Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Concern grew in Lebanon that the Israel-Gaza war could spill over the border, after the deputy head of Hamas's political wing was assassinated in Beirut on Tuesday.
The drone strike that killed Saleh Al Arouri, along with two Hamas military commanders and four other members, was the first such Israeli attack on the Lebanese capital since 2006.
Residents in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh, where the attack on a Hamas office took place, said they were bracing for a strong retaliation against Israel from the Lebanese Hezbollah group.
The owner of a restaurant near the site of the attack said the assault marked a "serious escalation".
“Things have changed now," the restaurant owner said.
"We are expecting a serious response from Hezbollah. Israel has no limits. Today they are targeting Dahiyeh and southern Lebanon, what is it going to be tomorrow?"
Hezbollah, a powerful armed group allied with Hamas and backed by Iran, holds sway in Dahiyeh.
A day after the Israeli attack, roads remained blocked with the group's fighters patrolling the area.
People were taking pictures and videos of the damaged building, its second floor bearing a gaping hole, while what appeared to be members of the security forces carried out investigations.
Since October 8, Hezbollah and the Israelis have traded fire daily over the Lebanon-Israel frontier.
Yet the conflict has not turned into a full-scale war, with Hezbollah showing relative restraint in its attacks, despite recent escalation from the Israeli side.
Strong response
“We are afraid of a war, but when your land keeps coming under attack, we need a strong response. We cannot lose our dignity,” said the restaurant owner.
Others said the response to Israel lay in the hands of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, who was scheduled to speak on Wednesday evening.
“The rules have changed and the response to this attack must be significant," said another resident, who asked to remain anonymous.
"But we are waiting on Sayyed Nasrallah's decision on what the response should be. We fully trust his judgment."
Some residents said they did not know there was a bureau for Hamas in the area.
'Attack on sovereignty'
The attack, which happened in a densely populated area during peak hours, also damaged civilian infrastructure. In the morning, shop owners and employees were cleaning up glass debris scattered on the ground caused by the explosion.
“The blast shattered the windows of some buildings and shops because it was so strong. My first concern was my family and my neighbours. I immediately knew that it was Israel,” said Sawsan, a 30-year-old shopkeeper.
Mr Al Arouri is the most senior Hamas official killed by Israel since the war on Gaza started.
The US Treasury accused him of serving as “a key financier and financial facilitator for Hamas military cells planning attacks and fomenting unrest”.
Israel has neither claimed or denied responsibility for the attack.
Mark Regev, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview that “this was not an attack on the Lebanese state”.
But residents disagreed.
“It's happening on our land. How would you feel if a country attacked your territory?” said Zahra, a 26-year-old resident.
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called the strike a “new Israeli crime”, stressing that Lebanon remains committed to "relevant international legitimacy”, which he said Israel had breached.
Some residents criticised what they described as a tendency to dismiss attacks in Dahiyeh as merely targeting a Hezbollah stronghold.
“I've come across online comments from some Lebanese who suggested that we deserved such attacks,” said Zahra.
The political scene in Lebanon is deeply polarised between pro and anti-Hezbollah camps.
Political analyst Joseph Daher said the Israeli attack was still an attack on Lebanon's sovereignty.
"Dismissing its significance by claiming that Dahiyeh is not truly Lebanon is highly dangerous as it is a political attempt to justify it. It is also a sign of Lebanon's profound sectarian and political divisions,” he said.
Hezbollah is facing a difficult balancing act, Mr Daher added.
“On one hand, Hezbollah does not want a war, which it knows would be very costly and Iran does not want to risk Hezbollah's military capabilities and political influence, its 'crown jewel'. On the other hand, Hezbollah is forced to respond, in a way that would not be considered by Israel as crossing the limits," he said.
"But where is the limit? That's the whole issue, and the risk of a miscalculation is real.”
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
RESULTS
6.30pm: Longines Conquest Classic Dh150,000 Maiden 1,200m.
Winner: Halima Hatun, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer).
7.05pm: Longines Gents La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,200m.
Winner: Moosir, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Longines Equestrian Collection Dh150,000 Maiden 1,600m.
Winner: Mazeed, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm: Longines Gents Master Collection Dh175,000 Handicap.
Winner: Thegreatcollection, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Longines Ladies Master Collection Dh225,000 Conditions 1,600m.
Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Longines Ladies La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,600m.
Winner: Secret Trade, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
10pm: Longines Moon Phase Master Collection Dh170,000 Handicap 2,000m.
Winner:
RESULT
Kolkata Knight Riders 169-7 (20 ovs)
Rajasthan Royals 144-4 (20 ovs)
Kolkata win by 25 runs
Next match
Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kolkata Knight Riders, Friday, 5.30pm
Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash
Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.
Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.
Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.
Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.
Cashless payments, which includes credit cards, accounted for just 20 per cent of total consumer spending in Japan during 2016, compared with 60 per cent in China and 89 per cent in South Korea, according to a report by the Bank of Japan.
England XI for second Test
Rory Burns, Keaton Jennings, Ben Stokes, Joe Root (c), Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Ben Foakes (wk), Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Jack Leach, James Anderson
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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”.
