World

Libyan authorities suspect rival military backers in car bomb blast

January 29th, 20170 TRIPOLI ― A counter-terrorism unit in the Libyan capital Tripoli said it suspected a car bomb that went off on Saturday near the Italian embassy was planted by backers of a rival force in the divided country's east. The blast occurred in central Tripoli about 400 yards from the recently reopened embassy. The bodies of two men were...

Unpaid government workers deepen economic pain in Yemen’s war

January 29th, 20172 SANAA ― Already suffering grievously under nearly two years of civil war, many thousands of Yemeni state workers now face destitution as their salaries have gone largely unpaid for months. The immediate reason is a decision by the internationally-recognized government to shift Yemen's central bank out of Sanaa, the capital city...

Astana peace talks make way for Syrian truce

January 29th, 20170 ASTANA ― Syria's warring sides met for their first talks in nine months on Monday, with their Russian and Turkish backers pushing to cement a ceasefire that could pave the way for political talks. The meeting in the Kazakh capital comes at a time when Turkey, which backs the rebels, and Russia, which supports Syrian President Bashar...

Israel completes testing of missile interceptor

January 29th, 20170 TEL AViV ― Israel has completed successful tests of an advanced version of its 'David's Sling' intermediate missile interceptor system that it is developing jointly with the United States, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. The system is designed to shoot down rockets with ranges of 63 to 125 mile) such as those in the arsenal...

Trump says he will ‘absolutely’ order safe zones for Syria

January 29th, 20170 WASHINGTON - Saying Europe had made a tremendous mistake by admitting millions of refugees from Syria and other Middle Eastern trouble spots, Trump told ABC News in an interview: "I don't want that to happen here." "I'll absolutely do safe zones in Syria for the people," he added, without giving details. According to a document...

Referee makes disturbing comment to Muslim basketball team

January 26th, 20170 MEMPHIS, TN - A basketball coach at the Pleasant View School at the Muslim Community Center in Memphis hoped to teach her students a life lesson after a confrontation with a referee on Sunday night before their game. The referee addressed the crowd, bringing Bilquis Abdul-Qaadir, who is the athletic director at the school, to...

Former FBI agent drafted original ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ bill

January 26th, 20170 WASHINGTON, D.C.- Islamophobic website WND reported in 2014 that John Guandolo, former FBI agent and reputed Islamophobe, “helped draft the...anti-Brotherhood bill,” The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported Tuesday. The anti-Brotherhood bill refers to the “Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act,” a...

Trump moves ahead with wall, puts stamp on U.S. immigration, security policy

January 26th, 20170 WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered construction of a U.S.-Mexican border wall and punishment for cities shielding illegal immigrants while mulling restoring a CIA secret detention program as he launched broad but divisive plans to reshape U.S. immigration and national security policy. A draft executive order seen...

Detroit man executed outside son’s school

January 26th, 20170 DETROIT- Police are investigating the execution of a father in front of his son's school in southwest Detroit on Wednesday morning. Police said, after he dropped his son off and the boy entered Mark Twain Elementary School, the father was shot in the head by a suspect who was sitting in the backseat of a victim’s car.  The suspect...

3-year-old killed by collapsed table at Dearborn Heights head start identified

January 26th, 20170 DEARBORN HEIGHTS- On Monday, family identified the 3-year-old girl, who died Friday morning when a cafeteria table fell from the gymnasium wall and struck her at a Dearborn Heights head start, as Lilliana Jade Kerr. The Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, which runs the Head Start program at the school, expressed condolences...

Shattered windows and bacon strips at mosque investigated as hate crime

January 26th, 20170 DAVIS, CA – Early Sunday, a woman vandalized the Islamic Center of Davis--- shattering six window panes, placing uncooked bacon on the door handle and destroying two bikes--- between 3:45 a.m. and 4 a.m. The vandalism is being investigated as a hate crime, police said. According to the Davis Police Department, the woman used an...

Trump expected to sign executive orders on immigration

January 26th, 20170 WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign several executive orders on Wednesday restricting immigration from Syria and six other Middle Eastern or African countries, according to several congressional aides and immigration experts briefed on the matter. In addition to Syria, Trump's orders are expected to...

