Palestinians call Israel-UAE normalization deal treason and stab in the back
August 13th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Israel and the United Arab Emirates reached a "historic" deal on Thursday that will lead to a full normalization of diplomatic relations between the two nations in an agreement that President Trump helped broker. Under the agreement, Israel has agreed to suspend applying sovereignty to areas of the West...
Qatari sociologist says Beirut explosion is “divine punishment” for blasphemy, plastic surgery and homosexuality
August 11th, 20200 QATAR — A Qatari sociologist known for posting videos of his controversial viewpoints on YouTube, has sparked outrage once again. The popular sociologist, Abd Al-Aziz Al-Khazraj Al-Ansari, said in his most recent video that the port explosions in Beirut is a sign of divine punishment. “This is a message to our people of...
Lebanon’s government resigns after outrage over deadly Beirut blast
August 10th, 20200 BEIRUT — On Monday, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced the official resignation of his government after a powerful Beirut port explosion sparked outrage and protests against the country’s leaders. The massive explosion that devastated the capital last Tuesday killed some 200 people and wounded 6,000 others. Diab...
After going viral, the bride from Beirut tells her story
August 8th, 20200 BEIRUT — Aug. 4, 2020 was meant to be the happiest day of Israa Al Seblani’s life, but it quickly turned to be the most terrifying. Al Seblani is the bride from the now viral video shoot taken during the explosion in Beirut that has killed more than 150 people and injured more than 5,000 more. “The first thought that...
“Possibility of external interference”: Lebanon’s president expands blast probe
August 7th, 20200 BEIRUT (REUTERS) — Lebanon’s president said on Friday an investigation into the biggest blast in Beirut’s history would examine whether it was caused by a bomb or other external interference, as residents tried to rebuild their shattered lives after the explosion. The search for those missing has intensified, as rescuers sifted...
In solidarity: Western Union allows money transfers to Lebanon for zero fees and paid out in U.S. dollars
August 7th, 20200 DENVER – Western Union announced that it is offering zero-fee, international money transfers paid out in U.S. dollars to Lebanon, as the country grapples with its recent tragedy amidst other economic and pandemic-related threats. “We owe the people of Lebanon recognition for their spirit of resilience, especially during times of...
Beirut reels from huge blast as death toll climbs to at least 135
August 5th, 20200 BEIRUT — On Wednesday, Lebanese rescue teams pulled out bodies and hunted for missing people in the wreckage caused by a massive warehouse explosion that sent a devastating blast wave across Beirut, killing at least 135. Prime Minister Hassan Diab declared three days of mourning from Thursday as early investigations blamed...
Breaking: Huge explosion rocks Beirut, dozens dead, thousands injured
August 4th, 20200 BEIRUT — A huge explosion in Beirut has caused at least 78 deaths and 4,000 injuries. The explosion sent a shockwave across the Lebanese capital, creating massive destruction, shattering windows and collapsing apartment balconies. Social media became flooded with videos and photos from eyewitnesses on the ground soon after the...
Lebanese foreign minister quits over slow reforms, Aoun adviser takes over
August 3rd, 20200 BEIRUT (REUTERS) — Lebanon named the president’s diplomatic adviser as new foreign minister on Monday after Nassif Hitti quit the post, blaming a lack of political will to enact reforms to halt a financial meltdown, which he warned could turn Lebanon into a failed state. Foreign donors have...
List of Israeli targets leaked: Tel Aviv fears the worst in ICC investigation of war crimes
July 29th, 20200 When International Court of Justice (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda confirmed last December that the Court has ample evidence to pursue a war crimes investigation in occupied Palestine, the Israeli government responded with the usual rhetoric, accusing the international community of bias and insisting on Israel’s “right to defend...
Lebanon reimposes COVID-19 restrictions as infections spike
July 27th, 20200 BEIRUT (Reuters) — Lebanon reimposed severe COVID-19 restrictions on Monday for the next two weeks, shutting places of worship, cinemas, bars, nightclubs, sports events and popular markets, after a sharp rise in infections. Shops, private companies, banks and educational institutions would be permitted to open, but only on Tuesdays...
