Lebanon’s investigation of the deadly explosion that shook Beirut in August has suffered setbacks with political tensions building after the indictment of the country’s top sitting Sunni official.
Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab, one of four senior politicians indicted last week in connection to the August 4 blast that killed over 200 people, has refused to co-operate with the judge leading the investigation, arguing that the judicial order violated the law.
On Monday, Judge Fadi Sawan rescheduled the questioning sessions for Mr Diab and three other former ministers who were charged with criminal negligence in connection to the blast, which involved the explosion of around 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that have been stockpiled at Beirut port for over six years.
Judge Sawan set Mr Diab’s new questioning session for Friday morning while former Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil, and ex-ministers of Public Works and Transport Youssef Fenianos and Ghazi Zeaiter, have been summoned for questioning on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday respectively.
Mr Zeaiter’s brother-in-law, Judge Ghassan Oweidat, stepped down on Monday from his role as prosecutor in the case, the National News Agency reported.
The charges against Mr Diab fuelled long-simmering tensions between President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, who labelled the indictment an “attack” on the post of prime minister, a position reserved for Sunnis under Lebanon's unwritten confessional power-sharing system.
Hariri’s Future Movement said the investigation was being exploited to settle political scores and accused Mr Aoun of seeking to undermine the Taif Accord, the agreement that ended the country’s 15-year civil war. The accord introduced key amendments to the constitution, marking a shift in the power balance from the presidency, a post reserved for Christians, to the council of ministers.
Following Mr Diab’s indictment, Mr Hariri spearheaded a campaign in solidarity with the caretaker PM. Mr Hariri was joined by Lebanon’s top Sunni religious leader, Mufti Abdul Latif Derian, and former prime ministers Najib Mikati and Fouad Siniora.
Mr Mikati and Mr Siniora said the charges were politically driven and violated the constitution, which shield officials against prosecution for decisions made in their line of work.
The recent charges, however, could set a precedent for judges to prosecute former and current ministers accused of wrongdoing, legal experts argue.
The latest developments appeared to further complicate negotiations over the formation of a Cabinet before a visit by French President Emanuel Macron to Lebanon next week.
On Monday, Mr Hariri accused the president and the Free Patriotic Movement of obstructing the Cabinet formation by demanding over a third of the seats and consequently the power to veto key government resolutions.
Mr Macron has repeatedly called on the country’s political leaders to form a “credible” government that commits to fighting corruption in exchange for billions of dollars in financial aid from the international community.
But his calls fell on deaf ears. After months of political bickering, Mr Hariri failed to secure the approval of the president on a cabinet line-up of non-partisan experts he proposed last week. The president retaliated with a counterproposal that brought negotiations back to square one, insisting that Mr Hariri consults with all political parties on the Cabinet make-up.
Mr Aoun also denied interfering in the investigation into the blast, which forced the resignation of Mr Diab's government.
The blast injured 6,000 people, displaced 300,000 families and caused an estimated 15 billion dollars in damages, further exacerbating Lebanon's economic woes.
The World Bank has recently warned that over half of the country’s population will fall into poverty by 2021 if no reforms are undertaken.
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat
Barbara J King, University of Chicago Press
More from Neighbourhood Watch
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
SPECS
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Wednesday's results
Finland 3-0 Armenia
Faroes Islands 1-0 Malta
Sweden 1-1 Spain
Gibraltar 2-3 Georgia
Romania 1-1 Norway
Greece 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Liechtenstein 0-5 Italy
Switzerland 2-0 Rep of Ireland
Israel 3-1 Latvia
Quick%20facts
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStorstockholms%20Lokaltrafik%20(SL)%20offers%20free%20guided%20tours%20of%20art%20in%20the%20metro%20and%20at%20the%20stations%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20tours%20are%20free%20of%20charge%3B%20all%20you%20need%20is%20a%20valid%20SL%20ticket%2C%20for%20which%20a%20single%20journey%20(valid%20for%2075%20minutes)%20costs%2039%20Swedish%20krone%20(%243.75)%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETravel%20cards%20for%20unlimited%20journeys%20are%20priced%20at%20165%20Swedish%20krone%20for%2024%20hours%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAvoid%20rush%20hour%20%E2%80%93%20between%209.30%20am%20and%204.30%20pm%20%E2%80%93%20to%20explore%20the%20artwork%20at%20leisure%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Afro%20salons
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Canada
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Our legal advisor
Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.
Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fifa Club World Cup:
When: December 6-16
Where: Games to take place at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain
Defending champions: Real Madrid
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
QUARTER-FINAL
Wales 20-19 France
Wales: T: Wainwright, Moriarty. Cons: Biggar (2) Pens: Biggar 2
France: T: Vahaamahina, Ollivon, Vakatawa Cons: Ntamack (2)
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
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
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How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
Ability to sleep well diminishes
Academic performance begins to deteriorate
Changes in eating habits
Struggles to concentrate
Refuses to go to school
Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings
Begins to use language they do not normally use
