وائل جسار: لا أحب كلمات وألحان أغاني المهرجانات

قال لـ «الشرق الأوسط» إن «عودة الروح» إلى لبنان من أهم أمنياتي

وائل جسار مع زوجته في حفله بليلة رأس السنة بمصر
وائل جسار مع زوجته في حفله بليلة رأس السنة بمصر
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وائل جسار: لا أحب كلمات وألحان أغاني المهرجانات

وائل جسار مع زوجته في حفله بليلة رأس السنة بمصر
وائل جسار مع زوجته في حفله بليلة رأس السنة بمصر

قال الفنان اللبناني وائل جسار إنه لا يحب كلمات وأغاني المهرجانات المصرية، وأشار في حواره لـ«الشرق الأوسط»، إلى أنه لا يتمنى أن يحدث شيء في العام الجديد سوى ازدهار الاقتصاد اللبناني، وعودة الروح إلى بيروت خلال العام الجديد، وكشف جسار عن كواليس أغنيته الجديدة «لو تخاصمني» التي حققت ما يقرب من 3 ملايين مشاهدة عبر موقع «يوتيوب» حتى الآن.
وأعرب جسار عن سعادته البالغة لاستقباله العام الجديد في مصر، قائلاً: «أصبحت أحتفل برأس السنة سنوياً في مصر (أم الدنيا)، التي تعد جزءاً لا يتجزأ مني، فهي صاحبة فضل كبير علي بعد بلدي لبنان، ولا بد من توجيه الشكر لمتعهد الحفلات محمود حنفي وابنته نورا، اللذين يتيحان لي الفرصة سنوياً لكي أقضي رأس السنة في مصر، وسط جمهوري المصري والعربي».
وكشف الفنان اللبناني عن أمنيته لعام 2023، قائلاً: «ليست لدي أمنيات سوى أن تزدهر الحياة الاقتصادية في بلدي لبنان، ويعم الرخاء، وتعود بيروت كما كانت (عروس الوطن العربي)، وأن يعيش كل أبناء الوطن العربي في أمن وسلام».
ونوّه جسار بأن عام 2022 كان عاماً جيداً بالنسبة له على المستوى الغنائي، بعدما قدم به عدداً من الأغنيات «السينغل» التي حققت مردوداً جيداً، على غرار «(أنا مش مصدق) التي تعاونت فيها مع الشاعر الكبير منصور الشادي، وصديقي الملحن المصري وليد سعد، كما قدمت أغنية (عيان)، بالإضافة إلى أغنية (لو تخاصمني) التي طرحت منذ أسابيع، وحققت ما يقرب من 3 ملايين مشاهدة عبر موقع (يوتيوب)، لذلك أشكر مؤلف وملحن الأغنية لؤي الجوهري».
وكشف الفنان اللبناني أن عام 2023 سيكون مليئاً بالأعمال الغنائية المصرية، موضحاً: «لدي عدد وافر من الأغنيات المصرية، لكنني لم أحدد بعد الأغنية التي سوف أطلقها قريباً».
ونفى صاحب أغنية «مشيت خلاص» وجود أي خلافات بينه وبين مؤدي المهرجانات بعد تداول أخبار تتحدث عن عدم رضاه عن العمل الغنائي المشترك بينه وبين مؤدي المهرجانات المصري حسن شاكوش، بعنوان «مصر حكاية»، ويضيف: «حسن شاكوش إنسان طيب، وأنا أحبه على المستوى الشخصي، لكن حينما قدمنا عملاً غنائياً مشتركاً، كانت هناك مشكلة في طبقات الصوت بيننا».
وأكد جسار أنه على المستوى الشخصي لا يحب كلمات وألحان أغاني المهرجانات، مشيراً إلى أنه «كان يتفق مع رأي الفنان هاني شاكر الرافض لها»، لافتاً إلى أن «المسؤولية هنا لا تقع فقط على مقدمي هذا اللون من الأغنيات، بل أيضاً على الجمهور الذي يروج لهذه الأغنيات ويدعمها»، عاداً أنهم «سبب رئيسي في تمادي البعض في تقديمها».
ويرى جسار أن وجود زوجته ميراي وابنته مارلين ونجله وائل جونيور، أحد أهم أسباب نجاحه: «أحب اصطحاب أسرتي معي في حفلاتي الكبرى على غرار حفلة رأس السنة في مصر، فهم أغلى ما في حياتي»، على حد تعبيره.
ولمح الفنان اللبناني إلى عدم ترحيبه بدخول أولاده عالم الغناء خلال الفترة القريبة المقبلة، قائلاً: «أولادي ما زالوا صغاراً، كما أن الوسط الفني والغنائي متعب للغاية، فأنا لا أنكر أنهما يمتلكان صوتاً جيداً، ولكن هناك صعوبات بالغة ستواجههم في حال احترافهم هذا المجال، بالتحديد الفتيات، فهن يواجهن صعوبات أكثر من الرجال، لذلك كل ما يشغلني حالياً هو اهتمامهم بدراستهم».



