LEBANON

Lebanon’s caretaker transportation minister says the contract for a new terminal at the country's main airport is cancelled, following an uproar over the lack of public bidding for the $122 million project.

A rights group says in a new report that security agencies and government officials across several countries in the Middle East and North Africa have been using social media platforms and mobile dating apps to crack down on LGBTQ people.

What to know for the 6th largest jackpot available for grabs Friday night in the Mega Millions.

A lawyer for an American father and son convicted in Japan on charges of helping Nissan's former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, escape to Lebanon says they have been returned to the U.S. Michael Taylor was sentenced last year to two years in prison, while his son Peter Taylor was sentenced to 20 months.

Pope Francis has marked the second anniversary of the Lebanon port explosion by insisting that truth and justice “can never be hidden.”.

The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain has set out from the port of Odesa.

As inflation surges around the world, politicians are scrambling for ways to keep food affordable as people increasingly protest the soaring cost of living.

Food plays a central role in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, from the daytime fasting to celebratory iftar meals to break the fast.

A husband and wife from Dearborn Heights were arrested in separate criminal cases Tuesday -- one for running a $10.6 million fraud scheme through two pharmacies in Inkster and the other for using $1 million in COVID relief money to buy a seaside condo in Beirut, officials said.

Two Americans imprisoned in Japan for helping former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn avoid trial and escape to Lebanon are hoping to serve the rest of their time in the U.S. Paul Kelly, the attorney for Michael Taylor and his son Peter Taylor, said the elder man was suffering from serious back pain and frostbite.

The Russian tanks and missiles besieging Ukraine also are threatening the food supply and livelihoods of people in Europe, Africa and Asia who rely on the vast, fertile farmlands known as the “breadbasket of the world.”.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration has stopped recommending that masks be worn inside schools and other public places to curb COVID-19, pointing to a drop in cases and hospitalizations.

Hospitals around the U.S. are increasingly taking the extraordinary step of allowing nurses and other workers infected with the coronavirus to stay on the job if they have mild symptoms or none at all.

Following a record-breaking week of new COVID-19 cases in Michigan, statewide hospitalizations are at a new record-high.

Washtenaw County Community Mental Health is creating a hotline as a main access point for substance use treatment in the county.

Norway’s data privacy watchdog fined gay dating app Grindr $7.16 million for sending sensitive personal data to hundreds of potential advertising partners without users’ consent.

Lebanon’s central bank governor says he asked an auditing firm to look into transactions and investments and that contrary to media reports, the results showed no public money has been misused.

They can make cakes sparkle, but decorative glitters can contain toxic metals and aren’t always safe to eat.

If you’re into food and social media, chances are you’ve probably come across the Halal Food Junkie’s page on Instagram.

Lebanon is marking one year since the horrific explosion at Beirut's port.

A Tokyo court has handed down prison terms for the American father and son accused of helping Nissan's former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, escape to Lebanon while awaiting trial in Japan.

Two Americans charged in Japan with helping Nissan's former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, jump bail and escape Japan for Lebanon have apologized in a Tokyo court.

William Byron, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott paced the first ever Cup Series practice at Nashville Superspeedway in yet another display of how dominant Hendrick Motorsports is right now.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press in Beirut, former star auto executive Carlos Ghosn has shared his frustrations surrounding his stunning downfall and delved into his legal troubles in Japan, France and the Netherlands.

A Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine clinic is planned in Troy on April 22, and it’s open to anyone 16 years and older.

(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)BEIJING — Sinovac said on Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac is safe and effective in children ages 3-17. State-owned Sinopharm, who has two COVID-19 vaccines, is also investigating the effectiveness of its vaccines in children. The House vote came just before the state health department reported that more than 1 million COVID-19 vaccine shots have been administered within the state. State officials say about 2.9 million vaccine doses have been given to about 1.1 million people so far in Arizona. ___LISBON, Portugal — Portugal resumed administering AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, a week after temporarily halting its use.

