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Lebanese Army Refuses to Coordinate with Damascus in Battle Against ISIS

Photo of Lebanese Army shelling ISIS positions on Saturday/NNA
Photo of Lebanese Army shelling ISIS positions on Saturday/NNA
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Lebanese Army Refuses to Coordinate with Damascus in Battle Against ISIS

Photo of Lebanese Army shelling ISIS positions on Saturday/NNA
Photo of Lebanese Army shelling ISIS positions on Saturday/NNA

Beirut- The final preparations for the upcoming Lebanese Army battle against ISIS at the eastern borders with Syria have already been triggered after the completion of a swap deal between Nusra Front and “Hezbollah” and the deportation of Nusra militants from Jurud Arsal to Idlib.

On Saturday, the Lebanese Army intensely shelled ISIS positions in Jurud Ras Baalbek and Al-Kaa ahead of launching a military operation against the terrorist group, which observers said was just days away.

“Army units continued Saturday to target terrorist organizations in the area of Ras Baalbek, firing rocket and heavy artillery shells, destroying a number of fortifications and vehicles and causing definite casualties among terrorists," said a statement by the Army Command.

Therefore, the Army counts on the intense battle against ISIS to push the terrorist organization to reveal the fate of nine Lebanese soldiers kidnapped in 2014.

Also on Saturday, the war media of “Hezbollah” revealed the latest battle map of the Lebanese-Syrian border, showing positions controlled by each of the Lebanese Army, the Syrian forces and ISIS militants at the eastern borders.

“Our concern about the fate of the nine Lebanese soldiers constitutes the basic element in all what is currently happening. There should be a certain kind of pressure exerted on the terrorist organizations to reopen negotiations and release the soldiers,” Defense Minister Yaacoub Sarraf said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a military source told Reuters that the Lebanese army will not coordinate with the Syrian army to fight against ISIS in the Lebanese-Syrian border zone, rejecting a media report published by Al-Joumhuriya newspaper on Saturday saying that the Lebanese army has been coordinating the upcoming battle against ISIS in Ras Baalbek outskirts with Syrian regime military.

The source said the Lebanese army had the military capability to confront and defeat the group without any regional or international support.

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World

Report: Iranian Man Found Dead After Burning Picture of Khamenei

A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shows him addressing a meeting with students in Tehran on November 3, 2025. (KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)
A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shows him addressing a meeting with students in Tehran on November 3, 2025. (KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)
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Report: Iranian Man Found Dead After Burning Picture of Khamenei

A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shows him addressing a meeting with students in Tehran on November 3, 2025. (KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)
A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shows him addressing a meeting with students in Tehran on November 3, 2025. (KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)

An Iranian man has been found dead with a gunshot wound after posting an image of himself burning a picture of the supreme leader, with mourners blaming the authorities, according to opposition media based outside of Iran.

Omid Sarlak, from Lorestan province in western Iran, had published on Instagram an image of himself setting alight the image of Ali Khamenei in a forested area on Friday, hours before being found dead at the weekend.

Iran's official IRNA news agency carried a report citing Ali Asadollahi, the police chief in his town of Aligudarz, saying a man had been found dead in his car after taking his life with a pistol that was found by his side.

But at Sarlak's funeral on Monday, dozens of mourners shouted slogans including "they killed him!" and "death to Khamenei", according to social media footage broadcast by opposition media based outside Iran, including Iran International and Radio Farda.

In his video Sarlak, who was in his 20s, included a recording of the voice of deposed shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, indicating his sympathy for the Iranian monarchy that was ousted by the 1979 revolution.

The ousted shah's US-based son, Reza Pahlavi, wrote on X that Sarlak had "stood against the oppression of the Islamic republic and sacrificed his life for Iran's freedom".

The Iranian Tasnim news agency on Monday rejected what it described as claims in "anti-revolution media" that he "was prosecuted for critical statements and was murdered in a suspicious manner", saying there had been no case against Sarlak and he had killed himself with a gunshot to the head.

Sarlak's father was shown in a video posted on social media by Iranian opposition outlets weeping and saying "they killed my boy".

But he later gave an interview to local state-run television urging people not to believe what they saw on social media.

Activists say the authorities are pressing an intensified crackdown three years after nationwide protests shook the authorities and months after the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June.

"External aggression has fueled deeper internal repression," the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Mai Sato, said last week, noting an "alarming" surge in executions and "mass arrests" of activists.

