Children in Gaza are enjoying a rare moment of relief as a film festival aims to help them recover and rebuild hope after Israel's war on the strip.
The first Gaza Children’s Film Festival opened on Thursday with a screening of Albert Lamorisse’s 1956 Palme d’Or-winning short film The Red Balloon. The film is set in a dark and grey post-Second World War Paris, in which the balloon serves as a symbol of hope and light.
Held under the theme “We Love Life, Tomorrow,” the festival is running in several places in Gaza until December 20, bringing cinema to children whose lives have been devastated by Israel's attacks in the past two years.
The festival is led by Gaza-born Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi, through his Masharawi Film Fund for Films, and Filmmakers in Gaza.
Organisers described the event as “a true window of hope amid difficult circumstances". They said the festival shows the enduring ability of art to bring life and resilience even in times of destruction.
On Sunday, displaced Palestinians took part in a film screening for children on the ruins of the Beach Services Sports Club in Al Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza city.
The festival features Mats Grorud’s animated film The Tower, about a young Palestinian girl in a Lebanese refugee camp. Also included is The Wanted 18, an animated documentary on the efforts of Palestinians in Beit Sahour to start a small dairy industry during the First Intifada, hiding a herd of 18 cows from Israeli security forces when the dairy collective was deemed a threat to Israel's national security.
Israel's two-year campaign in Gaza was triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. The war has killed more than 69,700 Palestinians, mostly children and women, Gaza’s Health Ministry says.
A ceasefire came into effect on October 10 and although there have been repeated outbreaks of violence since, it has brought a halt to major warfare.
The war has turned Gaza's schools into overcrowded camps for displaced people, where children have been enduring the fear of bombardment, displacement from their homes, and shortages of food, water and electricity.
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Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
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Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