Japanese prosecutors have charged two Americans, Michael Taylor and his son Peter, in connection with the escape of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn to Lebanon. (DHA via AP, File)TOKYO – Japanese prosecutors charged two Americans, Michael Taylor and his son Peter, Monday in the escape of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn to Lebanon, while he was out on bail. Prosecutors said the Taylors were formally charged with helping a criminal escape, although dates and other details of a trial were undecided. Japan has put Ghosn on Interpol’s wanted list, but Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan. Peter Taylor, 28, is accused of meeting with Ghosn and helping his father carry out the escape.

Francis said the idea of a trip “cooks over time in my conscience,” and that the pandemic was the issue that weighed most heavily on him. Francis, the Vatican delegation and traveling media were vaccinated against COVID-19, while most Iraqis haven't been. Francis said he wasn’t sure if he would have to slow down his usual whirlwind pace on future trips. Otherwise, the only other trip Francis has promised to make is to Lebanon, though he offered no time frame. He said the country's patriarch had asked him to add a Beirut leg onto his Iraq trip but that he had declined, thinking it would be like tossing the country “crumbs," given all Lebanon’s current problems.

Two Americans suspected of helping Ghosn skip bail and escape to Lebanon in December 2019 have been extradited to Japan. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)TOKYO – Two Americans suspected of helping former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn skip bail and escape to Lebanon in December 2019 have been extradited to Japan. The box passed through airport security in Osaka, central Japan, and was loaded onto a private jet that flew Ghosn to Turkey. Peter Taylor is accused of meeting with Ghosn and helping his father carry out the escape. Japan has put Ghosn on Interpol's wanted list, but Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan.

(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)The Macomb County Health Department is expanding a program to help seniors who rely on bus services get to COVID-19 vaccination appointments. Interested seniors should call the SMART Macomb Vaccine Hotline at 586-421-6579 to register for the county wait list. Seniors or someone they know can avoid the call altogether by emailing the SMART Macomb Vaccine Hotline 24/7 at macombvaccine@smartbus.org, and including their name, address, phone number and date of birth. SMART will maintain a wait list, and the county will contact individuals from the list as appointments at Richmond/Lenox EMS or other community sites become available. Richmond/Lenox is being overwhelmed by calls and is not able to make appointments or add names to the wait list.

(AP Photo/Channi Anand)NEW DELHI — Health officials in India say cases of the coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa and Brazil have been found in India. Over 150 cases of another variant first detected in the United Kingdom have previously been found in India. ___SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea is reporting 621 new coronavirus cases. State health officials on Tuesday reported 1,132 new COVID-19 cases and three additional deaths. Spain has officially reported more than 3 million virus cases -- just over 6% of the population -- and attributed more than 65,400 deaths to the virus.

Fauci won a $1 million award from the Israeli Dan David Foundation for courageously defending science during the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool, File)TEL AVIV, Israel — Dr. Anthony Fauci has won the $1 million Dan David Prize for “defending science” and advocating for vaccines now being administered worldwide to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The shots were supplied by Pfizer, which has a contract to sell 10 million vaccines to Colombia. The U.K.’s rapid rollout of coronavirus vaccines to the most at-risk groups has also helped. The good news: Many of the new COVID-19 vaccines are made with new, flexible technology that’s easy to upgrade.

Taylor is accused of smuggling former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn out of Japan in 2019 while he was awaiting trial on financial misconduct charges. The flight went first to Turkey, and then to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Lawyers for the Taylors argue the men can’t legally be extradited and will be treated unfairly in the Japan. Their lawyers told the Supreme Court in a brief filed Friday that the men would face harsh treatment in the Japanese criminal justice system. U.S. authorities had said they would not hand the men over to Japan while their bid for a stay was pending before Breyer, an attorney for the Taylors said.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani rejected a request to block the U.S. from handing Michael Taylor and his son, Peter Taylor, over to Japan. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani rejected a request to block the U.S. from handing Michael Taylor and his son, Peter Taylor, over to Japan. AdGhosn is now in Lebanon, where he has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Meanwhile, Ghosn headed to the Grand Hyatt in Tokyo and met up with Peter Taylor, who was already in Japan. Peter Taylor hopped on a flight to China, authorities say.

(AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)BEIRUT – Lebanon finalized a deal with Pfizer on Sunday for 2.1 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine amid surge in infections that has overwhelmed the country's health care system. The doses are to arrive in Lebanon starting early February, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The government's statement said the Pfizer vaccines will be complemented with another 2.7 million doses from the U.N.-led program to provide for countries in need. Another 2 million doses are being negotiated in coordination with Lebanon's private sector and the other international pharmaceutical companies that have developed the vaccines, the ministry said. Iraq said it will secure Pfizer vaccines by early this year, but has not released any more information, including inoculation plans.

The lockdown in Lebanon is the third since the first case was reported in late February. Also on Thursday, Lebanon broke its single-day record of new coronavirus cases for the third straight day, with 4,774 reported infections over the past 24 hours. The shortage of hard currency in Lebanon has severely curbed imports to the import-dependent country, including of medicine and medical supplies. In Egypt, Coptic Orthodox Christians were barred from attending Mass on Christmas Eve as the country fights a surge in coronavirus cases. Egypt has reported more than 145,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, including nearly 8,000 deaths.

(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)BEIRUT – Lebanon’s economy faces an “arduous and prolonged depression,” with real GPD projected to plunge by nearly 20% because its politicians refuse to implement reforms that would speed up the country’s recovery, the World Bank said Tuesday. “Lack of effective policy action by authorities has subjected the economy to an arduous and prolonged depression,” the World Bank report said. “One year into the economic crisis, such policies have not yet been decided, let alone implemented. “Lack of political consensus on national priorities severely impedes Lebanon’s ability to implement long-term and visionary development policies,” said Saroj Kumar Jha, the World Bank regional director. “Without reforms, there can be no sustainable recovery and reconstruction, and the social and economic situation will continue to worsen,” the World Bank warned.

DEARBORN, Mich. – When Manal Saab heard that a massive explosion had struck Beirut, she grabbed her phone, frantically trying to reach loved ones there. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t have survived it,” said Saab, an American citizen who lives in Fenton, Michigan, near Flint, but was born in Lebanon. Knowing that her family and friends were safe, a feeling of relief washed over Saab. More than half of that amount was delivered via a FedEx-donated airlift that also included relief supplies from the American Task Force on Lebanon and the Lebanon Relief Project. They just wanted something to immediately give to, they wanted all that pain to basically get out and give something positive,” Saab said.

Nissan Motor Co. had a profit of 59 billion yen in July-September of 2019. Yokohama-based Nissan reported Thursday its quarterly sales dipped to 1.9 trillion yen ($18 billion) from 2.6 trillion yen a year earlier. The company is still bleeding red ink and expects a 615 billion yen ($5.8 billion) loss for this fiscal year, which ends in March. That is still an improvement over its earlier projection for a 670 billion yen loss ($6.4 billion). Nissan posted a 671 billion yen loss in the previous fiscal year.

Supporters of religious group burn a representation of a French flag during a rally against French President Emmanuel Macron and republishing of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad they deem blasphemous, in Lahore, Pakistan, Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. Muslims have been calling for both protests and a boycott of French goods in response to France's stance on caricatures of Islam's most revered prophet. Crowds of Islamist activists hanged an effigy of French President Emmanuel Macron from a highway overpass after pounding it furiously with their shoes. Turkey has led regional condemnation of the French president, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s verbal attacks on Macron prompting France to recall its ambassador to Turkey last weekend. Demonstrators trampled on portraits of Macron and called on Afghan leaders to shut down the French embassy, halt French imports and ban French citizens from visiting the country.

Connecticut has seen an uptick in virus cases in communities across the state over the past few weeks. There were 3,747 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported Thursday, breaking the record of 3,279 set on Tuesday. The day of high case numbers comes just two weeks after the Republican governor repealed that same statewide mask mandate, citing declining numbers of virus cases. Mississippi has had more than 108,000 virus cases and at least 3,152 virus-related deaths. Mississippi’s state health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said Monday that six hospitals have no beds available in their intensive care units.

