Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
From the home of a relative in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Soha Ahmed holds up her mobile phone as she tries to find a connection to call her fiance in the US.
The 23-year-old is one of a million Gazans thought to have headed south, with many ending up in Khan Younis, which has a population of 350,000.
Since the intense Israeli bombardments began in the coastal enclave nine days ago, she has been unable to contact her fiance.
"I didn't expect that my life would turn out like this,” she tells The National. “No water, no electricity – why all of that? Is that because we are seeking freedom?"
As Soha searches her belongings to find her phone charger, she picks up a bouquet from her engagement party.
"When they asked us to collect our most important things before we moved south, I tried to take some memories with me," she adds.
Soha sits inside a small room with her cousins who fled together.
Nearby, at a small supermarket in a refugee camp in Khan Younis, others like Soha buy toilet paper, underwear and various essentials.
Zainab Ali looks for toothbrushes and toothpaste.
“I am looking for mineral water but I can't find any," she says.
"There is no water to wash our faces. We are living in catastrophe."
UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, says Gaza residents are drinking contaminated water.
”We warned of the danger of this,” a spokesman for the organisation says.
“There is unprecedented destruction and the needs of people who flee to the south are beyond our capabilities.”
Zainab fled from the Al Nasser neighbourhood with her husband and three children. Exhausted from the move, they now hope for a ceasefire.
“They asked us to flee to the south for our safety but we are dying slowly in these unbelievable conditions,” she says.
“Rubbish is jammed in the streets. It will lead to disease."
After making the move, Khan Younis resident Sharif Thaheer and his family have had to stay on the streets.
He initially moved from Gaza’s Shajaia neighbourhood to Tal Al Hawa before heading south.
He says he is now considering returning to Gaza with his family.
“I don't know where I am supposed to go,” he says. “I am just walking, following people.
"There is no safe place in Gaza Strip, from the north to the south. A number of houses were targeted by Israeli warplanes.
“Houses are [full of] people who have fled from the north.”
At the camp, residents stand in a circle waiting to charge their mobile phones through a plug connected to a solar power bank.
"My brothers refused to come to the south, so I want to keep calling them to be sure that they are OK," he tells The National.
"We are living the worst time of our life. We are just trying to survive."
Oppenheimer
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Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
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“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
FINAL SCORES
Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs
(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)
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(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
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THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
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Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
THREE
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Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
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RESULTS
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
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Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
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- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
