A wave of deadly protests has hit Kenya as anger over tax hikes and the cost of living spilled into the streets.

At least three people were reportedly killed in the latest round of demonstrations this week, with hundreds arrested, businesses attacked and schools closed.

During protests last week the UN said up to 23 people were killed in clashes between police and protesters, although the government has disputed this figure.

Despite the violence, the government has been standing firm, with President WIlliam Ruto saying protests will not be allowed as he “cannot accept anarchy.”

Here’s what’s behind the upheaval in Kenya.

Why are Kenyans out on the streets?

Kenyans are angry about unpopular tax hikes that the government has signed into law.

Despite a court order to temporarily halt the implementation of some portions of the bill, the government went ahead and increased tax on petroleum products which has led to a rise in cost of transport and staples.

However, 10 months after being sworn into office, the cost of living has continued to rise, and the raft of new tax hikes have only made living conditions worse.

“He (Ruto) campaigned on a platform of moving into mainstream the poor who have been forgotten over the years. He called them the ‘Hustlers.’ So, there were certainly a lot of expectations from that quarter, that for once we have a leader who is going to look at our problems, but he’s been unable to attend to even the most basic,” Manyora said.

“Some of the measures he has introduced, like lifting the subsidies on maize flour, the staple of this country, and a number of measures he has taken fly in the face of his promises and actually hurt the same people he had promised to remove from poverty. The people feel betrayed,” Manyora added.

Nagudi, 34, says she is one of many Kenyans who “feel betrayed” by President Ruto. Nagudi supports the demonstrations but is scared to join them, she says.

“It’s risky and the protests haven’t been peaceful … We feel betrayed, and that’s why there’s a lot of protests and looting,” says Nagudi, whose shop was looted during demonstrations in the past week.

“They raided one of my shops. They broke the fridge and drank all the sodas in it … they were just throwing and destroying everything,” she added.

Why are taxes being introduced now?

President Ruto says they will help create jobs and increase domestic revenue.

Ruto inherited a battered economy grappling with soaring inflation, a high debt burden, unemployment and post-COVID stagnation.

Shortly after his inauguration last September, Ruto announced a halt in food subsidies introduced by his predecessor, saying he was shifting focus to food production.

The Kenyan leader also terminated subsidies for fuel and electricity, describing them as unsustainable. He defended his actions, saying his administration had saved large sums of money that would have been spent on the expensive subsidies.

But many Kenyans are unhappy about these policies that continue to worsen the country’s cost of living crisis.

“Some of the ideas may be good … but the timing is wrong,” said Manyora.

“In an economy that is not doing well, certainly it is not the right time. Salaried people are already paying from low salaries. There’s a very high cost of living, and they already have many levies and taxes on their pay slips.

“The economy has not even recovered from COVID. People are still trying to find economic bearing. Therefore, they shouldn’t introduce the sort of measures they have introduced, including levies on diesel and petrol, doubling the VAT. When you touch diesel and petrol, you touch many other things,” he added.

Who is leading the protests?

The opposition leader Raila Odinga and his Azimio la Umoja (One Kenya) coalition have led calls for protests over hikes.

Odinga lost the election in August last year but rejected the results saying they were manipulated. He has since led protests against the government.

But while protests were initially fueled by discontent over the election they have since morphed to include everyday Kenyans frustrated by the high cost of living.

However, analysts say Kenyans across party lines are dissatisfied with Ruto’s economic policies.

“It is now more than just about Raila but more to do with the spikes in prices of basic commodities, and fuel.”

The protests look set to continue as previous talks between Odinga and Ruto failed to yield results.

What happens next?

Neither side looks like it is prepared to back down.

The opposition has pledged to carry out demonstrations Thursday and Friday, as planned, while the government maintained its hardline position.

Speaking at a rally of supporters in western Kenya Wednesday, Ruto said “we must protect our country, we must protect our democracy by making sure our politics is devoid of violence, or chaos, or destruction of private business, or destruction of public property.

“We must protect this country and the police must be firm on hooligans on criminals on people who want to destroy other people’s business.”

Israeli lawmakers are set to vote on the first part of the government’s sweeping plan to weaken the power of the country’s courts on Monday, despite six months of street protests, parliamentary maneuvering, compromise talks and increasingly urgent warnings from the White House.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who left hospital on Monday morning after having been fitted with a pacemaker, has been pressing on with his plans for the judicial system overhaul even as protests against them show no signs on easing.

He and his allies call the measures “reforms” and say they are required to rebalance powers between the courts, lawmakers and the government. Opponents of the plan call it a “coup” and say it threatens to turn Israel into a dictatorship by removing the most significant checks on government actions.

Netanyahu was forced to pause the legislative process earlier this year in the face of widespread protests and international pressure.

The demonstrations continued on Monday. Huge crowds of people waving flags took over the area around the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, despite the sweltering heat. The protesters were met with police water cannons, fences and barbed wire as they attempted to block access to the building. At least 12 protesters had been arrested outside the Knesset by early afternoon on Monday, Israel Police said.