DEARBORN, Mich. – A national Arab American foundation, based in Dearborn, has raised more than $180,000 to help support the ongoing relief efforts in Lebanon following the deadly explosion in August. Since the explosion, the continued fundraising efforts benefitting the Lebanon Relief Project through CAAP’s Disaster Relief Fund have resulted in over $180,000 raised so far. Funds have been used to help the Lebanon Relief Project airlift over $12.7 million in high value medications and supplies to Beirut on August 24, and most recently, over $6 million on September 29. 100% of all donations raised through CAAP’s continued fundraising efforts will go towards airlifting essential supplies and equipment and supporting relief efforts in Lebanon. The Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) is a national community foundation and a national institution of ACCESS -- the largest Arab American community nonprofit in the U.S.

Member state flags fly outside the United Nations headquarters during the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)TANZANIA – The Latest from the U.N. General Assembly (all times EDT):8:10 p.m. But U.S.-backed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó still put out his own online message during this year’s gathering of world leaders. Guaidó is recognized by nearly 60 nations as Venezuela’s president and has been in a nearly two-year standoff with Maduro. This week at the U.N. gathering of world leaders, African nations again have made it clear it’s time that changed.

Nour Ardakani, a teenage singer from Lebanon, gives an interview to The Associated Press in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. Ardakani became the latest to join a global pop band formed by Simon Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls and American Idol, which aims to transform young unknowns into internet superstars. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)DUBAI – A teenage singer from Lebanon this week became the latest to join a global pop band formed by Simon Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls and “American Idol,” which aims to transform young unknowns into internet superstars. Ardakani scored the 16th spot in the band after a series of Zoom auditions from quarantine that drew talented contenders from the Middle East. The band, similar to Fuller’s previous projects in show business, represents a career kick-starting platform for those dreaming of being catapulted from obscurity to teen pop fame.

FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2020 file photo, Hoda Kinno, 11, is evacuated by her uncle Mustafa, in the aftermath of a massive explosion at the port in Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)When Mustafa Kinno felt the ground shake and heard the deafening blast toward the port, he frantically called his brother living nearby. He tried a neighbor, who said the family was sitting outside their apartment across from the port when it exploded. An image of the two, captured by Associated Press photographer Hassan Ammar, has come to symbolize the devastation of the Aug. 4 blast at the Beirut port, which took 193 lives and wounded 6,500. In the chaotic aftermath of the explosion, the Kinno family separated, each of them taken to a different hospital.

Ohio and Republican groups including the Trump campaign are defending a GOP election chief's directive limiting ballot drop boxes in the critical presidential battleground to one per county. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster, File)COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio and Republican groups including the Trump campaign are fighting to uphold a GOP election chief's directive limiting ballot drop boxes in the presidential battleground to one per county. LaRose argued that the number of drop boxes per county must be uniform to be fair, and that lawmakers had made clear in a law passed this spring that ballots had to be mailed or personally delivered to county board directors. Interest in access to ballot drop boxes has increased nationally since spring primary voting was hampered by virus concerns, the U.S. It is often the more urban, Democrat-heavy counties that lean toward drop boxes.

A huge fire broke out Thursday at the Port of Beirut, triggering panic among residents traumatized by last month's massive explosion that killed and injured thousands of people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)BEIRUT A huge fire broke out Thursday at the Port of Beirut, triggering panic among residents traumatized by last month's massive explosion there that killed and injured thousands of people. A column of black smoke billowed from the port at midday Thursday, with orange flames leaping from the ground. The Aug. 4 explosion killed more than 190 people, injured around 6,500 and damaged thousands of buildings in the Lebanese capital. The sight of another huge fire a month later created panic among residents traumatized by last month's explosion.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell issued a ruling approving the extradition of Michael Taylor, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran, and his son Peter Taylor, but the final decision rests with the State Department. The flight went first to Turkey, then to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan. Bank records show Ghosn wired more than $860,000 to a company linked to Peter Taylor in October 2019, prosecutors said in court documents. Ghosns son also made cryptocurrency payments totaling about $500,000 to Peter Taylor in the first five months of this year, prosecutors say. The government seized $5 million from the bank account of Taylors company.

