Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has been in Lebanon on an unannounced visit as part of an international effort to end the country's 15-month presidential vacuum. The exact dates of the visit were not clear.
No public mention of the trip was made by the two countries, nor were there any statements by Lebanese politicians. However, a political source played down the significance of the visit being unannounced, noting that not all trips by international envoys are made public.
Qatar is part of a powerful five-country group – the others being the US, France, Saudi Arabia and Egypt – that has explored efforts to end the impasse that has existed since Michel Aoun departed the presidential palace in Baabda at the end of October 2022.
And while many Lebanese political figures have expressed their gratitude for the initiative and the regular visits by the various envoys – whether announced or unannounced – a limited sense of optimism remains among those The National spoke to. Some also argue that a solution must come from within the country, rather than from outside it.
Despite 12 sessions, the deeply divided 128-seat parliament, where no faction holds a majority, has failed to come closer to electing Mr Aoun's successor. In Lebanon's unique confessional system, the position of president is reserved for a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of parliament a Shiite Muslim.
At a meeting last summer in Doha, the five countries said they had discussed “concrete options with respect to implementing measures against those who are blocking progress”.
When the war on Gaza broke out on October 7, last year and spread to Lebanon's southern border, talk of the Lebanese presidential vacuum no longer made local headlines.
Later in December, when French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Beirut, the impetus appeared to be renewed even as the cross-border conflict between Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and Israel – which has largely been contained to south Lebanon – has continued to expand in its intensity.
Mr Le Drian, a former French foreign minister who was appointed as President Emmanuel Macron's envoy last summer, is expected to visit Lebanon again in early February.
During his November visit he for the first time floated the idea of finding a new candidate who had not received significant backing in previous polls.
Powerful Shiite group Hezbollah and its ally the Amal Movement have refused to budge from backing Suleiman Frangieh, the scion of a powerful Maronite family from north Lebanon and a close friend of Syria's Bashar Al Assad.
A bloc of MPs, comprised of about a third of parliament, backed MP Michel Moawad in the first 11 sessions, before supporting International Monetary Fund official Jihad Azour when the last poll was held last summer. It is widely accepted that neither man now has a chance to succeed Mr Aoun.
One name that continues to come up is the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, Gen Joseph Aoun, who is not related to the former president. However, some influential opposition to him remains, particularly from the Free Patriotic Movement – the party founded by Mr Aoun, the former president.
In the event of a presidential vacuum, the Council of Ministers takes on the powers of head of state. But the cabinet is in a caretaker status and its powers are therefore severely curtailed.
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Isle of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Ed Norton, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson
Three stars
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
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.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
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Brief scoreline:
Tottenham 1
Son 78'
Manchester City 0
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
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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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
The%20specs
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HWJN
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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
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
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