Countries around the world are evacuating their citizens from Israel and Iran as flights are scrapped and airspace closed due to the air war in the Middle East.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or delayed. Most European evacuees leaving Israel have been taken by bus to Jordan or Egypt before flying to their home country.
China, India, Pakistan and other states have started the process in Iran.
It comes as Israel and Iran trade strikes and threats on the sixth day of the conflict. Adding to the tension, US President Donald Trump called for Tehran to surrender late on Tuesday before Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei refused to back down in a speech broadcast on Wednesday.
China has evacuated nearly 800 citizens and has started moving some others from Tehran to Turkmenistan by bus, a distance of 1,150km, the state-run China News Service reported.
A representative for the country's foreign ministry said it had not received any reports of Chinese casualties. A total of 791 Chinese nationals "have already been relocated from Iran to safe areas, and over 1,000 more are in the process of being evacuated,” the representative said.
India’s Foreign Ministry said Indian students in Tehran have been moved out of the city, with media reports suggesting 110 have been relocated.
“Other residents who are self-sufficient in terms of transport have also been advised to move out of the city in view of the developing situation,” the ministry said. Some Indians have also been able to leave Iran through the Armenian border, it added.
The US is working to evacuate citizens from Israel by arranging flights and cruise ship departures, ambassador Mike Huckabee said in a post on X on Wednesday. The US embassy in Jerusalem was working on the evacuation arrangements, he said, urging Americans in the country to sign up for updates through the State Department's Smart Traveller programme.
Hundreds of Pakistanis living in Iran arrived at the Taftan border crossing on Wednesday as they make their way back home.
Although Pakistan has shut some of the formal crossings, the borders at Taftan and Gabd-Rimdan in south-west Balochistan province remain open for nationals seeking to return home.
Bulgarian authorities said that 148 people – 89 Bulgarian citizens and 59 foreign nationals – were successfully evacuated from Israel on Wednesday. The foreign ministry said a chartered flight from Egypt was arranged after the evacuees were transported from Israel to Egypt by road.
Diplomatic staff evacuations
The families of British diplomatic staff in Israel have been “temporarily withdrawn”, the UK Foreign Office said. British citizens have already been advised against all travel to Israel and those already in the country have been urged to register their presence with the embassy.
Earlier in the week, Downing Street said the UK had no plans to evacuate British nationals stranded in Israel but had increased support in Jordan and Egypt for people making their own way out of the country overland.
Germany has said its citizens must travel by their own means to Amman before boarding charter flights to Frankfurt. Around 4,000 of its citizens in Israel and 1,000 in Iran have registered on a crisis list, the ministry said.
Cyprus, the EU country closest to the Middle East, has activated its Estia plan to assist evacuations from nearby countries. Estia was last activated in October, when Israel launched a bombing campaign against Lebanon.
Poland has also evacuated 200 citizens from Israel and Jordan and moved its diplomatic staff in Iran to Baku, Azerbaijan. “We have decided to evacuate or support the departure of staff who do not need to remain in the country, so-called non-essential personnel,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Henryka Moscicka-Dendys.
“Our colleagues will try to reach the border with Azerbaijan,” she said, without specifying how many people were involved.
Border nations assist operations
More than 600 people from 17 countries left Iran for Azerbaijan between Friday and Tuesday, Reuters reported. Tehran to Azerbaijan by road is a journey of about eight hours, while reaching the Armenian border takes more than 10 hours.
An Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry representative said more than 1,200 citizens from 51 countries had requested permission to cross from Iran into Azerbaijan. The Kremlin has thanked Azerbaijan for helping Russian citizens leave Iran.
Meanwhile, Iran's ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani, said “many Iranian citizens who had previously been in Turkey and Russia have returned to Iran via Armenia”.
“Efforts are continuing to facilitate the return of Iranian citizens amid flight cancellations,” Mr Sobhani said.
Greece has repatriated 105 of its citizens and foreign nationals from Israel. “The people repatriated were transported to Athens from Sharm El-Sheikh, in Egypt, on-board C-130 and C-27 Greek air force planes,” its foreign ministry said.
“Along with Greek citizens and their families, other people on the flight included citizens of Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States,” it added.
Israel airlifts stranded citizens
Israel has launched a phased airlift operation to bring home its citizens, after the closing of air space across the Middle East left tens of thousands stuck overseas.
The first rescue flight, operated by national carrier El Al, touched down at Tel Aviv Airport on Wednesday morning, returning passengers from Larnaca, Cyprus.
Worldwide, Israel's transport ministry estimates that more than 50,000 stranded Israelis are trying to get home.
Meanwhile, the Japanese government has started making arrangements to send a military plane to Djibouti as part of its effort to help Japanese nationals in Iran and Israel evacuate, according to commercial broadcaster Fuji Television Network.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The specs: 2018 Genesis G70
Price, base / as tested: Dh155,000 / Dh205,000
Engine: 3.3-litre, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 370hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 510Nm @ 1,300rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.6L / 100km
Pots for the Asian Qualifiers
Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
Pot 4: Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Malaysia
Pot 5: Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Macau/Sri Lanka
Zayed Sustainability Prize
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
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
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
WISH
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
