President Michel Suleiman on Tuesday lauded “the efforts exerted by Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi to preserve the free Christian presence in the Levant as a message of culture, interaction and dialogue that has characterized this region throughout the ages,” stressing the importance of “his support for democracy away from unilateralism, violence and extremism.”

Following talks with Patriarchal Vicar General Roland Abu Jaoude and a group of bishops, Suleiman said: “We support what the patriarch is doing at the level of the church and its renewal and concerning his keenness on minorities in general and especially the Christian minority.”

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani on Tuesday called for an “immediate halt” to the killings in Syria, condemning the latest massacre in the Homs neighborhood of Karm el-Zaytoun.

Following a meeting with Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali, Qabbani said: “We condemn the bloodshed and the death of thousands of martyrs, victims and innocent men, women, elderly people and children.”

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi condemned on Tuesday the violence in Syria and called for the implementation of international resolutions to resolve the controversy on Hizbullah’s arms.

In remarks to al-Jazeera satellite channel during his visit to Doha, al-Rahi said violence in Syria was condemned “whether it was carried out by the regime or the people or armed men.”

France is to reduce the strength of its U.N. peacekeeping contingent in southern Lebanon by 400, just under a third of its troops there, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

A statement from the ministry said the decision had been taken in agreement with the United Nations and with Lebanon following a strategic review of the mission of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Gunmen have kidnapped a clergyman on the Terbol road in the eastern Bekaa valley and then released him in the area of Baalbek and asked for ransom to return his car to him.

Archimandrite Jean Faraj was kidnapped by four gunmen while he was driving his Mercedes on the Terbol main road, the National News Agency reported on Monday.

Beirut’s prosecution released on Tuesday the owners of the Fassouh building that collapsed on January 15 after they paid the bail, the National News Agency reported.

Brothers Claude and Michel Saadeh were released on a LL75 million bail each, which was raised from LL40 million.

More food product shops and warehouses were raided on Tuesday as Beirut’s Examining Magistrate adjourned the questioning of Samih and Suleiman al-Natour.

The Tyre Municipality health commission seized a large quantity of spoiled food during an inspection of shops in the city, the National News Agency reported.

The army intelligence arrested on Tuesday two people and seized weapons and ammunition from vehicles near the Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, the National News Agency reported.

NNA said a pickup loaded with ammunition was seized at the camp’s entrance near the southern city of Sidon while the occupants of a Mercedes carrying a DShK Soviet-era machinegun were arrested as they were going out of the shantytown.

President Michel Suleiman and Speaker Nabih Berri are exerting efforts to make Beirut a permanent base for dialogue among religions and different confessions, al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The two tackled the measures to be taken concerning the matter during a meeting on Monday at the Baabda Palace.

Premier Najib Miqati is making progress in the drafting of the plan aimed at finding a final solution to the extra-budgetary spending made by the governments of ex-PMs Fouad Saniora and Saad Hariri in 2006-2010, Economy Minister Nicolas Nahhas said.

In remarks to An Nahar daily published Tuesday, Nahhas said: “We are making progress and seeking to come up with a draft acceptable by everyone.”