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A committee tasked with overseeing the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah met for the second time on Wednesday. The meeting took place in the town of Naqoura, where the headquarters of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (Unifil) is located, near the border with Israel.
The multinational monitoring committee is co-chaired by US General Jasper Jeffers. A French general, as well as representatives from Unifil, Lebanon and Israel, were all present at Wednesday's meeting.
A joint statement from the US, France and Unifil said the committee "will continue to meet in this format regularly and coordinate closely to support implementation of the ceasefire agreement".
Lebanon's government has accused Israel of committing a dozen breaches of the truce, and Information Minister Ziad Makary had said he hoped the meeting would address the “unacceptable” violations.
Under the ceasefire deal, which took effect three weeks ago, the armed group and political party Hezbollah is supposed to withdraw north of the Litani river. Israel has until the end of January to withdraw from the south of Lebanon, with the Lebanese army moving in to take control.
Mr Makary said the Lebanese army was gradually bolstering its presence in the south, while he noted the Israelis were withdrawing – albeit slowly. Israel has withdrawn from the strategic town on Khiam, a key battleground in the war with Hezbollah. The Lebanese army has since moved in and begun the task of demining and clearing rubble from the area.
The truce agreement, based around UN Security Resolution 1701, which brought the last war between Hezbollah and Israel to an end in 2006, requires the Lebanese army to increase its presence in the south. It is hoped that around 10,000 soldiers will eventually be deployed to the area – with a recruitment drive launched.
Gen Mounir Shehadeh, who until recently was the Lebanese government's co-ordinator with Unifil, told The National previously that about 1,500 elite commandos were sent to south Lebanon on the day the ceasefire came into effect.
“The Lebanese army has indicated its instant readiness to initiate and take on its responsibilities to implement this agreement,” he said.
Supporters of the Lebanese army have a big task ahead to equip it and increase the number of soldiers. The army is regarded as weaker than Hezbollah.
"All donor countries are aware that the Lebanese army needs financial support," said Gen Shehadeh, who insisted the army was capable of carrying out its mission in securing the south so long as the Israeli violations stopped.
"The army should be provided with the necessary equipment and weapons for these new military personnel that will be recruited," he added.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel is still bombing south Lebanon – although not on the scale of the attacks before the truce came into effect.
One of Israel's key missions was returning residents displaced from northern Israel to their homes. Three months ago Israel massively ramped up attacks on Hezbollah, leading to some 1.4 million people being displaced and well over 4,000 killed.
But while many from southern Lebanon have begun to return to the area, the same cannot be said in northern Israel.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
Start times
5.55am: Wheelchair Marathon Elites
6am: Marathon Elites
7am: Marathon Masses
9am: 10Km Road Race
11am: 4Km Fun Run
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
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
At a glance
Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free
Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Read more from Mina Al-Oraibi
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Read more from Johann Chacko
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Sleep Well Beast
The National
4AD
The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
Princeton
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The specs: 2018 Kia Picanto
Price: From Dh39,500
Engine: 1.2L inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Four-speed auto
Power: 86hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 122Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.0L / 100km
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Titan Sports Academy:
Programmes: Judo, wrestling, kick-boxing, muay thai, taekwondo and various summer camps
Location: Inside Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Telephone: 971 50 220 0326
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A cryptocurrency primer for beginners
Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies – by Kiana Danial
There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine.
Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.
Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
Begin your cryptocurrency journey here.
Available at Magrudy’s , Dh104