The Knesset begun discussing the first part of the reform on Sunday, with so many lawmakers requesting time to speak that the discussion was scheduled to last 26 hours.

Netanyahu continues to push the controversial package despite repeated warnings by the US President Joe Biden that rushing it through without a broad consensus amounts to an erosion of democratic institutions and could undermine US-Israel relations.

It’s unusual for the Biden administration to weigh in forcefully on another country’s internal politics, underscoring how seriously he views the current situation in Israel. The US is by far Israel’s most important ally.

Biden raised concerns directly with Netanyahu during a phone call last week and then called New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman to the Oval Office to make clear his stance on the judicial overhaul.

Deep divisions

Monday’s vote is on the so-called reasonableness bill, which would strip the Supreme Court of the power to declare government decisions unreasonable. It could be voted into law in on Monday evening.

Other elements of the judicial overhaul would give the far-right coalition government more control of the appointment of judges, and would remove independent legal advisers from government ministries. Those bills have not advanced as far in the legislative process at the reasonableness bill.

The Israel Bar Association is already preparing a legal challenge to the bill, the lawyers’ group said Sunday.

Its executive, the Bar Council, is holding an emergency meeting to approve the decision to petition the Supreme Court to cancel the reasonableness law if it passes on Monday, the Bar said.

The Bar is also warning it will shut down “as an act of protest against the anti-democratic legislative process,” the statement said. That means the Bar Association would not provide professional services to its members, not that lawyers would go on strike.

The judicial overhaul plan has also prompted threats from military reservists as more than 1,000 Israel Air Force reserve officers vowed to stop volunteering if the judicial overhaul bill passes.

The chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces warned the reservists against taking that step. “No service members have the right to say that they will no longer serve,” he said in an open letter to the military on Sunday.

“I call on all reservists, even in these complex days, to separate civil protests from reporting for duty to the security services. The calls to not report for duty harm the IDF and its readiness,” Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Israel’s top military officer, said in the letter.

Opponents of the overhaul have been demonstrating against the plan since it was announced in January – on 29 consecutive Saturday nights and with other planned or spontaneous demonstrations on weekdays.

Thousands of Israelis opposing the judicial overhaul marched into Jerusalem Saturday night, completing a five-day walk from Tel Aviv.

A group of 150 leading Israeli companies including shopping malls, supermarkets, real estate agents and investment firms went on strike Monday over the overhaul. The Israel Business Forum called on the government “to stop the controversial unilateral legislation until further negotiations take place and greater consensus is reached among the parties.”

Netanyahu’s health issues

The final vote comes with Netanyahu facing health issues.

The Israeli leader was first admitted to hospital last Saturday. His office said at the time that he had experienced dizziness, while Israeli media reported that he fainted. He was released the following day after doctors at the Sheba Medical Center fitted him with a heart monitor.

Netanyahu was hospitalized again over the weekend and was fitted with a pacemaker early Sunday morning, according to a statement from his office. The procedure happened at Tel Hashomer Hospital and the Prime Minister was sedated during the surgery.

Roy Beinart, director of the Davidai Center for Rhythm Disturbances and Pacing at Sheba Medical Center, said Netanyahu had the heart monitor implanted because of a known conduction disorder – another name for a heart block.

Beinart said doctors had known about the condition “for many years.”

Netanyahu was hospitalized again over the weekend and was fitted with a pacemaker early Sunday morning, according to a statement from his office.

Netanyahu released a short video statement later Sunday, saying he was “doing great” after the operation. “I would like to thank the many of you who have asked how I am doing. I am doing great. Tomorrow morning I will join my colleagues in the Knesset,” Netanyahu said in the 25-second video. He was released on Monday and was headed to the Knesset for the vote.

Thunberg was charged with “the crime of disobedience to law and order” earlier this month after participating in a protest on June 19 which blocked oil tankers in part of Malmö harbor.

Prosecutors said the protest caused traffic disruption in Malmö. Greta was charged for failing to leave the scene when asked to by the police.

The court imposed a fine of approximately $144, in the form of 30 daily fines of 50 Swedish krona ($4.80), according to the Malmö City Court spokesperson.

Thunberg pleaded not guilty to the charges, arguing she acted out of “necessity” in the context of a climate emergency, the spokesperson said.

Irma Kjellström, spokesperson for activist group Ta Tillbaka Framtiden, which organized the June protest, said Thunberg was one of many young people blocking oil tankers.

In January, Thunberg was detained by police during a protest in the village of Lützerath, Germany, over the expansion of a coal mine. She was released later the same day.

Max Verstappen helped Red Bull make history on Sunday as the Dutchman won the Hungarian Grand Prix with ease to secure his team a record 12th successive win.

But it wasn’t only records that were broken. During the drivers’ celebrations on the podium, the Dutchman’s trophy smashed.

Lando Norris, who finished second, popped his bottle of champagne in his usual style by bashing it on the podium.

