The Arab American News
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Estonians abducted in Lebanon freed, in good health
BEIRUT — The seven Estonian men abducted four months ago in east Lebanon were released in the Bekaa Valley last Thursday and are in good health.After midday, Lebanese Interior Minister Marwan Charbel visited the French Embassy to check on the wellbeing of Estonians.Lebanon’s foreign minister, Adnan Mansour, confirmed the release,...
Tensions mount over Iraq, nuke sanctions
July 16th, 20110 WASHINGTON (IPS) - Reviving U.S.-Iran friction over Iraq may have more to do with deteriorating relations over Iran's nuclear program than with uncertainty over U.S. troop levels in Iraq beyond the end of this year.In recent weeks, a chorus of U.S. officials has accused Iran of providing lethal weapons to Iraqi Shia militias that have...
Lebanon: Hizbullah, Hariri exchange tough rhetoric
July 16th, 20110 - Hizbullah: Indictment is not worth the ink with which it was written- Hariri vows to topple government, lashes out at Nasrallah BEIRUT - The head of Hizbullah’s parliamentary bloc dismissed a U.N.-backed court’s indictment into former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s 2005 assassination as worthless, in the latest exchange of...New study: Women drivers more accident-prone than men
ANN ARBOR – A new study from the University of Michigan of 6.5 million car crashes found that a disproportionate number of accidents happen when both drivers are women. The study showed that female-to-female accidents accounted for 20.5% percent of all crashes, a number that was higher than expected considering that most drivers...New study: More than 30% in Michigan now obsese
A new study finds that Michigan is now the 10th fattest state in America. According to the study released last Thursday, July 7, three in ten Michigan adults are considered obese which is about 30.5% of the state compared to 17.2% in 1995. The study that named Michigan the 10th fattest state was, “F as in Fat:...Macomb County to get more aggressive on home foreclosures
MACOMB —Macomb County is looking to get more aggressive on foreclosing occupied homes of people who fail to pay their property taxes in 2012. According to Macomb County treasurer Ted Wahby, for years the county has avoided such measures as foreclosure, with policies that help home owners come up with negotiations for payment plans....Welfare benefits limited to 48 months in Michigan
LANSING – A special summer session of the state Senate passed a bill that will limit welfare benefits in Michigan to 48 months by a tally of 24-12. It was opposed by a voting bloc of Democrats before passing. The limit previously only applied to the the state's Work First program according to The Detroit News and to those in an...States asked to wait for more data before passing cellphone ban
WASHINGTON — A safety group has called on Michigan and 40 other states that haven't banned the use of hand-held cellphones by drivers to wait until more data can be researched before passing new restrictions or rules. The group, the Governors Highway Safety Association, submitted a 50-page report this past week making other...Pregnancies outside of marriage rising in Michigan
LANSING – A total of about two-thirds of babies born to Michigan women in their early twenties are born outside of marriage according to a new report by the Michigan League for Human Services organization. The number has risen significantly in the past ten years although teen pregnancy numbers were higher in the past according to...Severe storm hits Dearborn, city offers tree limb removal
DEARBORN – The severe thunderstorm that blew through the city on Monday led to more 70 downed trees according to city officials.Three house fires were also reported as were reports of about 100 downed wires and more than 500 calls to 9-11 during the storm. The city also said that about 20 people were transported for hospital care...Michigan deaths in Afghanistan, Iraq: 204
A total of 204 Michigan servicemen have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan combined according to data released by CNN.com. More than 6,000 on the U.S. side have been killed altogether in both wars. The numbers from Michigan break down as 159 killed in Iraq and 45 in Afghanistan, according to the statistics. ...ACC study shows higher lead poisoning risk for immigrants
DETROIT — The Arab American and Chaldean Council recently announced that its study on lead poisoning among Arab American and African American children in the metro Detroit area was published in the Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Journal. The study explored the hypothesis that acculturation is a risk factor...Arabs to seek full Palestinian upgrade at U.N.
