The Lebanese army on Thursday said it found ammunition in a lorry belonging to Hezbollah that overturned near Beirut, leading to armed clashes in which two people were killed.
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for “calm and wisdom”, as a formal investigation was launched into the death of a Hezbollah member and a resident in the incident on Wednesday night in the mountains overlooking the capital.
Both sides have accused each other of shooting first in a brief skirmish which broke out after residents gathered around the overturned lorry.
A Hezbollah source, in a statement to The National, claimed gunmen from the town of Kahaleh, a largely Christian area, opened fire on the group at the scene to escort the vehicle, killing a member of the Iran-backed armed group.
Kahaleh resident Fadi Bejjani, 64, was also killed. His body was identified by his son Youssef.
“We were a metre away but couldn’t see what was inside the lorry. At least three men started shooting at us – two with machineguns and one with a pistol. My dad fell to the ground but there was so much gunfire that we couldn't get to him for three minutes,” his son, 39, told Reuters.
A source within the parliamentary bloc opposed to Hezbollah denied the situation would escalate “because the people of Kahaleh will not seek vendetta and attack Hezbollah premises”.
They added: “Unless Hezbollah is planning otherwise. They have been the ones launching the attacks.”
In a bid to calm tensions, the Lebanese army was deployed to the scene of the clashes on Thursday.
Nazih Matta, an MP representing the area for the Lebanese Forces party, said: “A man from Kahaleh was killed – this is totally unacceptable.” The Christian-led Lebanese Forces is the parliament's largest party and a staunch critic of Hezbollah.
"This is Lebanon," said Mohammad, who is from southern Lebanon but works in Beirut.
"I think nothing will happen. Kahaleh is far from Dahieh," he said, referring to the south Beirut suburb that is one of Hezbollah's key strongholds.
"They are far from each other. Nothing will happen, because all of them will lose."
The Hezbollah source said the vehicle was on the way to Beirut from the Bekaa Valley, an area where the group exerts significant control. The road is the main motorway between the Syrian capital Damascus and the Lebanese capital.
The source claimed that after the vehicle overturned, and as those responsible for delivering it were making calls to secure alternative transport for its contents, armed men from the area threw stones and then opened fire.
The Lebanese military then moved on the scene and were reported to have prevented access to the area while a crane removed wooden crates from the lorry. Local TV stations broadcast footage of men in plain clothes firing rifles in the street, and local residents surrounding the lorry.
“The Lebanese army intervened and prevented the gunmen from approaching the lorry,” the Hezbollah source said.
The Lebanese army said the contents of the lorry were taken to a military base and the vehicle was removed in the early hours of Thursday before traffic was allowed through again.
The funeral of the deceased Hezbollah member Ahmed Qassas was held on Thursday, with heavy gunfire – into the air – heard from the southern suburbs of Beirut.
"We will not be dragged into strife and we will not achieve the goals of those who want to take the country into strife," Hezbollah cleric Ali Fahs said during the funeral.
Hezbollah, a powerful Shiite militia, was the only armed group allowed to keep its arms after the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war. Its opponents accuse it of having a stranglehold over Lebanon and have repeatedly demanded that it be disarmed.
Hezbollah is a sworn enemy of Israel, having engaged in repeated clashes before.
One political source opposed to Hezbollah questioned “why anyone needs to transport arms into a peaceful civilian area”, far from the Israeli border in the south.
Aside from the Bekaa Valley, Hezbollah also has strongholds in the suburbs of Beirut and in southern Lebanon.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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 years Ramadan fell in May
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
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15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
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16 years, 68 days old
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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India cancels school-leaving examinations
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
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Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
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The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
The specs: 2018 Maserati Levante S
Price, base / as tested: Dh409,000 / Dh467,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 430hp @ 5,750rpm
Torque: 580Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.9L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The years Ramadan fell in May
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 290hp
Torque: 340Nm
Price: Dh155,800
On sale: now