Unfortunately, Verstappen’s porcelain trophy then trickled off the podium before smashing on the floor.

“Sorry Max,” McLaren tweeted after the incident. “We’re gonna need some glue,” Red Bull said.

Red Bull have won every race this season (11) and, unsurprisingly, lead the constructors’ championship by a handsome margin – 208 points ahead of Mercedes in second.

Including the win achieved on the final race of last season, the team surpasses McLaren’s long-standing record of 11 straight wins, set in 1988.

“It’s something the whole team has worked so hard for and it’ll mean so so much,” team principal Christian Horner told Sky Sports.

Verstappen was the first to the chequered flag for the 44th time in his career. The victory, which he won by more than 30 seconds, was his seventh in a dominant season.

“For the team, 12 wins in a row is just incredible,” Verstappen said on Sky Sports.

“What we’ve been going through these last few years is incredible and hopefully we can keep this going for a long time. A day like today is just perfect.”

Verstappen looks ever more likely to successfully defend his world title. “He’s a driver totally at one with himself, at one with the car,” added Horner before describing the 25-year-old as a “sportsman at the top of his game.”

The real battle this season is now arguably for second place, with teammate Sergio Perez 99 points behind in second and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso third, a further 32 points behind Perez.

Perez was third at the Hungaroring. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was fourth.

Women’s World Cup 2023: Live scores, fixtures, results, tables and top scorers

As Ali Riley and her New Zealand team claimed a surprise victory over Norway in the opening match of the 2023 Women’s World Cup on Thursday, the Football Ferns captain could be seen sporting a white and blue armband emblazoned with the words “Unite for Inclusion.”

In contrast, Steph Catley – who captained Australia in the absence of regular skipper Sam Kerr, who was injured – was wearing a similarly colored armband that said, “Unite for Indigenous Peoples” as the Matildas battled to a 1-0 win over Ireland in Sydney.

Those expressions represent two of the eight options that captains at the showpiece event can choose from after armbands became an unlikely talking point at the men’s event in 2022.

What are the eight Women’s World Cup armbands?

The eight different armbands each carry a “specific message” according to FIFA, falling under the governing body’s “Football Unites the World” campaign and in partnership with various United Nations’ agencies and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Unite for Inclusion – in partnership with UN Human Rights

Unite for Indigenous Peoples – in partnership with UN Human Rights

Unite for Gender Equality – in partnership with UN Women

Unite for Peace – in partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

Unite for Education for All – in partnership with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Unite for Zero Hunger – in partnership with the UN World Food Programme

Unite for Ending Violence Against Women – in partnership with UN Women

Football is Joy, Peace, Love, Hope & Passion – in partnership with the WHO

Why did FIFA sanction these armbands?

During last year’s men’s World Cup in Qatar, a number of European captains withdrew from wearing an armband adorned with a heart striped in different colors as part of the “OneLove” campaign.

The teams involved, which included England, the Netherlands and Germany, said in a statement that FIFA had threatened on-field sanctions – such as yellow cards – for any “breaches of kit regulations.”

The idea of wearing the armband was intended to represent a stand against all forms of discrimination – including solidarity with people of different genders and sexual identities.
It is notable that none of the listed options for the women’s captains explicitly mention LGBTQ rights – instead couching the issue in “themes” of “gender equality” and “inclusion.”

How were the armband themes chosen?

To choose the themes, a release on the FIFA website describes the “Football Unites the World” campaign as a “global movement to inspire, unite and develop through football.”

FIFA said it selected the specific causes following “extensive consultation with players and participating teams” in order to “raise awareness for several important social matters.”

In a separate statement from June 30, when the armbands were announced, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “Football unites the world and our global events, such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup, have a unique power to bring people together and provide joy, excitement, and passion.

“But football does even more than that – it can shine the spotlight on very important causes in our society.”

What has the reaction been to the armbands?

Several teams have embraced the causes highlighted by FIFA-sanctioned armbands. England captain Millie Bright said she planned to wear three different armbands for each of her team’s group stage matches.

“As a group, we felt really strongly about all the causes, and we couldn’t separate one from the other,” Bright said, according to Reuters.

“As a team, we know what we stand for, what we believe in and we also know the changes that we want to make. So regardless of an armband, we would like to think our actions and our morals represent everything that we believe in and stand for.”

Sarah Gregorius, representative for global players union FIFPRO, also supports the idea.

“You’ve got players who might feel something individually, but know because of their cultural context that that’s going to be a particularly dangerous stance to take, so it’s difficult to say, ‘This is the position on behalf of all 32 captains of all 32 national teams,’” Gregorius told Reuters.

Other forms of expression at the World Cup

While players have not been able to wear pride-colored armbands, that has not stopped them from finding other creative ways to express themselves about social issues.

New Zealander Riley’s painted nails were visible as she was interviewed after the match – one hand displaying the colors of the rainbow flag, the other displaying the colors of the trans flag – in an apparent show of support for the LGBTQ+ community.

