There’s also the shark attack in Egypt, and Gaddafi’s fifth son on a hunger strike in Lebanon. This is the Middle East this week.
Saudi Arabia is building alliances and making waves in the sports world. In Egypt, a tiger shark killed a Russian swimmer, and Hannibal Gaddafi went on a hunger strike in Lebanon. Here’s this week’s Middle East:
What happened to Saudi Arabia?
What happened to Saudi Arabia? a lot of. Saudi Arabia is hosting world leaders, signing a raft of deals with China and throwing all its weight into sports. The kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund will take over four major football clubs, two of which have attracted the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante, boosting Saudi football’s star power.
Saudi Arabia is also working to improve its tourism industry and has signed an agreement with China to bring in Chinese tourists. In another sign of growing ties between the two countries, a $5.6 billion electric vehicle production deal was signed.
And Hannibal Gaddafi?
The son of the late eccentric Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi, who ruled Libya for 42 years, has been on hunger strike in a Lebanese prison for nearly two weeks. Who is Hannibal Gaddafi? He is the fifth son of Muammar and his second wife Safiya.
Known as the playboy, he partyed all over the world and got into trouble almost everywhere he went. He is currently on a hunger strike to protest being held without charge in Lebanon.
collective punishment
Israel’s policy is to destroy the home of a Palestinian accused of attacking Israelis, even if the home is rented from someone else. Anyone in the vicinity is at risk of being shot, as were the two journalists who were wounded while covering a house demolition attack in Ramallah on Saturday.
Israeli soldiers emptied the entire apartment building and nearby houses so that they could destroy the apartment where Islam Faroukh’s family lived, rendering them homeless and destroying surrounding houses. Farouk has not been proven guilty of the charges against him by Israel.
Egypt’s tourism woes
Egypt is known for its history, monuments, handicrafts and natural beauty. Thousands of people head to the Red Sea every year to dive, snorkel and lounge on the white sandy beaches. But in one week, disaster struck the idyllic coast – twice.
A Russian man died after being attacked by a tiger shark off the coast of the Red Sea city of Hurghada on Thursday. Three days later, three hours south, in the town of Marsa Alam, three British tourists disappeared after the boat they were on caught fire. They were pronounced dead a day later.
What does Europe want from Tunisia?
Tunisia hosted visits from European Community President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who brought gifts worth 1 billion euros. Why is Europe so committed to helping Tunisia out of its economic crisis?
Because Europe wants Tunisia to stop more refugees and migrants from trying to reach European shores, and wants to declare it a “safe third country” where people can be deported. The alleged human rights abuses committed by the Tunisian government, especially against opposition politicians, are ignored in this calculation.
something different, great people
Life is tough in rebel-held northwestern Syria, but people find ways to take advantage of everything around them. Meet the people who turn plastic waste into plastic ‘yarn’ for rugs of all shapes, sizes and designs.
For the first time ever, a woman has been elected head of Turkey’s central bank as the country’s economy struggles and the lira continues to plummet. Observers hope that former Bank of America executive Hafize Gaye Erkan will have a positive influence on Turkish policy.
briefly
quote of the week
“We have always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights.” – Chinese President Xi Jinping met Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the start of his visit to Beijing.
