Lebanese politicians and analysts voiced optimism after France and Saudi Arabia on Saturday revealed joint efforts to strengthen aid and halt a diplomatic dispute between Beirut and Gulf states.
But they say any initiative to fully restore ties with Gulf states, historically investors and aid donors for the country, will face hurdles because of Hezbollah’s strong influence in Lebanese state institutions and government.
The push for Saudi and Arab re-engagement in Lebanon, where Iran holds great influence, is the latest French initiative to rally support for the impoverished country after two years of economic near-collapse.
“We are thankful for the initiative, but who is it addressed to exactly?” said Mustafa Allouche, a former parliamentarian and senior member of the Future Movement party.
Future Movement leader Saad Hariri has fallen out of grace with Saudi Arabia after he headed unity governments with Hezbollah.
“This is not an initiative addressed to the Lebanese state, it is an initiative addressed to Hezbollah, asking it to surrender its weapons. This will never happen,” Mr Allouche said.
French President Emmanuel Macron met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah on Saturday to discuss trade and regional politics.
They had a “long conversation” about Lebanon and phoned Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
Paris is a former colonial power in Lebanon and it is heavily involved in the country's rescue plans.
France and Riyadh committed themselves to help the Lebanese weather an economic meltdown that has pushed nearly 80 per cent of the population below the poverty line, according to UN data.
Riyadh stressed the need for Lebanon to implement economic reforms and control the spread of weapons outside the state, a reference to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia.
Mr Allouche said the government cannot meet those demands. Hezbollah is simply too powerful.
Diplomatic crisis
The rare high-profile meeting follows more than a month of a diplomatic dispute between Lebanon and the Gulf.
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain withdrew their representatives in Beirut and expelled Lebanon’s representation after Lebanese information minister George Kordahi made remarks on television in support of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The group has fired ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Arabian population centres in the course of their seven-year war against Yemen's internationally recognised government.
Riyadh also banned all imports from Lebanon, a source of scarce cash revenue for the country
The UAE recalled its ambassador to Lebanon following the comments.
Hezbollah backed Mr Kordahi, prolonging a diplomatic crisis with Beirut’s historic allies.
A representative for the group and one parliamentarian declined to comment on Mr Macron and Prince Mohammed’s initiative.
Cooling regional tensions
A day before Mr Macron’s visit Mr Kordahi resigned at the request of the French government to facilitate talks.
“This initiative may stop the deterioration of relations between Lebanon and the Gulf but it will not restore ties or secure significant aid,” he said.
Gulf nations have yet to restore full diplomatic ties or ease tough trade restrictions against Beirut.
Saudi Arabia invested billions of dollars in Lebanon’s reconstruction and postwar economy in the 1990s and early 2000s. Close ties soured after a Hezbollah agent murdered former prime minister Rafik Hariri, a close ally of Saudi Arabia.
The country has since shifted closer to Iran’s orbit.
Riyadh is now working towards mending ties with Iran as nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington resumed this month.
Parliamentarian Imad Wakim, a member of the Christian Lebanese Forces, a party regionally aligned with Riyadh, said Hezbollah could still represent a serious obstruction to repairing ties.
“We heard encouraging statements and ideas, but who can guarantee their implementation? Who can say that Hezbollah will listen and break Lebanon's captivity?” he wrote on Twitter.
Economic emergency
Analyst Mohanad Hage Ali says he is hopeful a joint French-Saudi push will mitigate humanitarian needs in Lebanon.
“The meeting will stop the crisis between Lebanon and the Gulf from widening,” the director of communications at the Carnegie Middle East Centre said.
Paris’ mediation could unblock aid packages from the Gulf that are modest compared to Lebanon’s economic needs.
“We could see some limited aid flowing to Lebanon, but in this context this help will go a long way,” he said, citing talks by the Lebanese government to seek an energy loan with Kuwait that was halted because of the crisis.
Any assistance also faces a difficult political environment within Lebanon. Work on reforms has stalled because the government has not met since October after Hezbollah ministers threatened to boycott sessions.
The ministers demanded the dismissal of a judge who is investigating the Beirut port blast last year.
Judge Tarek Bitar had summoned high-profile politicians who are close to the group for questioning. The explosion killed more than 200 people, injured more than 6,500 and destroyed large parts of Beirut.
Ali Darwish, a parliamentarian who is part of Mr Mikati’s Azm movement, told The National that the government was trying to implement reforms.
“The French initiative has put us on the right path,” he said.
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
THE SPECS
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The view from The National
JERSEY INFO
Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
