Abu Faour shuts down hospital in north
Health Minister Wael Abu Faour Friday announced the unprecedented closure of a hospital in the north, while another...
Friday, 6 March 2015
Lebanon Army confirms arrest of key ISIS commander
BEIRUT: A Syrian suspect who was being treated at a Bekaa Valley hospital for wounds sustained in recent clashes with the Lebanese Army in Ras Baalbek has emerged as a key ISIS commander, a Lebanese Army statement said Friday.
The statement said Hasan Ghorli, nicknamed Abu Hareth al-Ansari, “is one of the most dangerous detained terrorists.”
Ghorli was arrested March 3 for his role in the August battle against the Lebanese Army on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal and the Feb. 23 attack on an Army post in Talet al-Hamra on the outskirts of Ras Baalbek, which left him wounded after soldiers repelled the militants, according to the statement.
The Army said Ghorli confessed he belonged to ISIS and that he had headed an armed group that pledged allegiance to ISIS in July 2014 and made a decision to attack military positions following the arrest of Imad Jomaa.
During interrogation, Ghorli also admitted that he would take the place of other guards protecting the kidnapped Lebanese servicemen and moving them from one place to another.
He also witnessed the murder of Lebanese Corp. Ali al-Ali and revealed the identity the ISIS militant who beheaded soldiers Ali al-Sayyed and Abbas Medlej, the statement added.
The Army said Ghorli had been referred to judicial authorities for further interrogation.
Conflicting reports had emerged Thursday over Ghorli’s arrest.
A Security source told The Daily Star Ghorli had been admitted to Al-Manara Hospital in Hasbaya, west Bekaa, about 10 days ago.
State-run National News Agency said Ghorli was arrested by a local police investigation unit, but did not say whether he had been placed under arrest at Al-Manara Hospital or moved to a police-protected wing at another hospital.
However, a Syrian rebel source told The Daily Star that Ghorli, a Syrian national, is a member of the Nusra Front, not ISIS.
The source said Ghorli was critically wounded in the head on Feb. 23 during clashes that broke out between ISIS and Nusra Front militants on the outskirts of Ras Baalbek.
Ghorli was first smuggled to the underdeveloped Hamed Farhat Hospital in the west Bekaa town of Kamed al-Loz before being moved to the more advanced Al-Manar Hospital, according to the source.
Australia jails Lebanese man 10 years for marrying 12-year-old
BEIRUT: An Australian court has sentenced a Lebanese man to 10 years in jail for marrying and impregnating a 12-year-old girl, local media reported.
The 27-year-old student, who was not named for legal reasons, will be eligible for parole in August 2021, but he will likely be deported if released at that time, the Sydney Morning Herald said Friday.
The report quoted Judge Deborah Sweeney as saying in her verdict that "neither his cultural or religious beliefs excuse his offense,” referring to the Lebanese man, who pleaded guilty to the persistent sexual abuse of a child.
The man told the court that he was “determined” to marry the child, who he saw at a mosque, despite being told it was illegal.
The marriage was performed in a private house with the help of one of the victim’s relatives and Sheikh Mohammad Tasawar, an Iranian Imam. Tasawar was fined $500 Australian (US $391), and his religious visa was cancelled in March 2013.
After the marriage, the couple had sex and moved between motels before settling down in a rented apartment in western Sydney.
According to the report, the girl used to spend her days at home while the husband went to work.
The girl, who could not be named also for legal reasons, was examined at the Children's Hospital at Westmead after complaining of sharp abdominal pain.
The doctors discovered that she had an ectopic pregnancy - where the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus - and the fetus died.
According to the newspaper, the man arrived in Australia on a student visa in June 2013, asked two religious leaders at a Hunter Valley mosque to arrange the marriage with the girl. They declined, telling him it was clearly illegal.
He made inquiries about marrying the child, but after a supervised meeting with the girl, he was told she was not interested as he was "too old".