DEARBORN, Mich. A national Arab American foundation, based in Dearborn, is launching its second fundraising campaign to help support the ongoing relief efforts in Lebanon following the deadly explosion earlier this month. Even before the explosion, Lebanon was dealing with increasing poverty, economic collapse and corruption, while in the midst of a pandemic. The Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) launched its first relief campaign on Aug. 5, granting $75,155 to the Lebanese Red Cross, to support their on-the-ground efforts. The second campaign will support the work of several nonprofits including AFYA Foundation, ANERA and Direct Relief under the coordinated efforts of the American Task Force on Lebanon (ATFL), to urgently airlift medical and pharmaceutical supplies and equipment to Beirut. The Center for Arab American Philanthropy (CAAP) is a national community foundation and a national institution of ACCESS -- the largest Arab American community nonprofit in the U.S.

The Badaoui family, who lives in Dearborn, Michigan, ended up hosting that lemonade stand -- but it wasn’t so little. Mustapha Badaoui was putting it into terms his 4-year-old daughter Fatima, who goes by the nickname Fufu, could understand. “We were saying people were hurt, they lost their stuff, and (Fatima) says, ‘Why don’t we help the people in Lebanon?’” Mustapha Badaoui recalled. In addition to Fufu, the Badaoui family has two other children, ages 2 and 1. “I haven’t told her that she won’t make this much in the future just yet,” Mustapha Badaoui responded with a laugh.

The port area lies in devastation following this week's massive explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. The blast killed 154 people, wounded more than 5,000 and laid waste to the countrys largest port and nearby areas. Also expected in Lebanon Saturday was the president of the European Council, Charles Michel. At the site of the blast in Beiruts port, workers were still searching for dozens of people who have been missing since Tuesday. It made an unscheduled detour to Beirut as the Russian shipowner was struggling with debts and hoped to earn some extra cash in Lebanon.

Sandrine Zeinoun, 34, poses for a photograph inside her destroyed apartment after Tuesday's explosion in the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020. The gigantic explosion in Beirut on Tuesday tore through homes, blowing off doors and windows, toppling cupboards, and sent flying books, shelves, lamps and everything else. Within a few tragic seconds, more than a quarter of a million people of the Lebanese capital's residents were left with homes unfit to live in. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)BEIRUT The gigantic explosion in Beirut on Tuesday tore through homes, blowing off doors and windows, toppling cupboards, and sent flying books, shelves, lamps and everything else. Within a few tragic seconds, more than a quarter of a million people of the Lebanese capitals residents were left with homes unfit to live in.

This Aug. 19, 2019 photo photo provided by Soha Saade,, shows Soha and her husband Jihad with their children Gemma and Karl, in Miziara, north of Lebanon. (Soha Saade via AP)BEIRUT Soha Saade had not seen her husband since Christmas. The coronavirus pandemic had kept 44-year-old Jihad in Nigeria, where he worked far from his family in Beirut. Together, Jihad and Soha spent 13 days with their daughter, Gemma, as she received treatment. We only had one more day left in the hospital, Soha said.

Photo by Daniel Carde (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday. Photo by Daniel Carde (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday. Photo by Daniel Carde (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday. Photo by Daniel Carde (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday. Photo by Marwan Tahtah (Getty Images)Scenes in Beirut, Lebanon following an explosion near the city's port area on Tuesday.

A massive explosion happened in Beirut on Tuesday, causing immense damage and destruction, according to multiple reports. The explosion happened in downtown Beirut, and according to reports, was big enough to have a mushroom cloud rise above the capital city. Videos and photos of the explosion and its destruction have started to surface on social media, and words don’t do justice to how much devastation this explosion has on the city. I felt like I’m dying, I still can’t believe it #Lebanon #Beirut pic.twitter.com/EMTS470FOH — Ahmad M. Yassine | أحمد م. ياسين (@Lobnene_Blog) August 4, 2020BREAKING: Massive explosion in Beirut.

