Former Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri says it is not the time to try to influence Lebanese public opinion. AFP
Former Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri says it is not the time to try to influence Lebanese public opinion. AFP
Former Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri says it is not the time to try to influence Lebanese public opinion. AFP
Former Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri says it is not the time to try to influence Lebanese public opinion. AFP

Saad Hariri: Beirut blast anniversary no launchpad for electoral campaigns


Aya Iskandarani
  • English
  • Arabic

Listen to the latest podcast on the Beirut blast here.

Lebanon's former prime minister Saad Hariri cautioned against using the one-year anniversary of the Beirut explosion on Wednesday to score political gains.

“The volcano that devastated Beirut, its people and its neighbourhoods, is not a platform for bidding and political investment in the grief of afflicted citizens,” he said in a tweet on Tuesday.

“This is a day to liberate justice from political duels and media trials, not a day to launch electoral campaigns and bribe Lebanese public opinion with justice on demand.”

The remark is a veiled reference to political rivals and opposition groups likely to contest next year’s parliamentary elections.

Civil society groups have organised protests and marches to mark the blast and demand justice, gatherings that are expected to draw large crowds on Wednesday.

The international community and local demonstrators have accused Lebanon’s entrenched political class of widespread corruption and political inaction in the midst of severe economic collapse.

The explosion killed at least 214 people and wounded 6,500 others. But an investigation has yet to determine who was responsible for the devastation in a country where the judiciary is highly politicised.

Mr Hariri also repeated his call for an international probe into the port blast should parliamentarians fail to amend Lebanon’s constitution to prosecute powerful officials.

“There will be no truth without either a transparent international investigation or the suspension of constitutional articles to strip everyone of immunity,” he said.

Mr Hariri said last week that his parliamentary bloc was working on a proposal to lift immunity from all officials in the port investigation, a plan backed by political leaders including Parliament speaker Nabih Berri.

Civil society activists have accused Mr Hariri and others of seeking to further delay the probe by introducing constitutional amendments that may prove difficult to carry out.

Immunity from prosecution

Parliamentarians enjoy immunity from prosecution if they are in session.

Investigative judge Tarek Bitar last month requested to strip members of Parliament and former ministers Nohad Machnouk, Ali Hassan Khali and Ghazi Zeaiter of their immunity in the blast probe, and called for other high officials to face prosecution.

The suggestion sparked hope that powerful officials may yet be held accountable for the devastating explosion but Parliament has yet to rule on Mr Bitar’s request.

Lebanon has been without a fully functioning government for a year as sectarian leaders bicker over their shares of ministerial portfolios in the next government. Mr Hariri stepped down as prime minister-designate last month after nine months of bickering with the president over the Cabinet's makeup.

The three-time prime minister said the explosion highlighted “the state of loss, denial, neglect in the political, judicial, administrative and military institutions”.

All parties should refrain from pressuring the judiciary and intervening in the probe, President Michel Aoun said on Tuesday, calling on indicted officials to cooperate with the lead investigative judge.

"The challenge that the lead investigator and the judiciary will face later on is to reveal the truth, conduct a trial, and issue a fair ruling in an acceptable period of time, because delayed justice is no justice," Mr Aoun said in a brief speech on the eve of the blast's one-year anniversary.

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Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000

Engine: 5.6-litre V8

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm

Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km

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Key facilities
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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

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Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

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Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 

White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder

Started: October 2021

Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Industry: technology, logistics

Investors: A15 and self-funded 

New UK refugee system

 

  • A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
  • Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
  • A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
  • To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
  • Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
  • Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
UAE squad

Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

The specs

Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6

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Kerb weight: 1580kg

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OPENING FIXTURES

Saturday September 12

Crystal Palace v Southampton

Fulham v Arsenal

Liverpool v Leeds United

Tottenham v Everton

West Brom v Leicester

West Ham  v Newcastle

Monday  September 14

Brighton v Chelsea

Sheffield United v Wolves

To be rescheduled

Burnley v Manchester United

Manchester City v Aston Villa

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Abu Dhabi GP schedule

Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm

Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm

Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm

Jewel of the Expo 2020

252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome

13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas

550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome

724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses

Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa

Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site

The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants

Al Wasl means connection in Arabic

World’s largest 360-degree projection surface

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Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Despacito's dominance in numbers

Released: 2017

Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon

Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube

Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification

Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.

Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards

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Updated: August 04, 2021, 5:44 AM