Lebanon
Latest stories
Syria's Ali Confirms He Was Not Summoned by Mansour: Assaults on Lebanon Harm Syria

Syria's Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali stated on Saturday that he was not summoned by Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour on the backdrop of Friday's Syrian assault against Lebanese territories, assuring that his country is “the party negatively affected by the incident”.

“I have answered this question before. There is an ongoing cooperation between the two states,” Ali firmly said after meeting with FM Mansour.

W140 Full Story
Rifi Hands Over ISF Leadership to Salem, Says Leaving Post with 'Clear Conscience'

Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi handed over on Saturday the ISF leadership to Brig. Gen. Roger Salem, remarking that he was leaving his post with a "clear conscience."

The handing over of the post “comes as part of the law,” Rifi said at the graduation ceremony of expert officers held at the ISF general-directorate in Ashrafiyeh.

W140 Full Story
Islamic Endowments Slams Rumors on Hizbullah Network at Dar al-Fatwa

The director-general of Islamic Endowments slammed on Saturday what he said was a media campaign of lies by powerful politicians that there is a Hizbullah network at Dar al-Fatwa.

Sheikh Hisham Khalifeh said during a press conference that the rumors were causing divisions among Muslims.

W140 Full Story
Saniora Meets Suleiman, Heads to Riyadh for Talks with Hariri

Al-Mustaqbal bloc leader Fouad Saniora on Saturday met with President Michel Suleiman before traveling to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Saniora held talks with Suleiman at Baabda palace on Saturday morning. He then traveled to Riyadh at the head of a delegation from al-Mustaqbal movement.

W140 Full Story
Berri Discharged from AUBMC after Minor Surgery

Speaker Nabih Berri was discharged from American University of Beirut Medical Center after undergoing a minor surgery to remove a kidney stone, the hospital said Saturday.

“Speaker Berri has been admitted to the AUBMC and (ex-health minister) Dr. Mohammed Jawad Khalife conducted the surgery," the hospital said .

W140 Full Story
Army Arrests 3 Gunmen after Gunfight in Tripoli

The Lebanese army said on Saturday that it arrested three gunmen for opening fire on a patrol after tossing a hand grenade in an area in the northern city of Tripoli.

“Three armed men riding a Mercedes in the area of Duwwar Abu Ali in Tripoli tossed a hand grenade and opened fire in an attempt to breach security and terrorize citizens,” said the communique issued by the army command.

W140 Full Story
Al-Rahi Warns against Vacuum and Turning Lebanon to Statelets

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi urged the authorities on Saturday not to allow arms smuggling and prevent the use of Lebanese territories as bases to attack Syria, warning against attempts to push Lebanon to a national crisis in search for a huge change that includes turning it into statelets.

“We urge the authorities to make sure that arms are not smuggled and that Lebanese territories are not used to transfer them to Syria or that its land is not used for bases of defense or attack,” Al-Rahi said in his Easter message.

W140 Full Story
Pope Refers to 'Muslim Brothers' on Good Friday, Praises 'Strong Bond of Communion' in Lebanon

Pope Francis reached out in friendship to "so many Muslim brothers and sisters" during a Good Friday procession dedicated to the suffering of Christians from terrorism, war and religious fanaticism in the Middle East.

The new pontiff, who has rankled traditionalists by rejecting many trappings of his office, mostly stuck to the traditional script during the nighttime Way of the Cross procession at Rome's Colosseum, one of the most dramatic rituals of Holy Week.

W140 Full Story
Geagea Calls For a 'Neutral' Cabinet

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea reiterated calls to form a “neutral” cabinet to supervise the upcoming parliamentary elections, and to choose a new premier who is not a candidate for the polls, the As-Safir daily reported on Saturday.

“Holding the parliamentary elections is a prime target even if technical reasons led to some delay. We want a cabinet of elections, and it cannot be but a neutral one that includes technocrat ministers specialized in addressing the economic and living situation,” said Geagea in an interview with the daily.

W140 Full Story
March 14 Pushing for Neutral Cabinet while Hizbullah Sticks to Unity Government

The March 14 opposition alliance is seeking the formation of a neutral cabinet to oversee the elections while the March 8 majority alliance led by Hizbullah is after a national unity government, two stances that are likely to worsen the country’s political crisis.

A high-ranking March 14 official told An Nahar daily published Saturday that the opposition wants a new neutral cabinet capable of supervising the polls that should be held “as soon as possible” if there was a need for a technical postponement.

W140 Full Story