She said: “I would love for us as captains to come together and working with FIFA to make sure that we are able to have a voice and are able to share what we believe in. But I am confident that we will find ways, no matter what, to make sure our voices are heard.”

Her colorful nails were praised across social media, “breaking the internet,” her club Angel City FC said on Instagram, alongside photos of her during the game.

“Nothing stopping Ali Riley from showing PRIDE at the World Cup this summer,” the website Women’s Sport Exchange tweeted.

Even Hollywood actress Jennifer Garner praised the New Zealand captain, commenting on Angel City’s post: “We stan (Ali Riley).”

Women’s World Cup 2023: Live scores, fixtures, results, tables and top scorers

The Women’s World Cup saw a moment that will live long in the memory for 16-year-old Giulia Dragoni as she started for Italy against Argentina on Monday.

Dragoni – born on November 7, 2006 – began the Group G clash in the heart of Italy’s midfield and became the youngest player to represent Italy in the competition’s history. She is the second-youngest European to play at the tournament, according to FIFA.

Nicknamed ‘Little Messi,’ Dragoni is wearing the No. 16 shirt – corresponding to her age.

In contrast, 39-year-old Vanina Correa was in goal for Argentina – she had already made her debut for her country when Dragoni was born.

And the teenager played a key part in Italy’s opening match against Argentina; the young Barcelona player provided energy and quality in the heart of the pitch before being substituted in the 83rd minute.

Italy – quarterfinalist in 2019 – was the strongest team throughout the opening game for both sides at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, with some late quality from Cristiana Girelli proving decisive as Italy won 1-0.

The opening first half was an even affair as both Arianna Caruso and Valentina Giacinti had goals disallowed for offside, just making their respective runs fractionally too early.

After the break, with both sides not wanting to lose their opening game, chances were few and far between with the teams prioritizing the avoidance of mistakes over attacking recklessness.

Vanina Correa in the Argentina goal was called into action to make a few routine stops but the midfield stalemate was the main contest with both sides canceling each other out for the most part.

Both managers tried to change the flow of the game by providing thrust from the bench – and it was an Italy substitute who made the difference.

Girelli, the oldest player in the Azzurre squad, replaced Dragoni late in the game and just a few minutes later showed why she’s become a legend for the nation, as her looping header gave Italy a late lead.

It was a moment of quality from Girelli, scoring her 54th international goal on her 104th appearance and, more importantly, giving Italy a vital three points to begin its World Cup campaign.

Women’s World Cup 2023: Live scores, fixtures, results, tables and top scorers

Alexandra Popp scored twice as Germany dominated Morocco 6-0 at the Women’s World Cup on Monday in what is the biggest scoreline of the tournament so far.

Popp, 32, headed home twice in the opening half to steer her country to an important three points in Group H ahead of Colombia and South Korea who play tomorrow.

Within seconds of the restart after halftime, Klara Bühl scored Germany’s third as the European side pounced upon some sloppy mistakes from the African World Cup debutant and Hanane Aït El Haj inadvertently turned the ball into her own net just minutes later.

Another own goal, this time from Yasmin Mrabet in the 79th minute, made it 5-0, and Lea Schüller’s late strike capped off a successful evening for Germany.

Despite the result, it was a momentous day for Morocco who made history by becoming the first Arab team to compete in the tournament. Although she didn’t come off the bench, Atlas Lioness defender Nouhaila Benzina is set to become first the player to ever wear a hijab at the tournament when she does make it onto the field.

The European finalist began its campaign in ferocious fashion, pouncing upon a Moroccan mistake to win possession back high up the pitch early on to allow Kathrin Hendrich to provide an inch-perfect cross for Popp to head home and give Germany a lead in the 11th minute.

It was Popp’s 63rd goal for her country as she and her teammates made the made the perfect start to banishing any lingering demons from losing to England in the Euro 2022 final.

Germany looked to have doubled the lead soon after, but Sara Däbritz’s deft chip was deemed to be offside – with replays showing it was the correct decision.

It did eventually break through again though, once again coming from the head of Popp.

Just minutes before halftime, Popp used her height and power to force her way past Morocco defenders from a corner to get her second of the game and put Germany firmly in control.

Although the scoreline suggested Germany was easing to a result, it was anything but simple with Morocco looking threatening on the counterattack with plenty of energy and endeavor.

However, the result looked certain within 23 seconds of the start of the second half. A wayward pass was immediately capitalized on by Germany and after the ball had cannoned off the post, Bühl was able to power home her team’s third goal.

Despite the result looking out of their grasp, Moroccan players didn’t appear to lose hope with Anissa Lahmari curling home what looked like a glorious goal, only for it to be ruled out for offside.

Unfortunately for Morocco, the goals didn’t stop for the two-time World Cup winner with Aït El Haj unintentionally turning into her own net.

