Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
US President Joe Biden's administration on Sunday authorised the transfer of an advanced anti-missile system and troops to operate it as Israel escalates its Lebanon invasion.
The move was announced as a drone attack by Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah struck central Israel, killing four soldiers and wounding dozens of other people. It was one of the deadliest strikes against Israeli forces since the country stepped up attacks on Lebanon late last month.
The Pentagon said it was sending a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) battery and “associated” personnel. It follows an Iranian missile attack against Israel on October 1 launched in retaliation for the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The barrage was Iran's second direct attack on Israel after missiles and drones were fired in April.
“This action underscores the United States' ironclad commitment to the defence of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran,” Pentagon press secretary Maj Gen Pat Ryder said.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Washington against the transfer in a post on X earlier on Sunday, saying it was “putting the lives of its troops at risk”.
He said Tehran had “no red lines” in defending its regional interests.
A Thaad battery usually requires about 100 troops to operate. It involves six lorry-mounted launchers, with eight interceptors on each launcher, and a radar system.
Mr Biden sent a Thaad battery to the Middle East last year after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel that led to the war in Gaza.
The Thaad is intended to complement the Patriot system, with a wider target range of between 150km and 200km.
Sunday's drone attack on central Israel hit an army base near Binyamina, south of the city of Haifa, the Israeli army said.
“This was a very difficult scene; we declared it a mass-casualty event and treated patients suffering from blast injuries and shrapnel,” said Rafi Sheva, a paramedic with Israel's Magen David Adom ambulance service.
Hezbollah has launched drone and rocket attacks on Israel on a near-daily basis over the past year, but Sunday's attack caused more casualties than any other with at least 67 people hurt, according to Israeli medical sources.
The militant group said the attack was in response to recent Israeli strikes on central Beirut and that the target was a training ground for one of Israel’s main infantry units.
The Thaad order by Washington is the latest show of US support for Israel's escalating regional war, despite repeated words of concern over its ally's conduct.
As recently as Saturday, Defence Secretary Austin Lloyd expressed “deep concern” to Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant over reports that Israeli forces had fired at UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.
On Sunday, the State Department said it was aware of reports that Israeli military strikes in Lebanon have injured UN peacekeepers and Washington has “made it clear to the Israeli government that this is unacceptable and pressed them for more details”.
“We are also heart-broken and devastated by the loss of innocent life due to recent strikes in Beirut. We have told Israel directly that we oppose Israel’s campaign of near-daily strikes in densely populated areas in Beirut,” a State Department representative said.
“It is critical that these operations be conducted in a way that does not threaten the lives of civilians, UN peacekeepers or members of the Lebanese Armed Forces.”
The Biden administration has funnelled billions of extra dollars to support Israel's war in Gaza, and now its invasion of Lebanon, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly ignoring Washington's pleas to de-escalate and avoid a wider regional conflict that could draw in Iran.
At the start of Israel's Lebanon invasion, which followed its bombing of a Beirut suburb that killed Nasrallah and the deadly explosions of thousands of booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members, also blamed on Israel, Washington had again called for a ceasefire.
But after Tehran's retaliatory strike on Tel Aviv, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller conceded “it's a different world”, further signalling that Washington was settling into the reality of a prolonged Israeli war in Lebanon.
There have been increasing efforts by progressive Democrats in Washington to halt the Biden administration's support for Israel, as its war has killed more than 42,200 in Gaza and more than 2,200 in Lebanon.
Fighting began after the events of October 7 last year, when Hamas fighters entered Israel. The Israeli government said 1,200 people were killed that day and more than 200 taken hostage.
In a critical US election year, this splintering inside Mr Biden's Democratic party has threatened Vice President Kamala Harris' odds in critical swing states such as Michigan, where there is a big Arab-American population, in November's presidential election.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.
The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.
The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.
The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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 candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
SPECS
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
FIGHT CARD
Fights start from 6pm Friday, January 31
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) v Ahmed Saeb (IRQ)
Women’s bantamweight
Cornelia Holm (SWE) v Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (JOR) v Vitalii Stoian (UKR)
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) v Ali Dyusenov (UZB)
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) v Delfin Nawen (PHI)
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) v Mohamed El Mokadem (EGY)
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Ramadan Noaman (EGY)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Reydon Romero (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Juho Valamaa (FIN)
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) v Austin Arnett (USA)
Super heavyweight
Roman Wehbe (LEB) v Maciej Sosnowski (POL)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 523hp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh469,000
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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
Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide
Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.
The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.
Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Jawan
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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
