Lebanon’s stalled investigation into the Beirut port explosion last August suffered another setback on Friday as lawmakers asked the lead investigator for further evidence before granting permission to prosecute high-ranking officials.
As parliament’s secretariat and members of the Justice and Administration committee met to discuss the request by Judge Tarek Bitar, news circulated of the outgoing interior minister’s decision to also deny the lead investigator permission to question the head of one of the country’s most powerful security agencies.
The news prompted the families of victims to block the main entrance to the interior ministry’s headquarters after having scuffled with security forces outside Speaker Nabih Berri’s residence in Beirut, where lawmakers met to debate the request.
Deputy Parliament Speaker Elie Ferzli said Parliament's Secretariat will meet again once the lead investigator submits the needed evidence for lawmakers to make a recommendation to the General Assembly, which will have the final say over the request.
Last week, Judge Bitar confirmed charges filed by his predecessor against outgoing prime minister Hassan Diab and asked parliament to lift immunity that shields three MPs who are also former ministers, from prosecution. All three lawmakers, including former finance ministers Hassan Khalil and Ghazi Zeaiter, both members of Mr Berri’s parliamentary bloc, attended Friday’s meeting at the speaker's residence.
Three days before the meeting, Interior Minister Mohamad Fehmi wrote back to the Justice Minister denying the lead investigator permission to question Major Gen Abbas Ibrahim, the head of the influential General Security apparatus, which reports to the Interior Ministry. The minister’s memo made the rounds on Friday.
The security chief issued a statement shortly after, saying he abides by the law while denying any wrongdoing in connection with the blast, which killed more than 200 people, injured thousands, caused $15 billion in property damage and left an estimated 300,000 homeless.
The interior minister’s decision drew criticism from human rights activists and legal experts who lamented the stalled investigation. Eleven months after the blast, it remains unclear what triggered the explosion of hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate that were stored for six years at one of the region’s busiest ports with the knowledge of security agencies.
Who owned the explosive chemicals also remains a mystery, amid reports linking the ammonium nitrate to individuals with ties to Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime, an ally of the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
“While not surprising, Fehmi's decision to reject Bitar's request to prosecute Abbas Ibrahim for his role in the #Beirut Blast is disgraceful. There can be no justice for the blast as long as high-level officials remain immune from prosecution,” said Aya Majzoub, a researcher with Human Rights Watch.
Last month, the families of victims, backed by a number of lawmakers, petitioned the UN for an international inquiry into the explosion.
Judge Fadi Sawan was removed by the supreme court after charging Mr Diab, along with three other former ministers, of criminal negligence in the case. His removal followed a request by both Mr Hassan Khalil and Mr Zeaiter, who along with Mr Diab had snubbed the former lead investigator’s summons. All three argued Judge Sawan had no authority to question them under the constitution, which protects members of parliament and ministers from prosecution for decisions made in their line of work.
Last week, Mr Bitar summoned Mr Diab for questioning but did not disclose the date of the hearing.
Mr Sawan’s indictment of Mr Diab had fuelled tension between President Michel Aoun and prime minister-designate Saad Hariri, who called it an attack on the post of premier, a position reserved for Sunni Muslims under Lebanon's power-sharing system. The presidency, on the other hand, is reserved for a Christian.
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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
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 3
Fleck 19, Mousset 52, McBurnie 90
Manchester United 3
Williams 72, Greenwood 77, Rashford 79
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
HAJJAN
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Federer's 19 grand slam titles
Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal
French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling
Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic
US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
Mountain%20Boy
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
