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 City Beat, Detroit, News

Lebanese man from Dearborn to be deported

(DEARBORN, MI) — A Lebanese man from Dearborn suspected in the deaths of two United Nations peacekeepers in 1980 has admitted that he entered the United States without proper documentation and agreed to return to his native Lebanon.

The Irish government suspects 71-year old Mahmoud Bazzi in the deaths of two of its soldiers assigned to United Nations peacekeeping duties in Lebanon. Bazzi is not charged with killing Derek Smallhorne and Thomas Barrett and insists he had no involvement.

Bazzi’s attorney Karim Aljuni told the immigration court in Detroit on Monday that his client wants to return to Lebanon through a route that does not pass through Europe.

The government’s lawyer in the immigration case, Frank Ledda, said Bazzi’s deportation has nothing to do with the Irish allegations. He says the agreement was “simply designed to remove him from the United States.”

Bazzi and his attorney want to travel directly to Lebanon, but Ledda said “there is no direct route that we can travel by.”

Khaalid Walls, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told the Associated Press that “the government hasn’t agreed to avoid any specific territory.”

It was not clear when Bazzi would leave the United States, but deportations usually take about 30 days, according to Aljuni. Homeland Security officials were holding him at the St. Clair County Jail. He was arrested in Dearborn in July.

Bazzi entered the country in 1994 and later gave false information in immigration proceedings that led officials to grant him permanent residence status in the United States, according to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office.

The U.S. government said Bazzi was not honest about how he entered the country when he received asylum, Ajluni said. The Detroit Free Press said he apparently entered the country on someone else’s passport.

Immigration Judge David Paruch warned Bazzi that he would not be allowed to return for at least 10 years without permission from the U.S. government.

Bazzi’s wife and three daughters will remain in the United States.

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 News

Kahwaji says freeing hostages is a top priority

jean-kahwaji-army(ARSAL, LEBANON) — Army Commander General Jean Kahwaji assured Lebanese families that the military command in Arsal will spare no effort to secure the quick release of missing soldiers believed to be held by Syrian militants.

“The issue of the captured personnel is the Army’s top priority at this time. The command will not bargain over the blood of its martyrs and wounded or the freedom of its missing soldiers,” Kahwaji said. “The Army is ready for all possibilities in order to secure the safety of its missing personnel, and to bring them back to their families and their institution.”

Earlier Tuesday the Army command confirmed the death of a soldier who was killed in the fighting against jihadist militants in Arsal over a week ago. He was among 19 other military casualties.

In the meantime, Kahwaji said the Lebanese Army saved Lebanon from jihadist before they could declare their own state.

“The Army saved Lebanon from killer ‘sectarian strife-seekers’ by the Arsal battle,” Kahwagi told local newspaper As-Safir in remarks published Monday.

“Had the Army lost, (jihadists) would have entered Akkar, and from there they would have reached the sea and declared their own state.”

At least 60 militants were killed, in addition to 19 troops and over 15 civilians in five days of clashes triggered by the arrest of a Syrian militant, Imad Ahmad Jomaa, on August 2nd.

Over 20 security personnel, including 10 troops, are still missing, believed to be held hostage by the militants who retreated into rugged territory to the east of Arsal under an agreement brokered by the Muslim Scholars Committee.

Families of missing soldiers and security forces Tuesday protested against their kidnapping, while expressing full solidarity with the Army in its fight against terrorism.

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 Entertainment, News

Alamuddin turns down UN offer to investigate Gaza war crimes

(GENEVA, SWITZERLAND) — George Clooney’s fiancee Amal Alamuddin has turned down an offer to join human rights experts in probing Israel’s Gaza offensive and investigating alleged human rights violations and war crimes in Gaza.

The United Nations offered the position as one of three top experts appointed to a commission by the UN Human Rights Council, which ordered the investigation last month.

“I am honored to have received the offer, but given existing commitments – including eight ongoing cases – unfortunately could not accept this role,” said Alamuddin. ‘I wish my colleagues who will serve on the commission courage and strength in their endeavors.”

Alamuddin went on to say she was horrified by the situation in the occupied Gaza Strip, particularly the civilian casualties that have been caused.

“I strongly believe that there should be an independent investigation and accountability for crimes that have been committed,” she said.

