Loyalties harden
Patients from police to children treated after border opened
CAIRO // As Alaa Moustafa Saad, 13, went to buy bread for his family on Sunday morning, a bomb struck a police station he was passing by in Al Shojaaiya in Gaza.
"All those around me died," said Alaa from his bed at the Nasser Institute hospital in Shobra, Cairo. "I bled a lot, my two legs were injured with shrapnel, the nerve was cut in my left leg. I don't know if I'll be able to walk again," he said, lifting the blanket to show his injuries.
Alaa's father, sitting at his bedside, said his son is scheduled to be operated on today. "I wish he will be able to walk again and play football like all the boys his age," he said.
Scores of Palestinians like Alaa have been brought to Egypt via the Rafah crossing since it was opened on Monday, two days after Israel began its Gaza offensive, which has left about 390 dead and more than 1,600 injured.
Some of the wounded are being treated at a military hospital in Al Arish, which is close to the border with Gaza, while others have been brought to Cairo.
The Nasser Institute hospital in Cairo has treated Palestinian casualties before and began preparations on Saturday to treat those wounded in the latest violence, evacuating the fourth floor to accommodate them.
Most of the Palestinians arriving in Cairo are not in critical condition - they would not have been able to withstand the long journey from Rafah and the hours of waiting at checkpoints en route - but most need operations.
Not far from Alaa's room, Emad Abdel Aziz Mosleh, 32, lies on a small bed with a bandage around his right arm and a red-chequered kaffiyeh around his neck.
"I was passing a police station in Gaza around 10.30pm Saturday, when several bombs struck it," said Mr Mosleh, struggling to speak through the pain. "There were several explosions, then there was thick black smoke, many people died and were wounded."
Mr Mosleh incurred multiple fractures in his right arm and a shrapnel wound to his leg.
He denied that Hamas had prevented the wounded from leaving Gaza to receive treatment in Egypt as Egypt's foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, alleged on Sunday.
"As soon as Egypt opened the Rafah crossing, the wounded started to leave," said Mr Mosleh, who arrived on Tuesday, after first being taken to Al Shohadaa hospital in Gaza, which was short of supplies.
He said Israel's bombardment of Gaza would never weaken his support for Hamas. "They came via the ballot box, so they shouldn't leave by Israeli weapons and bombardments," he said.
Mr Mosleh's brother, Maher, a Gaza policeman, agreed.
"Even if Gaza will be subject to mass killings, we swear that Mahmoud Abbas [the Palestinian president] will not come back to Gaza even on a tank," he said.
"I elected Hamas last time and will elect it again. I want my leader to have a copy of the Quran in his hand, not a glass of whisky, if you know what I mean."
Mr Mosleh nodded in agreement. "Israel doesn't want Hamas, which is more reason why we want it. We had enough of Fatah's moral and financial corruption. All Gaza is Hamas."
Next to his bed lay Eyad Jabr al Hourani, 32, also a policeman, who had just arrived at the hospital.
On Saturday, Mr al Hourani said, minutes after he had got to his desk at Al Abbas police station in the Al Rimal area at about 11.30am, he heard Israeli planes flying overhead.
"There were calls over the radio in the police station to evacuate immediately, which I did," Mr al Hourani said. "Then I remembered there were five people still detained inside, so I went back to evacuate them. As we were leaving the police station [the second time] I was hit by a huge explosion - two policemen who were with me died instantly, I was thrown to a supermarket across the street."
Mr al Hourani was hit by shrapnel in his head, right arm and left leg. He was initially taken to Al Shifaa hospital in Gaza.
"I found myself among many corpses and people with amputated arms and legs. There were horrible scenes. Then I lost consciousness. The Palestinian people are again being killed in cold blood by the Israelis for no reason," he said, as a nurse drew a blood sample from his left arm. "Our only crime is that we are Palestinians."
Mr al Hourani said Israel's attacks strengthened his support for Hamas and said he was even willing to sacrifice his children for the Palestinian cause.
"We are ready to sacrifice till the last Palestinian child," he said. "I have Amjad, eight, and Lisan, two - as much as I love them, I'm ready to sacrifice them for Palestine.
"I hope I won't be accused of being a terrorist for saying so, but that's what I believe in."
nmagd@thenational.ae
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
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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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.
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- 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.
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- 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
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Results
Ashraf Ghani 50.64 per cent
Abdullah Abdullah 39.52 per cent
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar 3.85 per cent
Rahmatullah Nabil 1.8 per cent
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
