Al Akhbar English

Israeli extremists go on anti-African pogrom

Antoun — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:04:52 +0000

There were few black faces in HaTikva market in south Tel Aviv on Thursday, after a night of violence in which hordes of Israelis went on the rampage, smashing shops and property owned by Africans.

Wednesday night's pogroms are a sign of growing racism among sections of Israelis towards rising numbers of African immigrants.

Over the past month, tensions have spilled over into violence with a spate of arson attacks on apartments housing refugees as locals lash out at Africans.

Two dead in overnight Beirut clashes

Joe — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:52:49 +0000

Soldiers take position during a gunfight in Caracas district, Beirut, 24 May 2012 (Photo: Al-Akhbar - Marwan Tahtah)

Updated 7:52pm: At least two men were killed and seven soldiers wounded in fresh clashes throughout Wednesday evening in the Caracas district of Beirut, the Lebanese army and an Al-Akhbar correspondent confirmed.

An army statement said it killed a gunmen and wounded another during the storming of the apartment at roughly 6.15am, while an officer and three soldiers were wounded in the final stoush.

The army was called to the scene at 11.00pm after gunfire was heard in the district.

Iranian navy "saves US ship from pirates"

Joe — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:01:20 +0000

Iran's navy said on Thursday it saved an American-flagged cargo ship that was being attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Oman.

An Iranian warship responded to a distress signal from the US-flagged Maersk Texas, a cargo ship of 150 meters and 14,000 tonnes, which was besieged by "several pirate boats," the navy said in a statement reported by the official IRNA news agency.

The cargo vessel "was saved by the navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran" on Wednesday, IRNA added.

Kuwaiti finance minister refuses to resign

Joe — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:51:30 +0000

Kuwaiti opposition lawmakers said on Thursday said they would request a vote of no confidence in the finance minister after questioning him in parliament over alleged financial irregularities in departments he oversees.

Mustapha al-Shamali, who has repeatedly rejected the accusations, may resign rather than face the confidence vote, which he is unlikely to win, Kuwaiti media and analysts say.

The vote, if it goes ahead, is expected to take place in a later session and be backed by 33 opposition MPs, who have a majority in the National Assembly.

Lebanon’s Mini-States at War

Adel — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:41:03 +0000

A woman walks past a burnt car in Tariq al-Jdideh, 21 May 2012. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi)

No sooner had Hassan Nasrallah ended his televized address, urging residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs to get off the streets and not to harm Syrian citizens in their areas, than groups of hoodlums responded by going on vile racist anti-Syrian rampages in various places. Most of these were members or followers of the Amal movement.

Ibrahim al-Amin

Free Syrian Army working to free captured Lebanese

Antoun — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:14:41 +0000

The rebel Free Syrian Army said on Thursday it is making "every effort" to locate and release a group of Lebanese Shia pilgrims kidnapped in Syria's northern province of Aleppo.

"The leadership is making every effort to find out where the abductees are, and to make sure they are freed," FSA official spokesman Colonel Kassem Saadeddine said in a statement.

Saadeddine reiterated that the FSA had no involvement in this week's kidnappings, condemning "all kidnapping operations, regardless of their nationality or religious belief or sect."

Beirut Battle: All Night Raid

Adel — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:01:00 +0000

Photo Blog by Marwan Tahtah

At least two men were killed and seven soldiers wounded in fresh clashes throughout Wednesday evening in the Caracas district of Beirut, the Lebanese army and an Al-Akhbar correspondent confirmed.

An army statement said one militant was killed and another injured during the storming of the apartment at roughly 6.15am, while an officer and three soldiers were wounded in the final stoush.

(Photo: Marwan Tahtah)

US officials "visited North Korea over rocket launch"

Joe — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:20:45 +0000

Two senior US officials made a secret visit to North Korea in an apparent attempt to persuade it to cancel last month's long-range rocket launch, a South Korean report said Thursday.

A US Air Force Boeing 737 flew from Guam to Pyongyang with the officials on April 7, six days before the failed launch went ahead, Chosun Ilbo newspaper cited a diplomatic source in Seoul as saying.

Experts speculated that the aircraft carried Sydney Seiler, a National Security Council adviser to President Barack Obama, and Joseph DeTrani, director of the National Counter-Proliferation Centre, it said.

UN: government forces responsible for majority of Syria abuses

Joe — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:16:34 +0000

A UN panel said on Thursday that government forces are to blame for most rights abuses in the latest violence sweeping Syria, as a watchdog reported renewed shelling of a rebel bastion.

Meanwhile, President Bashar Assad said Syria's government was capable of finding a way out of the crisis gripping his country, as he met with a visiting minister from main regional ally Iran.

Pilgrimage Trips: The Dangerous Road to Faith

Adel — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:11:26 +0000

A woman who was on a bus hijacked in Syria returns home to be greeted by family members. (Photo: Marwan Tahtah)

Three Lebanese women were killed and 14 others were injured when a road bomb exploded near their bus west of Baghdad, while on their way to visit holy sites in the Najaf and Karbala.

Ahmed Mohsen

Maha Zaraket