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.
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
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.
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
World ranking (at month’s end)
Jan - 257
Feb - 198
Mar - 159
Apr - 161
May - 159
Jun – 162
Currently: 88
Year-end rank since turning pro
2016 - 279
2015 - 185
2014 - 143
2013 - 63
2012 - 384
2011 - 883
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%20Last%20White%20Man
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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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
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Look%20Both%20Ways
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Wanuri%20Kahiu%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Lili%20Reinhart%2C%20Danny%20Ramirez%2C%20David%20Corenswet%2C%20Luke%20Wilson%2C%20Nia%20Long%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More from UAE Human Development Report:
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
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
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