However, the man began contacting her by text message, sometimes sending dozens of messages a day. About a month later the girl began communicating with him.
The man told the court he believed a Muslim girl could marry once she reached puberty.
His student visa has been cancelled and he has been detained in Villawood Immigration Detention Centre since March last year.
Sisi invites Salam to Arab League summit in Cairo
BEIRUT: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has formerly invited Prime Minister Tammam Salam to attend the annual Arab League summit which will be held in Cairo later this month.
The invitation was handed to Salam Friday by Egypt’s charge d'affaires to Lebanon Mohammad Badreddine Zayed.
Sources close to the premier said Salam would attend the summit.
The president traditionally attends the annual Arab League summit. But Salam will attend this year due to the vacancy in Lebanon's presidential seat. The country has been without a president since last May.
Zayed said he discussed with Salam the premier’s participation in the economic conference to be held Sharm el-Sheikh next week.
“We also discussed the recent Arab and regional situation and ways out of the current situation that is threatening regional stability,” Zayed said from the Grand Serail.
National security would top the agenda of the Arab League meeting scheduled to be held March 28-29 in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi met Sisi Tuesday to prepare for the high-level talks.
He told reporters at the League’s Cairo headquarters that the main topic of the summit “will be how to maintain national security in Arab countries.”
Arab League officials have said that threats from ISIS, the Syria war, and the crises in Libya and Yemen were also on the agenda.
Arab foreign ministers will hold separate preparatory meetings – one in Cairo on March 9 and another in Sharm el-Sheikh on March 26 – ahead of the League meeting.
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Administration Fights Case That Would Assign Lawyers To Minors Seeking Asylum
Tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors are moving through immigration courts without legal representation. An ACLU lawsuit calls for the government to provide them with lawyers.
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Copyright © 2015 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.
House Panel Questions Gen. Campbell About Readiness Of Afghan Force
Congress wants to know whether the U.S. military tried to hide problems with the Afghan military force. Afghans are leading the fight against the Taliban — with U.S. troops mostly in the background.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.
Brunching around Beirut: the ultimate hangovercure
BEIRUT: It’s happened again. You open your eyes. Bleary. A distant drum takes up residence in your head; a residual low-level buzz fills your ears. Many people believe this tragic circumstance has no cure. Perhaps they are right. But there is one sure fire way to embrace what is left of the day when you feel this way – possibly the closest thing to a hangover cure that humankind has yet reached.
Brunch. We salute you.
The Daily Star has put together a list of some of the best spots around Beirut to enjoy brunch.
Name: Fatso’s Diner
Location: Hamra
This absolute gem sandwiched between Bliss and Hamra Street is a kitsch lover’s paradise. Red booths, black-and-white checkered floor tiles, just the right side of grungy, with vintage-style posters all over the walls – this is the place you come to pre-empt your hangover at 4 a.m. and it delivers. Diners have been known to be paralyzed with indecision at the sight of the menu, and its motto – “come hungry” – stacks up as high as the pancakes. This place has everything you’d want from a diner: tasty food with generous portion sizes, that best of all won’t break the bank.
On the menu: One of Fatso’s highlights is its LL15,000 all-you-can-eat pancakes option – the current “pancake queen” holds her title after consuming nine plates. If you want to nab that prestigious honor then come prepared with an iron will and some loose pants.
Open: 24/7 at the weekends and 9 a.m. to midnight on weekdays.Name: Coop d’Etat
Location: Saifi
Another firm favorite to ease a raging hangover is the weekend brunch menu at the rooftop bar Coop d’Etat. Yes, it is a bit like returning to the scene of the crime, but luckily the officers in charge are accommodating. The brunch menu – available Saturdays and Sundays in summer, Sundays in winter – doesn’t start till 12 p.m., ensuring that those most in need of a good brunch have a better chance of actually making it. There is even a small pool on the roof each Sunday – for those who want that beach feel without the hassle, time or energy it takes to actually head north or south to get their feet wet. Prices are reasonable, and in an example of great catering to the customer’s needs, Coop offers LL9,000 bloody marys and daiquiris – for those who subscribe to a little hair of the dog.
