks. Beirut has long said that, while Lebanon and Hezbollah have held up their part of the agreement, Israel has repeatedly failed to do so.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the former army commander elected earlier this year, has said he wants all weapons to be under state control by the end of the year – but through diplomatic means, not by force.
He has also repeatedly said that Hezbollah has complied with its side of the ceasefire deal, including handing over its weapons and positions to the Lebanese military in the south of the country.
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Result
Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2
Man City: Jesus (39), David Silva (41)
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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
Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Results
6.30pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group Three US$200,000 (Turf) 2,000m; Winner: Ghaiyyath, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Cliffs Of Capri, Tadhg O’Shea, Jamie Osborne.
7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Zakouski, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
