Spotlight
Druze leader Walid Jumblat has offered condolences to Hezbollah in Dahieh over Israel’s killing of the party’s leaders Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine.

President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday stressed that “Lebanon’s rise is a collective responsibility.”

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Tuesday visited Beirut’s southern suburbs to offer condolences to Hezbollah over the death of slain leaders Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Tuesday declared “positive opposition” to Nawaf Salam’s government, hoping it will not turn into “a fierce and comprehensive opposition.”

Iran has put its defense systems around its nuclear sites on high alert amid fears of an attack by Israel and the U.S., The Telegraph British newspaper said Tuesday.
The daily said that, according to two high-level government sources, Iran has been on high alert and that several additional air defense system launchers have been deployed.

Hezbollah published Tuesday the names and faces of 35 of its commanders killed "on the road to Jerusalem," in addition to former leaders Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Sayyed Hashem Safieddine.
The 35 Hezbollah leaders killed in the 13 months war with Israel are:

Parliament on Tuesday started debating the new government's policy statement, with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam voicing commitment to extending the state's sovereignty across Lebanon, stressing that only the country’s armed forces should defend the nation in case of war.

The European Union and Samir Kassir Foundation launched Tuesday the 20th edition of the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press.
The award, which has been granted by the European Union since 2006, honors the Lebanese journalist and writer Samir Kassir, who was assassinated in 2005. The competition for the award has attracted since its creation more than 3,600 candidates from the Middle East, the Gulf and North Africa and 55 journalists have won the award so far.

The Free Patriotic Movement will likely withhold confidence from the government, MP Salim Aoun said Monday in a radio interview, as Parliament is set to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday for a vote of confidence in the new government formed by PM-designate Nawaf Salam.
"The statements are good, but the experience with PM Nawaf Salam's line-up was not promising," MP Aoun said.

Delegations were flocking Monday to the southern town of Deir Qanoun al-Nahr in the Tyre district for the funeral and burial of slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasham Safieddine, who was killed four days after succeeding Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as Hezbollah’s secretary-general.
