_News_ | *Guardiola: We have left Gaza alone* 👇 Spanish football manager Pep Guardiola once again expressed his support for Gaza, criticizing the world’s silence on the Palestinian cause. He pointed out that the desire for a better world is simply a matter of humanity and that “this is exactly what is missing in Palestine.” Speaking at the opening of the Concert-Manifest x Palestine charity event in Barcelona yesterday, Guardiola said that the current situation is reminiscent of the Spanish Civil War, when Barcelona was bombed, and reiterated his commitment to supporting the most vulnerable.

_News_ | *Families of August 4 victims to Nawaf Salam:* *Is the government obstructing the investigation?* 👇 The Association of Families of Victims and Martyrs of the Beirut Port Explosion resumed its protest against the government’s appointment of Gracia Azzi, who is accused in the port case, as director general of customs. Instead of taking to the street, the Association sent a letter to Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, arguing that the decision violated the government’s own appointments mechanism, particularly since Azzi does not meet the requirement of a “clean professional record” and is a defendant, not a witness, in the port case. The families rejected Salam’s invocation of the “presumption of innocence” to justify the appointment, stressing that Azzi stands accused, and that investigators were unable to issue an arrest warrant against her due to measures by Ghassan Oueidat against the judge. They posed a direct question to Salam: “The delay in issuing the indictment and the obstruction of the investigation stem from political maneuvering and violations in the probe. Is the government also involved in this obstruction?” Salam’s government appointed Azzi as director general of customs on January 15, despite her accusations in the port explosion case, and ongoing investigations for bribery, corruption and money laundering. President Joseph Aoun signed the appointment decision immediately after it was issued, and it was published in the Official Gazette just one day later.

_Report_ | *UpScrolled: a new alternative to TikTok?*👇 UpScrolled, an app founded by Palestinian-Australian Issam Hijazi, has topped social media app download charts in the United States. Its rise comes amid growing anger at TikTok after a consortium acquired its US operations, alongside technical problems and accusations of bias and restrictions on content critical of US President Donald Trump and supportive of Palestine. https://youtube.com/shorts/GJIRdv2hn04

_News_ | *Germany to confiscate Riad Salameh’s property*👇 On Thursday, German prosecutors filed a request with a court to seize assets estimated at around $42 million as part of an investigation targeting former Banque du Liban Governor Riad Salameh and four other individuals. The case involves money laundering linked to financial transactions between the Central Bank of Lebanon and commercial banks in the country. The seizures included properties owned by Salameh in Munich and Hamburg, as well as shares in a Düsseldorf-based real estate company. Prosecutors believe that Salameh and his brother Raja embezzled more than $330 million from BDL between 2004 and 2015, which caused direct harm to the Lebanese state and resulted in their illicit enrichment. According to an investigation that began in 2021 and was conducted in coordination with France and Luxembourg, the funds were funneled through a shell company registered in the British Virgin Islands before being used for investments in Germany and other European countries. Last year, French and German authorities issued arrest warrants for Salameh in connection with these cases.

_News_ | *Actress Huda Shaarawi (Um Zeki) killed in Damascus apartment*👇 Syrian actress Huda Shaarawi was found killed in her Damascus home on Thursday. According to reports from Syrian media, her grandchildren discovered her body. Investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances and causes of the crime. Shaarawi was a prominent figure in Syrian television drama, with her most famous role being “Um Zeki,” the midwife, in Bab al-Hara. She also delivered notable performances in several other series, including Ahl el-Raya (both seasons), Awdet Ghawar and Ailat Khams Nujum. She most recently participated in the TV series Ailat al-Malik, scheduled to air during Ramadan, directed by Mohamed Abdelaziz. She played one of the lead roles in the series, which recently finished filming in Damascus. The late actress was born on October 28, 1938, and was a founding member of the Syrian Artists Syndicate.

_News_ | *Ali Fayyad: They are strangling our community* 👇 Ali Fayyad, a member of parliament for the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, protested the financial and legal measures taken against institutions and businesspeople in line with US sanctions. In his remarks during a parliamentary session debating the draft budget, Fayyad said that decisions by the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the BDL Governor could “lead to civil war” and ignite serious social tensions.

_News_ | *Five years since the assassination of Lokman Slim: the family awaits truth and justice* 👇 On the fifth anniversary of the assassination of researcher and activist Lokman Slim, his family held a press conference at the family home in Ghobeiry, attended by Justice Minister Adel Nassar. The family’s legal representative reiterated that the investigation into Slim’s abduction and killing is still ongoing, and that the family continues to await truth and justice. To mark the fifth anniversary, UMAM Documentation & Research, Dar al-Jadeed and the Lokman Slim Foundation will hold a photo exhibition titled “Remaining,” which examines a series of political assassinations in Lebanon since 2005 through the lens of photographer Edouard Elias, curated by Katia Jreijiri. The exhibition opens at Union Marks in Bourj Hammoud on February 7 and will run until March 3.

_News_ | *Venezuela opens its oil sector to private companies*👇 On Thursday, the Venezuelan parliament passed a law allowing foreign companies to sign contracts for oil investment and distribution without mandatory participation by a state entity. This marks the end of the nationalization policy in place since 1976 and, in particular, lifts the restrictions imposed on foreign companies by the late President Hugo Chávez in 2006. In a bid to attract investors, the law grants the government the power to adjust oil taxes, setting them at a maximum of 15%, alongside fees on gross revenues that could reach up to 30%. In parallel, the Trump administration announced the lifting of some sanctions imposed on Caracas and the reopening of Venezuelan airspace to commercial flights. Venezuela currently produces around 1.2 million barrels of oil per day, after output had fallen to 350,000 barrels in recent years due to US sanctions. Trump previously declared his intention to control Venezuela’s oil sector and unveiled a plan to dominate it through investments valued at $100 billion, before major companies hesitated to follow through. This historic shift in Venezuela’s oil sector coincided with Trump turning his focus to Cuba, as he issued an executive order late last night declaring a national emergency over the “extraordinary threat posed by the Cuban government,” enabling him to impose new tariffs on countries that supply Cuba with oil.

_Report_ | *Draft law aims to resolve the contractual teacher issue* 👇 The Founder and President of the Contractual Teachers' League in Lebanese Primary Public Schools (CTLP) announced on Tuesday a draft law to resolve the long-standing issue of contractual teachers in public schools, and to push for granting tenure to teachers who meet the required criteria. Many MPs signed the draft today, allowing it to move to the parliamentary Education Committee, in the hope that it will be adopted by parliamentary blocs and that this file will be resolved rather than used as a tool within partisan clientelist networks. https://youtube.com/shorts/DdCI7vPUKcs?feature=share

_Daily Cut_ | *Thursday, January 29, 2026*👇 Parliament approves the general budget law as clashes erupt outside.Israel acknowledges killing at least 71,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and the European Union designates Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a “terrorist organization.” https://youtube.com/shorts/oyMtsLd09hM