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Israel is expected to continue its violations of the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon’s Hezbollah as part of a broader pressure campaign on Beirut, a senior Lebanese military source told The National on Monday. It comes as a top Lebanese official has accused Israel of attempting to lure the country into normalising relations.
“More Israeli air strikes are expected to target Lebanon, and Israeli troops will likely remain in the five strategic positions they control in southern Lebanon for now,” said the military source.
Tensions have escalated in recent days. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported one person killed on Sunday in an Israeli drone strike, following the most intense escalation since a November ceasefire halted the year-long war between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Seven people were killed in Israeli attacks on Saturday, including in the southern city of Tyre.
Israel has said the strikes were “a response to rocket fire towards Israel”. Hezbollah denied any involvement in the rocket fire and called Israel's accusations “pretexts for its continued attacks on Lebanon”.
“The launch sites look improvised, and it’s unlikely that Hezbollah was involved,” a senior Lebanese security source told The National. “Whoever carried out the attack seems to be trying to pull Lebanon back into war. At this point, Israel is the primary suspect – potentially using agents on the ground to justify a new escalation.” The Lebanese military is investigating the incident.
However, some Lebanese voices, particularly those opposed to Hezbollah, argue that no group could have launched rockets without Hezbollah's approval.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told Asharq Al Awsat newspaper that “Israel intends to draw us into political negotiations leading to the normalisation of relations between the two countries, but this is out of question for us".
"The agreement currently in place enjoys international and Arab support, as well as the backing of the United Nations. We are implementing it and adhering to it to the letter, while Israel is the one obstructing its execution and attempting to circumvent it,” said Mr Berri.
Despite the truce deal, Israel has continued to strike Lebanese territory, claiming that it is hitting Hezbollah military sites that violate the agreement.
Unifil representative Andrea Tenenti told The National that since November, peacekeepers have recorded more than 1,600 air violations and more than 600 rocket or missile trajectories from Israel, as well as about two-dozen air strikes within their area of operations, which extends from the Blue Line – the UN-delineated border between Lebanon and Israel – to the Litani River, about 30km from the border.
Under the ceasefire terms, Hezbollah is required to withdraw its forces north of the Litani River and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south. Israel, for its part, was supposed to withdraw across the Blue Line but has missed two deadlines and continues to hold five positions it deems "strategic".
Israel and Hezbollah interpret the ceasefire agreement differently. Israel asserts that the ceasefire demands Hezbollah fully disarms, not only in southern Lebanon but across the entire country. Hezbollah maintains that the agreement only requires it to disarm south of the Litani River.
A US official has previously told The National that Israel’s continued presence in these positions serves both security and strategic objectives. “In addition to security concerns, there’s a long-term strategic reasoning to keep the Lebanese government in check and eventually, push Lebanon towards a long-term peace agreement with Israel. It’s a long-game, steady-state approach,” said the US official.
Lebanese officials have reiterated their rejection of normalisation or any direct political talks. While Israel and Lebanon agreed earlier this month to open negotiations to delineate the border between the two countries, these discussions will be strictly military, indirect and mediated by the US, France and the UN, said the Lebanese security source.
A French diplomatic source told The National that special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian will arrive in Beirut on Wednesday for a two-day visit, during which he will meet Lebanese officials. President Joseph Aoun will leave for Paris on the 28th, the source added.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
England v South Africa schedule:
- First Test: At Lord's, England won by 219 runs
- Second Test: July 14-18, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 2pm
- Third Test: The Oval, London, July 27-31, 2pm
- Fourth Test: Old Trafford, Manchester, August 4-8
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
SERIE A FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Roma v Udinese (5pm)
SPAL v Napoli (8pm)
Juventus v Torino (10.45pm)
Sunday
Sampdoria v AC Milan (2.30pm)
Inter Milan v Genoa (5pm)
Crotone v Benevento (5pm)
Verona v Lazio (5pm)
Cagliari v Chievo (5pm)
Sassuolo v Bologna (8pm)
Fiorentina v Atalanta (10.45pm)
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The Farewell
Director: Lulu Wang
Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma
Four stars
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
RACE SCHEDULE
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm
Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm
Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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TYPES%20OF%20ONLINE%20GIG%20WORK
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
UK%20record%20temperature
%3Cp%3E38.7C%20(101.7F)%20set%20in%20Cambridge%20in%202019%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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