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Man caught on camera stealing shawarma from Beirut restaurant

A likely-hungry thief was caught on camera swiping an entire skewer of shawarma from a restaurant in Beirut.

Surveillance video circulating on Twitter shows the unidentified man enter the Estez Restaurant in the Zalka neighborhood of Beirut, grab a rack of shawarma and take off.

WATCH: Man caught on camera stealing shawarma from Beirut restaurant:

“Look what hunger has done to people,” the restaurant owner said in the video. “Look at where we have ended up in this country.”

A screen capture from surveillance video shows a man stealing a skewer of shawarma from a restaurant in Beirut. (Screen capture/Twitter video)
A screen capture from surveillance video shows a man stealing a skewer of shawarma from a restaurant in Beirut. (Screen capture/Twitter video)

It is unclear if security forces or the restaurant intends to take legal action against the man. Meanwhile, many social media users have come to the defense of the man in wake of the deteriorating financial situation in the Mediterranean country.

Lebanon’s economic crisis has sparked a currency devaluation, restrictions on withdrawals and a serious threat to the country’s banking systems.

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Lebanese man sets himself on fire over daughter’s unpaid tuition fees

An investigation is underway into the death of a Lebanese man who set himself on fire after an argument over his daughter’s unpaid tuition fees, according to the state-run Lebanese National News Agency.

The man, identified by local media as George Zreik, set himself ablaze outside of a private elementary school in the village of Bkeftine in Koura. He was transported to the hospital where he died of severe burns.

Zreik reportedly visited the school to request his daughter’s school documents to transfer to a public school. The school director refused to provide the documents due to unpaid fees, the National News Agency reported.

In a statement, the private Orthodox school said Zreik had not paid tuition, transportation and registration fees since 2015. They school went on to say they attempted to express sympathy with his financial situation.

Bkeftine is a village in the Koura District of Lebanon. (Google Maps)
Bkeftine is a village in the Koura District of Lebanon. (Google Maps)

Lebanese Education Minister Akram Chehayeb has opened a state-conducted investigation into the private school and Zreik’s death.

The government has pledged to cover the cost of education for his children.

An estimated two-thirds of Lebanese students now attend costly private schools, and public schools have become the last resort for families without means, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development, which provides financial support to help improve the quality of education in Lebanon.

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Suspects throw hand grenade at Lebanese TV station Al-Jadeed

Lebanese investigators are searching for the suspects involved in a grenade attack at the headquarters of Beirut-based broadcaster Al-Jadeed.

The independent television network was attacked Feb. 2 following a protest for a comedy show called “Qadh and Jam.” Surveillance video shows the vehicle, a Kia Picanto, that investigators believe is responsible for the attack.

A group of protesters are angry over the comedy show’s depiction of “caricatured Druze clergy,” according to the non-profit Committee to Protect Journalists, which is now calling on Lebanese authorities to further investigate the crime.

The Committee to Protect Journalists is calling on Lebanese authorities to do their utmost to identify the suspects accused of throwing a hand grenade at a TV station in Beirut. (Screenshot/Al Jadeed)
The Committee to Protect Journalists is calling on Lebanese authorities to do their utmost to identify the suspects accused of throwing a hand grenade at a TV station in Beirut. (Screenshot/Al Jadeed)

“Those who perpetrated this attack on Al-Jadeed TV’s Beirut office should be swiftly held to account to show that attacks on media will not be tolerated in Lebanon,” said Sherif Mansour, the organization’s Middle East and North Africa coordinator. “Lebanese authorities should take steps to ensure the safety of journalists regardless of the outlet they work for and their political or religious affiliation.”

RELATED: LBC television truck stolen outside of Baalbeck hotel

CPJ reported that Druze employees of Al-Jadeed have received anonymous threats following the broadcast of the controversial episode.

According to investigators, a group of unknown suspects threw a hand grenade and fled the scene. No one was injured, but there was reported damage to the entrance and a nearby vehicle.

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Lebanese American cop files lawsuit, claims he was called ‘Beirut Bomber’

A Lebanese American police officer has filed a lawsuit against the San Jose, California Police Department alleging racial discrimination, reported NBC Bay Area.

