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Hezbollah says it's ‘not neutral' in Iran-Israel conflict, will ‘act as we see fit'
Hezbollah says it's ‘not neutral' in Iran-Israel conflict, will ‘act as we see fit'

Al Arabiya

time8 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Al Arabiya

Hezbollah says it's ‘not neutral' in Iran-Israel conflict, will ‘act as we see fit'

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Thursday that the militant group would 'act as we see fit' in response to the ongoing war between its main backer Iran and Israel. In a statement, Qassem said Hezbollah was 'not neutral' in the conflict between the two regional superpowers, saying that the group would 'act as we see fit in the face of this brutal Israeli-American aggression.' This comes after the US special envoy for Syria warned Hezbollah against getting involved in the war.

Man City Fined More Than $1 Million for Repeatedly Delaying Premier League Kickoff Times
Man City Fined More Than $1 Million for Repeatedly Delaying Premier League Kickoff Times

Al Arabiya

time8 hours ago

  • Sport
  • Al Arabiya

Man City Fined More Than $1 Million for Repeatedly Delaying Premier League Kickoff Times

Manchester City was fined more than one million pounds (1.35 million) by the Premier League on Thursday for repeatedly delaying kickoff times without good reason last season. City, managed by Pep Guardiola, admitted to nine breaches of league rules related to kickoffs and restarts after halftime and has apologized. The most dominant team in English soccer over the past decade was handed fines for each breach amounting to 1.08 million pounds (1.45 million). The biggest individual fine was 210,000 pounds (283,000) for a delay of 2 minutes 22 seconds at the start of the second half against Ipswich on Jan. 19. 'Rules relating to kickoffs and restarts help ensure the organization of the competition is set at the highest possible professional standard and provides certainty to fans and participating clubs,' the Premier League said in a statement. 'It also ensures the broadcast of every Premier League match is kept to schedule.' City, currently in the US for the Club World Cup, delayed kickoffs for the start of both halves in a match against Manchester United in December. The start of the second half was delayed 2 minutes 24 seconds – the longest of all the breaches. Last year, City was fined 2.09 million pounds (2.8 million) for 22 breaches of the same rule over the previous two seasons. City is still waiting on the outcome of a hearing into more than 100 charges of alleged financial breaches over a nine-year period. The hearing began in September last year after charges were made in February 2023.

Napoleon's World Is on Display for a Landmark Auction, From Divorce Papers to His Iconic Hat
Napoleon's World Is on Display for a Landmark Auction, From Divorce Papers to His Iconic Hat

Al Arabiya

time9 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • Al Arabiya

Napoleon's World Is on Display for a Landmark Auction, From Divorce Papers to His Iconic Hat

After the Hollywood epic Napoleon exposed the legendary emperor to a new generation two years ago, over 100 relics – which shaped empires, broke hearts, and spawned centuries of fascination – are on display in Paris ahead of what experts call one of the most important Napoleonic auctions ever staged. His battered military hat. A sleeve from his red velvet coat. Even the divorce papers that ended one of history's most tormented romances – with Josephine, the empress who haunted him to the end. Two centuries after his downfall, Napoleon remains both revered and controversial in France – but above all, unavoidable. Polls have shown that many admire his vision and achievements, while others condemn his wars and authoritarian rule. Nearly all agree his legacy still shapes the nation. 'These are not just museum pieces. They're fragments of a life that changed history,' said Louis-Xavier Joseph, Sotheby's head of European furniture, who helped assemble the trove. 'You can literally hold a piece of Napoleon's world in your hand.' From battlefields to boudoirs, the auction – aiming to make in excess of 7 million euros (7.5 million) – is a biography in objects. The centerpiece is Napoleon's iconic bicorne hat, the black felt chapeau he wore in battle – with wings parallel to his shoulders – so soldiers and enemies could spot him instantly through the gunpowder haze. 'Put a bicorne on a table and people think of Napoleon immediately,' Joseph said. 'It's like the laurel crown of Julius Caesar.' The hat is estimated to sell for at least over half a million dollars. For all the pageantry – throne, swords, the Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honor – the auction's true power comes from its intimacy. It includes the handwritten codicil of Napoleon's final will, composed in paranoia and illness on Saint Helena. There is the heartbreakingly personal: the red portfolio that once contained his divorce decree from Josephine, the religious marriage certificate that formalized their love, and a dressing table designed for the empress. Her famed mirror reflects the ambition and tragedy of their alliance. 'Napoleon was a great lover; his letters that he wrote are full of fervor, of love, of passion,' Joseph said. 'It was also a man who paid attention to his image. Maybe one of the first to be so careful of his image, both public and private.' The auction's timing is cinematic. The recent biopic grossed over 220 million worldwide and reanimated Napoleon's myth for a TikTok generation hungry for stories of ambition, downfall, and doomed romance. The auction preview is open to the public, running through June 24, with the auction set for June 25. Not far from the Arc de Triomphe, a monument dedicated to the general's victories, Djamal Oussedik, 22, shrugged: 'Everyone grows up with Napoleon, for better or worse. Some people admire him, others blame him for everything. But to see his hat and his bed, you remember he was a real man, not just a legend.' 'You can't escape him even if you wanted to. He's part of being French,' said teacher Laure Mallet, 51. The exhibition is a spectacle crafted by celebrity designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, famed for dressing Lady Gaga and Pope John Paul II. 'I wanted to electrify history,' Castelbajac said. 'This isn't a mausoleum; it's a pop culture installation. Today's collectors buy a Napoleon artifact the way they'd buy a guitar from Jimi Hendrix. They want a cabinet of curiosities.' He's filled the show with fog, hypnotic music, and immersive rooms. One is inspired by the camouflage colors of Fontainebleau. Another is anchored by Napoleon's legendary folding bed. 'I create the fog in the entrance of the Sotheby's building because the elements of nature were an accomplice to Napoleon's strategy,' the designer said. Castelbajac, who said his ancestor fought in Napoleon's Russian campaign, brought a personal touch. 'I covered the emperor's bed in original canvas. You can feel he was just alone, facing all he had built. There's a ghostly presence.' He even created something Napoleon only dreamed of. 'Napoleon always wanted a green flag instead of the blue, white, and red tricolor of the revolution,' he said, smiling. 'He never got one. So I made it for Sotheby's.'

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