The Arab American News
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Lebanese general seeks court record in Hariri case
Maj. Gen. Jamil al-SayyedLEIDSCHENDAM, Netherlands – A former Lebanese army general asked an international court on Tuesday to release his secret case file in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to learn why he was jailed for nearly four years without charge. The hearing by the Special Tribunal...ACC announces summer recreational program
DETROIT — Since the opening of its Youth Recreation and Leadership Center in its Seven Mile complex, the Arab American and Chaldean Council (ACC) has seen a tremendous impact on the lives of the youth it serves. ACC's recreational summer program provides a free 6-week summer basketball camp at its Youth Center in Detroit. The program...Mayor defends arrests of missionaries at festival
DEARBORN - The four Christian missionaries who were arrested at the International Arab American Festival on June 18 were arraigned Monday, July 12 at the 19th District Court in Dearborn. Negeen Mayel, 18, of California; Nabeel Qureshi, 29, of Virginia; Paul Rezkalla, 18 of New York, and David Wood, 34, also of New York, were charged...Iran stoning sentence ‘on hold’
An Iranian woman who was going to be stoned to death for adultery has been given a temporary stay of execution. Iran's official IRNA news agency on Sunday quoted a senior judicial official as saying that the sentence "will not be carried out for the time being," although he added that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani would remain in prison...‘Iran nearing nuclear bombs’ Russia warns
It is one of the first times Moscow has publicly recognized that Iran might be moving towards a nuclear weapon. Russia, which has strong economic and military ties with Iran, has traditionally been an ally of Tehran. But it has recently adopted a tougher stance towards Tehran's nuclear drive, and backed the fourth round of UN sanctions...Syrian sweet tray enters Guiness Book
DAMASCUS- Yet another successful Guiness Book of World Records event involving local cuisine was held as a giant tray of Syrian sweets was registered on July 15 as the largest in world history.The tray totaled 112 meters long and 2 meters wide while weighing 4 tons and was filled with pastries made with phyllo dough, semolina flour,...Tariq Aziz shifted to Iraqi custody
The Iraqi government says U.S. forces have handed over 55 former members of Saddam Hussein's government, including Tariq Aziz, his former foreign minister. Busho Ibrahim, Iraq's deputy justice minister, said on Wednesday that the detainees also include Saddam's former oil and culture ministers. The U.S. military in Baghdad...ICC adds genocide to charges against Sudan’s president
Omar al-BashirThe International Criminal Court added three genocide counts last Monday to the list of charges against Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir in a move hailed by rebels as "victory for Darfur." "There are reasonable grounds to believe that (Omar al-Bashir) acted with specific intent to destroy in part the Fur, Masalit and...Flotilla journalists to sue Israel
A group of journalists has announced that it plans to sue Israel over its deadly raid on a flotilla of aid ships bound for the Gaza Strip in May. Lawyers have already begun preparing lawsuits in several European countries, according to several of the journalists, who met in Istanbul on Wednesday. The group accused Israel of violating...Israelis sue Al-Jazeera over reports during 2006 war
A group of 91 Israelis wounded by Hizbullah rockets during the 2006 summer war is suing the Arab news network Al-Jazeera for $1.2 billion in a New York court for allegedly aiding the Lebanese group, their lawyer said Tuesday. Nitzana Darshan-Leitner said the suit, which was filed Monday, claims the Qatar-based news network intentionally...UK envoy’s praise for Lebanon Shi’a leader draws Israeli anger
Frances Guy BEIRUT - Israel has criticized Britain's ambassador to Lebanon for eulogizing a recently deceased Lebanese cleric said to have inspired Hizbullah. Frances Guy wrote on her personal blog that Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah was a "decent man" who rated among the people she most admired. An Israeli spokesman...Death sentence for Israeli spy
BEIRUT - A Lebanese man accused of spying for Israel and giving the Jewish state security information it used during its 34-day war with Hizbullah in 2006 was sentenced to death yesterday. Ali Mantash appeared in court in Beirut on the same day that prosecutors charged Charbel Qazzi, a manager at the state mobile telephone company Alfa,...French deputies pass face veil ban
France's lower house of parliament has voted to ban the wearing of face-covering veils in public places by 336 votes to one in the 557-seat assembly. The bill, which has received overwhelming support in opinion polls, must now be ratified by the senate in September to become law. The opposition Socialist party, who originally wanted...Saleh: No seventh war in Yemen’s north
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh stressed on Tuesday that no seventh war will take place in the impoverished country's tense north between the Sanaa government and Houthi rebels. "There are no indicators for a seventh war," Saleh told a news conference, saying that would be "totally unacceptable." The sixth war with the rebels, known...West Bank barrier a ‘health hazard’
Israel's separation barrier makes it difficult for Palestinians in the West Bank to obtain proper health care, according to a new United Nations report. Prepared by the Office of the Co-ordinator for Humanitarian Affairs, the report found that thousands of Palestinians have limited access to East Jerusalem hospitals because of the......
