President Michel Suleiman has announced that he agreed with Libyan officials that a conference to encourage investment in Libya will be held in Beirut on Nov. 24.
Suleiman made the announcement in New York on Tuesday as he participated in a high-ranking meeting on Libya that was attended by top officials including U.S. President Barack Obama.
Full StoryThe Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday voiced concerns over “the recurrence of security incidents” in the country.
In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, the bloc said it discussed “the surge in security incidents, such as the latest atrocious crime against the peaceful family of Ali al-Hajj Dib in the Ras al-Nabaa area, and other daily incidents involving the use of firearms.”
Full StoryFree Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun accused on Tuesday the Mustaqbal bloc of seeking to obstruct the state’s functioning, labeling its members as “liars and hypocrites.”
He said after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting: “They all make personal attacks. This is defamation and not tackling the problem.”
Full StoryMore than 2,000 demonstrators gathered outside the United Nations' offices in Beirut on Tuesday in a show of support for a Palestinian bid to secure full U.N. membership.
"We are here to show our support for Palestine's right to be recognized as a state, a right that is stipulated by international law," said Kazem Hassan, one of the organizers of the joint rally by Lebanese and Palestinians.
Full StorySpeaker Nabih Berri called parliament to session on Thursday in order for it to address various pending issues, including the electricity file.
He also called on the joint parliamentary committees to convene on Wednesday in order to tackle the electricity draft law.
Full StoryHizbullah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem accused the March 14 forces on Tuesday of acting in a way that serves the U.S.-Israeli project.
“I don’t like to mention much what the March 14 group is doing as a conspiracy,” Qassem told Iran’s Fars news agency. “But it acts in a way that whether willingly or unwillingly serves the Israeli-American project.”
Full StoryMaronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi is demanding an apology from French Ambassador Denis Pietton before setting a date to meet with him, Bkirki sources told the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa daily on Tuesday.
“Al-Rahi will not set a date for a meeting with Ambassador Denis Pietton if the latter decides to meet him,” the sources said.
Full StoryFree Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun has cancelled his visit to the Western Bekaa on Sept. 24 for security reasons, al-Akhbar daily reported Tuesday.
The newspaper said that security sources advised Aoun to cancel the visit after a series of security incidents shook the region.
Full StoryU.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said on Tuesday that Lebanon has no choice but to pay its share of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon funds.
“Lebanon has commitments … I think it would implement its commitments towards the tribunal,” Williams told al-Joumhouria daily. He said the Lebanese government would pay its dues because it “has no other choice.”
Full StoryForeign Minister Adnan Mansour is expected to meet with his Cypriot counterpart Markos Kyprianou ahead of the U.N. General Assembly opening Wednesday in New York.
“Mansour had clear directions from President Michel Suleiman to meet his Cypriot counterpart,” a diplomatic source told As Safir newspaper.
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