Five Noteworthy Stories You Might Have Missed This Week (7/26)
We don’t expect you to keep up with all the news happening around you. That being said, we’ve rounded up the most important stories of the week to make sure you don’t look like a complete dumbass when you get to work on Monday. Enjoy.
Remember Brazil? Yeah it’s the team that lost 7 to 1 facing Germany in the World Cup. Well, An-Nahar reports that they’ll be facing Lebanon on our soil September 4. It’s cute that some football fans imagine Lebanon has a shot against Brazil just because they embarrassed themselves during the World Cup. Regardless of the outcome, I’m excited to watch the match.
Twenty Lebanese were among the 116 passengers killed when an Air Algerie commercial plane crashed near the border of Burkino Faso on Thursday. According to news reports, the plane lost contact with controllers early Thursday about an hour after take off, as it headed into a rainstorm. As of publishing time, the cause of the crash remains unknown.
3. LAF Soldier Joins Al-Nusra Front
Former Lebanese Army Corporal Atef Mohammad Saadeddine announced in a video posted to YouTube that he was defecting from the Lebanese Army Forces to join Al-Nusra Front, a group of extremists fighting the Syrian regime and Hezbollah in Syria.
“I defected from the LAF because I, in addition to all my fellow soldiers, Sunnis and non-Sunnis, know that the army is a tool in Hezbollah’s hands. It takes all its orders from Hezbollah,” he says in the video announcing his defection.
Lebanon has failed once more to elect a new president. A session was held Wednesday afternoon to no avail. Lebanon has been without a president since May 25, when Michel Suleiman’s mandate expired.
The next session will be held on August 12.
5. Three Lebanese Kidnapped in Broad Daylight
Three Lebanese men were kidnapped in broad daylight in Baalbeck on Tuesday. The kidnappers stole $20,000, a diamond ring, and the car the men were driving in. Ibrahim al Ali and Zaydan Salman Hamad were both released by the kidnappers, while Ibrahim’s brother, Abdulkarim, remains hostage for a ransom fee of $500,000.