Why Palestinian-Israeli prisoners exchange deal could happen soon
July 22nd, 20200 For the first time since the Israeli war on Gaza in 2014, the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is signaling its willingness to engage in negotiations regarding the release of the bodies of two Israeli soldiers believed to be held by resistance groups in Gaza. But will another prisoner exchange similar to that of...
Tlaib, Dingell spearhead historic legislation to repeal Muslim travel ban
July 22nd, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the NO BAN Act, a bill that will effectively repeal the Trump Administration's discriminatory ban against Muslims, Africans, refugees and asylees. The final vote tally was 233-183. U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) presided over the debate of...
Dearborn mother pleads for return of 3-year-old twins their father abducted to Saudi Arabia
July 22nd, 20200 DEARBORN — Madonna Saad is imploring elected officials to help with the safe return of her 3-year-old twin children Nour and Hussein Al-Abdulaziz after an ongoing abduction case that has lasted almost a year. On Aug. 6, 2019, the twins were taken by their father, Ali, a Dearborn resident, on what was supposed to be a three-week...
Good news from Washington: AIPAC, Israel losing to progressive Democrats
July 19th, 20200 While the U.S. administration of President Trump remains adamant in its support for Israel, the traditional Democratic leadership continues to employ underhanded language, the kind of “strategic ambiguity” that offers full support to Israel and nothing but lip service to Palestine and peace. Trump’s policies on Israel and......
Arab American medical student leads initiative to bring medical supplies to Lebanon
July 18th, 20200 ROCHESTER — Majd Faraj, a second-year medical student at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB), is leading a project to bring much needed medical supplies to Lebanon. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the Lebanese healthcare infrastructure this year. The problem has been compounded by an already...
Pro IDF group goes on the attack against Ann Arbor City Council candidate Dr. Mozhgan Savabieasfahani
July 17th, 20204 ANN ARBOR — A former board member of the Friends of the IDF (FIDF), a group that calls itself the sole representative of the Israel Defense Forces and is its biggest donor in the U.S., has expressed his objection to the candidacy of Ann Arbor City Council candidate Dr. Mozhgan Savabieasfahani. For decades Savabieasfahani and others...
Lebanon’s advisers to work on compromise on financial plan, sources say
July 17th, 20200 BEIRUT - Lebanon’s financial adviser Lazard will see if a government financial rescue plan can be adjusted to reach a compromise workable for the International Monetary Fund, two sources said on Friday, after the plan hit resistance from politicians, banks and the central bank. The plan, which...
Hamtramck becomes the fifth city in the U.S. to pass resolution denouncing discriminatory citizenship laws in India
July 16th, 20200 HAMTRAMCK — The Hamtramck City Council passed a resolution on Tuesday denouncing the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which took effect in India last December, making it the fifth U.S. city to make such a stand against India’s widely criticized new law. The group Coalition of Americans for Pluralism in India......
On Israel’s bizarre definitions: The West Bank is already annexed
July 15th, 20200 Wednesday, July 1, was meant to be the day on which the Israeli government officially annexed 30 percent of the occupied Palestinian West Bank and the Jordan Valley. This date, however, came and went and annexation was never actualized. “I don’t know if there will be a declaration of sovereignty today,” said Israeli Foreign...
Iran’s coronavirus death toll exceeds 12,000 as lockdown curbs ease
July 8th, 20200 TEHRAN (REUTERS) — Iran’s coronavirus death toll exceeded 12,000 on Wednesday, the health ministry said, with 153 deaths in the past 24 hours, amid a sharp rise in the number of daily infections and deaths in the past week as lockdown measures have eased. The total number of infections has reached 248,379, with 209,463 people......
U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear bid by Iraqis to avoid deportation
July 4th, 20200 WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a bid by a large group of Iraqis convicted of crimes in the United States to prevent imminent deportation to their home country, where they say they could face persecution and torture. The justices let stand a lower court’s 2018 ruling that the federal...
Vatican summons U.S., Israeli envoys over West Bank annexation moves
July 4th, 20200 ROME/LONDON/PARIS – The Vatican, in a highly unusual move, summoned both the U.S. and Israeli ambassadors to express the Holy See’s concern about Israel’s moves to extend its sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank. A Vatican statement on Wednesday said meetings with Cardinal Pietro......
