Listen to the latest podcast on the Beirut blast here
Before the anniversary of the Beirut port explosion, a UN envoy on Thursday rapped Lebanon’s politicians for failing to effectively investigate the blast and hold any senior officials to account.
Joanna Wronecka, the UN envoy to Lebanon, said during closed-door UN Security Council talks that there had been no impartial, thorough and transparent investigation since the August 4 blast.
The explosion killed more than 200 people, wounded thousands and destroyed large areas of the capital. It was caused by a cache of explosive chemicals that had been stored unsafely at the port for years.
“The families of the victims and thousands whose lives have been changed forever by that terrible blast are still waiting,” Ms Wronecka said, according to a copy of her comments obtained by The National.
“They deserve justice and dignity.”
This month, Lebanon’s caretaker interior minister, Mohamed Fahmy, denied a request from the judge investigating the port blast to question a top security official — the latest sign of unwillingness to properly probe the tragedy.
Families of the blast victims have frequently staged protests in the capital while holding photos of their relatives to express their anger that no senior officials have been held to account for the deadly chemical dump.
Lebanon has been run by caretaker officials for almost a year while its currency has collapsed, jobs have disappeared and banks have frozen accounts in one of the worst financial crises of modern times.
Lebanon's prime minister-designate, Saad Hariri, stepped down on July 15, saying President Michel Aoun had rejected his latest list of Cabinet picks, upending hopes that the nation was close to witnessing the formation of a new government.
The Lebanese pound has lost more than 90 per cent of its value against the dollar on the black market since 2019 and Lebanese workers with devalued salaries have seen their purchasing power plummet.
Soaring inflation has left Lebanese families spending five times the minimum wage to put food on the table, a study released this week by the Crisis Observatory at the American University of Beirut showed.
Ms Wronecka bashed Lebanon’s politicians for the economic and political failures that had pushed more than half of the population below the poverty line, stoking fears that Lebanon was becoming a failed state.
“The United Nations is doing what it can to mitigate the situation, but ultimately, the responsibility for salvaging Lebanon lies in the hands of Lebanon’s leaders,” she told the Security Council.
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I Feel Pretty
Dir: Abby Kohn/Mark Silverstein
Starring: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski, Rory Scovel
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)
Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am
Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am
Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
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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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Day 2, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Pakistan’s effort in the field had hints of shambles about it. The wheels were officially off when Wahab Riaz lost his run up and aborted the delivery four times in a row. He re-measured his run, jogged in for two practice goes. Then, when he was finally ready to go, he bailed out again. It was a total cringefest.
Stat of the day – 139.5 Yasir Shah has bowled 139.5 overs in three innings so far in this Test series. Judged by his returns, the workload has not withered him. He has 14 wickets so far, and became history’s first spinner to take five-wickets in an innings in five consecutive Tests. Not bad for someone whose fitness was in question before the series.
The verdict Stranger things have happened, but it is going to take something extraordinary for Pakistan to keep their undefeated record in Test series in the UAE in tact from this position. At least Shan Masood and Sami Aslam have made a positive start to the salvage effort.
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THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
