Lebanese demand justice for journalist killed by Israeli tank fire

Journalists film during a guided tour by the media office of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah near the site of reported overnight Israeli bombardment on Sarein in the Bekaa valley in east-central Lebanon on August 20, 2024. (AFP)
Journalists film during a guided tour by the media office of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah near the site of reported overnight Israeli bombardment on Sarein in the Bekaa valley in east-central Lebanon on August 20, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 14 October 2024
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Lebanese demand justice for journalist killed by Israeli tank fire

Lebanese demand justice for journalist killed by Israeli tank fire
  • CPJ chief executive Jodie Ginsberg said that “in spite of extensive evidence of a war crime, a year on from the attack, Israel has faced zero accountability for the targeting of journalists”

BEIRUT, Lebanon: Lebanese journalists and activists Sunday demanded justice for Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, who was killed a year earlier in what probes said was Israeli tank fire while covering cross-border clashes in south Lebanon.
Two strikes in quick succession on October 13, 2023 killed Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, 37, and wounded six other journalists including AFP photographer Christina Assi and video journalist Dylan Collins.
Assi later had a leg amputated and spent five months in intensive care in hospital as a result of the attack.
Two investigations have pointed to an Israeli tank being behind the attack, but Israel has denied it targets “civilians, including journalists.”
Friends and acquaintances on Sunday shared photos Abdallah had taken, or pictures of him.
Legal Agenda, a non-governmental organization, posted on social media: “A year after the killing of photographer Issam Abdullah, Israeli impunity continues.”
Lebanese rights group Maharat called on the international community to “implement treaties, resolutions and commitments to protect journalist.”
In a post on X, journalist Salman Andary demanded “justice for Issam and for all the victims of this crime.”
Economist Jad Chaaban wrote on X: “Israel killed... Abdallah, by shelling a clearly marked press spot in the South of Lebanon.”
“The Israeli army is still carrying out mass executions until today with total impunity,” he said.
After nearly a year of cross-border fire, Israel on September 23 escalated its campaign targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon.
More than 1,200 people have since been killed in Lebanon, according to a tally of official figures, and more than a million have been displaced.
On Thursday, the Committee to Protect Journalists decried a lack of accountability for Israel over the killing of Abdallah.
CPJ chief executive Jodie Ginsberg said that “in spite of extensive evidence of a war crime, a year on from the attack, Israel has faced zero accountability for the targeting of journalists.”
The journalists were working near the border village of Alma Al-Shaab in an area that has been the site of near-daily clashes between the Israeli army and Hezbollah.
An AFP investigation in December pointed to a tank shell only used by the Israeli army being fired in the attack.
A separate Reuters probe, including initial findings from the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), found two Israeli tank rounds fired from the same position across the border were used.
TNO’s final report said an Israeli tank crew then “likely” opened fire on them with a machine gun.
An Israeli military spokesman said after the strike: “We are very sorry for the journalist’s death,” adding that Israel was “looking into” the incident, without taking responsibility.
 

 


Family of journalist missing in Syria since 2012 meets top US official, says he’s alive

Family of journalist missing in Syria since 2012 meets top US official, says he’s alive
Updated 07 December 2024
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Family of journalist missing in Syria since 2012 meets top US official, says he’s alive

Family of journalist missing in Syria since 2012 meets top US official, says he’s alive

WASHINGTON: The mother of Austin Tice, a US journalist captured over 12 years ago in Syria, said on Friday that her family had information that he is still alive.
“We have from a significant source that has been vetted all over our government: Austin Tice is alive,” Debra Tice told journalists at the National Press Club on Friday, before going to the White House for a meeting.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Tice’s family in the afternoon, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
“Jake Sullivan did have a meeting with Austin Tice’s family this afternoon, and ... Jake Sullivan has regularly met with the families of wrongfully detained Americans,” she said. “We’re going to continue to make sure that we get Americans who are wrongfully detained or Americans home to their families.”
Tice, a former US Marine and a freelance journalist, was abducted in 2012 while reporting in Damascus on the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad. He was 31 at the time. There has been no claim of responsibility for his abduction.

