Since Lebanon’s general elections in 2022, the Lebanese Forces party has had the largest Christian bloc in Parliament. Yet its leader, Samir Geagea, has rarely exploited this advantage to shape policy in a certain direction. He has stayed out of the government, and while his bloc may be active in legislative affairs, there have been few tangible outcomes that could be directly linked to his party’s efforts.
Yet on September 1, at the Lebanese Forces’ annual mass for party “martyrs”, Mr Geagea made an intriguing speech, implying that he is aiming to use his party’s status more forcefully. He repeated familiar rhetorical points from the past – for instance how Hezbollah was advancing an Iranian regional plan at the expense of the Lebanese state and its interests – but also opened doors that were genuinely new.
There were five main takeaways from his speech. The first was Mr Geagea’s insistence that the Arab world and international community would not speak to Hezbollah after the current conflict with Israel, but would speak instead to the likes of the Lebanese Forces: “Everyone, on the day after, will negotiate with those who hold the keys to the day after, the keys to the future – those who have a vision, a plan, and a drive to reform.” That’s why, he concluded, “Tomorrow is ours.”
This underlined a second of Mr Geagea’s points, namely that even if Christian demographic numbers are declining, the community continues to play a central role in Lebanon. In light of this, the main interlocutor with the Muslim communities (and with the international community) on the Christian side was the Lebanese Forces, not the Free Patriotic Movement of Michel Aoun and Gebran Bassil, which is currently racked by internal dissension.
By talking about reviving the state, Geagea seeks to reinvent himself as a national politician, not merely a sectarian Maronite one
Mr Geagea went on to affirm that the Lebanese president, traditionally a Maronite Christian, could not be chosen by the Shiite duo of Hezbollah and its ally, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri: “The road to the Presidential Palace in Baabda does not pass through [Hezbollah’s headquarters in] Haret Hreik, nor does entry to Baabda Palace happen through the gates of [Mr Berri’s residence in] Ain Al-Tineh.”
A fourth takeaway was that Mr Geagea positioned himself as a defender of a state project. He did this at a time when the Lebanese state is disintegrating, was absent from the decision to enter the war with Israel, is devoured by corruption, and faces a parallel military structure in the form of Hezbollah. Mr Geagea must have learnt a lesson from Mr Aoun, whose popularity in 1988 derived from his defending the state against the wartime militias, of which Mr Geagea was one of the leaders.
Finally, Mr Geagea made a statement that had considerable resonance. He directed it primarily at Hezbollah: “Let us first elect a president of the Republic, as per the Constitution. Afterwards, we are ready [to] call for a truthful national dialogue table at Baabda Palace where we will address all our national concerns. The discussion should focus on one single question: what kind of Lebanon do we want? ... The time has come to resolve the fundamental disputes that prevent the establishment of a functioning state and keep Lebanon as a realm of chaos, corruption, and instability.”
Mr Geagea effectively expressed a willingness here to discuss a revamping of the Lebanese political system with Hezbollah. Not surprisingly, this alarmed some within the country’s Sunni community who saw in his words a potential desire to abandon the post-Taif Constitution, which many in the community believe advantages them.
By taking this approach, Mr Geagea appeared to be trying to impose a new equation in the political system. His first aim was to portray himself as someone who had a vision for a “strong state”, as he put it, who is the paramount Maronite Christian figure, and who could no longer be circumvented by Hezbollah. In other words, he is someone who must and will have a significant say in Lebanon’s future.
This sounded very much like a presidential project, even if Mr Geagea realises that he can never be president for as long as he opposes Hezbollah. Yet he does have several objectives that fall short of the presidency. He wants to rally most Christian voters to his side, thereby permanently marginalising the Aounists as a major Christian political force and preventing Hezbollah from exploiting divisions in the Christian community.
Mr Geagea also appears to want to stake out a position as the alternative to Hezbollah, one with whom the Arab world and international community can speak down the road, particularly in the absence of a president. By doing so, he also is trying to become the kingmaker for any future president.
And by talking about reviving the state, Mr Geagea seeks to reinvent himself as a national politician, not merely a sectarian Maronite one. The problem is that he largely failed to mention the Sunni population, Lebanon’s largest community, preferring to address his comments directly or indirectly at the Shiite Hezbollah. Indeed, as one participant at the mass noticed, virtually none of the Christians who had been in the bloc of leading Sunni politician Saad Hariri was invited to the ceremony.
Some might warn that Mr Geagea is overplaying his hand. Perhaps, but at this point he has little to lose. The rifts in the Aounist camp have created an opening for him to emerge as Lebanon’s paramount Maronite figure, while many Lebanese are looking for someone who purports to have a national vision as they see their state crumbling.
If Hezbollah is looking to assuage the other communities and find a more solid basis for its highly contested armed presence in Lebanon than the one existing today, the party may find it difficult to ignore Mr Geagea. That’s his wager, anyway.
Results
Female 49kg: Mayssa Bastos (BRA) bt Thamires Aquino (BRA); points 0-0 (advantage points points 1-0).
Female 55kg: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Amal Amjahid (BEL); points 4-2.
Female 62kg: Beatriz Mesquita (BRA) v Ffion Davies (GBR); 10-2.
Female 70kg: Thamara Silva (BRA) bt Alessandra Moss (AUS); submission.
Female 90kg: Gabreili Passanha (BRA) bt Claire-France Thevenon (FRA); submission.
Male 56kg: Hiago George (BRA) bt Carlos Alberto da Silva (BRA); 2-2 (2-0)
Male 62kg: Gabriel de Sousa (BRA) bt Joao Miyao (BRA); 2-2 (2-1)
Male 69kg: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Isaac Doederlein (USA); 2-2 (2-2) Ref decision.
Male 77kg: Tommy Langarkar (NOR) by Oliver Lovell (GBR); submission.
Male 85kg: Rudson Mateus Teles (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE); 2-2 (1-1) Ref decision.
Male 94kg: Kaynan Duarte (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL); submission.
Male 110kg: Joao Rocha (BRA) bt Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE); submission.
RESULTS
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group 1 (PA) Dh119,373 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Brraq, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Jean-Claude Pecout (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Taamol, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Turf) 1,800m
Winner: Eqtiraan, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial (TB) Dh183,650 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Soft Whisper, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
9.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
Winner: Etisalat, Sando Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
The Ashes
Results
First Test, Brisbane: Australia won by 10 wickets
Second Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 120 runs
Third Test, Perth: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs
Fourth Test: Melbourne: Drawn
Fifth Test: Australia won by an innings and 123 runs
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Result:
1. Cecilie Hatteland (NOR) atop Alex - 31.46 seconds
2. Anna Gorbacheva (RUS) atop Curt 13 - 31.82 seconds
3. Georgia Tame (GBR) atop Cash Up - 32.81 seconds
4. Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed Al Maktoum (UAE) atop Peanuts de Beaufour - 35.85 seconds
5. Miriam Schneider (GER) atop Benur du Romet - 37.53 seconds
6. Annika Sande (NOR) atop For Cash 2 - 31.42 seconds (4 penalties)
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Paltan
Producer: JP Films, Zee Studios
Director: JP Dutta
Cast: Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood, Arjun Rampal, Siddhanth Kapoor, Luv Sinha and Harshvardhan Rane
Rating: 2/5
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