As the game opened up with Morocco – looking to channel the success of its male counterpart at the 2022 World Cup as it reached the semifinals in Qatar – searching for its first ever goal at the tournament, space opened up for Germany and chances began to flow.

Mrabet’s late own goal from a scramble off a corner – Morocco goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi had punched the ball off her head into the back of the net – kept up the scoring and Schüller’s low strike wrapped up an emphatic victory for the Germans.

In total, it was a strong display for Germany and show why it has been earmarked as one of the favorites to make a deep run in the competition.

How to watch

In the US, games will be aired on FOX Sports, while Telemundo is providing Spanish-language coverage.

Seven Network and Optus Sport are broadcasting matches in Australia and the BBC and ITV have the rights in the United Kingdom.

A full breakdown of media rights holders in each country is available on the FIFA website.

Brazil takes on Panama at 7 a.m. ET.

Brazil vs. Panama

The build-up to this game has revolved around the magical Marta.

Only former Brazil legend Formiga, who has played in seven, has starred in more Women’s World Cups than Brazil’s talismanic No. 10.

Marta will also be looking to become the first player to score in six different World Cup tournaments. Alongside Marta, Cristiano Ronaldo and Christine Sinclair have also scored in five World Cups – Sinclair missing the opportunity to score in her sixth during Canada’s opener.

If Marta were to add to her record tally of World Cup goals, she would also become the oldest player to score in the competition.

“We want to win this trophy – particularly for Marta,” Brazil’s Kerolin told reporters. “She deserves it, because of everything she’s done in the game and because of the person she is. It’s hard to put into words the kind of person she is.”

Panama has won just one of its last five games coming into the World Cup. In a group with France, Brazil and Jamaica, first-timer Panama will have its work cut out to record a first World Cup victory.

The notion of what the world would look like if humans were to vanish has been explored extensively by scientists, as well as many post-apocalyptic movies.

However, French photographer Romain Veillon is making it his mission to capture in pictures the potential result of a planet without people.

The 38-year-old has spent years photographing abandoned places around the world that have been overtaken by nature, with eerily beautiful results.

For his recent book “Green Urbex: The World Without Us,” released in 2021, he shot a series of deserted and/or forgotten spots, including a ghost town in Namibia, an abandoned cinema in Brussels, a dilapidated Tuscan villa and a disused railway track in Ukraine.

‘Post-apocalyptic vision’

Veillon, who is working on the second volume of the book, hopes the haunting images will serve as a reminder of the “necessity to live in harmony with our habitat,” as well as highlight the importance of working with rather than against nature.

“We are all fascinated by this post-apocalyptic vision,” he says. “Maybe we need to be the witness of that to enjoy what we have and the time in front of us.”

The book, which is only available in French at present, is divided into three different sections. The first showcases deserted places that remain relatively well preserved and the second focuses on dilapidated sites in a far worse state.

Finally, the third section is made of images of long-forgotten places that have been completely overrun by vegetation.

Enduring fascination

His fascination with abandoned places began at an early age, when he discovered a deserted truck factory near Paris.

Although the book, which contains over 200 images, provides some historical background to a number of the sites, the photographer says he tries to offer as little detail as possible so that people can “make up their own answers” to any questions they may have.

“Each story will be different from the other, and that’s what I love,” he adds.

However, capturing deserted spots in so many different, and often remote, corners of the world is far more complicated than just picking up a camera and hitting the road.

Veillon sometimes spends months researching lesser known sites and pinpointing their exact location, not to mention applying for authorization to photograph some of them.

“I spend hours searching for historical clues that can help me locate the location I want to photograph,” he explains.

Extraordinary sites

“There’s a huge amount of time [spent] on Google Maps trying to see if some buildings might be buried under vegetation. And just driving around when you’re in a new area can also bring some nice surprises.”

Having friends all over the world has also proved useful to the photographer, who often receives tips from other travelers, and sometimes his social media followers, on potential sites to include in his work.

One of the highlights from the book is an image of Buzludzha, an abandoned Soviet monument in Bulgaria, which Veillon says was one of his favorite places to photograph.

“Buzludzha is for sure the most extraordinary and unique place I have ever been to,” he says of the former Bulgarian Communist Party headquarters built atop a mountain.

“From the outside, it looks like a UFO, and inside, you find the most beautiful mosaics.”

Romania’s defunct Constanța Casino, which has been designated as a historic monument by the Romanian Ministry of Culture and National Patrimony, also left a lasting impression.

Nature reclaiming

“I was so surprised to see the remains of the old casino stage, the wonderful chandeliers or the ornaments of the grand staircase,” he admits.

Veillon’s haunting images of Japan’s Nara Dreamland, taken around a decade after the theme park closed in 2006, have garnered the most attention.

“This is a perfect example of what I want to show when we say ‘nature is taking over,” he says. “You can see ivy slowly covering the roller coaster like it is getting eaten by it. The park was destroyed [between 2016 and 2017] not long after my visit, so it makes the photograph even more iconic I think.”

