Source: BBC
Security & Justice
Over 70% of Baalbek Residents Forced to Flee Amid Escalating Conflict
Over 70 percent of Baalbek’s residents have fled the eastern Lebanese city in recent days following heavy Israeli bombardment and evacuation orders, according to the National News Agency (NNA).
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Southern Lebanon Endures Massive Damage: 40,000 Homes Leveled Across 37 Towns
Israeli forces have systematically destroyed entire neighborhoods in southern Lebanon, leveling more than 37 towns and wiping out over 40,000 residential units, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Opinion
My Hope for Lebanon
A company of Lebanese soldiers assigned to maintain order in this anxious wartime capital is gathered at its headquarters 100 yards from the Mediterranean. I make the blunder of asking their commander how many of his men are Shiites, Sunnis, Christians and Druze.
Monday, November 4, 2024
The Emptying of Baalbek Is a Moment to Take Stock
“Large numbers of people continue to flee their homes every day, as Israel’s military operations in Lebanon have been going on unabated.” These disturbing words could be from almost any news report about Israel’s invasion of its northern neighbour over the past month. However, they can be found in a report by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre issued on July 27, 2006.
Saturday, November 2, 2024
Sports
FC Barcelona Fears First Team Star Will Be Banned From Playing, Reports SPORT
FC Barcelona is concerned that one of its main first-team stars will be banned from playing at the turn of 2025 because of issues related to his registration and Financial Fair Play (FFP) limits according to SPORT, which cited anonymous sources.
Friday, November 1, 2024
Tottenham Forward Son Heung-min Crowned Asia’s International Player of the Year
Tottenham forward Son Heung-min was crowned as Asia’s International Player of the Year for the fourth time by the Asian Football Confederation at its annual awards ceremony Tuesday.
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Monday 7 August 2023 15:06:13
Niger Coup: Junta Shuts Airspace Citing Military Intervention Threat
Niger's coup leaders have closed the country's airspace until further notice, citing the threat of military intervention from their neighbours.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 is showing that there are currently no aircraft in Niger's skies.
The West African group of countries, Ecowas, had earlier warned it could use force if President Mohamed Bazoum was not reinstated by 23:00 GMT on Sunday.
A junta spokesman says Niger's armed forces are ready to defend the country.
Mr Bazoum was detained on 26 July, and Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, commander of the presidential guard, later proclaimed himself the new leader.
The military takeover has been internationally condemned, including by former colonial power France and the rest of the European Union, as well as the United Nations and the United States.
Reading a statement on national television on Sunday, the representative from Niger's junta said they had information that "a foreign power" was preparing to attack Niger.
After a crisis meeting in Nigeria, Ecowas military chiefs said on Friday they had drawn up a detailed plan for the possible use of force.
"All the elements that will go into any eventual intervention have been worked out here, including the resources needed, the how and when we are going deploy the force," said Abdel-Fatau Musah, Ecowas commissioner for political affairs, peace and security.
And he added: "We want diplomacy to work, and we want this message clearly transmitted to them [Niger's junta] that we are giving them every opportunity to reverse what they have done".
Ecowas is a regional trading bloc of 15 West African countries, including Nigeria, Senegal, Togo and Ghana.
The coup leaders seem to be showing no sign of willingness to cede power, and on Sunday thousands of their supporters rallied defiantly at a stadium in Niger's capital Niamey.
Two of Niger's neighbours - Burkina Faso and Mali - earlier warned they would treat any outside military intervention in Niger as "a declaration of war" against them. Burkina Faso and Mali are both Ecowas members but have been suspended from the bloc since being taken over by the military.
Niger is a significant uranium producer - a fuel that is vital for nuclear power - and under Mr Bazoum was a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants in West Africa's Sahel region.
