BEIRUT (AP) — A Lebanese pop star turned Islamist militant who surrendered this month after 12 years on the run appeared in Beirut court Tuesday for the first time.
Fadel Shaker had been hiding out in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh since bloody street clashes erupted between Sunni Muslim militants and the Lebanese army in June 2013 in the coastal city of Sidon.
He was tried in absentia and sentenced to 22 years in prison in 2020 for providing support to a “terrorist group.”
As part of the deal that persuaded Shaker to turn himself in, the sentences he received while on the run would be dropped and he would be questioned in preparation to stand trial on new charges of committing crimes against the military. Tuesday’s court appearance was a preliminary questioning session.
During the 2013 shootout between followers of hard-line Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir and the Lebanese army, which killed at least 18 soldiers, Shaker appeared in a video uploaded to YouTube in which he called his enemies pigs and dogs, and taunted the military, saying “we have two rotting corpses that we snatched from you yesterday,” an apparent reference to slain soldiers.
Shaker became a pop star throughout the Arab world with a smash hit in 2002. Almost 10 years later, he fell under the influence of al-Assir and shocked fans by turning up next to the cleric at rallies and later saying that he was giving up singing to become closer to God.
In recent years, he had returned to periodically releasing music, including several singles this year. In July, Shaker and his son Mohammed released a new song that has garnered over 127 million views on YouTube.
Lebanese soldiers stand guard outside the Justice Palace where former pop star turned militant Fadel Shaker appeared in court after 12 years on the run, in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
FILE — Lebanese pop idol Fadel Shaker delivers a sermon in support of Syrian rebel fighters and Syrian refugees after Friday prayers, in Beirut, Lebanon, Feb. 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein, File)
CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Busch singled to right in the 10th inning, allowing automatic runner Dansby Swanson to advance from second and score on an error, and the Chicago Cubs edged the San Francisco Giants 3-2 on Saturday.
Leading off the 10th, Busch grounded the ball to right off Sam Hentges' 2-2 slider. Victor Bericoto charged the ball but couldn't come up with it and was charged with an error. That allowed Swanson — who was slowing at third — to continue home.
The Cubs won for only the seventh time in their last 26 games.
Pete Crow-Armstrong's second solo shot of the game, with two outs in the ninth off Keaton Winn, tied it at 2-2.
The Cubs center fielder added two singles on a 4 for 5 afternoon to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games. Crow-Armstrong, who made a nifty sliding catch in the sixth, has 11 home runs.
Ryan Rolison (5-1) worked around a walk, pitching a scoreless 10th for the win. Hentges (1-1), who entered in the 10th, took the loss.
Rafael Devers cracked a solo shot in the sixth and Matt Chapman hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in top of the ninth to put the Giants ahead 2-1, but their three game-win streak ended.
Both starters, Chicago's Ben Brown and San Francisco’s Landen Roupp, were sharp.
Brown allowed no runs and one hit while striking out five, walking one and hitting a batter in 5 1/3 innings. Brown exited after a season-high 87 pitches in his sixth start since joining Chicago’s rotation on May 8.
Roupp gave up one run on three hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking three.
The Cubs left slumping shortstop Swanson out of their starting lineup, but he entered as a pinch automatic runner in the 10th. The two-time Gold Glove winner entered the game batting just .180.
Crow-Armstrong hit first solo shot in the sixth, hammering Roupp's high sinker deep to right to tie it at 1-1.
Giants RHP Trevor McDonald (2-3, 4.50 ERA) faces Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (2-5, 5.13) on Sunday night.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
San Francisco Giants' Rafael Devers hits a solo home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
San Francisco Giants' Rafael Devers, right, celebrates with teammate Willy Adames (2) after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong watches his solo home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in Chicago, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Chicago Cubs' Michael Busch, center, celebrates with teammates after driving in the game-winning run with a single in the 10th inning of a baseball game to defeat the San Francisco Giants in Chicago, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Chicago Cubs' Michael Busch watches his game-winning RBI single to defeat the San Francisco Giants in the 10th inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Saturday, June 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