On the menu: Somewhat charmingly named “powdered sweet egg toast” – a rare sign of pushback against Lebanon’s former colonial masters perhaps – the French toast at Coop, with fresh strawberries, honey and syrup is a great brunch option for those with a sweet tooth.
Open: Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.Name: Bar Tartine
Location: Mar Mikhael
Tucked off the main road in Mar Mikhael is Bar Tartine. This is brunch for those who like the classics; sitting outside, enjoying some sun with a refillable bread basket and jam to go with it. Bar Tartine is for those who think a mild headache is a hangover and some fresh air is nature’s best cure. Its menu also caters to the most divisive split of modern times: savory or sweet? For the first camp there is a selection of egg dishes along with some Lebanese classics: labneh and zaatar. For the sweet toothed: brochettes, butter and jam. Bar Tartine even caters to those crazy enough to enjoy both with its set breakfasts.
On the menu: If you fancy the slightly spicier things in life, there is a delicious Mexican omelet on the menu: eggs cooked with onions and chorizo sausage that comes with a side salad and aioli and avocado dipping sauces.
Open: Open Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Name: Bistro Bar Live
Location: Hamra
Tucked onto the tail end of the Alleyway in Hamra is Bistro Bar Live. It’s the place for you if your idea of hangover cure is hanging out with friends in a packed venue with live music and a livelier atmosphere. The waiters are a friendly bunch and very proud of their brunch menu: a full-on affair packed with American style breakfasts, no less than eight different options for eggs and even a helpful “Too hungover to choose” basket sections, where those of you zombied into indecision can get an assortment to try.
On the menu: right in the bottom corner of the brunch menu is the “Sinners’ corner” a tempting selection of five cocktails to reinvigorate you for the day ahead.
Open: Brunch is Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.Name: Couqley
Location: Gemmayzeh
Wander into The Alleyway on Gemmayzeh, distracted by the sight of so many colored umbrellas hanging above you, and you will find Couqley, a French-styled bistro and cafe. Couqley has its very own brunch menu that boasts “The Big Breakfast Formula;” a choice of eggs, hash browns, sausage or bacon, pancakes or waffles and every coffee lover’s dream, “bottomless filtered coffee.”
But a word of warning, this is not the place to cure your hangover. Yes it might seem like a pleasant place to recover, charmingly decorated in the style of an upscale French cafe – it even draws you in with its offer of “hangover cures” to go with brunch. But for those of you acutely feeling the effects of the night prior, the food here is just too rich to be consumed in a weakened state. And with the Big Breakfast Formula coming in at LL38,000, you’ll want to make sure you are in the right frame of mind and body to enjoy it.
On the menu: There is a reason why many so many of Couqley’s customers pretend to read the menu before opting for what the cafe has become famous for – its steak frites. The crispy thin french fries served with a juicy steak cooked to your taste and smothered in their secret house sauce are beyond delicious.
Open: Couqley’s brunch menu is served Saturdays from 11. a.m to 4 p.m. Name: Le Bristol
Location: Ashrafieh
Last on our list is the Sunday brunch buffet hosted by Le Bristol Hotel at the beautiful Villa Linda Sursock. This is absolutely not an appropriate place to recover in. The buffet comes in at $66 per person – excluding coffee and alcohol – so for many, this in itself will be considered an outing. The location, a traditional villa in Sursock, is well worth a visit and plays host to many of Le Bristol’s catered events. The buffet is a dizzying array of food – salads, starters, Lebanese, American steaks, seafood, hot dishes and desserts.
On the menu: It’s easy to get distracted at a buffet, but make sure you leave some room for dessert. Le Bristol has its own patisserie and its selection is available to peruse at the buffet, including a rather impressive tower of profiteroles.
Open: Sundays from 1 p.m. till 4 p.m.
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