Israel attacked a busy road near Beirut on Thursday, blowing up a car and killing an alleged arms smuggler.
CCTV footage showed the moment the vehicle exploded in a ball of flame, while cars passed the scene of the explosion on the Khaldeh road. Authorities in Lebanon said one person was killed and three were injured in the attack on Beirut's southern suburbs.
The Israeli military said it had “struck and eliminated a terrorist responsible for smuggling weapons and advancing terror attacks against Israeli civilians and troops". It claimed the target worked on behalf of Iran's Quds Force, a foreign operations branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The attack is the latest Israeli strike to breach a ceasefire in Lebanon that followed a 14-month conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah, including an intensive two-month Israeli air campaign. It ended in November under a US-brokered truce, leaving Lebanon with huge reconstruction needs.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hezbollah is required to withdraw all military equipment and fighters from south of the Litani River, which lies 30km from the Lebanon-Israel border.
Israel is supposed to fully withdraw from positions it has occupied since launching a ground invasion in October. The Lebanese government has accused Israel of breaching the truce more than 3,000 times. It says Hezbollah has abided by its commitments.
Israel separately said its military hit "weapons storage facilities, military structures, and terrorist infrastructure" belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, where breaches of the ceasefire have been common. It said "the presence of weapons and Hezbollah's activity constitutes a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon".
Lebanon has recently come under increasing US pressure to include Hezbollah’s disarmament in its official government agenda as soon as possible. Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said in a televised speech on Thursday the group would “never accept surrendering our weapons to the Israeli enemy” nor “accept surrendering our land”.
Hezbollah saw its power dramatically diminished and most of its senior leaders killed in the war with Israel. But it is still believed to possess medium and long-range missiles, and it continues to command a broad Shiite support base.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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."
Zayed Sustainability Prize
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
Australia men's Test cricket fixtures 2021/22
One-off Test v Afghanistan:
Nov 27-Dec 1: Blundstone Arena, Hobart
The Ashes v England:
Dec 8-12: 1st Test, Gabba, Brisbane
Dec 16-20: 2nd Test, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (day/night)
Dec 26-30: 3rd Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Jan 5-9, 2022: 4th Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Jan 14-18: 5th Test, Optus Stadium, Perth
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Pathaan
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
