In theory, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is not a political body. In practice, despite the avowals of investigators based in the Netherlands - who insist their work is guided only by the facts behind the murder of Rafiq Hariri - there can be no such clean distinction.
In January, Lebanon's government collapsed under pressure from Hizbollah and its allies over disagreements about the tribunal. After five months of extensive talks, the new prime minister Najib Miqati formed a new government that was decidedly more friendly to Hizbollah. And now, after just a few weeks, that government faces a severe test.
There have been mixed reactions to the indictment of four men, at least two of whom are confirmed Hizbollah members, on Thursday. Some are disappointed that more senior figures in Syria were not indicted; many Lebanese, weary of the country's interminable political strife, are disturbed that Hizbollah has been implicated given its thinly veiled threats of violence.
An indictment is not a verdict. Even if these four men are guilty, they certainly would only be a few of those responsible for Hariri's murder. The eventual list of suspects may include dead people, such as Imad Mughnieh, Hizbollah's former military commander who was killed in 2008. There is still considerable mystery over the whereabouts of at least two suspects, Mugnieh's brother-in-law Mustapha Badreddine and also Salim Ayyash. They may already be on the run.
Lebanon's interior minister, Marwan Sharbal, has already sent pessimistic signals about arrests - the country has between 15,000 and 20,000 suspects still at large in other cases. And there is a question about Mr Miqati's will and ability to abide by the indictment.
It is in his interest, and in the interest of the country, to do so. Hizbollah's militia, the most powerful military force in the country, cannot be allowed to suppress any investigation of Hariri's murder. This is not a political point. The rule of law in Lebanon means nothing if a figure like Hariri can be killed with impunity. The string of subsequent political murders proves this.
So little seemed to have been accomplished for most of the six years since the assassination; other cases, indeed, have dragged on for decades. The Lebanese people are understandably tired of the bloodshed and partisan feuding. It will only stop - or, perhaps more realistically, lessen - if murderers are held to account. Many in Lebanon's political scene believe that justice is impossible in this case. The special tribunal is at least an effort to prove them wrong.
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
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The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
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The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
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More coverage from the Future Forum
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Price, base: Dh1.2 million
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.3L / 100km (estimate)
Premier League results
Saturday
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Arsenal 1
Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 1
Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Huddersfield Town 0
Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 3
Manchester United 3 Southampton 2
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Cardiff City 0
West Ham United 2 Newcastle United 0
Sunday
Watford 2 Leicester City 1
Fulham 1 Chelsea 2
Everton 0 Liverpool 0
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The biog
Born: near Sialkot, Pakistan, 1981
Profession: Driver
Family: wife, son (11), daughter (8)
Favourite drink: chai karak
Favourite place in Dubai: The neighbourhood of Khawaneej. “When I see the old houses over there, near the date palms, I can be reminded of my old times. If I don’t go down I cannot recall my old times.”
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
India squads
T20: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur
Test: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)