On her recent trip to Lebanon, the US deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus reportedly indicated the Trump administration wanted a more rapid disarmament of Hezbollah. Ms Ortagus even took to X, formerly Twitter, to attack the Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, who had said in a television interview that her conditions were “impossible” when it came to the Lebanese army’s seizing the party’s weapons.
Whether Mr Jumblatt was correct or not, it is a mistake to think – as some in the US, Israel and even inside Lebanon do – that the problem of Hezbollah’s weapons can be resolved by force. Sectarian relations in the country are too fragile to ignore the very real risks of a violent move against the party.
Any decision by the state to resort to a military option is likely to backfire. First, Hezbollah is not so weak that it wouldn’t defend its arsenal effectively if its leadership decided to do so. Fighting would quickly bog down in the midst of civilian areas, causing destruction and polarising Lebanon even more. This, in turn, would rally to its side many from its support base within the country's Shiite community, who are today suffering from the consequences of the party’s war against Israel.
If fighting were to escalate, the Lebanese Army would also have to face the repercussions of sectarian tensions in its own ranks. When the army was used previously against part of the Lebanese population, it split into rival factions – as in 1976, or in 1989-1990. That is why, for example, during the short civil war of 1958, the army commander at the time, Fouad Chehab, ensured that the military remained neutral.
In such a situation, it is likely the Trump administration would wash its hands of Lebanon and allow the country to be engulfed in domestic conflict. In other words, US officials want Lebanon to take a tougher line on Hezbollah, but if things were to go south, in all probability they would blame the Lebanese for the outcome.
Lebanon’s President, Joseph Aoun, must know these dangers. He was an officer in 1990 when the army fought a ruinous war with the Lebanese Forces militia. Though the army was stronger, the militia defended its areas with ferocity, leading to many civilian casualties. Mr Aoun won’t want to repeat that experience, and he recently told Al Jazeera that any disarmament process with Hezbollah would have to take place through dialogue.
Another factor imposes caution – namely, that the ultimate decider on Hezbollah’s arms is Iran. Since the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict last year, which led to the killing of most of the party’s military commanders, its secretary general Hassan Nasrallah and his likely successors, Hashem Safieddine and Nabil Qaouq, it is the Iranians, by most accounts, who have taken over direct control of the party.
The ultimate decider on Hezbollah’s arms is Iran
In other words, it makes little sense for Lebanese officials to take a harsh line on Hezbollah’s weapons when the actual decision-makers are in Tehran. In light of this, Mr Aoun and his Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, appear to have adopted an alternative strategy that is far more advisable in the situation today.
This approach involves gradually narrowing Hezbollah’s margin of manoeuvre and reasserting state power in important national institutions. The state has done so by ensuring that the area south of the Litani River is free of weapons, a major condition of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, denying Hezbollah an active front with Israel.
The army has also enforced its authority over major entry points into Lebanon – the airport, port, and major border crossings and zones. This is critical to ensuring Hezbollah cannot arm or finance itself through illicit cross-border activities, and Beirut has sought to improve co-ordination with the Syrian authorities in this regard.
At the same time, the state is portraying this process as being directed against all armed groups in the country, not just Hezbollah. That is why Mr Aoun and Mr Salam are also keen to address disarming Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. Mr Aoun does not want a situation where it appears Hezbollah alone is being targeted by the state.
Another prong of Mr Aoun’s and Mr Salam’s gradualist approach is to place the burden on Hezbollah to break with the state. A vast majority of Lebanese today desire nothing more than a functioning state after years of chaos. Therefore, Hezbollah wants to avoid being held responsible for a breakdown of contacts with the president and government.
This soft approach is exactly what the realities today require. In public, Hezbollah is still resisting any discussion of disarmament, but there is a price for this. Israel is continuing to attack its arms caches at will, with US support, and the party is more isolated than ever at home, where many Lebanese no longer regard an independent Hezbollah arsenal as desirable, nor will accept a new conflict with the Israelis.
Ultimately, Mr Aoun and Mr Salam may be calculating that even the Iranians, seeing that the question of weapons is harming Hezbollah more than it is helping the party, may come around to adopting a more compromising position. This could involve a quid pro quo of surrendering weapons in exchange for more constitutional prerogatives for the Shiite community.
For Mr Aoun, this would represent a breakthrough. If disarmament is the lever that prompts greater integration of all Lebanese communities into the state, he would have achieved a great deal. In the meantime, both he and Mr Salam prefer to be patient, play the long game, and avoid rash actions that some people inside and outside Lebanon are encouraging.
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
The biog
Family: Parents and four sisters
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at American University of Sharjah
A self-confessed foodie, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, her current favourite is the poke superfood bowls
Likes reading: autobiographies and fiction
Favourite holiday destination: Italy
Posts information about challenges, events, runs in other emirates on the group's Instagram account @Anagowrunning
Has created a database of Emirati and GCC sportspeople on Instagram @abeermk, highlight: Athletes
Apart from training, also talks to women about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
MANDOOB
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