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Fakhar Taj Shear's birds may not be white doves but they do bring peace to the 70 year old who has lived throughout years of war and conflict in the Gaza Strip.
As thousands are fleeing their homes from Israel’s brutal air strikes, the Lebanese decided to take her birds with her when she fled to Khan Younis in the south.
Ms Shear left her homeland in 1978 after Israel's invasion of southern Lebanon, in which her husband, who is Palestinian, was killed.
“I love animals more than myself,” she told The National. "They are my healing mechanism."
Ms Shear and her family, now her daughter Raneem, grandson Ahmed and, of course, her birds, have set up camp outside Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip in a tent.
“They have a right to live,” she said of her birds. "Every morning, we sit and have a coffee and talk to them.
“Before I buy food for myself and my daughter, I buy for the birds. Who will protect them? They heal me."
The birds are named Ahmed, after her grandson, Raneem, after her daughter, and Fakhar, after herself.
She also has a large fish tank at her home.
"I couldn't bring the tank with me, so I usually go back to feed them despite the dangers,” Ms Shear said.
"I'm not afraid of the air strikes. Let them target us. This will not stop me from feeding the animals."
Ms Shear said her daughter lived near the Rafah border but fled for her safety at the start of the war.
Like many Palestinians, Ms Shear and her family have been living in the "worst of conditions" since Israel imposed a siege on the Gaza Strip after the attack by Hamas on October 7.
Hamas killed about 1,400 Israelis and took about 240 hostage.
Israeli has retaliated with a brutal air-strike campaign and launched a ground invasion into the enclave.
The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war had exceeded 9,000 on Thursday, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said. In the occupied West Bank, 130 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids.
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Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
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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
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Predictions
Predicted winners for final round of games before play-offs:
- Friday: Delhi v Chennai - Chennai
- Saturday: Rajasthan v Bangalore - Bangalore
- Saturday: Hyderabad v Kolkata - Hyderabad
- Sunday: Delhi v Mumbai - Mumbai
- Sunday - Chennai v Punjab - Chennai
Final top-four (who will make play-offs): Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