DOHA — The Arab League will ask the United Nations to upgrade the Palestinians to full member status, a draft statement from a league meeting in Qatar said on Thursday.“It was decided to go to the United Nations to request the recognition of the state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital and to move ahead and request...Saudi authorities foil regime overthrow plot
JEDDAH — Saudi authorities have dismantled an Al-Qaeda-linked group of 16 people plotting to overthrow the regime, the Saudi-funded Asharq Alawsat daily reported last Wednesday.The "secret organization" aimed to "gain power with the aid of foreign intelligence services," Asharq Alawsat quoted a spokesman for the justice ministry as...
Shooting suspect Faraj arraigned on first-degree murder charge from basketball shooting
July 15th, 20110 DEARBORN - Shooting suspect Fadi Hussein Faraj, a resident of the city, was arraigned this afternoon in front of Judge Mark Somers in the city's 19th District Court on first degree murder and felony firearm charges. The murder charge, which resulted from the fatal shooting on Wednesday evening of 23-year-old Hassan Zeidan of......
Fatal shooting on Dearborn’s east side shocks community one year after stabbing death
July 14th, 20110 DEARBORN – A year after an 18-year-old man was stabbed to death outside of an ice skating rink on the same date, tragedy struck the local community again as another young man was shot multiple times and killed after a pick-up basketball game near Riverside Academy West on the city's east side. The victim was believed to be...Dearborn offering dry ice, branch collection after storm
The City of Dearborn is distributing dry ice from 10:30 a.m. July 12 until the supply runs out to Dearborn residents only at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Avenue. Residents are asked to bring a cooler and proof of residency. Look for signs......
Game Headz: Out of the gas station and into the mainstream
Founded in 2003 by Wissam Merhi, who began selling games out of a Sunoco gas station, the Game Headz franchise has made waves in southeast Michigan with five locations in major Detroit suburbs. Merhi has surrounded himself with fellow avid gamers and hopes to expand by 10 franchises in the next two years as his business...Livonia Congressman McCotter kicks off presidential run
WHITMORE LAKE – Thaddeus McCotter, a Republican congressman from Livonia, announced his bid to run for U.S. President in 2012 at the WAAM Freedom Fest on July 2. About 600 people attended the event, which was sponsored by a local conservative radio channel. McCotter has said he is against "big government" and in favor of tax...Local woman, rights group question hijab removal procedure of Dearborn Police
DEARBORN – A local Muslim woman along with a Council on American-Islamic Relations-Michigan spokesman have questioned the protocol of the city's police department after the woman was forced to remove her headscarf in the presence of male officers during a "facial recognition" procedure. Rachel ChinavareRachel Chinavare said she...Michigan’s new sex offender registry law now in effect
LANSING - Beginning last Friday, many teenagers convicted of having consensual sex with minors will no longer be included in the state of Michigan's sex offender registry database. Young offenders who had sex with partners between the ages of 13 and 16 are exempted, as long as the offender is not more than four years older than the......
Zogby Poll: 67% say U.S. headed in wrong direction
UTICA, NY — Two-thirds of likely voters say the nation is headed in the wrong direction, the highest it has been since December of last year. Only 23% say the nation is headed in the right direction, while 67% say it is on the wrong track. The wrong track total is the highest since the 68% total found on December 14,...Recall effort against Gov. Snyder hits halfway mark
An effort to recall Gov. Rick Snyder needing 800,000 petition signatures passed the halfway point last week of its 90-day timetable. Organizers have not yet revealed how many names they have collected. The recall organizing began at a fairly large rally at the state capitol on May 21. Organizers have said that more than 180,000......
Obama health care law ruled constitutional in suit by Michigan residents
On June 30, a federal appeals court ruled that President Obama's health care legislation, which allows Congress to require people to buy a minimum health care insurance, is constitutional. The case stems from a suit by a Michigan-based law center and four residents of the state which claim that the individual mandate of...Dearborn court worker Pucci awarded more than $700,000 in damages
DEARBORN — Julie Pucci, 43, a former Dearborn deputy court administrator, was awarded $732,361 in damages on Thursday of last week after a verdict said she was denied due process after being fired in 2006 in the city's 19th District Court. The result was the second similar award in recent weeks against the court and Chief Judge Mark......