 


IMAX announces first Arabic feature film, opens new Jeddah location

IMAX announces first Arabic feature film, opens new Jeddah location
Updated 07 December 2024
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IMAX announces first Arabic feature film, opens new Jeddah location

IMAX announces first Arabic feature film, opens new Jeddah location
  • ‘Ambulance’ starring Ibrahim Al-Hajjaj released in April

DUBAI: IMAX announced plans for its first Arabic-language feature film at the opening of a new cinema — in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Muvi Cinemas — in Jeddah this week.

The new screen marks the first of four new IMAX screens the company will open across the Kingdom as part of its agreement with Muvi Cinemas.

IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond told Arab News in a recent interview that the long-term plan in Saudi Arabia was to “not only build a significant theater network, but also lean into the content side.”

The company has been involved in projects in other Middle Eastern countries, such as the 2009 film “Journey to Mecca” and the 1992 film “Fires of Kuwait,” so “this (Saudi Arabia) wasn’t a startup opportunity,” he added.

The newly announced film is a comedy titled “Ambulance” starring Saudi actor and comedian Ibrahim Al-Hajjaj, who is known for the mini series “Rashash” and movies like “AlKhallat+” and “Sattar.”

Directed by British filmmaker Colin Teague and produced by Al-Hajjaj’s House of Comedy, Saudi producer Talal Anazi’s Black Light Operations, and Muvi Studios, the film will be released on April 17, 2025.

Gelfond said: “As we open our first location with Muvi Cinemas — the biggest exhibitor in Saudi Arabia and a new strategic partner for IMAX — we are excited to expand into Arabic-language content and deliver Arabic-speaking audiences an even greater diversity of experiences.”

Muvi Cinemas will open the next IMAX screen at Mall of Dhahran in February followed by U Walk in Riyadh.


Spotify announces Taylor Swift as Saudi’s most-streamed artist for second successive year

Spotify announces Taylor Swift as Saudi’s most-streamed artist for second successive year
Updated 05 December 2024
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Spotify announces Taylor Swift as Saudi’s most-streamed artist for second successive year

Spotify announces Taylor Swift as Saudi’s most-streamed artist for second successive year
  • Ayed Yousef most-streamed Arab artist in the Kingdom in 2024

DUBAI: Spotify has released its annual Wrapped report, a roundup of the most popular artists, songs, albums and podcasts streamed in each country over the past year, as well as a personalized experience for each user based on their own activity on the platform during that time.

Taylor Swift has topped the chart as the most-streamed artist in Saudi Arabia for the second year in a row.

Saudi listening habits are consistent with global trends with Swift ranking first, followed by Canadian artist The Weeknd in the Kingdom and globally.

Billie Eilish comes in third, followed by Travis Scott and Drake who rank fourth and fifth as the most-streamed artists of 2024 in the Kingdom.

Globally, Puerto Rican sensation Bad Bunny comes in third, followed by Eilish and Drake.

This year, podcasts have grown in popularity in the Kingdom with “Finjan Ma’ Abdel El Rahman Abo Maleh” topping the charts for the second consecutive year.

“Each year, the podcast landscape in Saudi Arabia increasingly reflects the country’s cultural shifts,” said Rhea Chedid, Spotify’s editorial lead and senior podcast manager for the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.

The report revealed “a resounding preference for Arabic podcasts, particularly those that weave long stories, highlighting Saudis’ love for rich, narrative-driven content,” she told Arab News.

There has been a surge in the popularity of music-related podcasts reflecting the burgeoning music scene in the Kingdom and ongoing efforts to nurture it, Chedid added.

Ayed Yousef tops the list of most-streamed Arab artists in Saudi Arabia, with his songs “Lammah” and “Rdy” ranking among Spotify’s most-streamed Arabic songs in the Kingdom.