While the travel restrictions brought about by the pandemic have meant that Veillon’s travels have been few and far between of late, he’s planning to visit Peru later this year and also hopes to visit ghost town Akarmara, a former coal mining village in Abkhazia, Georgia that’s been overtaken by trees, in the near future.

However, Abkhazia remains closed to international visitors.

“It [Akarmara] is the one journey I should have done a long time ago,” he says.

Traveling to the Maldives – the 1,000-island archipelago off the western coast of India that’s one of the world’s most glamorous beach destinations – is always a special occasion. Now, a new airline aims to make it even more so.

Beond – pronounced “beyond” – aims to create a “private jet” experience by using narrow-body aircraft (rather than the wide-body often used on routes to the Maldives), and offering an all-premium cabin with lie-flat seats which share components with Ferrari cars.

Based in Malé and set to start flying in fall 2023, Beond will initially operate a small fleet of Airbus A319 aircraft, before switching to the larger Airbus A321. Dubai and Delhi are the first two confirmed destinations.

Chasing the competition

About three dozen airlines currently offer service to Velana International Airport, the Maldives’ main airport near the capital island Malé. To compete against them, Beond plans to choose its destinations carefully and fly customers directly to the island, rather than going through a connection in a hub, as the likes of Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines do.

“We’re going for the airports with big catchment areas, with a certain wealth behind it, and then fly people directly,” says Feuerherd. So in Germany, for example, Beond wouldn’t target Frankfurt – a business hub with plenty of competition. Instead, they’d go for Munich, which has less competition and a higher incidence of leisure travelers.

In other markets, like Asia, Beond plans to enter into direct competition with other carriers and differentiate itself with a higher-quality service instead. “The Maldives is one of those markets that can fill an aircraft, even a mostly economy class cabin,” says Feuerherd. “But that is making the Maldives lose some high-end passengers, because if they don’t find adequate transportation, they’d rather go somewhere else. That’s where we really come into the game.”

Beond will offer a total of just 44 seats on its Airbus A319s, even though the plane can carry up to 156 passengers in an all-economy layout. On the larger A321s, which will enter service in 2024, they plan to have 68 seats on a plane that normally has room for up to 220 economy passengers.

This means there will be no dreaded middle seats – the two-abreast configuration aims to provide a sense of luxury and comfort. Designed by Italian manufacturer Optimares, which supplied similar interiors for a custom-designed Four Seasons A321 private jet, the seats share components with LaFerrari, a luxury sports car that was priced at about $1.5 million upon its release in 2013, and now sells for much more at auction.

“I’m about six feet tall and so is our CEO, and that was pretty much the size reference we worked with, to avoid getting the feeling that we were slipping out of the bed,” says Feuerherd. “We also very quickly decided that we wanted to have two abreast, because of the nature of our passengers, which is a lot of couples.”

Competing on price

Jointly owned by UAE-based firm Arabesque and Maldivian hospitality company SIMDI, Beond’s operating certificate is from the Maldives as a designated carrier. It has a 50-year agreement with the Maldivian government.

Although it plans to start flying as early as September, the airline is still coy on its launch destinations beyond Delhi and Dubai, but Feuerherd says that, once at capacity (by the end of 2024), roughly 60% of the airline’s traffic will come from Europe, with around 20 destinations.

Asian routes will include Japan, South Korea and China, and Beond will also offer direct connections to Australia, starting with Perth, and South Africa, initially to Cape Town.

By the end of 2024, the airline plans to operate about a dozen aircraft, all on lease, including some brand new A321LR airplanes – long-range versions of the popular A321.

Using narrowbody aircraft will be unusual on some of Beond’s longer routes, which are normally served by larger, wide-body planes such as the Airbus A350 or the Boeing 787.

However all-business class airlines have used narrow-bodies before. La Compagnie, a French boutique airline connecting Paris to New York, has two A321LRs in its fleet of four (the others are A321neos). The Four Seasons private jet is also an A321LR. British Airways, meanwhile, used an A318 – the smallest aircraft in the Airbus A320 family – for its erstwhile all-business class flight from London to New York.

And perhaps the small plane is the key. EOS, Maxjet and Silverjet, which all offered all-business class transatlantic flights before going bust in 2007 and 2008, all used wide-body aircraft.

According to Feuerherd, the smaller plane won’t be a problem for most passengers, because although the cabin will lack the “airiness” of larger aircraft, it’ll increase the private jet feel.

“I do believe the advantages and disadvantages are really equalizing each other there,” he says. “We wouldn’t be able to fill a wide-body with this concept – it would be slightly too big. But we have significant cost savings with a narrow-body, in terms of cost of ownership, fuel burn, staff involved, landing and handling charges, which is something that really gives us a competitive advantage over the big birds.”

As a result, Beond will be priced “attractively,” with fares from Europe starting at around $3,000 return, but increasing during peak season – which, for the Maldives, is December to April.

