A convoy of black SUVs with tinted windows drove at speed towards the Unifil base in Naqoura in south Lebanon early on Wednesday, while a helicopter circled overhead. The vehicles carried officials going to meet the delegation from Israel to begin thrashing out the demarcation of borders.
The high-profile meeting under UN and US mediation lasted only an hour but negotiators agreed to meet again on October 28, Lebanese defence sources said.
Shortly before it began, Iran-backed Hezbollah and its ally Amal criticised the move. The statement from Lebanon's two main Shiite parties called for reform of the negotiating team, which they said must include only military officials, with no civilians or politicians.
The two countries have no formal relations, never officially ended years of hostilities and remain technically at war. Hezbollah waged a bloody insurgency against Israel’s occupation of south Lebanon until they withdrew in 2000. The two sides fought again in 2006.
The small UN peacekeeper base on the southern coastal tip of Lebanon offers the only avenue for Lebanese military heads to negotiate, indirectly through the Unifil force commander, with Israel in an attempt to maintain quiet on the frontier.
“The current form of the Lebanese delegation, which includes civilian figures, is contrary to the framework agreement,” the Hezbollah press office said. That framework is “based on the regular [tripart] meetings between military officers exclusively”, Hezbollah said.
Amal head and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri previously announced the acceptable framework for the parties that talks are undertaken by the military.
“[This] represents a recognition of the Israeli logic that wants to obtain any form of normalisation. Therefore, the two parties call to immediately revoke this decision and reconfigure the delegation in line with the framework agreement,” Mr Berri said.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed the first round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel on the maritime border on Wednesday, saying that Washington will continue along with the UN to broker these talks in a second round in November.
“We welcome the launch of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel,” Mr Pompeo said from the State Department as Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker took part in these deliberations in south Lebanon.
A statement from the US government and the UN Special Co-ordinator for Lebanon said: "During this initial meeting, the representatives held productive talks and reaffirmed their commitment to continue negotiations later this month."
Lebanon and Israel agreed this month to negotiate over a long-running row relating to a sea border running through potentially gas-rich Mediterranean waters.
The talks in the Lebanese border town of Naqoura will be hosted by the UN special co-ordinator for Lebanon, Jan Kubis, and US assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs David Schenker will facilitate the opening session, the State Department said on Tuesday. US ambassador John Desrocher will serve as the main US mediator.
“The agreement to commence discussions on the maritime boundary is a vital step forward that offers the potential to yield greater stability, security and prosperity for Lebanese and Israeli citizens alike,” the State Department said.
Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said that the negotiations with Lebanon do not deal with the normalisation of relations, or peace. Rather, he said, they are negotiations to resolve technical-economic differences related to natural resources at sea.
Lebanon and Israel each claim about 860 square kilometres of the Mediterranean Sea as being within their respective exclusive economic zones.
Lebanon began offshore drilling outside this contested zone this year and is expected to start drilling for gas near the disputed area with Israel in the coming months.
Lebanon and Israel have since 1948 been technically in a state of war and Lebanon hosts tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees – most were displaced during the creation of the Israeli state.
The idea of normalisation with Israel is deeply unpopular in Lebanon, particularly among Hezbollah and Amal supporters.
At the same time, Lebanese politicians have repeatedly promised the Lebanese that offshore oil and gas discoveries can help the country to recover financially from its worst economic crisis yet. But experts said that even if oil and gas were located in viable quantities this year, it could take upward of a decade to begin seeing a return even without the regular political battles that paralyse government.
President Michel Aoun announced on Monday that the Lebanese team would be led by air force officer Brig Gen Bassam Yassin. The three other members are Col Mazen Basbous, from the navy, Lebanese Petroleum Administration chairman Wissam Chbat and border expert Najib Massihi.
Contacted by The National on Monday, Mr Massihi's father answered and said his son was not allowed to speak to the media.
Lebanon and Israel hold monthly tripartite meetings in Naqoura to discuss breaches along the Blue Line, which is not an internationally recognised border but rather a UN-agreed line that shows where Israeli forces were stationed in 1978, prior to the invasion of Lebanon that lasted until the year 2000, to assess the full withdrawal. The Blue Line is patrolled by 10,480 UN peacekeepers from 41 countries.
Lebanon and Israel also held indirect negotiations in the 1990s when Arab states and Israel were working on reaching peace agreements. Although the Palestinians and Jordan signed agreements with Israel, Lebanon and Syria did not. – additional reporting by agencies
UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Chris%20Jordan%20on%20Sanchit
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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
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Results
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 1,000m, Winner: Hazeem Al Raed, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 85,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: Ghazwan Al Khalediah, Hugo Lebouc, Helal Al Alawi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Dinar Al Khalediah, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi.
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Faith And Fortune, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Only Smoke, Bernardo Pinheiro, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: AF Ramz, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mass, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
Results
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%3Cp%3EThe%20Punishment%20of%20Luxury%3Cbr%3EOMD%3Cbr%3E100%25%20Records%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
ARM%20IPO%20DETAILS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EShare%20price%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETarget%20raise%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%248%20billion%20to%20%2410%20billion%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProjected%20valuation%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2460%20billion%20to%20%2470%20billion%20(Source%3A%20Bloomberg)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELead%20underwriters%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Barclays%2C%20Goldman%20Sachs%20Group%2C%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20and%20Mizuho%20Financial%20Group%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Second Test, Day 2:
South Africa 335 & 75/1 (22.0 ov)
England 205
South Africa lead by 205 runs with 9 wickets remaining
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
