• People react around a car after a reported explosion during a funeral. AFP
    People react around a car after a reported explosion during a funeral. AFP
  • Firefighters stand outside a mobile phone shop after walkie-talkies exploded inside, in the southern port city of Sidon. AP
    Firefighters stand outside a mobile phone shop after walkie-talkies exploded inside, in the southern port city of Sidon. AP
  • A walkie-talkie that exploded inside a house in Baalbek, east Lebanon. AP
    A walkie-talkie that exploded inside a house in Baalbek, east Lebanon. AP
  • Lebanese army soldiers blow up a communication device next to the American University of Beirut. EPA
    Lebanese army soldiers blow up a communication device next to the American University of Beirut. EPA
  • Mourners carry the coffins of victims who were killed on Tuesday after their handheld pagers exploded, during their funeral procession in the southern suburb of Beirut. AP
    Mourners carry the coffins of victims who were killed on Tuesday after their handheld pagers exploded, during their funeral procession in the southern suburb of Beirut. AP
  • Hashim Safieddine, a Shiite Muslim cleric and head of Hezbollah's Executive Council, speaks at a funeral in Beirut's southern suburbs. AFP
    Hashim Safieddine, a Shiite Muslim cleric and head of Hezbollah's Executive Council, speaks at a funeral in Beirut's southern suburbs. AFP
  • A man holds a walkie talkie device after he removed the battery during a funeral. AFP
    A man holds a walkie talkie device after he removed the battery during a funeral. AFP
  • An ambulance arrives in the southern suburb of Beirut after blasts were reported. EPA
    An ambulance arrives in the southern suburb of Beirut after blasts were reported. EPA
  • A man donates blood, one day after the explosions. EPA
    A man donates blood, one day after the explosions. EPA
  • An injured man undergoes an operation, following the explosions. Reuters
    An injured man undergoes an operation, following the explosions. Reuters

Death toll rises to 25 in Lebanon walkie-talkie explosions


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Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

The death toll from the walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon on Wednesday has risen to 25, with at least 608 wounded, the Lebanese Health Ministry said, as fears mount of the war in Gaza expanding to Lebanon.

Those killed were all members of Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed group, which acknowledged the deaths in individual statements commemorating each person.

The attack came as Lebanon was reeling from pager explosions on Tuesday, which killed 12 people, including two children, and injured at least 2,750 others in a suspected Israeli attack on Hezbollah's communication devices. Hundreds suffered severe eye injuries or were blinded by the exploding pagers, western intelligence sources told The National.

In the span of two days, the two waves of device detonations killed 37 people and maimed countless others.

The walkie-talkie explosions were heard across Beirut and eastern and southern Lebanon as funerals of the pager blast victims were being held on Wednesday afternoon, sending mourners into panic.

The unprecedented attacks, which have not been officially claimed by Israel, dealt a major blow to Hezbollah and pushed fears of all-out war to the highest level since the group began exchanging cross-border attacks with Israel on October 8, spurred by the war in Gaza.

Lebanon's civil aviation authority has banned all walkie-talkies and pagers on flights out of the country. Airlines are instructed to inform all departing passengers that the devices are banned on-board and cannot be carried in hand luggage or cargo, according to a Thursday circular published by state media. Any pagers or walkie-talkies found at the airport will be immediately confiscated, the authority added, saying the decision will come into effect immediately.

Hours after the explosions on Wednesday, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the military's focus would turn to Lebanon as Israel enters a “new phase” of war.

“We are opening a new phase in the war – it requires courage, determination and perseverance from us,” he said in a visit to an air force base.

Gen Ori Gordin, who leads the Israeli military’s northern command, said the army is “determined to change the security situation in the north as soon as possible”, and that troops are at “peak readiness”.

“We still have many capabilities that we have not yet activated,” he said in a visit to troops holding drills simulating fighting in Lebanon, according to the army.

Some of the walkie-talkies that exploded in Lebanon on Wednesday bore the logo of Japanese manufacturer Icom. Reuters
Some of the walkie-talkies that exploded in Lebanon on Wednesday bore the logo of Japanese manufacturer Icom. Reuters

Cross-border fire continued on Thursday, with Israel striking several areas in southern Lebanon amid reports that eight Israelis were wounded in anti-tank missile fire. Hezbollah claimed it had targeted a military position in Misgav Am, causing deaths and injuries, though there was no immediate comment from the Israeli army.

In Lebanon, civil defence teams said they carried out 211 rescue and relief missions on Wednesday alone, with firefighters called to 25 different sites hit by Israeli attacks. Paramedics responded to 28 reports of people wounded in Israeli shelling, state media said.

The method used to carry out the pager and walkie-talkie attacks is still not clear. According to The New York Times, Israeli intelligence planted explosives in about 5,000 pagers some months ago. Hezbollah switched to pagers as their main form of communication in recent months amid fears mobile phones posed a security threat.

Schools in Lebanon were closed on Wednesday following the first wave of attacks and are expected to reopen on Thursday, according to Education Minister Abbas Al Halabi, who told people “not to listen to rumours on social media”.

Tuesday's attacks, which overwhelmed Beirut's hospitals and prompted Iraq, Iran and Egypt to send medical aid, saw thousands of Hezbollah pagers explode across Beirut, southern Lebanon, and also in Damascus.

Iran's envoy to Beirut, Mojtaba Amani, was among the wounded, and was reported by The New York Times to have lost an eye – a claim denied by the embassy.

A Taiwan-based firm, Gold Apollo, denied they manufactured the pagers, and said the devices were outsourced to BAC Consulting – a Budapest-based company with little online presence.

On Thursday, the Japanese company Icom, whose brand was seen on some of the walkie-talkies that exploded, said it had stopped manufacturing that model a decade ago.

“The IC-V82 is a hand-held radio that was produced and exported, including to the Middle East, from 2004 to October 2014. It was discontinued about 10 years ago and, since then, it has not been shipped from our company,” it said on its website.

“The production of the batteries needed to operate the main unit has also been discontinued, and a hologram seal to distinguish counterfeit products was not attached, so it is not possible to confirm whether the product shipped from our company.”

It also said it had “strict” export controls and used only authorised distributors.

Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
​​​​​​​Penguin Press

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Calendar 2018/19

July 29: OTA Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan

Sep 22-23: LA Convention Centre in Los Angeles, US

Nov 16-18: Carioca Arena Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Feb 7-9: Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE

Mar 9-10: Copper Box Arena in London, UK

MATCH INFO

What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage

Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid 

Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani

Rating: 4/5

The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor

Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000

Engine 3.5L V6

Transmission 10-speed automatic

Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:

Liverpool 5
Salah (35', 45 1'), Mane (56'), Firmino (61', 68')

Roma 2
Dzeko (81'), Perotti (85' pen)

Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Mobile phone packages comparison
Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
  • 2018: Formal work begins
  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
  • October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
  • November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
How to keep control of your emotions

If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.

Greed

Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.

Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.

Fear

The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.

Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.

Hope

While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.

Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.

Frustration

Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.

Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.

Boredom

Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.

Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.

If you go

The flights

Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes. 

The car

Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.

The hotels

Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes. 

More info

To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest. 

 

The Settlers

Director: Louis Theroux

Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

Bareilly Ki Barfi
Directed by: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring: Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao
Three and a half stars

The specs

Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed

Power: 271 and 409 horsepower

Torque: 385 and 650Nm

Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000

Updated: September 19, 2024, 4:28 PM