"Sovereign ministry” is a term used exclusively in the Arab world to indicate ministries that are more important than others. They include ministries of defence, foreign affairs, interior and finance. In this sense, all other ministries – the non-sovereign ones – are by default less important. These include ministries of education, culture, public works, economy, social affairs and environment.
This is why Lebanese prime minister Tamman Salam sought to form his cabinet without angering sectarian leaders who were vying for sovereign portfolios that they see as the keys to power. Lebanese columnist Samir Atallah, writing in the London-based daily Asharq Al Awsat, said Mr Salam used his limited discretion to appoint ministers outside of the political parties to nominate his friend Mohammed Al Mashnouq to the ministry of environment.
Mr Al Mashnouq had inherited the ministry as a dilapidated and inefficient department that, through decades of neglect and corruption, had been turned into a tool to siphon public funds into politicians’ bank accounts. For decades, the environment remained an inconsequential department until it didn’t function anymore and mountains of rubbish invaded the streets of Lebanon.
“All of sudden, the Lebanese, drowning in pollution, realised that the environment means life, and that the neglect that befell the environment ministry all these years has driven them against a new wall, this time made of rubbish,” he wrote.
“Soon enough, the ministry’s inability to collect the rubbish morphed into a crisis involving the interior ministry and all other sovereign ministries, a crisis involving the state as a whole.”
As for the Lebanese people, this was the last straw. After decades of indifference, they decided to rise up and demand their basic rights – an efficient economy, good social welfare, good health care and a clean environment.
Ghassan Charbel, editor-in-chief of the pan-Arab daily Al Hayat, said it was a serious concern when thousands of young people decided to take to the streets in protest.
“It is no trivial matter that they withhold confidence from the whole political class and its leaders. This isn’t a mere reaction to the sea of waste besieging the cities and towns; it is a popular response to a policy of condescension of the people,” he wrote.
For the first time in Lebanon’s modern history, people have let go of their restricting political and sectarian affiliations, coming together to sound the alarm about the hazards of living without fully functioning state institutions.
“The Lebanese deserve to have a president and a respectable cabinet that oversees clean legislative elections and a modern electoral law,” he continued.
“They deserve to see those who wronged them brushed aside and sent far away. It is only fair for them to clamour for a normal state that doesn’t belittle and humiliate its people – a small country that preoccupies itself with the interests of its people and does not shoulder roles that far surpass Lebanon’s capabilities or clash with its nature.”
The unexpected turnout at the protests in Beirut this past weekend received global attention. Western diplomatic sources have confirmed that the issue was added to the agenda of the International Support Group for Lebanon meeting next September. This group includes the five permanent Security Council member states, Germany, Italy and the UN secretary-general, and it was reported that they followed up closely on the growing crisis through their embassies in Beirut.
These popular protests seem to have transcended the existing political and sectarian divide in Lebanon and some foreign powers are looking into the possibility of lending them support, reports said.
The 72-hour ultimatum that the protesters gave the Lebanese government on Saturday to acquiesce to popular demands and introduce reformative measures expires on Tuesday. The situation in Lebanon seems to be headed towards escalation.
Translated by Racha Makarem
RMakarem@thenational.ae
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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SPECS
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NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
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Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
Brief scores:
Toss: South Africa, chose to field
Pakistan: 177 & 294
South Africa: 431 & 43-1
Man of the Match: Faf du Plessis (South Africa)
Series: South Africa lead three-match series 2-0
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Company%20Profile
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THE SPECS
Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Engine: 5-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 680Nm
Price: Dh465,071
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Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km