Britain to recognise political Hizbollah



BEIRUT // In a change of policy with major repercussions for diplomacy in Lebanon, the British foreign ministry yesterday confirmed it would open relations with the political wing of the Shiite militant group Hizbollah. "We have reconsidered our position on no contact with Hizbollah," the Foreign Office said in a statement released to reporters yesterday morning. "In light of more positive recent political developments in Lebanon, including the formation of the national unity government in which Hizbollah are participating, we are exploring certain contacts at an official level with Hizbollah's political wing, including MPs." Although Hizbollah has long contended that a firewall separates its political operations - known as Hizbollah, or "the Party of God" - and its military wing called "The Islamic Resistance of Lebanon", the United States, Israel and most European Union countries have classified the entire group as a terrorist organisation. Hizbollah was formed in the 1980s with Iranian support as a military unit to liberate the primarily Shiite areas of south Lebanon from Israel, which militarily occupied the area between 1978 to 2000. Over time, the military focus of the group has been complemented by the formation of a political wing, which now commands enormous political power with 11 members of parliament and a veto-capable minority in Lebanon's unity government. For Britain to recognise Hizbollah's political wing marks a significant change in policy that would seem to recognise the difference between armed resistance, often characterised by the west as "terrorism", and the significant political role played by Hizbollah in Lebanon and its ally Hamas in the Palestinian territories. It is a remarkable turnaround for the group, which most of the western world condemned for a violent takeover of West Beirut in May as a nearly two-year political standoff between the pro-western government and the Hizbollah-led opposition exploded into direct clashes between Sunni supporters of the government and Shiite supporters of Hizbollah and its allies. Denounced at the time as a "coup" by the west, that spasm of violence eventually drove both sides into a national unity government. However, it is as if Hizbollah had lost whatever international credibility it had developed from its powerful political and social patronage programmes. But as Lebanon stabilised in the aftermath of the violence - sending the country into the longest period of peace since the killing of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri in February 2005, it appears that Hizbollah's ability to balance violence and politics is earning it new respect. "Anyone wanting to do business with Lebanon needs to recognise the role of 'The Resistance'," said one pro-western legislator, who asked to not be identified supporting his political enemies. "Their role and power in Lebanon cannot be ignored. We hope this means the Americans will follow suit and also loosen the rules for dealing with our government." The US has long refused any ties or meetings with Hizbollah based on the actions of its military wing, which include alleged attacks on American targets in the 1980s and Israeli and Jewish targets worldwide since. But as the new administration expands its role in the Arab-Israeli conflict as a negotiator, few experts think that ignoring Hamas and Hizbollah can remain a viable policy in light of their political and military power. The British Embassy in Beirut refused to comment, but diplomatic sources in the Lebanese capital said the British move was in response to pressure from members of its diplomatic corps, who have argued the merits of engaging the group for years. The calm that followed last year's military takeover and the relative stability of the unity government that resulted from the clashes helped make these claims more credible, according to Beirut-based diplomats. "How can you want to help Lebanon and not talk to the single most powerful force in the country," said one Hizbollah political cadre member. "But there's little reason to believe Obama will have different policies." Hizbollah's second-in-command, Sheikh Naim Qassem, last weekend bragged about the group's new-found mainstream credibility in a speech to supporters in the group's Bekaa Valley stronghold. Foreign diplomats are "standing in line to talk to Hizbollah and, except for the US and Israel, we have good relations with all", he said. mprothero@thenational.ae

'The Ice Road'

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne

2/5

The specs: Fenyr SuperSport

Price, base: Dh5.1 million

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm

Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

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Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.

A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.

Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.

A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.

On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.

The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.

Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.

The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later. 

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Cologne v Hoffenheim (11.30pm)

Saturday

Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig (6.30pm)

Schalke v Fortuna Dusseldof (6.30pm)

Mainz v Union Berlin (6.30pm)

Paderborn v Augsburg (6.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund (9.30pm)

Sunday

Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen (4.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)

SC Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt (9on)

AIDA%20RETURNS
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THE TWIN BIO

Their favourite city: Dubai

Their favourite food: Khaleeji

Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach

Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll

Why your domicile status is important

Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.

Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born. 

UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.

A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.

NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013