Two Lebanese brothers in court for Hezbollah drone export case

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by Mxolisi Mngadi - mg.co.za - Two Lebanese citizens are expected to appear at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Monday for allegedly illegally exporting components of drones to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Johannesburg-based businessman Usama Darwich Hamade, 53, was arrested at his Kempton Park home, while his brother Issam Hamade, 55, was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport after he arrived from abroad. They are both in custody in Johannesburg following their arrests last week. A third suspect, Samir Ahmed Berro, 64, who has Lebanese and British citizenship, is yet to be arrested. They have been accused by the US of illegally exporting items to Hezbollah, which it classified as a terrorist organisation.

Last week’s press statement by the US Attorney’s office for the District of Minnesota details how Usama Hamade, also known as Prince Sam and who reportedly previously claimed to be Lebanese royalty, allegedly lied, saying digital compasses for drones were needed in SA for anti-poaching operations. But the statement said these were actually destined for Hezbollah “co-conspirators in Lebanon”. According to a US indictment, SA was a transit point through which some of these items— including items which could be used in drones— were channelled. The indictment, which also reveals that a person identified simply as Individual A, a South African citizen and resident, apparently unwittingly ordered components which can be used in drones and jets, some of which arrived in the country, but which were then allegedly sent to Lebanon. According to US court documents, dollars were also said to have been transferred to South African company bank accounts for the apparent purchasing of the items. The massive case, based on the US documents, has links to countries that include SA, Japan, Germany and Lebanon. Investigations have been carried out by the US’s Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement, and Homeland Security Investigations. In SA, the Hawks, Crime Intelligence, and Ekurhuleni Metro Police have been involved.

Last Tuesday, February 20, national police spokesperson Vishnu Naidoo confirmed to News24 that the Hamade brothers were in custody. Naidoo said the Hamade brothers were expected to apply for bail in the Kempton Magistrate’s Court on Monday. “The normal extradition process will be followed,” he said, in reference to the US wanting the Hamade brothers to be extradited to stand trial in Minnesota. Naidoo would not divulge any further information, including whether more arrests were expected in SA. —News24

Instagram haters have new app: Vero brainchild of Ayman Hariri

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BY KARISSA BELL - Mashable - Vero, a photo-sharing app that launched in 2015, is the latest app to benefit from ongoing frustration with Instagram's hated algorithm. A week ago, the app was ranked so low it didn't even appear in the App Store's top 1,500 apps; today it's the most popular app in the entire App Store. It's gotten so popular that the app's servers have been overloaded, with many users unable to post or even sign up for an account. The app's pacing to add more than 500,000 users in 24 hours, and that's just on iOS in the U.S., according to data from Sensor Tower, a company that specializes in app analytics.

What is Vero?

Launched in 2015, Vero bills itself as an ad-free "social network that lets you be yourself." The app is the brainchild of billionaire businessman Ayman Hariri, son of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Hariri, who has a net worth of $1.33 billion, according to Forbes, told CNBC he started the app because he was frustrated with the privacy policies of ad-based social networks. In practice, though, it's very similar to Instagram, with a few important differences. Though most users seem to be posting photos, the app also lets you share text and URLs, as well as recommendations for books, TV shows, and movies. Perhaps the app's biggest differentiator from current social networks is that it sorts posts in reverse-chronological feed, not algorithmically. You can also browse posts from your connections by type or browse popular hashtags. It also distinguishes connections based on their relationship to you. You can designate people as close friends, friends, acquaintances, or followers and opt to share posts specifically with these groups. Vero also emphasizes its privacy polices. It says it only collects a minimal amount of data about its users, like their names, email addresses and phone numbers, but doesn't provide data to advertisers or other third parties.

So how does it make money?

The short answer is that it doesn't — at least, not yet. Because there are no ads on the platform, Vero says it will eventually rely on user subscriptions for the bulk of its revenue. The company hasn't begun to implement subscriptions yet — it says it's permanently "waiving" the fee for its first million users — but that users will eventually be required to pay "a small annual fee." (CNBC reported the fee will be "a few dollars a year.") Vero also takes a cut from products other companies sell within the app.

Why now?

