Lebanon's new government secured a vote of confidence from the country's parliament on Wednesday, supporting a ministerial statement which scrapped the term “armed resistance” while vowing to establish a state monopoly on arms – a major break from past policies.
After Prime Minister Nawaf Salam responded to statements of MPs, a vote was held, with the government receiving 95 votes of confidence, 12 votes of no confidence and four abstentions.
The statement, presented by the Prime Minister, pledged to extend “state sovereignty across all its territories exclusively with its own forces”.
It also committed to deploying the army “in internationally recognised Lebanese border areas” and emphasised the need to implement a commitment by President Joseph Aoun on “the state’s duty to monopolise the bearing of weapons” and “deciding on war and peace”.
The cabinet secured the absolute majority required, breaking two years of political deadlock and allowing the new administration to begin passing legislation and making major appointments to the judiciary, security forces and central bank.
The statement was seen as an unprecedented political setback for Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia and influential Lebanese political party, which has been significantly weakened after months of fighting with Israel, including two months of full-scale war, which ended in November. The conflict has left the group in tatters, decimating most of its top leadership and arsenal.
Hezbollah is the only armed group that has not disarmed since the end of Lebanon’s civil war. The issue has deeply polarised the country’s political scene.
On Tuesday, Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc said that it supported Lebanon's new government. “We are keen on co-operating to the greatest extent to preserve national sovereignty and its stability and achieve reforms and take the state forward,” Mohammed Raad, the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, said ahead of the two-day parliamentary session that began on Tuesday.
Hezbollah’s weakening allowed for the election of Mr Aoun, seen as the US-backed candidate, after more than two years of political deadlock, as well as the formation of a government led by Mr Salam, who Hezbollah initially opposed.
This new leadership has been widely viewed as a political blow to the Iran-backed group, which has long played a pivotal role in Lebanese politics, and without whose approval no major political decision could be made.
The ministerial statement also vowed to adopt a “foreign policy that works to make Lebanon neutral from axis conflicts” and ensure “Lebanon is not used as a platform for attacking” Arab and friendly countries.
Hezbollah is part of the so-called Iranian-led “Axis of Resistance”, an alliance that includes Yemen's Houthis, Hamas in Gaza and Shiite militia groups in Iraq, committed to fight the influence of Israel and the US.
The group also insisted on the government’s commitment to liberating Lebanese territories from Israeli occupation. Israel has maintained control over five key points in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreement calling for a full withdrawal from territories occupied after its ground invasion in October.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated Mr Salam on the government formation.
"The crown prince wished the Lebanese prime minister success and the brotherly Lebanese people further progress and prosperity," the ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.
Teams in the EHL
White Bears, Al Ain Theebs, Dubai Mighty Camels, Abu Dhabi Storms, Abu Dhabi Scorpions and Vipers
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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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
More coverage from the Future Forum
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Specs
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Power: 905hp
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Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
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
