Sheikha Lubna Al Qassimi voted most powerful Arab woman
October 16th, 20100 ABU DHABI – Sheikha Lubna Al Qassimi, the UAE minister of foreign trade, has been voted the most powerful Arab woman by Forbes magazine. Sheikha Lubna al QassimiShe was also ranked the 70th most powerful woman in the world in this year's annual list of the most influential females in politics, business, media and...Dearborn Heights candidates square-off before Nov. 2 election
State Representative candidates, Republican Michael Mullins 16th district, Democrat Bob Constan 16th district and Democrat Phil Cavanagh of the 17th district.DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The League of Women Voters of Dearborn (LWV) and Dearborn Heights held a candidate forum on Wednesday, Oct. 6 in the Dearborn Heights Council Chambers....Arab Americans raise funds for Bernero
DEARBORN — With just under a month to go until the Nov. 2 gubernatorial election in Michigan, supporters of Democratic Party nominee Virg Bernero gathered at Byblos Banquet Hall on Tuesday, October 5 to rally support and raise funds for a candidate who has made a strong effort to reach out to the Arab American...Syria can leverage either outcome of peace process
WASHINGTON (IPS) – As the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama struggles to salvage Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Syria is well positioned to benefit no matter the outcome. Traditionally a spoiler in the process, Syria retains leverage with the two militant movements Israel fears most – Hamas and Hizbullah – and is...McDonald challenges Schoolmaster for Dearborn School Board seat
McDonald challenges Schoolmaster for Dearborn School Board seat Both candidates are in favor of extending halal lunches but say it's too expensive to accommodate. DEARBORN — Incumbent James Schoolmaster is vying to retain his seat on the Dearborn School Board in the Nov. 2 election against challenger Roxanne McDonald. On Oct. 5, both...
Lebanon plans hero’s welcome for Iranian president
October 10th, 20100 KFAR KILA, LEBANON – Southern Lebanese citizens are brimming with excitement in anticipation of Iranian President President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to Lebanon on October 13 and 14 at the invitation of Lebanese President Michael Sleiman. Ahmadinejad is expected to tour the border region that Lebanon shares with his heated enemy,...AAPAC conducts endorsement interviews
The Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) is conducting rounds of interviews for endorsements in the November general election. Interviews were held Saturday September 25 and will continue on Friday, Oct. 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday October 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those who have requested endorsements include...
Remembering a great leader
October 1st, 20100 Abdel-Nasser's accomplishments, shortcomings remembered on 40th anniversary of his death NasserIt was a day of remembrance and tributes on Tuesday, September 28 across Egypt and the Arab world as admirers marked the 40th anniversary of the death of highly influential late Egyptian president Gamal Abdel-Nasser. Thousands of...Candidates debate at League of Women Voters forum
Candidates competing in the Nov. 2 statewide election debated at the Dearborn City Council Chambers in a public forum held by the League of Women Voters of Dearborn and Dearborn Heights on Sep. 29. A debate between state representative candidates for the 15th district took place and included Republican Suzanne Sareini, Dearborn...Riots grip East Jerusalem
SILWAN (IPS) – Tension, the twisted carcasses of gutted vehicles, buses with smashed windows, smouldering dumpsters, streets riddled with rubber-coated steel bullets and empty cartridge cases, tear-gas, and air thickened with black soot from burning tires marked the beginning of the fifth day – last Monday – of continuous rioting...October 4 is voter registration deadline for Nov. 2 election
DEARBORN — Monday, Oct. 4 is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 2 statewide election. Applicants can register at their Secretary of State branch or clerk's office, and must be U.S. citizens and at least 18-years old by election day. Voters must be residents of Michigan, and the city or township they register at. To...