Varieties

Football Star David Beckham Hails Knighthood as ‘Proudest Moment’

Former England footballer David Beckham (L) poses next to his wife singer and fashion designer Victoria Beckham (R) with his medal after being appointed as a Knight Bachelor (Knighthood) for services to sport and charity at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on November 4, 2025. (AFP)
Former England footballer David Beckham (L) poses next to his wife singer and fashion designer Victoria Beckham (R) with his medal after being appointed as a Knight Bachelor (Knighthood) for services to sport and charity at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on November 4, 2025. (AFP)
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Football Star David Beckham Hails Knighthood as ‘Proudest Moment’

Former England footballer David Beckham (L) poses next to his wife singer and fashion designer Victoria Beckham (R) with his medal after being appointed as a Knight Bachelor (Knighthood) for services to sport and charity at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on November 4, 2025. (AFP)
Former England footballer David Beckham (L) poses next to his wife singer and fashion designer Victoria Beckham (R) with his medal after being appointed as a Knight Bachelor (Knighthood) for services to sport and charity at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on November 4, 2025. (AFP)

Former England football captain David Beckham on Tuesday received his knighthood from King Charles III at Windsor Castle, calling it his "proudest moment".

The football star, 50, who played 115 times for England as well as for some of the world's most high-profile clubs including Manchester United and Real Madrid, was knighted for services to sport and charity.

Beckham said it was "quite a moment" for a boy from the east end of London to be "here at Windsor Castle, being honored by His Majesty the King –- the most important and the most respected institution in the world".

"This is without doubt my proudest moment," he told the PA news agency.

Beckham, known as a stylish dresser, wore a grey suit made by his pop star-turned fashion designer wife Victoria.

She accompanied him to the ceremony at Windsor, west of London, along with his parents Ted and Sandra.

Beckham has been known as "Sir David" since the honor was announced in June while Victoria, a former member of the Spice Girls, became "Lady Beckham".

Asked whether he managed to speak to Charles during the ceremony, Beckham said Charles had been "quite impressed with my suit".

"He's kind of the most elegantly dressed man that I know, so he inspired quite a few of my looks over the years and he definitely inspired this look.

"I looked at old pictures of him when he was quite young in morning suits and I was like, OK, that’s what I want to wear, so I gave it to my wife and she did it," he added.

Beckham added that receiving the honor was particularly special for him as he had "always been a huge fan of the monarchy".

"I've been very obviously lucky in my career to have won what I've won and done what I've done but to receive an honor like this, of a knight, is beyond anything that I ever thought that I would receive," he said.

Beckham's knighthood is the culmination of years of tireless efforts to transcend football and turn himself into a global icon at the intersection of sport, fashion and business.

He was believed to have been on the verge of receiving a knighthood after helping London win its bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

But UK authorities placed a red flag on his nomination due to his involvement in an alleged tax avoidance scheme, according to previous reports. He was subsequently cleared.

Sports

Gauff Sweeps Paolini Aside to Revitalize WTA Finals Defense in Riyadh

Coco Gauff of the United States plays a shot against Jasmine Paolini of Italy during their women's singles match at the WTA tennis finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP)
Coco Gauff of the United States plays a shot against Jasmine Paolini of Italy during their women's singles match at the WTA tennis finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP)
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Gauff Sweeps Paolini Aside to Revitalize WTA Finals Defense in Riyadh

Coco Gauff of the United States plays a shot against Jasmine Paolini of Italy during their women's singles match at the WTA tennis finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP)
Coco Gauff of the United States plays a shot against Jasmine Paolini of Italy during their women's singles match at the WTA tennis finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (AP)

Coco Gauff claimed a much-needed 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini to keep her WTA Finals title defense alive in Riyadh on Tuesday.

The American third seed had lost her opener two days prior to Jessica Pegula but was far more clinical against Paolini, whose second singles defeat of the week means she has no chance of advancing to the semi-finals.

"I'm really happy with how I played today, definitely a turnaround from my first match," said Gauff, who posted her 10th top-10 win of the season.

Against Pegula on Sunday, Gauff struggled with her serve, committing 17 double faults and winning just 28 percent of the points behind her second delivery.

Her performance in the first set of her second match was already a significant improvement, as she won nine of 11 points on her second serve, misfiring just twice for two double faults.

The 21-year-old leapt to a 3-0 lead and despite Paolini's attempted comeback, was able to reclaim her advantage to take the opening set in 40 minutes.

The second set was a straightforward affair as Gauff notched two breaks of serve en route to her second win in five meetings with the Italian this season.

"I was just trying to play relaxed. I've played a WTA Finals where I lost all three of my matches (in 2022). So I tried to avoid that today," said the two-time Grand Slam champion.

"I thought I served smart. I don't think Jasmine was 100 percent today and I would like to wish her well. Playing singles and doubles here is not easy."

In other Stefanie Graf Group action, world number one Aryna Sabalenka will take on fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula later in the day. A straight-sets victory for the top seed would guarantee her a place in Friday's semi-finals.