Lebanon
Latest stories
Aoun Says 'Moderate Rhetoric' Eased Cabinet's Formation, Short Term Govt to Hold Presidential Elections

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stressed on Saturday that the current cabinet is a temporary council of ministers that was formed to assure holding the presidential elections on time.

"Afterwards, a new government will be formed and it will be tasked with drafting an electoral law and preparing for the parliamentary polls that will take place at the end of September,” Aoun explained in an interview with Russia Today news channel.

W140 Full Story
Army Circulates Photo of Third 'Dangerous Fugitive' this Week

The army on Saturday circulated the photo of a man it described as a “dangerous fugitive,” calling on whoever recognizes him to report to the military institution.

“We urge anyone who recognizes the dangerous fugitive to call the Army Command's operations center on 1701 or to report by using the military institution's smart phone application LAF Shield,” the army said in a communique.

W140 Full Story
Salam Voices Hope 'Consensual Spirit' Would be Mirrored in Policy Statement

Prime Minister Tammam Salam expressed hope on Saturday that the “consensual atmosphere” between the political arch-foes that resulted in his cabinet's lineup would be reflected on the ministerial policy statement.

“The panel drafting the ministerial policy achieved progress in its work process,” Salam said in a statement.

W140 Full Story
Hale Meets Geagea, LF Calls for Adopting Baabda Declaration as Policy Statement Basis

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale discussed on Saturday the latest developments with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea as the party's parliamentary bloc stressed the importance of adopting the Baada Declaration and Bkirki Charter as basis of the cabinet's ministerial policy statement.

According to a statement issued by the LF press office the meeting was held for an hour in Maarab in presence of Elie Khour, Geagea's adviser.

W140 Full Story
Army Seizes Grenades in Sidon as Gunman Kills Palestinian in Ain al-Hilweh

The army intelligence raided on Saturday the house of an extremist in the southern city of Sidon as a Palestinian national was shot dead in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the army raided the house of Mahmoud Khalaf in old Sidon town, seizing a cache of arms and grenades.

W140 Full Story
Gemayel to Run for Presidency Based on Local Situation, Calls for Election of 'Strong President'

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel stressed that the upcoming presidential elections should be carried out within the constitutional time-frame, calling for consensus among Christian parties over the name of the presidential candidate.

“The Phalange Party reject by all means any vacuum at presidential post,” Gemayel said during an interview with the Tehran-based Arabic-language Iranian television channel al-Kawthar.

W140 Full Story
Report: Terrorist Plot to Ignite Shiite-Sunni Strife in Dahiye

The bombings claimed by the Qaida-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades aimed at provoking Shiites residing in Beirut's southern suburbs against the Sunnis in the area, the al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Saturday.

Detained top Qaida-linked militant Naim Abbas confessed that the Shiites were expected to have a bloody reaction against the Sunnis in Dahiyeh.

W140 Full Story
Report: Arsal Residents Enraged over Hizbullah Checkpoints

The residents of the Bekaa border town of Arsal contacted several March 14 alliance officials to rebuke arrests carried out by a Hizbullah checkpoint erected on the outskirts of the village, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Saturday.

According to the newspaper, Hizbullah members detained several residents from Arsal and questioned them, which angered the residents of Arsal.

W140 Full Story
Suleiman to Meet Hollande on Sidelines of International Support Group Meeting on Lebanon

President Michel Suleiman is expected to hold talks with French President Francois Hollande on the sidelines of a meeting for the International Support Group for Lebanon is set to be held in Paris in early March.

Diplomatic sources told An Nahar newspaper published on Saturday that Suleiman, who will be heading the Lebanese delegation to the conference, is expected to meet Hollande at the French capital.

W140 Full Story
Hariri Meets al-Rahi in Rome, Says March 14 to Have One Presidential Candidate

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks Friday with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in the Italian capital Rome, in a meeting that focused on the issue of the upcoming presidential election.

"We will seek to hold the presidential election on time," Hariri said after the meeting.

W140 Full Story