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Lebanese monastery brings together Christians scattered by war

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by arabnews.com -- QOZHAYA, Lebanon: The last time Samuel Botros stepped into the Lebanese monastery of Saint Anthony of Qozhaya was in 1978. He was 24, newly married, and the country was in the grip of an all-out war. Like many of his generation, he left. It took him 41 years to return. The 1975-90 civil war may be over in Lebanon but conflicts in nearby countries like Iraq and Syria have devastated entire communities where Christians once lived alongside Muslims. That has triggered an exodus among people of both faiths, especially among minority sects — like Botros’ Syriac Orthodox community whose roots are in early Christianity.

The monastery, which is nestled in a remote valley in the northern Lebanese mountains and dates from the fourth century, is a meeting place for Christians who have fled conflict. “It is the war that did this to us. It is the wars that continue to leave behind destruction and force people to leave,” said Botros, visiting the monastery as part of a gathering of his community’s scout group — their first in the region since the 1950s.The scout group’s roughly 150 members include people living in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Territories and further afield. Lebanon was the only country where they could all meet easily and safely, Botros said. In Iraq, years of conflict, most recently with Daesh, erased much of the Christian heritage in ancient cities like Mosul and Sinjar in the north. In Syria’s civil war, some of the oldest churches in Aleppo, Homs and other cities were damaged. Botros, now 65, is about to retire in Sweden where he made his home years ago. He is father and grandfather to children who know Lebanon only through photos.

Teenager takes top prize in Lebanese arm wrestling competition

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by euronews.com --Fifteen-year-old George Bejjani became the youngest contestant to ever win the title in Lebanon's arm-wrestling championship in the +90kgs category for men. The event crowned winners in different categories including men over 90kgs, men under 90kgs and women.

The championship also brought Lebanon's 2018 champions head-to-head with Ukrainian champions in two super matches, one featuring male and one featuring female contestants. Ukrainian champion Marina Shulika defeated her Lebanese counterpart Serena Abou Saleh in the women's super match, while Lebanon's 2018 champion Maroun Ghanem defeated two-time world champion Mikhail Rudakov. Five women finalists competed for the 2019 title, with 16-year-old Jessica Bejjani crowned champion. She encouraged women to try out the sport, rather than shy away from it. Arm-wrestling in Lebanon had been just a pastime for many years but after establishing a federation and introducing nation-wide competitions, it became a professional sport in the country.

Americans have a vacation problem

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It’s August, which for many Europeans means taking almost the entire month off. So why is it difficult to get Americans to take even the little vacation time they receive? A recent piece in The Economist states workers in the U.S. are doing it “all wrong” by taking short holidays — which can add even more stress — or taking none at all. Instead, it's important for employees to recharge their batteries for lengthier periods. Similarly, it's beneficial for companies to have a predictable holiday month during which junior employees can head to the beach and managers can take stock of things, says the report.

Amazon allegedly scammed out of $370K by 22-year-old's return shipments of dirt

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foxbusiness.com -- A 22-year-old has been arrested in an alleged scam of the largest internet retailer that totaled nearly $370,000 by sending return packages filled with dirt. James Gilbert Kwarteng, of Palma de Mallorca, Spain, allegedly swindled Amazon Opens a New Window. by filling up the ordered items’ boxes with dirt and registering with the exact weight of the product. He would then receive a refund from Amazon and sell the original item, according to El Español Opens a New Window. and El Diario de Mallorca Opens a New Window. . The return packages would end up sitting around in Amazon’s warehouses where they aren’t checked often. The scam wasn’t discovered until through a random search where someone opened a box and discovered it was full of dirt. Amazon’s return policy states items shipped from the website, including Amazon Warehouse, can be returned within 30 days of receipt. Refunds are processed in two business days and customers can expect their funds show in their account in three to five business days. The report states the success of the alleged scam by Kwarteng, who has been released on bail, enabled him to create his own company.

Jeff Bezos just sold $1.8 billion worth of Amazon stock. Here's why

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New York (CNN Business) -- Jeff Bezos has sold more than $1.8 billion worth of stock, as the world's richest person continues to sell his Amazon stake to fund his space venture. The Amazon CEO offloaded roughly 960,000 shares, each worth around $1,900 on Wednesday, according to the company's regulatory filings. Bezos sold the stake after Amazon reported weaker-than-expected profits in its quarterly earnings. Amazon's (AMZN) stock is up 25% for the year. Even with the massive stock dump, Bezos remains the world's richest person, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He's worth $117 billion. Bezos has said he sells roughly $1 billion worth of stock a year to fund his space company, Blue Origin, and he pledged to sell more than $1 billion this year as Blue Origin gets closer to commercial operations.

Bezos has lofty expectations for Blue Origin. He unveiled a new rocket engine and a mockup of a lunar lander to use for shuttle cargo in May. He also said he wants to build giant orbital structures that could host self-sustaining colonies. It's also close to selling tickets to send people to space.

U.S. puts sanctions on Iranian foreign minister Zarif, who says they won't affect him

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, targeting the country’s top spokesman and potentially hurting chances of diplomatic talks amid rising tensions between the two countries. Zarif, a critical figure in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, dismissed the action and said it would not affect him. U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal last year and ramped up sanctions to put pressure on Iran’s economy. The move dismantled part of President Barack Obama’s legacy and upset U.S. allies who were party to the agreement, which was designed to restrict Tehran’s pathway to a nuclear bomb in exchange for sanctions relief. Strains between Washington and Tehran have risen more in recent months after attacks on tankers in the Gulf that the United States blames on Iran and Iran’s downing of a U.S. drone that prompted preparations for a U.S. retaliatory air strike that Trump called off at the last minute. “Javad Zarif implements the reckless agenda of Iran’s Supreme Leader, and is the regime’s primary spokesperson around the world. The United States is sending a clear message to the Iranian regime that its recent behavior is completely unacceptable,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

US believes Osama bin Laden's son Hamza is dead

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Hamza bin Laden seen in a video released in late 2017.

by cnn.com --By Evan Perez and Ryan Browne -- The US believes late al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's son Hamza bin Laden is dead, a US official told CNN on Wednesday. The official said the US had a role in his death but did not provide details. The official added that the US government recently received evidence that it believes corroborates his death. The New York Times reported that Hamza bin Laden had been killed in an operation within the last two years. Earlier this year the US State Department called bin Laden, who is believed to be in his early 30s, an "emerging" leader in the terror group al Qaeda, offering a million-dollar reward for information leading to his capture. The New York Times, citing two US officials, said "the United States government had a role in the operation that killed the younger Mr. bin Laden, but it was not clear precisely what that role was."

When it offered the reward the US government accused the Saudi Arabia-born Hamza bin Laden of seeking to encourage attacks against the US. While The New York Times said the operation that killed him took place prior to the State Department's reward offer, his death had yet to be confirmed by the US government. Hamza bin Laden "has released audio and video messages on the Internet, calling on his followers to launch attacks against the United States and its Western allies, and he has threatened attacks against the United States in revenge for the May 2011 killing of his father by US military forces," the State Department said in its announcement offering the reward.