Alamuddin has previously worked with the international tribunal examining the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri and assisted ex-UN head Kofi Annan in efforts to make peace in Syria.

She is reportedly due to wed Clooney in September.

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 Business, News

Beirut’s only handicap-friendly taxi could close

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Disabled Lebanese citizens took another hit on Monday as Beirut’s wheelchair users faced the closure of the only taxi company that caters to their needs.

The London Taxi company, which advertises itself as the “sole provider” of wheelchair-friendly taxis, is facing financial trouble that could force it to shut down as early as this year.

London Taxi vehicles are equipped with a ramp suitable for electronic and manual wheelchair users.

The company is facing financial distress as a result of low tourist numbers, an ongoing security crisis, and vehicle gas consumption.

The Daily Star also reports that the company says “people have an impression that our prices are more expensive than other taxi companies.”

Although prices are similar to other Beirut taxi companies, London Taxi’s handicapped-accessible vehicles consume twice the amount of gas as regular taxi cars.

London Taxi works exclusively with the Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union, which makes the closure particularly difficult for the hundreds of disabled Lebanese they cater to.

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 City Beat, Detroit, News

Local Palestinians mourn Gazan death toll at St. Sharbel

IMG_1659-001(WARREN, MI) — Nearly 50 Palestinian-American Christians from the Taybeh American Youth Association (TAYA) attended St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church on Sunday, to pray for the victims of the Palestinian-Israeli clashes over the last few weeks, which have claimed the lives of hundreds of Gazans.

TAYA is a nonprofit cultural organization that was created to reconnect Palestinian-Americans from Taybeh, Palestine to their cultural roots. Taybeh is a Palestinian village in the West Bank, 15 kilometers northeast of Jerusalem.

The memorial mass recognized one of Taybeh’s residents, Jalila Khourieh, who was killed by Israeli aggression, according to thIMG_1663-001e group.

“(Khourieh) is the first Christian woman that was martyred in Gaza. Her son lost both legs and her husband is in a coma at this time,” said TAYA president August Awwad.

Awwad, who was born in Jersualem, says he visited Gaza in recent years and called it “one of the poorest cities on earth.” He also called the ongoing clashes “very sad.”

“We wanted to have special services for all the innocent children that were slaughtered by the Israeli army and their savage way of indiscriminate killing,” he told Lebanese Examiner following the mass.

Juliette Boutros brought her family to pray for Gazan victims. They, like many other Palestinian-American parishioners, wore the trademark Palestinian keffiyeh around their necks.

“I want to get the word out that there are innocent human beings being killed and people are only seeing one side of the story,” Boutros said. “These are innocent people caught in this war and they’ve lost everything — no food, no water, no clothes on their backs, dead children, dead women.”

Boutros called on other ethnic communities to join in united prayer.

“We have to come together as a community — Lebanese, Palestinian, Chaldean — and pray, not only for the Gazans, for the Lebanese, and for the Iraqi Christians,” she said.

Awwad remains hopeful that unity between cultures and religions will help Gazans move forward. In one particular case, Awwad said the Archbishop in Gaza told the Muslim Imam that if their mosque is bombed, they could use the church as a place of worship.

“This shows you that in Palestine, as well as in Lebanon, there is no difference between Muslims and Christians,” he said. “This is something that people are trying to use in order to make people believe that this is a religious war rather than an occupation. This is an occupation that has been going on for 60 years.”

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 News

Report: Hariri to donate $15 million to Arsal residents

lebanon-saad-hariri-arsal(ARSAL, LEBANON) — Former Lebanese Prime Minister and head of the Mustaqbal Movement Saad Hariri informed current Prime Minister Tammam Salam of his intention to make a personal donation to aid the residents of Arsal, Lebanon, who were affected by the army’s clashes with Islamists early this week.

Hariri will supposedly donate 15 million dollars to the northeastern town.

According to the report, the funds will go to reconstructing damaged houses and restoring infrastructure in the region.

Clashes broke out between the army and Islamists on August 2 following the military’s arrest of prominent al-Nusra Front member Imad Jomaa.

Many soldiers were killed and wounded in the unrest and heavy damage was reported in Arsal.

Saudi Arabia announced later during the week that a billion dollar grant to the army will be given to help combat terrorism.

