Veteran politician Nabih Berri was re-elected as speaker of Lebanon’s parliament by simple majority for the seventh time in a row on Tuesday.
Mr Berri, 84, has served as speaker since 1992. He was the only candidate for the post of speaker.
Under the country's political system, the position is reserved for a Shiite Muslim.
He won by 65 votes in the 128-strong legislature ― the minimum number needed to secure the seat.
It is the lowest number of votes Mr Berri has received in his three decades of serving as the Speaker of Parliament. By contrast, in 2018, he won by 98 votes.
Twenty-three votes were returned blank and 40 were declared invalid.
The voting was disrupted by some MPs protesting that the vote counting was not read out properly, claiming it was being rigged.
Mr Berri then read some out loud. In what appeared to be an assemblage of protest votes by anti-establishment MPs born out of Lebanon's October 17 protest movement, Mr Berri read several ballots which carried pointed political messages.
One read, "Justice for the victims of the port explosion," in reference to the devastating blast in August 20 that killed at least 215 people.
The votes were then re-counted, this time out loud.
Lebanon elected a new parliament on May 15, in the first legislative election since the country's economic meltdown began.
“I will serve the Lebanese country regardless of sect or political alignment,” Mr Berri said after his re-election.
"Let the differences and competition be for the best for Lebanon".
Mr Berri heads the Amal Movement and has been a close ally of the heavily armed Iran-backed Hezbollah since the end of the 1975-90 civil war.
Heavy gunfire erupted in Beirut shortly after Mr Berri's was re-elected. In a statement published on Monday, he had called on his supporters to avoid such displays of support. Celebratory gunfire is frequent in Lebanon and often leads to fatalities.
MP Sami Gemayel complained to Mr Berri during the session about the sounds of bullets shot into the air.
Mr Berri shrugged. "I issued a statement about this, what else can I do?"
Parliament then proceeded to elect former education and defence minister Elias Bou Saab as deputy parliament speaker. Mr Bou Saab, 55, is a member of President Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement.
It took two rounds of voting for parliament to elect Mr Bou Saab, who did not obtain the absolute majority in the first round, with only 64 votes.
Legislators also elected two secretaries and three commissioners after a lengthy debate over the method of conduct the voting process for those posts.
The new parliament is deeply divided with no coalition holding a majority. The Hezbollah group and its allies lost the advantage they had held since 2018, and now hold 61 seats — four short of an absolute majority.
The 19 MPs from the Christian Lebanese Forces, who are fiercely critical of Hezbollah and their Christian ally, the Free Patriotic Movement, supported Mr Bou Saab's rival, surgeon Ghassan Skaff. Mr Skaff obtained 60 votes in the second round.
Despite changes in parliament and a history-making election of 13 new anti-establishment legislators, there was no alternative to Mr Berri.
All 27 Shiite MPs elected on May 15 are affiliated with either Amal or its ally Hezbollah, viewed as a terrorist organisation by several western countries.
The popularity of Lebanon's traditional sectarian political clique is at rock bottom since the start of the country's economic crisis in 2019.
The 13 new opposition MPs walked to parliament from Beirut's port, where they had met with families of the blast victims.
Ali Noureddine, a 28-year old protester, told The National : "We are standing here to demand that the port explosion investigation file is a priority, and in solidarity with independent MPs who were voted into Parliament to tell them that they are not alone."
Lebanon has been suffering for months from water, electricity, medicine and bread shortages. Politicians have been able to do little to stem shortages - harsh symptoms of Lebanon's prolonged economic collapse.
As voting was under way for Mr Bou Saab, an MP told Mr Berri: "We want the AC. We're hot".
Referencing the shortages, Mr Berri answered: "Deal with it, there are people who live without any electricity."
The Parliament session, marked by bickering and debate over the proper way to conduct votes, foretells of potential future divisions that may well face a deeply split Parliament. The new Parliament will now be tasked with forming a cabinet, and enacting reforms necessary to bring Lebanon out of a steep economic mire.
"The path to change is not an easy one," said Ibrahim Mneimne, one of 13 independent, anti-establishment MPs voted into Parliament. "We see how difficult it will be."
Yet celebrations occurred inside and outside Parliament on Tuesday. In a media room where the session was being monitored by journalists, some broke into applause when Mr Berri's re-election was announced. Videos circulated of security officers dancing in the streets.
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Read more about the coronavirus
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
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1971: The Year The Music Changed Everything
Director: Asif Kapadia
4/5
TOUR DE FRANCE INFO
Dates: July 1-23
Distance: 3,540km
Stages: 21
Number of teams: 22
Number of riders: 198
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