Vero first launched in the App Store in 2015, where it initially got very little attention. In December 2015, it briefly reached No. 45 in the App Store's social networking category, according to data from App Annie. It dropped off the charts entirely soon after (the App Store only ranks the top 1,500 apps in any category). That changed in the last few days, though. Late last week, the app suddenly shot up the rankings, moving from No. 566 to No. 1 in a matter of four days, according to data from App Annie. It will soon go from around 600,000 lifetime downloads in the App Store and Google Play, to more than 500,000 in a day, according to forecasts from Sensor Tower. And while it's not clear what has prompted Vero's sudden surge, it appears to be at least partly due to frustration's with Instagram's algorithm, which has been bubbling up for months. Instagrammers have been upset over the app's algorithm since it rolled out last year. But, unlike other changes, which people have gotten used to over time, frustration seems to have only intensified over time. Now, Instagram users are promoting their Vero accounts to followers. There are currently more than 500,000 Instagram posts tagged as #Vero, the majority of which are users posting screenshots of their profiles and asking followers to join them on the app. Whether the app's popularity will last is another matter. Other social apps, like Ello and Peach and Sarahah, have been able to briefly capitalize on Internet virality, but ultimately lacked the staying power to become viable alternatives to Facebook and Instagram.

Saudi Arabia invites Hariri to visit kingdom

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BEIRUT - Arabnews - In a message from King Salman to Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Saudi envoy Nizar Al-Aloula reaffirmed his country’s “support for Lebanon and its sovereignty and stability,” the presidential palace said in a statement. Al-Aloula, who arrived in Beirut on Monday, also reaffirmed “the strong relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, while ensuring that these relations remain at their best.” It is the first visit of a high-ranking Saudi envoy to Lebanon since Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation on Nov. 4. Al-Aloula, who is is expected to remain in the country until Friday, is accompanied by the Kingdom’s charge d’affaires in Beirut, Walid Bukhari, and the Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Al-Yaqoub. Aoun stressed to Al-Aloula “Lebanon’s desire to establish the best relations with Saudi Arabia,” praising “the Kingdom’s stand by Lebanon.” The presidential press office said: “The meeting was an occasion to view the situation in the region.” It added that Al-Aloula informed Aoun of meetings he will hold in Lebanon.

The envoy met with Hariri, and Lebanese Forces party leader Samir Geagea hosted a banquet in Al-Aloula’s honor. The envoy is due to meet Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday, and will meet former prime ministers Najib Mikati, Fouad Siniora and Tammam Salam, as well as Education Minister Marwan Hamadeh and Lebanese Phalange Party leader Samy Gemayel. Bukhari preceded Al-Aloula’s visit to Beirut with the tweet: “Return to hope, Lebanon!” Lebanese media reported on Monday that the aim of the envoy’s visit is to confirm the Kingdom’s interest in bolstering bilateral relations in various fields. Al-Aloula will also reportedly emphasize the Kingdom’s readiness to support development projects in Lebanon, and the importance of stability in implementing them. Hariri described his talks with the envoy as “excellent,” saying after the meeting: “I received an invitation from Al-Aloula to visit Saudi Arabia, and I will do it as soon as possible.” Hariri added: “The main goal of Saudi Arabia is to see Lebanon as master of its own decisions, and the Kingdom is keen on the integral independence of Lebanon. “We are looking into the best way to collaborate with Saudi Arabia in the upcoming international conferences.”

Lebanese president says his country ready to defend itself if attacked by Israel

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BEIRUT(Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Monday that Lebanon sought stability in the south, but was ready to defend itself if attacked by Israel, in a meeting with the top UN peacekeeper Monday at the presidential palace in Baabda. United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix over the weekend made his first visit to UN peacekeeping forces in south Lebanon since taking up his position last April. Aoun pointed to Lacroix Israel's near-daily violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, in addition to Israel's use of Lebanese airspace to bomb Syria on multiple occasions, according to the president's official Twitter account. After the meet, local media reported that Lacroix reaffirmed the UN role as a vehicle for communication and dialogue between Lebanon and Israel through the regular tripartite meetings that are mediated by United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Lacroix reportedly said the meetings calmed tensions, "especially in the issue of the construction of the wall," in reference to the concrete border wall that Israel started building recently, leading to increased tension at the border. "The commander of the international forces plays a role in calming tensions and preventing any incidents that could lead to the deterioration of the situation," he was quoted as saying. Lacroix also reportedly said the forces, known as UNIFIL, cooperated well with Lebanese authorities. His visit comes after a report in Le Journal du Dimanch contained allegations that the Lebanese Army was failing to cooperate well with UNIFIL, adversely impacting their ability to fulfill their duties in south Lebanon.

Church leaders shut Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre in land, tax protest

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JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Church leaders in Jerusalem shut the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday in protest at a new Israeli tax policy and a proposed land expropriation law which they called an unprecedented attack on Christians in the Holy Land. Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian church leaders said the holy site, a popular stop for pilgrims and where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried, would remain closed until further notice. After the protest move, an Israeli cabinet committee delayed by a week its scheduled consideration on Sunday of a bill that would allow the state to expropriate land in Jerusalem sold by churches to private real estate firms in recent years. The stated aim of the bill is to protect homeowners against the possibility that private companies will not extend their leases of land on which their houses or apartments stand.