Meanwhile, Emirates is currently selling Dubai-Malé tickets from December to April next year from around $3100 in business class. There are no direct flights from Delhi, but carriers including Air India have business class seats from around $750 with a single connection.

“My personal target on the commercial side is that if we become too greedy, it’s not going to be helpful,” says Feuerherd. “We will not want to be the leader in terms of price.” He adds that most bookings are projected to come from tour operators rather than directly from customers.

A niche market

According to Rob Morris, global head of consultancy at Cirium, an aviation consultancy, the initial routes that Beond is targeting – Dubai and Delhi – have differing potential.

“Dubai is presently well served from Malé, with an average of seven daily rotations in August 2023 and more than 60,000 seats each way in the month,” he says, citing schedule data that Cirium has pulled.

“This includes around 12% of those seats in premium class. Competition on that route will be challenging.

“In contrast, Delhi-Malé is presently unserved, at least directly, hence there may be more opportunity.”

Mike Stengel, a principal at Aerodynamic Advisory, another aviation consultancy, says that in the history of aviation, the fortunes of all-business class airlines have not been great: “One reason is that their destiny is tied to these concentrated niche markets; they simply don’t offer the same type of connectivity options that network airlines do.”

By being tied to only premium class travelers, he adds, they’re susceptible to downturns or softening in business travel demand: “In the long term, I think they’re going to face some pretty stiff competition, especially from the large Middle East airlines. It’s hard for anyone to beat out first or business class from Emirates or Qatar or Etihad.”

However, he believes that the Maldives are certainly the right market for a new luxury option. “I think there are some legs to this, especially if they can channel demand from luxury travel agencies that are selling it as part of a package,” he says.

“There probably is a niche to carve out of premium travelers who want more of a private jet experience, but maybe don’t have the private jet budget.”

“She used to jump up and down like a butterfly. Now, she is psychologically broken.”

Samer Sharif, 51, is talking about his 15-year-old daughter Salma, who witnessed the death of her brother and mother in the February 6 earthquake, and who for several days believed was orphaned before unexpectedly being reunited with her father.

After the earthquake struck, Sharif was told that Salma, her 10-year-old brother Mohammed and his ex-wife had all died.

Standing before the building that collapsed on top of his family, in Antakya, southern Turkey, Sharif said that he “met with death at that moment.”

After sleeping on the streets for two days, Sharif left for Istanbul where he stayed with his sister and her husband.

While there he received some rare good news – his daughter was alive, and recovering in hospital.

The father and daughter were re-united, and while they were relieved, they will never be the same – especially Salma.

And Salma is not the only one.

Around 4.6 million children were living in the 10 Turkish provinces hit by the earthquake, according to UNICEF, and an additional 2.5 million children were affected in neighboring Syria.

UNICEF added that families with children are sleeping in the streets, malls, schools, mosques, bus stations and under bridges, all afraid to sleep indoors should more aftershocks bring buildings down.

“I saw a lot of traumatized kids in Antakya,” said 37-year-old Bilal Kazak, a Kazakhstan-born Turkish citizen who lost his mother and sister in the earthquake.

While food, tents and caravans with some heating have arrived in the days following the earthquake, says Kazak, there still isn’t enough mental health support, especially for children.

“What we are also seeing is that those children who have lost their education, their families, their hopes, they are now struggling to find a reason to keep themselves in this world,” said Coban.

“At the moment, the only thing that can keep them in their lives is hope for the future.”

Relived trauma in Syria

For victims in Syria, the earthquake is another crisis amid a devastating 12-year civil war.

“For people who have slowly begun to recover and regain a sense of normalcy and rebuilt their lives over the last decade, this has been terrifying and destabilizing for both children and adults,” said Chen. “Some are still in denial while others are experiencing hallucinations.”

The United Nations estimates over 30,000 lives have been lost in the Syrian civil war. People were already struggling to rebuild their lives, while thousands fled the country seeking refuge in nearby countries.

While a semblance of routine had been established before, Chen says the situation has now changed.

“Prior to the earthquake, therapy was not emergency-based, and we had the time and the space to process very difficult things, especially for those who have experienced torture and sexual violence,” she said, adding that “we’re back in emergency mode.”

Chen says that aid workers are also struggling. Between losing their own family members and homes, while rescuing people from the rubble, their mental health has deteriorated amid the ongoing rescue efforts, she said.

Aid workers say that the mental health struggles are clear and are happening amid needs for more food and shelter.

Repeated aftershocks

Making matters worse, the risks of further tremors have not gone away.

“Many people do not feel comfortable living inside (intact buildings),” said Arlan Fuller, director of Emergency Response & Preparedness at Project Hope, a US-based non-profit, non-governmental organization that supports healthcare workers in times of crisis. Fuller and Project Hope are currently on the ground in Gaziantep.

Many children are clinging to their parents and can’t let go, he added, noting that repeated aftershocks only act as triggers.

Aftershocks continue to be felt across Turkey. Just on Monday, a magnitude 6.3 aftershock struck Turkey’s southern Hatay province, near the Syrian border, killing at least six people and injuring hundreds.

