Politics
Unexploded bombs sow fear among Gazans under fragile truce
Moein al-Hattu’s home has been ripped apart, its cinder block walls blown out into the street and a dusty grey bomb hangs menacingly from a damaged pillar, its tip resting on a crushed chest of drawers.
Weighing more than a tonne, the munition was dropped during an airstrike on Gaza City during fighting between Israel and Hamas but has not exploded, yet.
“I’m living in terror and unable to remove it,” al-Hattu told AFP, as children wandering through the rubble paused to marvel at the threatening intrusion.
The grey-bearded Palestinian wants to hang tarpaulins from the shell of his bombed-out home and move back in, but has been unable to find anyone in Gaza with the skills or equipment to remove the giant bomb.
“The relevant authorities, whether the civil defence or the municipality, say they can’t remove it. Who can I go to and complain to?” he demanded.
“If it had exploded, it would have caused massive destruction and destroyed at least five to six houses.”
After two years of war, the ruined cities of Gaza, a densely packed territory home to more than two million Palestinians, are littered with military debris, including unexploded, still-deadly munitions.
In the streets of Gaza City, children play with rocket parts and the tail fins of mortar shells, oblivious to or unbothered by the danger.
According to a study by charity Handicap International, Israel has dropped around 70,000 tonnes of explosives on targets in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Cardboard for cooking
In January this year, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) warned that between five and 10% of these bombs did not explode — leaving their deadly payloads to be recovered by the fighters or discovered by frightened residents.
At Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital, Mohammed Nour sat beside a bed holding his two injured children.
The pair watched mute and glassy-eyed, their legs bound and skin flecked with shrapnel as he explained how they had been injured.
“We were setting up our tents and the boys went to look for wood, nylon and cardboard to burn to use for cooking,” Nour told AFP.
“About ten metres away from us, we suddenly saw boys being thrown by the explosion. We didn’t think they were our children and then we found them scattered in every corner.”
Nour’s sons may yet keep their limbs but in a nearby bed, six-year-old Yahya has lost part of his right hand and is all but covered in bandages. His grandfather Tawfiq al-Sharbasi sits by him, keeping vigil and strokes his hair.
“These are children. What did they do wrong? They were playing,” he said.
Jonathan Crickx, spokesman for Unicef Palestine, told AFP it was very difficult to estimate how many children have been injured by unexploded ordnance.
“Following the recent ceasefire, we have recorded reports indicating that at least eight children were seriously injured by explosive remnants of war,” he said, adding that UN agencies are trying to raise awareness of the threat.
To date, no demining equipment has been authorised to enter the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army.
- 25,000 devotees throng temple built for 2,000.
- 18 injuries reported so far: district collector.
- Govt to compensate families of victims: Indian PM.
A stampede at a temple in India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh killed at least nine people early on Saturday, government officials said, with several injured.
The stampede occurred as worshippers crowded into the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in the city of Srikakulam on Ekadashi, a day Hindus consider auspicious, said Pawan Kalyan, the state’s deputy chief minister.
“An inquiry will be conducted into the tragic incident,” Kalyan said in a statement, adding that the temple was run by private individuals. He put the death toll at nine.
As many as 25,000 devotees crowded into the temple, which can accommodate only about 2,000, leading to the crush, state minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy added, while district officials have been told to provide the injured with medical help.
A total of 18 injuries have been reported so far, the collector and magistrate of Srikakulam district Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar said, while two critically injured patients have been moved to a tertiary care hospital for treatment.
The government will pay compensation of INR200,000 ($2,300) to the families of the dead, and INR50,000 ($570) to the injured, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X.
DUBAI: If you’ve ever dreamed of a five-star hotel on wheels, your wait may soon be over. The UAE is preparing to launch one of its most glamorous travel experiences yet — a luxury train that will redefine rail travel across the Emirates.
Set to debut in 2028, the Etihad Rail luxury train will take passengers on a breathtaking journey from Fujairah’s coastline to the golden dunes of Liwa Desert in Abu Dhabi.
Designed and built by Italy’s Arsenale Group, the train will feature 15 opulent carriages — complete with private suites, fine-dining restaurants, a presidential suite, and a majlis-style VIP lounge inspired by Arabian elegance.
Described as a “five-star hotel on rails”, the luxury service promises travellers an experience where comfort meets adventure — from waking up to mountain views in Hatta to dining under desert stars in Liwa.
Etihad Rail’s regular passenger service is expected to begin next year, paving the way for this elite experience that could transform the way people explore the UAE.
For those who crave luxury, scenery and sophistication, the ultimate train journey is on its way.
Etihad Rail’s passenger service, which will initially connect 11 areas within the UAE, is set to launch next year. The service will eventually connect all seven emirates, transforming the country’s transport system.
- Ontario aired anti-tariff ad featuring Ronald Reagan.
- Trump announced to increase tariffs in response.
- Carney says he did not want to proceed with the ad.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday he had apologised to US President Donald Trump over an anti-tariff political advertisement and had told Ontario Premier Doug Ford not to run it.
Carney, speaking to reporters after attending an Asia-Pacific summit in South Korea, said he had made the apology privately to Trump when they both attended a dinner hosted by South Korea’s president on Wednesday.
“I did apologise to the president,” Carney said, confirming comments by Trump made on Friday.
Carney also confirmed that he had reviewed the ad with Ford before it aired, but said he had opposed using it.
“I told Ford I did not want to go forward with the ad,” he said.
The ad, commissioned by Ford, an outspoken Conservative politician who is sometimes compared to Trump, uses a snippet of Republican icon and former President Ronald Reagan saying that tariffs cause trade wars and economic disaster.
In response, Trump announced that he was increasing tariffs on goods from Canada, and Washington has also halted trade talks with Canada.
When departing South Korea earlier this week, Trump remarked he had a “very nice” conversation with Carney at that dinner, but did not elaborate. On Friday, Trump still said the United States and Canada will not restart trade talks but Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney apologised to him for an Ontario political ad using former President Ronald Reagan saying tariffs spell disaster.
“I like him a lot, but what they did was wrong,” the US president said. “He apologised for what they did with the commercial because it was a false commercial.”
Meanwhile, Carney said his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday were a turning point in relations after years of tensions.
The last formal meeting between the leaders of Canada and China happened in 2017 when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a brief exchange with Xi at a meeting in San Francisco.
The trip to Asia had been part of efforts to reduce Canada’s reliance on the United States, Carney said.
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