Bernero reaches out to community leaders at meeting, pledges cooperation
September 25th, 20100 DEARBORN — Michigan Democratic candidate for governor Virg Bernero met with a large group of Arab American community representatives at the Lebanese American Heritage Club on Monday, September 20 to discuss his plans for the state while answering the questions and concerns of those in attendance Lansing mayor and Michigan...Situation in Lebanon remains unstable
BEIRUT — Lebanon's March 14 parties warned on Wednesday that stability was tied to Hizbullah’s commitment to the Cabinet policy statement's clauses on both the UN-backed tribunal and the "right of the resistance, the Lebanese Army and people" to resist Israel. But Hizbullah's second-in-command Sheikh Naim Qassem emphasized that his...After false promises, the heat is on
BAGHDAD (IPS) – Iraqis promises of development with the ouster of Saddam Hussein and the arrival of the U.S. are now suffering as never before. And where it hurts every moment is through the collapse of power supply. More than seven years into the U.S. occupation, most Iraqis lack electricity, leading to demonstrations in towns and...Candidate forums to be held
DEARBORN — The public is invited to the following forums sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Dearborn and Dearborn Heights to hear responses from candidates running for various positions. For the Michigan legislature: 3rd Senate District, 11th and 15th Representative District, Wayne County (Executive, Sheriff and 13th......
AAPAC to hold endorsement interviews
DEARBORN — The Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) is holding its endorsement interviews on Saturday, Sep. 25, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 1, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Oct. 2, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Interviews are being held for U.S. Rep.,11th District; State Rep, 15th District; Macomb County Commissioner; Dearborn...Detainees in Iraq go from frying pan to fire
Despite numerous Iraqi court orders and a 2008 Amnesty Law requiring the release of uncharged detainees after six or 12 months depending on the case, an estimated 30,000 people remain under unlawful detention, according to the London- based rights group.WASHINGTON (IPS) — The U.S. transfer of Iraqi detainees to national......
Twin visions, twin enemies tearing Lebanon apart
BEIRUT — Last month's bloody gun battle in the streets of a heavily populated Beirut neighborhood may have been triggered by an individual incident; its sectarian dimension, however, has once again highlighted the underlying battle of two currents – two visions of Lebanon that have been tearing the country apart for the last four...PALESTINE: A circle not easily squared
JERUSALEM (IPS) — Security first or borders first? Security says Israel, borders retort the Palestinians. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are finally again getting under way. Israel though remains adamant that the only chance the talks have to make headway is for its security concerns to be satisfactorily addressed. A report by an...Exclusive peace talks are easier to arrange, but is the result durable?
(L-R) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell meet in Sharm el-Sheikh September 14, 2010. Hillary Clinton began a round of talks on Tuesday to try to bridge an impasse over Israeli settlement...Pushing Syria, Israeli peace
Damascus — French Ambassador Jean-Claude Cousseran will arrive in the Syrian capital Damascus as special envoy of the French president at the beginning of September to monitor the peace process between Syria and Israel and probe ways of re-launching talks on the Syrian-Israeli track. Cousseran will begin his mission by embarking on a......
ELECTION IN EGYPT: Brotherhood struggles against shut doors
CAIRO (IPS) – As Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood gears up to contest November parliamentary elections, some analysts note the relatively few gains made by the Brotherhood-led opposition over the last five years in an assembly dominated by the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). Mohammed Badie is the Muslim Brotherhood's eighth...Wikipedia wars: Palestinians and Israelis take their fight to online media
RAMALLAH (IPS) – Palestinians and Israelis are using the media as a new battleground in their war to win hearts and minds across the globe, even as the protracted conflict in the Mideast drags on with no apparent end in sight. This latest move by the foreign ministry follows two right-wing groups the Israeli settler movement......
Under daily blackouts, Lebanese wait to see the light
Most of the owners of large generators work hand-in-hand with politicians, for whom the current situation is lucrative and who prefer not to find solutions, she said. In addition, in many poor areas where the government does not have full authority, electricity is often stolen by residents who connect illegally to an electricity...
STALEMATE IN IRAQ: U.S. and Iran favor Maliki as Iraq PM
September 11th, 20100 BAGHDAD – Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has the backing of Washington and U.S. arch-foe Iran to keep his job, six months after he narrowly lost an election to ex-premier Iyad Allawi, politicians said Tuesday. The United States has consistently denied having any favored candidate for the premiership but amid growing impatience......