Five Noteworthy Stories You Might Have Missed in Lebanon This Past Week (2/16)
You’re busy, we get it. No sweat. Here’s some of the most important news stories you might have missed from the past week.
1. Jackie Chamoun Topless Pics Set off Controversy (Photo via Facebook)
A Lebanese Olympic Alpine Skier came under fire this week over a calendar published in 2013 which showed the woman posing topless on the snowy slopes of Faraya.
Caretaker Sports Minister Faysal Karami called for an investigation into the controversy surrounding the photoshoot. According to LBCI news, Karami “called for taking all the necessary procedures in order to protect Lebanon’s reputation.”
The Internet responded with both criticism and overwhelming support for Chamoun, including an I Am Not Naked Facebook campaign and the #StripforJackie hashtag on Twitter.
2. Man Arrested in Connection with 2013 Twin Bombings in Tripoli (Photo via DailyStar.com)
A Syrian man was arrested this week in connection with twin bombings that went off at two mosques in the northern city of Tripoli on August 23, 2013.
The man was identified as Jamil Aziz al-Hasan, 31. The explosions killed 47 people and wounded some 300.
3. Graffiti Artist Unlawfully Detained (Photo by Hasan Shaaban, via Facebook)
On Saturday, local street artist Yazan Halwani was detained by Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces for two and a half hours after members of an obscure political party interrupted an interview he was filming with regional television network Al-Hurra from his grandmother’s front doorstep.
4. LAF Arrests Leading Figure in Abdullah Azzam Brigades (Photo via DailyStar.com)
The Lebanese Army said Wednesday it arrested one of the leaders of the Al-Qaeda affiliated Abdullah Azzam Brigades in Beirut.
Security officials told the Daily Star newspaper that amid the arrest of the Palestinian man, named Naim Abbas, the army was also able to dismantle two cars rigged with explosives in Beirut and east Lebanon.
5. Lebanese Tweep Arrested for Insulting President
Jean Assy, a Lebanese web developer who Tweets under @JeanAssy was sentenced to two months behind bars for insulting President Michel Sleiman.
Assy was briefly detained in June of last year over a series of tweets he posted about Sleiman. It was never made clear which exact Tweets got him in trouble.
