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Hezbollah has announced Naim Qassem as its new secretary general, filling a crucial vacancy as the Iran-backed militant group comes under increasing Israeli military pressure that has wiped out a large proportion of its top echelons.
His predecessor Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an air attack on Beirut in September. Mr Qassem was Nasrallah's deputy for three decades, but he was not considered a likely successor until Israel started dismantling Hezbollah's command structure, reducing the pool of veteran figures who could take over.
Mr Qassem is an unknown quantity as far as the military and political capabilities that Hezbollah needs to survive the Israeli onslaught. He is widely seen as more of a theoretician than a tactician. In his deputy role he focused on public relations – mainly media interviews – and Hezbollah's electoral campaigns.
He was a disciple of Imam Musa Al Sadr, an eminent Lebanese Shiite cleric who disappeared in Libya in 1978, just after meeting dictator Muammar Qaddafi. Mr Al Sadr preached coexistence and even famously lectured at a church in downtown Beirut.
Shortly after Mr Al Sadr's disappearance, Mr Qassem left Amal, the Shiite movement that the imam had founded. His career took a more militant trajectory, as he became one of the first cadres of Hezbollah when it was founded by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Syrian intelligence in the 1980s.
In one interview, he said that training camps set up by the IRGC in the Bekaa Valley during Lebanon's civil war made people discover “a classy model of education, preparedness, morals and faith”.
After an inconclusive war with Israel in 2006, Mr Qassem's pronouncements grew more dismissive of the country, hinting that Israel might be too divided to win a new war against the group. Since the killing of Mr Nasrallah, he has said repeatedly that Hezbollah remains strong, despite Israel's invasion of south Lebanon and expanding aerial attacks across the country.
But Mr Qassem said that Hezbollah would sign a ceasefire with Israel, abandoning a previous stance that tied a ceasefire in Lebanon with a ceasefire in Gaza.
He was not the first choice to succeed Mr Nasrallah. Hashem Safieddine, Nasrallah’s maternal cousin and head of Hezbollah's executive council, had been seen as the likely new leader. However, Mr Safieddine was assassinated days after the killing of Nasrallah in another Israeli bombing of Beirut. Hezbollah only confirmed Mr Safieddine's death last week.
Mr Qassem was appointed deputy leader in 1991 by Hezbollah's then-secretary general Abbas Al Musawi, who was killed by an Israeli helicopter attack the following year.
The Israeli army has only made limited progress in its invasion of south Lebanon under intense fire from Hezbollah units. The militant group has ramped up the scope of its attacks on Israel, hitting military bases near Tel Aviv.
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
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
Brief scores:
Newcastle United 1
Perez 23'
Wolverhampton Rovers 2
Jota 17', Doherty 90' 4
Red cards: Yedlin 57'
Man of the Match: Diogo Jota (Wolves)
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Results:
CSIL 2-star 145cm One Round with Jump-Off
1. Alice Debany Clero (USA) on Amareusa S 38.83 seconds
2. Anikka Sande (NOR) For Cash 2 39.09
3. Georgia Tame (GBR) Cash Up 39.42
4. Nadia Taryam (UAE) Askaria 3 39.63
5. Miriam Schneider (GER) Fidelius G 47.74
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
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A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Richard Jewell
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley
Two-and-a-half out of five stars