The Turkish Red Crescent previously said it is providing “psychological first aid” to both adults and children impacted by the earthquake, reported the state news agency Anadolu. These include therapy sessions, as well as psychosocial support tents set up by the ministry of family and the ministry of health, added Anadolu.

Salma, 15, remains distraught. She spends most of her time on her phone and refuses to properly eat, her father Samer says.

“She wants to buy those little hot wheels car toys that Hammoudeh (her brother Mohammed’s nickname) loved to put them on her shelf to look at them and remember him,” said Sharif.

“I keep trying to make her laugh, but it’s not like before.”

Ukraine war anniversary

The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly voted to condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine. While the resolution isn’t binding, it sheds light on where nations stand in this conflict one year since it started.

Among Middle East and Arab nations, only Syria rejected the resolution while Algeria, Iran and Sudan abstained. The rest supported it.

Last year, less than a week after Russia’s invasion, the same UN body passed a resolution demanding that Russia withdraw all military forces from Ukraine. During that vote, all Arab and Middle Eastern states voted the same way they did on Thursday except for Iraq, which abstained.

The region has largely made clear that it supports Ukraine’s position in this conflict – publicly at least.

The behind-the-scenes diplomacy over the past year, however, tells a different story. Middle East nations have found themselves in a difficult position, juggling between their obligations to their Western allies and their own interests.

The United Arab Emirates, for example, abstained from a symbolic a UN Security Council resolution condemning the war on February 27 of last year (Russia vetoed that resolution). Less than a week later, it voted in favor of a similar resolution at the General Assembly. UAE officials have said the war demonstrates that the world order is no longer unipolar with the US at its helm. The UAE has also become a safe haven for many Russian citizens and businesses since the war.

Abu Dhabi, along with Saudi Arabia, also counts Russia as an ally in the OPEC+ oil cartel. That alliance allows member states to control the supply of oil, which in turn determines prices. The US warned Saudi Arabia last year that restricting the supply of oil would be tantamount to supporting Russia in the war. That warning fell on deaf ears.

Iran, like Syria, is globally isolated and counts Russia as its main international ally. But the Islamic Republic, whose leaders regularly launch tirades against foreign intervention and imperialism, has abstained from such votes instead of vetoing them as Syria has. This is despite Tehran’s role as a player in the war through its supply of killer drones to Russia.

Israel, too, finds itself in a complicated situation. While it has publicly opposed the war, it has economic, cultural, political and security considerations in its dealings with Russia. What it cares most about with Russia is its influence on Iran and its presence in Syria. Israel regularly carries out airstrikes on Iranian targets in Syria, which it regards as critical to prevent the transfer of missile technology to Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group. It usually communicates with the Russians ahead of those strikes for deconfliction purposes.

By Abbas Al Lawati

The digest

Turkey says may experience more aftershocks greater than magnitude 5

Orhan Tatar, Turkey’s general director of Earthquake and Risk Reduction (AFAD) said on Thursday at a press conference that the country may experience more large aftershocks in the coming days, calling on citizens to stay away from damaged buildings. Following the conference, a magnitude 5 aftershock struck the southern Hatay province.

Tunisian president denies racism but repeats view that migration is a plot

Tunisian President Kais Saied has repeated his assertion that an increase of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa was part of a conspiracy to change Tunisia’s demographics and denied criticism by rights groups that his views were racist, Reuters reported.

Oman opens airspace to Israeli airlines in landmark move

The Gulf state of Oman has opened its airspace to Israeli airlines in a landmark move that will cut the carriers’ flights from Israel to Asia by up to two hours. The nation’s civil aviation authority said on Twitter that its “airspace is open for all carriers that meet the requirements of the authority for overflying.” Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen tweeted that it was “another great step toward regional integration” and “a day of celebration for Israel.”

Around the region

The US has repatriated 77 looted artifacts to Yemen, including dozens of ancient funerary stones linked to a disgraced New York art dealer and 11 folios from early Qurans.

But as part of a landmark agreement the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, DC will care for and store the items for at least two years as Yemen remains engulfed in a bitter civil war.

Among the artifacts being returned are 65 funerary stones, known as “stelae,” that date back to the second half of the first millennium BC. Featuring engraved faces, some of the objects contain traces of pigment or inscriptions revealing the names of the deceased.

The partnership between the Smithsonian and Yemen’s government was announced at a repatriation ceremony hosted by the country’s embassy in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. As part of the agreement, some of the items could be publicly exhibited at the museum, including in its current show “Ancient Yemen: Incense, Art, and Trade.” Yemen’s government will have the option to extend the partnership after two years, depending on the state of unrest in the country.

The country’s ambassador to the United States, Mohammed Al-Hadhrami, said in a statement that “on behalf of the people and Government of Yemen, we are thrilled to see Yemen retaking ownership of its cultural heritage.”

Read more about the artifacts here.

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