Source: Arab News
Security & Justice
State Action Signals Change in Tackling Longstanding Illegal Land Grabs in Jbeil District
For years, the serene villages of Jbeil's highlands have been far from peaceful. Ghabat, a Maronite village nestled between the predominantly Shiite towns of Afqa and Lassa, has become a focal point of growing tensions due to territorial disputes.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Mawlawi Ensures Strict Monitoring for Wanted Syrian Regime Figures at Beirut Airport
Caretaker Minister of Interior, Bassam Mawlawi, conducted an inspection tour of Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut to review the security arrangements and measures implemented by the Airport Security Apparatus ahead of the holiday season.
Thursday, December 19, 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
Thursday 19 October 2023 13:55:05
Karim Benzema Faces Backlash in France Over Statement of Solidarity with People of Gaza
Karim Benzema, the French footballer who currently plays for Saudi club Al-Ittihad, is facing a backlash from officials in his home country after he expressed solidarity with the people of Gaza and said they were being subjected to unjust bombing.
In a message posted on social media site X on Sunday, the current FIFA Ballon D’or holder wrote: “All our prayers for the inhabitants of Gaza who are once again victims of these unjust bombings which spare no women or children.”
The post has garnered more than 558,000 likes, 180,000 retweets and 60,000 comments.
However, French senator Valerie Boyer has demanded that the government strip Benzema of his citizenship, and that his Ballon D’or accolade, awarded annually by news magazine French Football to the men’s player judged to be the best of the year, be withdrawn.
News website Tribuna reported that Boyer’s demand came in the form of a signed petition addressed to the French government, posted on her Instagram page, in which she said: “We cannot accept that a French dual national, internationally known, could dishonor and even betray our country in this way.”
Benzema was born in Lyon to parents of Algerian descent.
The row escalated further when French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, speaking on TV channel CNews, alleged that Benzema was “connected” to the Muslim Brotherhood, which a number of nations, including France, consider to be a terrorist organization.
Meanwhile, Israeli former goalkeeper David “Dudu” Aouate, who played for Spanish clubs Racing Santander, Deportivo and Mallorca, insulted Benzema on X over his comments about Gaza, using curse words in five languages, the Marca newspaper reported.
On Oct. 7, Hamas operatives crossed the border from Gaza into Israel where they killed more than a thousand Israelis, including soldiers and civilians.
Vowing to wipe out Hamas, Israel responded by bombing Gaza, killing more than 3,000 civilians. On Tuesday, Israeli forces were accused of carrying out an attack on a hospital that is thought to have killed more than 500 people.