A Ukrainian ship carrying grain to Lebanon was ready to set sail from the port of Odesa on February 24 — the same day that Russia launched its invasion.
Now, five months later, it will arrive at its destination.
Ahmad Tamer, head of the northern Lebanese port of Tripoli, said ships from Ukraine usually take an average of a week to arrive in the country. The Razoni is expected to dock on Sunday or Monday.
But “we still haven’t officially been informed that the ship is coming to Lebanon, so we have no confirmation of when it will arrive”, he told The National.
Mr Tamer says the lack of confirmation is routine.
“It’s still early,” he said. “The owner of the ship or the import agent would normally let us know 24 hours before the ship arrives.”
He confirmed that the Razoni is carrying 26,000 tonnes of grain — welcome news for many Lebanese facing skyrocketing food prices.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has had a resounding global impact on supply chains. The UN has said that millions of people around the world could face a severe hunger crisis due to “frightening” shortages — especially in countries that import a large amount of grain.
Lebanon, which relies on imports for most food and all fuel, is one of those countries.
The Mediterranean nation depends on Ukraine for the vast majority of its grain, including wheat. The delay in grain shipments has exacerbated a shortage of subsidised bread amid a prolonged economic crisis that has plunged much of the country into poverty.
Although the Razoni is not carrying wheat, the arrival of the ship to Lebanon will be symbolic for the nation, as well as the world at large.
As the ship set sail on Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called it a “day of relief for the world, especially for our friends in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, as the first Ukrainian grain leaves Odesa after months of Russian blockade”.
Another 16 ships are loaded and ready to depart Odesa to help ease the global food crisis.
In late July, Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Ukrainian ambassador to Lebanon, Ihor Ostach, had assured officials that Kyiv would establish a dedicated line of wheat delivery to the country.
The Razoni is expected to arrive in Turkey in the early hours of Wednesday, where it will be boarded for inspection by Russian, Ukrainian, UN and Turkish officials.
The inspection is part of a UN and Turkey-brokered deal to alleviate the global food crisis by enabling grain exports during the war in Ukraine.
Once the inspection is over, the ship will set sail for nearby Lebanon.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed PDK
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 820Nm
Price: Dh683,200
On sale: now
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Ukraine
Capital: Kiev
Population: 44.13 million
Armed conflict in Donbass
Russia-backed fighters control territory
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Company%20Profile
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