G20 Finance Leaders Close Talks Marked by US Welcoming Russia

A plenary session meeting on financial literacy takes place as world leaders in finance join with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for the 2026 G20 Financial meetings on September 1, 2026 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Getty Images/AFP)
A plenary session meeting on financial literacy takes place as world leaders in finance join with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for the 2026 G20 Financial meetings on September 1, 2026 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Getty Images/AFP)
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G20 Finance Leaders Close Talks Marked by US Welcoming Russia

A plenary session meeting on financial literacy takes place as world leaders in finance join with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for the 2026 G20 Financial meetings on September 1, 2026 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Getty Images/AFP)
A plenary session meeting on financial literacy takes place as world leaders in finance join with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for the 2026 G20 Financial meetings on September 1, 2026 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Getty Images/AFP)

G20 finance leaders closed their two-day gathering on Tuesday with a statement that all but China backed in full, as Washington insisted that the presence of a Russian minister had no effect on talks.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the fact that nearly all participants agreed to the chair's statement suggested "there has been no impact" from Russia's attendance.

Ukraine's European allies had expressed frustration after Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov was welcomed at the US-hosted meetings in Asheville, North Carolina.

The broiling Middle East war and President Donald Trump's tariffs also loomed over the gathering.

The chair's statement called for "free, safe, and predictable navigation through the Strait of Hormuz," though China dissented from that section.

The key waterway has been largely blocked by Tehran since the war began in late February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

A traditional "family photo" of G20 participants was taken Monday without Siluanov, following European officials' protests.

At a separate G20 innovation gathering in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, participants took two group photos, allowing European leaders to be separated from Russia's delegation.

An EU spokesperson said representatives were only given short notice of Siluanov's attendance.

"It created discomfort, no doubt about that," Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told AFP on Tuesday when asked if Siluanov's appearance had a bearing on discussions.

EU economy chief Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters that it was not the time to "normalize" Russia's presence at such events.

He said Moscow's inclusion entails discussing sensitive economic matters with representatives of a government that is "waging an aggressive war" and "killing civilians on a daily basis" in its conflict in Ukraine.

But Bessent countered at a press conference: "I know that some Europeans had a sour taste, but I think it's very important to engage."

"And I will point out that the finance minister who I met with is unsanctioned," he added of Siluanov.

The tension also comes as Germany blamed Russia on Tuesday for an attempted "hybrid attack" involving a drone at a strategic German airport last month, and unveiled diplomatic counter-measures.

The United States holds the rotating G20 presidency, and Washington was also pushing this week to rally support from partners on Iran sanctions and reducing trade imbalances.

Asked if he also pressured Russia to cut its support for Iran, Bessent earlier told reporters that "many conversations are best done privately."

- 'Persistent imbalances' -

Another topic China took issue with was a declaration that "excessive and persistent imbalances pose risks and can generate economic distortions."

The section called for countries to "take steps to eliminate non-market policies." This echoed criticism of excess industrial capacity in the world's second biggest economy, which critics say creates unfair competition and drives prices lower.

"We need to discuss and look at collective action, because global imbalances as they are today are not sustainable," Champagne said. "Everyone has to be at that table."

The G20 comprises 19 nations plus the EU and the African Union, and was established in the wake of the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis to boost global economic and financial stability.

The Asheville finance talks also set the stage for a G20 leaders' summit that Trump will convene in December in Miami.

