Israel has signalled it will continue to occupy Gaza with the calling up of tens of thousands of reservists, leaving the January ceasefire deal dead in the water. EPA
Israel has signalled it will continue to occupy Gaza with the calling up of tens of thousands of reservists, leaving the January ceasefire deal dead in the water. EPA
Israel has signalled it will continue to occupy Gaza with the calling up of tens of thousands of reservists, leaving the January ceasefire deal dead in the water. EPA
Israel has signalled it will continue to occupy Gaza with the calling up of tens of thousands of reservists, leaving the January ceasefire deal dead in the water. EPA

Israel calls up 'tens of thousands' of reservists for wider Gaza offensive


Tim Stickings
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Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

Israel's military said on Sunday it was calling up tens of thousands of reservists to prepare for a wider operation in Gaza.

The orders are being issued this week to “enhance and expand” Israel's offensive in the strip, said Israeli army chief Maj Gen Eyal Zamir. He said Israel would be “increasing the pressure” with the goal of returning hostages and defeating Hamas.

“We will operate in additional areas and destroy all infrastructure above and below the ground,” he said. It was not clear when or where the reservists would be engaged.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet late on Sunday to discuss “the next stage” of the fighting in Gaza. Hours earlier, Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have launched attacks on Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians, landed a missile near Ben Gurion Airport.

Israel has resumed attacks on Gaza since mid-March, seizing large areas of territory despite a ceasefire agreed in January with the help of the US, Qatar and Egypt. Negotiations on a further truce remain continuing.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened ministers for a security cabinet meeting late on Sunday. EPA
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened ministers for a security cabinet meeting late on Sunday. EPA

The Israeli leadership says it is carving out “security zones” in Gaza that it intends to keep indefinitely as a buffer against Hamas. To the north it has also carried out strikes in Lebanon, despite a November ceasefire.

Mr Netanyahu, who is reliant on far-right politicians at home to remain in power, says Israel has “no choice” but to continue fighting in Gaza. He said on Saturday that Israel “will win this war with just means”.

About 1,000 reservists and veterans recently signed a letter calling on the government to prioritise the release of hostages − even if that meant ending the war. Mr Netanyahu called them an “extremist fringe group” as he backed a move by the air force to dismiss dissenters in the ranks.

Reports last year said the call-up rate had initially been above 100 per cent, as Israeli reservists joined the war effort even if not asked, but later fell to around 75 to 85 per cent.

Warnings are also mounting about the plight of Gazan civilians during the renewed fighting. Aid agency UNRWA has reported looting of food as despair among Palestinians reaches a “critical breaking point”.

Israeli media reported last week that a new plan could see aid distributed by private companies, rather than UN agencies that Mr Netanyahu's government distrusts. This could take place in a designated zone in Rafah, in the south of Gaza.

The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe

Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads

Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike

They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users

Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance

They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians

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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

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

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Price: From Dh650,000

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

Company%20Profile
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8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Zainhom, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi

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Another way to earn air miles

In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.

An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.

“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The%20Secret%20Kingdom%20
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The%20specs
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?

The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.

Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.

The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.

When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Updated: May 05, 2025, 3:55 AM`