He is followed by Abdul Majeed Abdullah and Rashed Al-Majed in second and third place, and Assala and Majid Al-Mohandis in fourth and fifth place respectively.

Most-streamed Arab artists in Saudi Arabia:

1. Ayed

2. Abdul Majeed Abdullah

3. Rashed Al-Majed

4. Assala

5. Majid Al-Mohandis

Most-streamed artists in Saudi Arabia:

1. Taylor Swift

2. The Weeknd

3. Billie Eilish

4. Travis Scott

5. Drake

Most-streamed songs in Saudi Arabia:

1. “Who” by Jimin

2. “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish

3. “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter

4. “Love Me Again” by V

5. “End of Beginning” by Djo

Most popular podcasts in Saudi Arabia:

1. “Finjan Ma’ Abdel El Rahman Abo Maleh”

2. “Jinaayah”

3.. “Areeka”

4. “Sahib”

5. “Yasir Khair”

Spotify users can access their personalized Wrapped experience on its mobile app and website.


MBC Group companies sign MoUs with TikTok

MBC Group companies sign MoUs with TikTok
Updated 05 December 2024
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MBC Group companies sign MoUs with TikTok

MBC Group companies sign MoUs with TikTok
  • Potential partnerships will see the companies collaborate on creating content and selling adverts

DUBAI: Leading regional media company MBC Group has overseen the signings of memorandums of understanding between two of the group’s companies, MBC Media and MBC Media Solutions, with short-form video company TikTok.

The former MoU aims to leverage the expertise of both companies in creating content for TikTok. As part of the potential agreement, MBC Media will create content for TikTok across verticals including entertainment, lifestyle, and music.

The partnership reflects “both companies’ commitment to innovative content creation to meet the diverse needs of audiences in the rapidly evolving KSA market,” according to a statement.

The second MoU, between MBC’s in-house commercial advertising and sales arm MMS and TikTok, will see MMS become the official advertising partner of the short-form video platform in Saudi Arabia. 

The agreement will see MMS provide advertisers access to TikTok’s ad formats in the Kingdom through an advertising reselling program.

MMS is already familiar with this role given that it was appointed the official reseller of TikTok in Egypt in May 2023.

MBC Group and TikTok have worked together in the past through initiatives like a film-making competition, called #FilmOnTikTok, in collaboration with MBC Group’s educational and training arm, MBC Academy in 2021.

In 2023, TikTok and MMS renewed a partnership that allowed TikTok advertisers to pair their advertising with unique MBC content throughout Ramadan.


Netflix launches two-day ‘fan experience’ in Jeddah

Netflix launches two-day ‘fan experience’ in Jeddah
Updated 05 December 2024
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Netflix launches two-day ‘fan experience’ in Jeddah

Netflix launches two-day ‘fan experience’ in Jeddah
  • Event will run on Dec. 5 and 6 at Le Chateau Mall

DUBAI: Netflix is hosting an interactive two-day “fan experience” in Jeddah’s Le Chateau Mall on Dec. 5 and 6, the company said.

The event will feature several zones, each dedicated to Netflix’s international and Arabic series, movies and games.

For example, visitors can create a personalized scent inspired by the show “Finding Ola” or engage in games and challenges in the areas dedicated to sports doc series “Saudi Pro League: Kickoff” and Kuwaiti series “The Exchange.”

Other zones dedicated to the Middle East include one for “AlKhallat+,” the first Saudi movie to be created for Netflix; “Ras B Ras,” an action feature film from Saudi creators Abdulaziz Al-Muzaini and Malik Nejer; and “Love is Blind Habibi,” the Arab version of the international reality show “Love is Blind.”

Visitors can also walk into the Wednesday Addams’ bedroom from the show “Wednesday,” enjoy high tea at a “Bridgerton”-inspired cafe and participate in a challenge inspired by “One Piece” character Monkey D. Luffy.

The brand experience will also include photo ops, live entertainment and a meet-and-greet with actors and creators.

The free event will run from 4 p.m. to midnight.