Another issue that came up was support for Ukraine, which was discussed on the sidelines at a meeting by the narrower Group of Seven advanced economies.

Moscow has intensified its strikes on Kyiv this summer. US-brokered talks remain frozen while the Kremlin has maintained its maximalist demands to end the war.

German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said Tuesday there has been an "increase in brutal rocket attacks on the civilian population."

"This all has to come to an end," he added.

Klingbeil said he and other European ministers "made our position on Ukraine absolutely clear." As G7 leaders met late Monday, he said Ukraine's finance minister joined remotely for talks on support for Kyiv.


US Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Thailand After Months at Sea

Tugboats prepare to guide US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) (C) towards Laem Chabang Port, near the city of Pattaya on September 2, 2026. (AFP)
Tugboats prepare to guide US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) (C) towards Laem Chabang Port, near the city of Pattaya on September 2, 2026. (AFP)
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US Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Thailand After Months at Sea

Tugboats prepare to guide US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) (C) towards Laem Chabang Port, near the city of Pattaya on September 2, 2026. (AFP)
Tugboats prepare to guide US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) (C) towards Laem Chabang Port, near the city of Pattaya on September 2, 2026. (AFP)

A US aircraft carrier at the center of controversy over conditions on board arrived in Thailand on Wednesday for its first port call in nine months.

The 5,000 sailors and Marines on board the USS Abraham Lincoln, arriving from the war in the Middle East, are headed for the Thai resort of Pattaya, a rest-and-recreation stop for US troops since the Vietnam War.

Tugs guided the huge nuclear-powered carrier, dozens of warplanes lined up on its flight deck, towards the port of Laem Chabang on Wednesday morning, AFP reporters saw.

"Our arrival in Laem Chabang provides a well-deserved opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to rest and recharge," Rear Admiral Robert Loughran, commander of the US Carrier Strike Group 3, said in a statement.

The Lincoln's commanding officer, Captain Dan Keeler, added that its first port visit of the "historic deployment" -- after 286 days at sea -- would allow "our crew to enjoy this beautiful and historic country".

An official in Pattaya said it was due to dock shortly before lunchtime.

The Lincoln left California in November 2025 for duty in the South China Sea and was rerouted to the Middle East before US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began six months ago.

Reports of deteriorating living conditions and poor mental health on board -- including attempted suicides -- made headlines in the United States and provoked criticism of President Donald Trump's war against Iran.

Pattaya is hugely popular with foreign tourists, known for its beaches and a nightlife scene.

- Safety and fair pricing -

Pattaya's mayor Poramase Ngampiches said buses have been laid on to transport the sailors from the ship to Pattaya and back until the carrier departs on Sunday.

"They come to relax," Poramase said in a video posted on Facebook.

"Our preparations will focus on safety and ensuring fair pricing, so we don't take advantage of them."

He said the sailors have been banned from water sports such as jet skis, and from taking advantage of Thailand's lax cannabis laws.

But he encouraged them to enjoy the city's many other attractions, from malls to religious sites.

Democratic lawmakers have called for an investigation into conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln following reports of food shortages, broken plumbing and mental health crises.

But Trump dismissed the concerns, as well as the suggestion the ship had been deployed for too long.

"A small number of mental health cases were treated with no loss of life," acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said in mid-August, blaming the media for "trying to paint our warriors as victims".

The carrier was replaced in the Middle East by the USS George Washington, which had been in Japan, as the US-Israel war with Iran drags on.

That ship in turn will be relieved by the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which will sail from San Diego in the coming weeks, according to private military association the US Naval Institute.

The US has maintained an aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea for strike missions over Iran since the US and Israel launched the war at the end of February, and subsequently to enforce a naval blockade of Iranian ports.


Saudi Runner Wins 400m Gold at World Masters Athletics Championships

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
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Saudi Runner Wins 400m Gold at World Masters Athletics Championships

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

Saudi runner Ismail Al Sabyani achieved a new milestone for Saudi sports after winning the gold medal in the 400m at the World Masters Athletics Championships Daegu 2026, currently taking place in Daegu, Republic of Korea.

Al Sabyani won the gold medal after completing the race in 46.97 seconds, setting a new record, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.