BEIRUT // Hizbollah will stand by the government despite the Lebanese prime minister's announcement this week of financial support for a UN-backed tribunal that indicted four men linked to the organisation for the assassination of a former premier.
Without giving specifics, Hassan Nasrallah, the Hizbollah leader, said in a speech late on Thursday that the Shiite movement had no interest in creating political turmoil over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), which is investigating the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri.
"Although we reject all means of funding or co-operating with the tribunal, we will not cause problems in the country and we will make national interests a priority," he said in his scheduled televised address ahead of Ashoura, which falls on Tuesday. "We are keen on political stability and on the government's survival."
Mr Nasrallah has rejected the STL as unlawful and a political device. His comments on Thursday came a day after prime minister Nejib Mikati averted a potential crisis, confirming that Lebanon's required 49 per cent share of the STL's budget had been paid.
The announcement ended months of speculation about how Lebanon would deal with its commitment to the court - an issue that had divided the cabinet. Mr Mikati and his allies supported funding the tribunal. However, allies within the governing March 8-coalition, including ministers from Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement - the largest single bloc in the 30-member cabinet - as well as Hizbollah's members, were opposed to financing the court.
Mr Mikati had threatened to resign if Lebanon's share - more than US$32 million - was not paid, amid fears that his government could collapse if an agreement was not be reached.
Speaking on Wednesday, the prime minister described his decision to fund the court as an effort to "protect Lebanon".
However, Mr Nasrallah said that had the issue of funding the STL been put to a cabinet vote, it would not have passed.
"The STL is unconstitutional, a politicised Israeli and US-court ... Second, we are still against it and against its funding. Third, had the cabinet or parliament convened on the STL funding, [Hizbollah] would have voted against financing it," he said.
In June, four men described as "supporters of Hizbollah" were indicted by the STL for alleged roles in the February 2005 bombing that killed Hariri and 21 others. The Shiite movement has denied any involvement.
Local media reported yesterday that the opposition March 14-coalition dismissed Mr Nasrallah's speech, saying that he tacitly agreed to the payment to the STL.
However, questions remain about exactly where the $32 million came from and how the money was dispersed without cabinet or parliamentary approval.
Reports linked the funds to the budget of the prime minister's office and the state-run Higher Relief Committee - something Mr Nasrallah also alluded to in his speech.
"Mikati took a decision to finance the tribunal out of the Higher Relief Committee's budget. Whether he used the funds out of donations or the [committee's] budget ... the days will show how this process happened," he said, adding that he was not sure about the legality of the payment.
Mr Nasrallah also addressed the issue of "false witnesses", calling on the prime minister to address the matter of those accused of lying to international investigators probing Hariri's murder, before the establishment of the STL, which started its work in 2009.
During his speech, the Hizbollah leader also accused the Mustaqbal Movement, led by the former prime minister Saad Hariri, Rafiq's son, of inciting religious tension. He called on Lebanese not to confuse political disputes with attacks against Lebanon's religious sects.
Mr Hariri hit back at the Hizbollah chief's speech yesterday, with his office issuing a statement denying accusations that sectarian tensions were being stoked, while denouncing Mr Nasrallah's harsh reaction to the STL funding.
"The truth remains that the Special Tribunal has been funded, and one thousand similar speeches will not abolish the recognition by the Lebanese state of the tribunal and its track"," the statement read.
Meanwhile, the STL confirmed on Thursday that the $32 million had been received by the court.
Also on Thursday, the UN's interim Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Robert Watkins, welcomed the transfer of the country's share of financing for the STL.
"This is a very important step for Lebanon towards meeting its international obligations and towards preserving the country's stability," he said in a statement.
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US households add $601bn of debt in 2019
American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.
Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.
In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.
The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.
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Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
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Boost Defenders 205-5 in 20 overs
(Colin Ingram 84 not out, Cameron Delport 36, William Somerville 2-28)
bt Auckland Aces 170 for 5 in 20 overs
(Rob O’Donnell 67 not out, Kyle Abbott 3-21).
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Huroob Ezterari
Director: Ahmed Moussa
Starring: Ahmed El Sakka, Amir Karara, Ghada Adel and Moustafa Mohammed
Three stars
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
