As a follow-up to the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel in November, the two countries agreed to form committees earlier this month to discuss three issues: their outstanding land border disagreements; Israel’s withdrawal from five border hills it still occupies in Lebanon; and the release of Lebanese prisoners being held by the Israelis.
From the beginning, Israel has sought to portray such negotiations as the first step towards diplomatic relations. “The goal is to reach normalisation,” an Israeli official recently declared, quoted by The Times of Israel newspaper. On the Lebanese side, however, the official position is that there is no intention to normalise, only to secure an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, seek the release of Lebanese citizens, and reach an agreement over disputed border points and close this contentious file.
From the Lebanese perspective, allegations that the administration of US President Donald Trump is trying to push Beirut in the same direction as Israel have been even more disturbing. On March 18, Lebanon’s An-Nahar newspaper published an article quoting an unnamed “Lebanese personality” who met US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Doha recently. The envoy reportedly told him that “Lebanon will be asked to move to direct face-to-face political negotiations with Israel and name a civilian official for this task”. The Israelis, Mr Witkoff is believed to have added, would be represented by that country’s Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer.
The envoy also allegedly told his Lebanese interlocutor that there would be no reconstruction in the south, the Bekaa, and Beirut’s southern suburbs before such a process begins, nor would the inhabitants of “frontline border towns” be allowed to return home. Israel would continue to hold the occupied hills for about a year and would not negotiate over the 13 land border points still in dispute.
Mr Witkoff publicly denied the An-Nahar report, describing it as “baseless, false and misleading”. Yet few in Beirut were reassured, given the Israeli statements on normalisation and how close the Trump administration is to Israel. One can speculate whether such off-the-record remarks were designed to raise the heat on Lebanon, given that Mr Witkoff allegedly told his interlocutor that the Americans were dissatisfied with how Lebanon was dealing with Hezbollah.
If that’s the thinking in Washington, the Americans should be careful. Lebanon is too divided a country today to be able to afford a divisive internal dispute over relations with Israel, particularly when it has much more pressing challenges. Any idea that, because Lebanon is fragile and Hezbollah is weakened, the country can be bludgeoned into a normalisation process that it doesn’t want may crack open its dangerous rifts.
At the same time, if there is some truth in the An-Nahar report, and this echoes the mood in the Trump administration, it’s up to the Lebanese to prepare a pre-emptive approach to address the implications. To assume that such a detailed exchange was simply invented by a Lebanese figure visiting Qatar is unconvincing. Hence, some anticipatory Lebanese steps may be necessary. What might the contours of such an approach be?
First of all, the Lebanese government has to again make clear that normalisation with Israel would be a step too far for a country that needs to rebuild the domestic authority of the state. To push Hezbollah and its communal supporters in such a direction would provoke a backlash that would not only undermine the state’s credibility; it would also be exploited by the group to revive itself, mobilise its base and retain its weapons.
Second, the Lebanese have to bring long-term discussions with Israel back to a format that can be legitimised. The obvious format is the Lebanese-Israeli Mixed Armistice Commission established when the two countries negotiated the Armistice Agreement of March 23, 1949. However, the agreement may need to be updated in light of realities today, which can be done by amending the agreement’s annexes.
With regard to Mr Witkoff’s purported demand that a civilian representative be designated, there is a precedent from which Lebanon can take advantage: the maritime border negotiations concluded in 2022. Ultimately, it was then-president Michel Aoun, a civilian, who carried them out, albeit indirectly through Amos Hochstein, the US envoy at the time.
Direct talks through the Mixed Armistice Commission and indirect talks through President Joseph Aoun on the land border disputes may be a way of nipping any potential American demands in the bud, thereby relying on precedents that can preserve domestic unity. This won’t lead to a peace agreement, but it will revive an Armistice Agreement that guarantees that no military actions again take place across the southern border.
In parallel, the Lebanese should initiate negotiations with the new government in Syria to resolve the contested border in the Shebaa Farms area. Their outcome would end any ambiguity over to which country the farms belong – Syria or Lebanon.
Finally, the Lebanese government must begin a dialogue with Hezbollah on finding a solution to the group’s weapons and implementing UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701. A return to the Armistice Agreement, like the large Lebanese majority’s opposition to the group’s holding weapons, could compel Hezbollah to make concessions on this front.
Such measures may fall short of normalisation, if that is indeed what the Americans want, but they would fall within the confines of what the government could sell at home. By pushing too hard, the US may throw the baby out with the bathwater. Most Lebanese want an end to hostilities with Israel, but do not necessarily embrace normalisation. A formula that balances these aims is what is needed today.
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How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
BAD%20BOYS%3A%20RIDE%20OR%20DIE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Scores in brief:
- New Medical Centre 129-5 in 17 overs bt Zayed Cricket Academy 125-6 in 20 overs.
- William Hare Abu Dhabi Gymkhana 188-8 in 20 overs bt One Stop Tourism 184-8 in 20 overs
- Alubond Tigers 138-7 in 20 overs bt United Bank Limited 132-7 in 20 overs
- Multiplex 142-6 in 17 overs bt Xconcepts Automobili 140 all out in 20 overs
The years Ramadan fell in May
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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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
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