MEA holds its first culture and music festival
Middle Eastern American (MEA) TV and radio, formerly known as TV Orient, is celebrating its first annual culture and music festival in Warren, Friday July 16, 4-11 p.m., Saturday July 17, 2-11 p.m. and Sunday July 18, 2-10 p.m. Festival attractions include raffles, vendor booths, MEA idol talent show, children's games, Middle Eastern...Rahaf Abdallah crowned Miss Lebanon 2010
Rahaf Abdallah poses after being crowned Miss Lebanon 2010 in Adma, north of Beirut, July 9, 2010.BEIRUT- Rahaf Abdallah of Khiyam was crowned the 2010 winner of the Miss Lebanon competition on July 8, 2010 during the annual ceremony, which was 0aired by the Lebanese Broadcasting Channel (LBC) The 22-year-old winner beat out......
AFPD members gather for golf outing
The Associated Food and Petroleum Dealers (AFPD) held its annual golf outing at the Fox Hills Golf Course in Plymouth, Wednesday July 14. A continental breakfast began at 7:30 a.m. followed by the golf outing at 9:30 a.m. and dinner ceremony at 3:30 p.m. A silent auction was held during all events. Some AFPD members used the golf outing...Woronchak vies to retain his commission seat
DEARBORN — Gary Woronchak (D-Dearborn) and Scott J. Saionz (R-Dearborn) are candidates competing during the state general election Nov.2. to serve the 13th district of the Wayne County Commission. Waronchak is the incumbent Wayne County Commissioner, and has served the district since 2004. District 13 represents Allen Park, Dearborn...Casino, health care issues miss Michigan ballot
Lansing - Citizen petition drives to expand casino gaming in Michigan and to give individuals the right to opt out of federal health care regulation failed to meet Monday's deadline for submitting signatures to put the issues before voters in November. Backers of two of the proposed constitutional amendments -- one to authorize seven...Metro Detroit Youth Day: Fun, food, scholarships
July 9th, 20100 DETROIT — Fifty-four high school graduating seniors will receive college scholarships at this year's annual Metro Detroit Youth Day, July 14, on Belle Isle. In addition, 30 high school students will be honored for outstanding leadership and community service. Metro Detroit Youth Day is a full day of fun, games, contests,......
IKEA furnishing the occupation
July 9th, 20100 Swedish Radio reported on June 23 that home furnishings retail giant IKEA in Israel discriminately ships to Israel's illegal settlements but not Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank. IKEA in IsraelSwedish Radio's correspondent in Israel, Cecilia Udden, explained that she was moving to the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the...Local Muslims mourn Fadlallah
July 9th, 20101 DEARBORN — It's been a week of mourning and remembrance for many in the Middle East and also locally in the wake of Sunday, July 4th's passing of top Shi'a Muslim cleric Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah in a Beirut hospital due to internal bleeding, a condition for which he was admitted in June. Fadlallah was 74 years old. A......
Healthy Blue Xtras promotes wellness and Michigan
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has teamed up with more than 40 Michigan companies to offer discounts to its members on everything from yoga classes to travel packages. With the new program Healthy Blue Xtras, members can save money on groceries, workout gear and gym memberships. BCBSM hopes the program will encourage members to...Two failed efforts at Muslim-bashing
Two separate incidents of Muslim-bashing occurred last week. Because they involved comments by prominent individuals and were so brazen, they caused some concern. But because neither resulted in any benefit to the offenders, only embarrassed silence or scorn, there is some hope that we may be turning a corner. The first of these came......