Man charged with hate crime after holding gun to Muslim cab driver’s head

January 26th, 20171 NEW YORK- On Monday, New York police confirmed that a man has been charged with a hate crime after holding a gun to the head of a Muslim cab driver. Andrew M. Plachecki, 26, was apparently drunk as he waved to the cab early Sunday morning before threatening the driver with a gun and calling him a “motherf---ing piece of Muslim...

Obama transferred $221 million to Palestinian Authority in his final hours in office

January 26th, 20170 WASHINGTON — In his last hours in office, the Obama administration transferred $221 million to the Palestinian Authority that despite opposition from GOP members of Congress, officials say. A State Department official and several congressional aides told the Associated Press that the outgoing administration and former Secretary of...

Lebanese security forces foil suicide attack in Beirut’s crowded street

January 21st, 20170 BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanese security forces arrested a would-be suicide bomber inside a crowded cafe in one of the busiest neighbourhoods in the capital Beirut on Saturday night, security sources told AFP. The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a man wearing an explosive bomb belt had been detained by authorities after...

Egypt court rejects transfer of Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia

January 21st, 20170 CAIRO, Egypt — An Egyptian court rejected on Monday a government plan to transfer two uninhabited Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, in a final ruling that prompted cheers in the courtroom but could deepen tensions with the country's former financial backer, Saudi Arabia. Egypt's government announced during a visit by the Saudi...

Most ISIS leaders in Mosul killed

January 21st, 20170 MOSUL — Most ISIS commanders in Mosul have been killed in battles with Iraqi government forces that raged over the past three months in the eastern side of the city, an Iraqi general said on Thursday. The fight to take the western side of Mosul, which remains under the jihadists' control, should not be more difficult than the...

Can the media hold politicians accountable?

January 21st, 20170 If you watched Donald Trump’s recent press conference, you may have overlooked a telling and worrisome moment. A CNN reporter tried to ask the president-elect about the extent of his ties to Russian officials. “No! Not you. No! Your organization is terrible,” responded Mr. Trump, and moved on to the next question. The fact...

Pew Research Center: Democratic support for Israel plummets

January 21st, 20170 WASHINGTON — A recent study by the Pew Research Center has shown that support for Israel plummeted nearly 25 percent among members of the Democratic party in the last nine months. Democratic party allegiance towards Israel has dropped 43 to 33 percent, according to the study. For decades, Democratic support for Israel has...

Executive actions ready to go as Trump takes office

January 21st, 20170 WASHINGTON — Donald Trump is preparing to sign executive actions on his first day in the White House on Friday to take the opening steps to crack down on immigration, build a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border and roll back outgoing President Barack Obama's policies. Trump, a Republican elected on Nov. 8 to succeed Democrat Obama,...

Dearborn police identify suspect in series of home invasions

January 20th, 20170 DEARBORN — According to a press release, Dearborn police have identified the suspect involved in a series of home invasions in the northeast end of the city. Shady Karim of Shelby Township was on bail for Home Invasion while committing the crimes, police said. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed charges of 2nd...

Maya Nassar seeks to expand fitness in Lebanon

January 20th, 20171 DEARBORN — Athletic trailblazer Maya Nassar seeks to establish a national platform to expand fitness and bodybuilding in Lebanon. "I've been endorsed more than once by the Lebanese government to represent Lebanon in bodybuilding, recognizing what I do as a sport," Nassar— an entrepreneur, a personal trainer, a wellness...

Pew Research Center: Democratic support for Israel plummets

January 20th, 20170 DEARBORN — A recent study by the Pew Research Center has shown that support for Israel plummeted nearly 25 percent among members of the Democratic party in the last nine months. Democratic party allegiance towards Israel has dropped 43 to 33 percent, according to the study. For decades, Democratic support for Israel has been...

Dearborn native offers cooking classes for kids

January 19th, 20170 DEARBORN— At 16-years-old, Zee Shami predicted something huge would change her life forever once she turned 30. She didn’t know what it would be at the time, but in the autumn of 2015, at age 30, she established ZeeTheCook, LLC, offering cooking classes in her kitchen. She recalled reflecting on the irony. “When 30...

Texas State Rep. sends letter to Muslims that questions their beliefs

January 19th, 20170 TEXAS - Texas Muslims have taken offense to a letter from a State Rep. that surveys their beliefs and questions if they support radical Islam. Just weeks into office, it appears State Rep. Kyle Biedermann, R-Fredericksburg, is concerned about Muslims first and foremost. He sent a letter to mosque leaders and Muslim student...