Source: BBC
Security & Justice
Lebanon’s Border Villages Face Renewed Devastation Amid Israeli Withdrawal
The Israeli army withdrew from the southern Lebanese village of Bani Hayyan on Friday morning, two days after entering the area in the Marjayoun district. According to local reports, Israeli forces demolished multiple homes as they retreated.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Interview Set to Shed Light on Mossad’s Decade-Long Covert Operation Against Hezbollah
In a highly anticipated episode of CBS’s 60 Minutes, recently retired Mossad agents provide unprecedented insights into a decade-long covert operation targeting Hezbollah. The agents, whose identities remain concealed with masks and altered voices, share with journalist Lesley Stahl the intricate details of their mission to sabotage Hezbollah’s communications network.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Opinion
Lebanon After the Assads
The United States has important equities in Lebanon, including a desire for a generally friendly government’s economic and political stability; security cooperation; long-standing relations with the large Christian community in Lebanon and Lebanese diaspora in the United States; and ultimately peace between Israel and Lebanon within a broader regional settlement. Achieving these objectives will require navigating a tumultuous period in the country’s history following a war between Hezbollah and Israel that has devastated a large part of the country, exacerbating Lebanon’s already challenging economic conditions. But perhaps the most important dynamic will be how a likely Sunni-dominated state of uncertain composition in Syria will differ in its intentions toward Lebanon from the previous Alawite-led minoritarian Assad regime.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Europe’s Syrian Dilemma
The news of the sudden and unexpected demise of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has met a mixed response in Europe. The jubilation that a murderous dictator and close ally of Russia and Iran has fallen is not just good for the Syrian people but serves as a morale booster for Eastern Europeans wondering whether Russia can be defeated
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo Unveils New Private Jet Worth $73 Million
Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the richest global athletes, has unveiled his upgraded private jet reportedly worth $73 million. With its top-notch design, exceptional speed and range of 7500 nautical miles, the Gulfstream G650 is among the fastest jets in the world.
Monday, December 16, 2024
Guardiola Accepts Man City May Need to Sign More Players to Cope with Schedule
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes he will need a bigger squad to handle soccer’s ever-expanding fixture schedule.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Friday 25 August 2023 15:46:03
Bray Wyatt: WWE Champion Dies Aged 36
Three-time WWE world champion Bray Wyatt has died at the age of 36.
The wrestler had been dealing with an undisclosed health issue that had kept him out of the ring since February, but his death was characterised as sudden by his family.
The news was announced by WWE content officer Triple H, who posted on social media that Wyatt, real name Windham Rotunda, had "unexpectedly passed".
Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, was among those paying tribute to the star.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Johnson said he was "heartbroken" and had "always had tremendous respect and love" for the wrestler.
"Loved his presence, promos, in ring work and connection with @WWE universe," he wrote. "Very unique, cool and rare character, which is hard to create in our crazy world of pro wrestling."
WWE commentator Mick Foley added: "I thought so highly of Bray Wyatt... He was a true visionary; one of the most compelling presences that wrestling has ever seen."
Wyatt came from a family of wrestlers, including his grandfather Blackjack Mulligan, his father Mike Rotunda and his younger brother Bo Dallas.
Rotunda was a famous wrestling legend in his own right, known as IRS due to his gimmick as being a tax collector from Washington DC who harassed wrestlers and fans as "tax cheats".
Born in Brooksville, Florida on 23 May, 1987, Wyatt was a state wrestling champion in high school and earned a football scholarship to Troy University.
However, he left his course before graduating to become a professional wrestler, making his professional debut in 2009.
He fought under several names including Husky Harris, Alex Rotunda, Duke Rotundo and The Fiend.
As Bray Wyatt, he portrayed the villainous leader of a cult faction named The Wyatt family with Erick Rowan, Braun Strowman, and the late Luke Harper (aka Brodie Lee).
After being released from WWE in 2021, he made a long-awaited comeback at the pay-per-view Extreme Rules event last October, where he debuted a new version of his character.
He had recently missed several months due to illness but was close to returning to the WWE before his death, according to Wrestling News.
Last year, Wyatt broke character to discuss how he overcame his mental health struggles, commenting: "I lost my career. I lost my self-confidence. I lost two people who were very, very close to me. I lost my way.
"And I got to a point where I thought that everything that I've ever done here or otherwise, it was all meaningless. Nothing I've ever did has ever mattered to anyone. And I was wrong."
He continued: "Once I was done feeling sorry for myself, I decided to go out in the world again and see… people everywhere that would say, 'Thank you, Bray, man. When you coming back home?'
"And then every once in a while there would be someone I would meet that would be truly remarkable."
Triple H, real name Paul Levesque, said he had been informed of Rotunda's death by his father.
"Just received a call from WWE Hall of Famer Mike Rotunda who informed us of the tragic news that our WWE family member for life Windham Rotunda - also known as Bray Wyatt - unexpectedly passed earlier today," he wrote.
"Our thoughts are with his family and we ask that everyone respect their privacy at this time."
Wrestling reporter Sean Ross Sapp later said that the 36-year-old had died of a heart attack, after a brush with Covid that exacerbated existing heart conditions.
"There was a lot of positive progress towards a return and his recovery," he said.
"Unfortunately today he suffered a heart attack and passed away."
Wyatt is survived by his fiancee and former WWE ring announcer Joseann Offerman, their two children, Wyatt's two children from a previous marriage, brother Bo Dallas (Taylor Rotunda), and sister Mika.