Hariri made his surprise return to Lebanon on Friday in order to manage the spending of the Saudi grant. The former premier had repeatedly claimed that his three-year absence in Lebanon was due to security reasons.

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 News

Lebanese MPs warned of possible tomato attacks

tomatoes-lebanon(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The so-called “Tomato Revolution,” organized by the Civil Movement for Accountability, mailed their Lebanese lawmakers boxes of tomatoes as a reminder of what will be coming if they extend Parliament’s mandate for the second time in less than two years.

tomato-revolution-lebanonOn May 31, 2013, days before the scheduled parliamentary elections, MPs passed a draft law that extended their mandate for 17 months.

Activists lined up the road leading to Nejmeh Square in Downtown Beirut on that Friday, throwing tomatoes at SUVs and luxury vehicles as they made their way to the Parliament building to vote.

Instead of lining the streets, this year, the Civil Movement for Accountability sent a short notice in a small white box with a tomato inside. A sticker read, “No to extension.”

Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk called it a “funny idea” saying it was “their right to express themselves in politics.”

Despite their efforts, Machnouk says its highly unlikely that a parliamentary election can be held this November.

“From my position as an interior minister, I do not think that the security situation allows for the election to be held in the next months,” he said. “We are all seeing and living these security developments, as we observe the conflict reaching Lebanon. As a preliminary observation, the security situation will prevent the election from being held on time.”

The Parliamentary election is scheduled for November, but is likely to be delayed.

Video of tomatoes being thrown last year:

[youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A13Fgdoch1U” width=”500″ height=”300″]

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 Lifestyle, New York, News, Success Stories

Lebanese-American becomes Good Morning America anchor

(NEW YORK, NY) — Lebanese-American journalist Paula Faris was promoted to become Good Morning America‘s weekend anchor for ABC News, effective August 8 in New York, replacing outgoing anchor Bianca Golodryga.

Paula-Faris-FamilyFaris, whose father is of Lebanese descent, recently gained exposure as ABC’s reporter at the World Cup in Brazil. Prior to that, she was the network’s World News Now anchor, after joining ABC from NBC Chicago in 2012.

ABC News President James Goldston called Faris “a terrific broadcaster” in his announcement in late July.

Faris will join current co-anchor Dan Harris every Saturday and Sunday morning.

The granddaughter of Lebanese immigrants, Faris met her husband John Krueger while at Cedarville University. They married in 2000 and currently have three children.

Faris, who is 36 years old, was born and raised in Jackson, Michigan. Her family still resides in the area.

“We are just so proud and excited for her,” her mother, Carol Faris, told MLive. “When she told my husband and myself the news of her offer, we were speechless.”

Send your congratulations to Paula Faris on her official Facebook page.

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 News

March 14 says member escaped ambush

nawfal-daou(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The March 14 coalition general secretariat said one of its members, Nawfal Daou, escaped an ambush in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley town of Taybeh on Saturday.

“Nawfal Daou escaped from an armed ambush that was set up for him at 11am in Taybeh,” the group said in a statement released to Lebanese media.

The group says the gunmen fired several bullets onto his vehicle, damaging tires and forcing him out of his car.

“(Daou) was able to flee and reached a nearby house where he contacted Internal Security Forces Information Branch, as well as the Army intelligence directorate in the Bekaa,” they said.

Security forces arrived to the scene of the incident and launched an investigation.

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 News

Lebanon takes further measures to combat risk of Ebola virus

Lebanon-Ebola-Virus(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanon’s Agriculture Ministry banned the import of live animals from African countries hit by the Ebola virus on Friday, as part of the government’s measures to combat the risk of the fatal virus.

Minister Akram Chehayeb banned the import of chimpanzees, gorillas, bats, monkeys, forest antelope, porcupines, or any animal suspected of being a carrier of the disease.

Earlier, the Agriculture Ministry took measures to scan and report passengers with symptoms of the disease before leaving the Beirut airport. The Labor Ministry also suspended work permits for people coming from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea.

The World Health Organization says this epidemic is an “extraordinary event” and is causing widespread international risk.

“A coordinated international response is deemed essential to stop and reverse the international spread of Ebola,” the WHO said in a statement after a two-day meeting of its emergency committee.

Meanwhile, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have declared a state of emergency.

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