Former premier Saad Hariri held talks Tuesday in Riyadh with Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz on “the latest developments on the Arab and regional scenes and issues of common interest between the two countries,” Hariri’s press office said.

During the talks at the Royal Court in Al-Yamamah Palace, Hariri congratulated Prince Nayef on the success of the hajj pilgrimage season this year and the facilities provided by the kingdom to nearly three million Muslim pilgrims, the office added.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun slammed on Tuesday the Arab League’s suspension of Syria’s membership.

He said after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting: “The Arab countries have chosen the wrong and losing path by deciding to boycott Syria.”

British Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher welcomed on Tuesday strong action taken by the Arab League, hoping that its decision to suspend Syria’s membership would lead to greater freedom, stability, and respect for human rights.

He said after holding talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati: “I underlined our disappointment at Lebanon’s position at the Arab League meeting.”

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stressed on Tuesday the need for cooperation with the Russian Church in order to preserve the Christian presence in the Middle East.

He said after holding talks with Russian Orthodox Church leader Patriarch Kirill: “Christians should play an active role in the region as it has always done throughout history, since the time of Christ.”

When he fled brutal persecution by the regime of Syria's President Bashar Assad, opposition activist Saeed believed neighboring Lebanon would offer a safe haven.

But four months later, he still hides behind a cap and dark sunglasses, nervously glancing over his shoulder every time he leaves his Beirut flat -- fearing Assad's allies in Lebanon will hunt him down.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said on Tuesday that five brothers were arrested in a raid on an apartment in al-Nabaa over the attacks on 11 people, mostly taxi drivers, in the past three months.

During a press conference, Charbel gave the details of the arrest that took place at 1:30 am and said the investigation into the killings was underway.

Business leaders will hold a meeting on Tuesday to discuss Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas’ proposal to correct the minimum wages.

As Safir newspaper reported on Tuesday that the business leaders will reject the proposal because it didn’t include adding the transportation allowance to the basic salary and the wage hike didn’t respond to the figures released by the Central Statistics office.

The March 14-led opposition is seeking to unite its position before a parliamentary session aimed at raising questions to the cabinet on Wednesday as the rift widens over Lebanon’s position at the Arab League meeting on Syria.

The opposition clearly objects the fact that the parliamentary agenda didn’t include any inquiry over the cabinet’s stance at the Arab League meeting, opposition sources told An Nahar newspaper on Tuesday.

Western countries were disappointed while Gulf nations have expressed deep discontent over Lebanon’s stance from an Arab League decision on Syria, diplomatic sources said.

Western diplomatic sources told several newspapers in remarks published Tuesday that the Western disappointment lies in not only Lebanon’s vote against the suspension of Syria’s membership in the Arab League but also on the statement made by its delegate during the meeting of the Arab committee.

Premier Najib Miqati has launched a series of meetings with diplomats to contain the repercussions of Lebanon’s vote against the suspension of Syria from the 22-member Arab League.

Sources close to Miqati told An Nahar daily on Tuesday that the prime minister is trying to explain the Lebanese stance, stressing to the diplomats that Beirut’s decision is not targeted at Arab countries but is only aimed at protecting Lebanon.