The churches are major property owners in the city. They say such a law would make it harder for them to find buyers for church-owned land - sales that help to cover operating costs of their religious institutions. “This abhorrent bill ... if approved, would make the expropriation of the lands of churches possible,” said the statement by Theophilos III, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Francesco Patton, the Custos of the Holy Land, and Nourhan Manougian, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem. Rachel Azaria, the lawmaker who sponsored the legislation, said in a statement she agreed to delay the committee’s discussion by a week so that “we could work with the churches” to try to resolve the dispute. The churches’ protest was also aimed at the recent cancellation by Israel’s Jerusalem municipality of a tax exemption it has granted to church-owned commercial properties in the city. “This reminds us all of laws of a similar nature which were enacted against the Jews during dark periods in Europe,” the church leaders said. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said on Twitter it was illogical to expect that church-owned commercial property, including hotels and retail businesses, would continue to enjoy tax-exempt status. “Let me make it clear: we are not talking about houses of worship, who will still be exempt from property tax, according to law,” he wrote. Outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, pilgrims voiced their disappointment at finding its doors shut. “I am very upset. It’s my first time here and I made a big effort to get here and now I find it closed,” said Marine Domenech from Lille, France. Reporting by Jeffrey Heller and Ori Lewis; Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky, William Maclean

Lebanon’s elections offer little hope of economic change

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by Rami Rayees - Thearabweekly.com Energised by a new electoral system of proportional representation, Lebanon continues to push towards its parliamentary elections in May. However, weighed down by a bloated public sector and an economic system that prioritises tourism and services at the expense of the wider economy, electoral reform is unlikely to have much of an effect on a struggling economy. The three international donor conferences scheduled for this year appear to promise only further criticism of Lebanon’s economy rather than substantial change. Lebanon’s debt-to-GDP ratio was 155% at the end of 2017, one of the highest in the world, the World Bank reported. A large part of that debt comes from the country’s towering public wage bill. “There is a huge waste; there is overstaffing,” Nassib Ghobril, chief economist at Lebanon’s Byblos Bank, told Reuters. Public spending in Lebanon climbed from $6.5 billion in 2005 to $16 billion in 2016. Evidence of overstaffing is clear throughout the country, with a sprawling transport authority charged with overseeing the operation of just 40 buses for a population of 6 million and a rail service whose stock lies rusting and confined to its yards.

The transport authority is one example among many. Lebanon’s Elissar agency was established to develop Beirut’s south-western suburbs. Despite work halting in 1997 because of Lebanon’s endless political squabbles, the agency still retains its budget, reported by the Lebanese consultancy Information International to stand at $2.25 million annually, and employs about 40 people. The same group said sectarian divisions in the government extend to appointments in the public sector, strangling efforts to curtail staffing numbers at birth. “Each of these administrations has a general director and employees and abolishing [the power-sharing system] means infringing the rights of the sects to which these civil servants belong,” Mohammed Shamseddine, a senior researcher with Beirut-based Information International, told Reuters. Excluded from public service are tens of thousands of young Lebanese who have been unable to secure work in the country. The overall unemployment rate in Lebanon stands at 25%, with unemployment among those under 25 at 37%, Lebanese Labour Minister Mohammad Kabbara said in August. “We have approximately 30,000-35,000 young people who graduate from university every year and only 5,000 jobs are offered annually, which leaves some 30,000 without jobs,” he said. To even the casual observer, the problems with Lebanon’s ailing infrastructure are apparent. It is a situation exacerbated by the presence of approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees within Lebanon’s borders, all seeking equal access to the country’s resources and all deserving of its care. Along with the uncollected refuse that continues to clog Beirut’s arteries is the struggling power sector that squanders an estimated $2 billion annually on leasing floating generators, rather than addressing the sector’s deficiencies head-on.

Some hope is offered by the auctioning off of exploration rights to the country’s oil and gas reserves. Under the terms of the exploration agreement, any company awarded drilling rights must pay royalties to the state equal to 4% of gas produced and a varying percentage (5-12%) of any oil produced. However, given the history of similar projects and despite the efforts of non-government organisations such as the Lebanon Oil and Gas Initiative (LOGI) to promote transparency, there is little public hope that any revenues will be spread beyond the government’s patronage systems. Unless Lebanon’s authorities decide to categorically fight corruption, increase transparency and indulge in an all-encompassing reform plan, little is expected to change in the country.