BEIRUT A massive explosion shook Lebanon's capital Beirut on Tuesday wounding a number people and causing widespread damage. Residents reported windows being blown out and a false ceilings dropping. The explosion appeared to be centered around Beirut's port and caused wide scale destruction and shattered windows miles away. An Associated Press photographer near Beirut's port witnessed people wounded on the ground and widespread destruction in central Beirut. Some local TV stations reported the blast was at Beiruts port inside an area where firecrackers were stored.

BEIRUT Videos captured and shared on social media show a massive explosion that rocked Lebanons capital city Beirut on Tuesday. This is a video filmed by someone who was standing on his balcony close to the port of #Beirut. First you see big plumes of smoke followed by small explosions on ground level and finally an enormous explosion. Fireworks can be seen clearly in this video https://t.co/Z2DMT0JNbs pic.twitter.com/fXZgMbJ0EV Ali (@allushiii_new) August 4, 2020The cause of the blast was not immediately clear. WATCH: Aftermath of Beirut's massive explosion.

BOSTON A Massachusetts father and son who prosecutors say helped smuggle Nissans former chairman out of Japan last year were denied bail by a federal judge in Boston on Friday. The Taylors' lawyers had argued the pair were unlawfully arrested and cant be extradited because bail jumping is not a crime in Japan and, therefore, helping someone evade their bail conditions isnt a crime, either. The Taylors are wanted in Japan on allegations that they helped Ghosn flee the country in December while he was out on bail and awaiting trial on financial misconduct allegations. Authorities say the Taylors helped sneak Ghosn out of a hotel in a large box and then out of Japan on a private jet. The flight took Ghosn to Lebanon, where Ghosn has citizenship but which has no extradition treaty with Japan.

Its distillery being built at Lebanon, Kentucky, is expected to be carbon neutral a first for the London-based company. The $130 million distillery of Bulleit bourbon is expected to be fully operational in 2021. This groundbreaking undertaking to electrify our operations and then power them with renewable electricity will result in one of the largest carbon neutral distilleries in North America." The renewable electricity will be supplied by Inter-County Energy and East Kentucky Power Cooperative, it said. The plant will supplement the company's Kentucky operations at the Stitzel-Weller distillery in Louisville and its distillery at Shelbyville.

The very nature of a protest suggests a fervent desire for change, the need to right a perceived historic injustice. Confronting tyranny can also backfire, the result a more dictatorial leader or a ruinous civil war. Here's a look at some of the key protests of recent decades and what they achieved or failed. Syria exploded quickly from an uprising against the Assad dynasty to ruinous civil war which still continues with more than half million dead and millions displaced. In neighboring Lebanon and in Iraq, civil protests erupted last October against ruling elites.

Twenty years after Hezbollah guerrillas pushed Israels last troops from southern Lebanon, both sides are gearing up for a war that neither seems to want. Israeli troops are drilling for a possible invasion of Lebanon and striking Hezbollah targets in neighboring Syria. Hezbollah is beefing up its own forces and threatening to invade Israel. RISING TENSION BETWEEN ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH Israeli troops strike Hezbollah targets in Syria and drilling for what could be an invasion of Lebanon, while Hezbollah is beefing up its own forces and threatening to invade Israel. It will be the first time a private company, rather than a national government, sends astronauts into orbit.

Alexei Saab, a 42-year-old Lebanon native and naturalized US citizen, was charged in an indictment Thursday with nine offenses, which include providing material support to Hezbollah, the US Justice Department said. Hezbollah had given him extensive training in Lebanon, and made him a member of its wing that plans terror attacks outside of Lebanon, the Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO), the Justice Department says. While he was in Lebanon in 2003, a Hezbollah handler asked him to prepare a detailed guide to New York City. During an investigation, the FBI found photographs of these locations in Saab's electronic devices, the Justice Department says. US counterterrorism officials have not publicly released estimates of how many Hezbollah members are suspected of being in the country.