Officer Nabil Haidar, a Lebanese American and Muslim officer, said his fellow officers called him “Bin Laden,” “Taliban” and “Beirut Bomber” in the days and years following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Haidar hired a California law firm to represent him in his lawsuit against the city of San Jose, the police department and police chief. He also named five other officers.

NBC Bay Area reported that the alleged harassment “escalated to a new height” after the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 to begin the Iraq War.

The lawsuit claimed that police officers allegedly said, “You’re not gonna blow up are you?” Haidar claims his fellow officers imitated his accent while saying, “I’ll kill you all.”

Haidar moved to the U.S. in 1988 and earned a bachelor's degree in criminology. (Gwilliam, Ivary, Chiosso, Cavalli and Brewer)
Haidar moved to the U.S. in 1988 and earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology. (Gwilliam, Ivary, Chiosso, Cavalli and Brewer)

Haidar’s attorney said he decided to pursue legal action after he was allegedly harassed by a police sergeant at a meeting recognizing veterans.

“Captain, you forgot to mention Nabil. He is an ISIS veteran,” the sergeant allegedly said. “He was with ISIS for two years.”

The San Jose-based Mercury News reported that the city had not yet received a copy of the complaint.

“However, based on the claim filed by Mr. Haidar with the State Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and our subsequent investigation, we have not seen a basis for liability against the City,” City Attorney Rick Doyle said.

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Report: Lebanese cop questioned in prostitution ring investigation

A Lebanese police officer is being questioned in an investigation involving a prostitution ring in Lebanon, LBCI-TV reported.

The officer, a member of Lebanon’s “morality police force,” was allegedly involved in a prostitution operation which targeted women in the small Mediterranean nation.

Authorities did not release the officer’s name. He is said to be “a senior officer,” according to Al Bawaba.

A Lebanese police officer is being questioned as part of an investigation involving a prostitution ring, according to a LBCI-TV report.
A Lebanese police officer is being questioned as part of an investigation involving a prostitution ring, according to a LBCI-TV report.

LBCI-TV reported the arrest of the officer and the subsequent investigation.

“One of the most senior officers in the office of countering immoral crime has been arrested and is being questioned on suspicion of involvement in prostitution networks,” the TV station’s website reported.

RELATED: Prostitution ring busted by security officials in Lebanon

The officer is being referred to a disciplinary committee to evaluate the next steps, reported the newspaper Al Mustaqbal.

In a statement, the Lebanese Internal Security Forces denied the allegations, and called the reports inaccurate and fabricated.

The investigation is over suspected corruption, ISF officials added.

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Lebanese police searching for topless, flashing woman on highway

Authorities in Lebanon are searching for a woman who went topless on a Saida highway and flashed her bare breasts to other motorists, the Daily Mail reported.

The photo circulating on social media purportedly shows an unidentified woman standing outside a sunroof and exposing her breasts to another vehicle.

Lebanese road safety organization YASA is calling on Lebanese police to locate and prosecute the woman.

Police in Lebanon are searching for a woman who flashed motorists on a highway in Saida. (YASA)
Police in Lebanon are searching for a woman who flashed motorists on a highway in Saida. (YASA)

“The police must do significant efforts to enforce traffic law not only speed control on few roads,” YASA founder Ziad Akl told the Daily Mail. “This unfamiliar show is illegal and unethical. Penal law must be enforced in parallel with traffic law in order to eliminate such behavior.”

The flashing prank has sparked a debate among Lebanese social media users. Some users see it as harmless fun, while others believe the woman should be held accountable.

According to the Daily Mail, Lebanon sees an average of 4,500 accidents each year on its roads with more than 6,000 injured and 900 killed.

Editor’s Note: Lebanese Examiner censored the photo to conceal the woman’s face, as she has not been charged with a crime.

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Man accused of killing Lebanese wife sentenced to death by hanging

A Kuwaiti court sentenced an Egyptian teacher Sunday to death by hanging after allegedly murdering his Lebanese wife, a Kuwait-based newspaper reported.

The man, whose name and nationality were not released, is said to be 42-years-old. He is accused in the stabbing death of his wife, authorities said.

