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Jumblat Says Cabinet Formation Still at Standstill, Berri Should Solve Crisis

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has expressed pessimism over the formation of the new cabinet after the Easter holidays saying there is still disagreement on the interior ministry portfolio.

The lawmaker told An Nahar newspaper in remarks published Friday that “the cabinet formation process is still at a standstill and there’s still disagreement on who will be given the interior ministry portfolio.”

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Inerga-type Rocket Hits Tripoli’s Jabal Mohsen

An Inerga-type rocket-propelled grenade hit the Tripoli neighborhood of Jabal Mohsen on Thursday night, causing material damage and “terrorizing” residents, As Safir daily reported.

The rocket landed near Café Omran that lies behind the Harakat al-Shabab field around 11:00 pm, the newspaper said.

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Hizbullah Slams Ban's 'Unjust' Remarks, Vows to Continue Protecting Lebanon

Hizbullah on Thursday hit back at U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon over statements contained in his annual report on the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559.

“It is not something new for the U.N. secretary general to take unjust and unfair stances in his analysis of the situation in Lebanon, especially in terms of holding Hizbullah responsible for all the problems in Lebanon,” the party said in a communiqué.

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Center House Security Meeting Agrees on Firm Implementation of Tripoli Demos Ban

Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Thursday headed a security meeting at the Center House in downtown Beirut to discuss the latest security developments in the country.

The meeting tackled “the issue of Tripoli’s demos, the incident that happened in Tyre when security forces tried to remove illegal construction violations, the issue of the kidnap of the seven Estonian citizens and the measures taken by the army and the Internal Security Forces to preserve security and stability,” Hariri’s press office said in a statement.

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U.S. Embassy Celebrates Earth Day with the AFDC in Aley

Representatives of the U.S. Embassy, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the U.S. Forest Service joined the Association for Forest Development and Conservation (AFDC) at the Aley Cultural Secondary School on Thursday to celebrate the 41st annual Earth Day with an event that included a theatrical play about forest fire prevention and a training demonstration with a fire truck donated by the U.S. Government.

Earth Day, established in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, is observed annually to bring together individuals, private organizations and governments to promote environmental conservation and natural resource management. Preventing forest fires is vital to promoting and preserving Lebanon’s natural environment.

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Gemayel Meets Connelly: Lebanon’s Security and Unity Require us to Seriously Consider Positive Neutrality

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel stated on Thursday that the situation in the Arab world requires the Lebanese to exercise vigilance and take a responsible position towards these developments as they may have repercussions on the internal Lebanese scene.

He made his statements after holding talks with U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly.

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Qahwaji: We Seek to Prevent Lebanon from Becoming Center to Create Unrest in Any Arab State

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji noted on Thursday that the ongoing political tensions in Lebanon will not affect the army's performance, which distances itself from the political and sectarian divisions in the country.

He stressed the military institution's role during "the sensitive phase the country is going through, especially regarding maintaining the peace and defending its southern border from Israeli attacks."

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Search Procedures at Northern Border Intensified to Thwart Smuggling

Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces patrols intensified search procedures at Lebanon’s border with Syria in Akkar in an effort to thwart smuggling, reported the National News Agency on Thursday.

Witnesses informed NNA that the procedures were intensified along the al-Kabir River where Syrian border guards opened fire at individuals, who turned out to be smuggling gas across the border.

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Geagea Says Kidnapping of Foreigners Sign that ‘Illegitimate Arms’ Hinder State Establishment

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stressed on Thursday that the abduction of the seven Estonian tourists is a clear sign that “illegitimate arms” are hindering the establishment of a real state.

In remarks to a delegation of students from the Lebanese University, Geagea wondered whether it was natural for foreigners to be kidnapped in the country 21 years after the end of the civil war.

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AMAL, Hizbullah to Address Illegal Construction as 2 People Killed in Clash over Violations in Tyre

Two people were killed and others wounded in a clash with armed forces as the latter were thwarting illegal construction in the southern city of Tyre.

The National News Agency reported on Thursday that residents prevented the security forces from performing their duty, which led them to open fire, killing a Palestinian Wissam al-Tawil and Lebanese Ali Nasser.

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