According to Alqabas.com, the wife was of Lebanese descent and lived in the suburb of Hawally, Kuwait with her husband and children.

The Kuwait Palace of Justice in Kuwait City. (File photo)
The Kuwait Palace of Justice in Kuwait City. (File photo)

In court, the husband claimed self-defense, alleging his wife drew the knife first.

Authorities did not release the wife’s name.

A circulating video on social media purportedly showed the man surrendering to police on the day of the murder.

WATCH: Arrest made in the murder of a Lebanese woman in Kuwait:

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Lebanese family accused of stealing $4.3M coin from German museum

A Lebanese family in Germany is accused of stealing a giant gold coin from a Berlin museum worth about $4.3 million, prosecutors said.

Authorities seized 77 properties owned by members of the unidentified Lebanese family suspected of “mafia-style” crimes. The properties included homes, apartment blocks and garden allotments.

Prosecutors said they recovered about $11.7 million worth of property, but were unable to locate the gold coin.

A Lebanese family is accused of stealing a gold coin valued at $4.3 million. (File photo)
A Lebanese family is accused of stealing a gold coin valued at $4.3 million. (File photo)

 

The coin, known as the Canadian “Big Maple Leaf,” belonged to Berlin’s Bode Museum. It was made of pure 24-carat gold, worth about $4.3 million, despite its lower face value.

Prosecutors believe the coin was stolen in March 2017.

RELATED: Duo accused of stealing from 10+ churches in Mount Lebanon

Authorities said they are now investigating 16 members of the Lebanese family involved in an organized crime ring. No one has been arrested or charged yet.

“The difficult thing with these family structures is that you need leads.” Berlin chief state prosecutor Jörg Raupach told DW. “There’s a crime, money is missing, where has it gone? Working out where that money went is a tough task, but sometimes, as in this case, it leads to a partial success.”

Some gold price experts fear the gold may have been melted down and sold.

 

 

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Lebanese man accused of scamming World Cup fans out of $250k

A Lebanese man is accused of scamming World Cup fans from Saudi Arabia out of $250,000, the Russian news agency TASS reported.

The Lebanese citizen, who resided in Moscow, was charged with fraud in absentia for the alleged scam. The unidentified man is now on the run.

According to TASS, the Lebanese man told Saudi fans he would arrange a flight from Moscow to the southern city of Volgograd in return for 15.6 million rubles, or $252,000.

After he collected the money, the man vanished and could not be reached.

Saudia Arabia team at the World Cup. (File photo)
Saudia Arabia team at the World Cup. (File photo)

“The police have found out that a Lebanese native registered in Moscow was behind this crime,” a source told the TASS news agency. “He has been charged in absentia, measures are being taken to detain him.”

Russian news agency Interfax reported that a Saudi man gave the suspect about 220,000 euros on June 24. The suspect said he would arrange for flights from the man and his friends.

The fans were set to travel to Volgograd to watch Saudi Arabia play Egypt in their final World Cup group phase match.

Saudi Arabia won the match 2-1.

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Fire extinguished at American University of Beirut Medical Center

A fire at the American University of Beirut Medical Center was extinguished Tuesday, and operations returned to normal, officials announced.

In a statement, AUBMC said the blaze started on the second floor of the building, and was quickly contained.

“The fire occurred in the fiber scrubber outside the walls of the building,” the statement said. “Smoke was discharged directly into the open air.”

A fire was extinguished Tuesday at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. (Lebanese National News Agency)
A fire was extinguished Tuesday at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. (Lebanese National News Agency)

Administration officials said the AUBMC Plant Eningeering Team and Emergency Response Team were “very responsive in taking the necessary action to extinguish the fire promptly and secure the location.”

Operations were not interrupted, and hospital staff returned to business as usual, AUBMC officials added.

AUBMC is a 420-bed hospital and academic center that provides comprehensive medical care for patients in Lebanon.

The medical center is located on Cairo Street in Beirut’s Hamra area.

The center expanded in 1970 with a state-of-the-art medical center in Beirut. The building has an elaborate outpatient facility, an emergency department, research laboratories, classrooms and offices for academic staff, according to its website.

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