Transportation Minister Ghazi Zoaiter announced Sunday that Russia ended the naval maneuvers that have affected civil aviation in Lebanon, reported the National News Agency.
He said that civil aviation can now go back to normal after the conclusion of the maneuvers that took place in the Mediterranean.

The Islamic State extremist group issued a threat against a number of world targets, including the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, reported An Nahar daily on Sunday.
The threat prompted the university administration to cancel an academic event that was scheduled at the campus on Sunday.
Security forces have heightened their measures at places of worship ahead of upcoming religious occasions, reported the daily An Nahar on Sunday.
It said that security measures will intensify their surveillance of mosques and churches on Fridays and Sundays respectively.

Prime Minister Tammam stated on Saturday that the challenges facing the country have reached a stage that no longer allow a slowdown in finding solutions for deadlocks, calling an end to the presidential vacuum, the National News Agency said.
“Electing a new president restores a structural constitutional fault,” Salam said marking Lebanon's 72nd Independence Day in the absence of a president.

Former Prime Minister and al-Mustaqbal movement chief Saad Hariri stated on Saturday that Lebanon celebrates its Independence Day this year with sorrow and that the vacuum at the top state post is an insult to the Lebanese.
“The vacuum at the presidential post is the biggest insult to the Lebanese people on their national day of Independence,” said Hariri via Twitter.

Russian ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin expressed astonishment at the recent Russian request to divert air routes from Lebanon stressing that he had “no information on the subject,” al-Joumhouria daily said on Saturday.
Zaspykin said that he was totally surprised by Russia's request that Lebanon ensures that flights from Beirut airport avoid an area over the eastern Mediterranean for the next three days.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam received a congratulation letter from French President Francois Hollande on Independence Day in which he confirmed “his country's support to Lebanon to overcome the challenges facing the nation,” the National News Agency said on Saturday.
Hollande praised Salam's efforts in light of the difficult circumstances that the country is witnessing, saying that his country will continue its efforts to help Lebanon end the presidential vacuum.

Public Works and Transport Minister Ghazi Zoaiter revealed on Saturday that Lebanon has taken assurances from Cyprus that Israel will not intrude upon Lebanon's new aviation routes, nor will it carry out maneuvers in light of the latest Russian demand to avoid overflying the eastern Mediterranean area.
“Lebanon has taken assurances from Cyprus that Israel will not intrude upon Lebanon's aviation or carry out any maneuvers on the new air routes,” Zoaiter told al-Joumhouria daily on Saturday.

Despite the statements negating that a meeting has taken place between head of al-Mustaqbal movement Saad Hariri and Marada leader MP Suleiman Franjieh, well informed sources assured that the meeting has happened and that the two man have met at the house of business man Jilbert Chagouri, al-Akhbar daily reported on Saturday.
The sources added that mutual friends have arranged for the meeting at Chagouri's place in Paris during Suleiman's visit to the French capital last week.

Russia asked Lebanon Friday to ensure that flights from Beirut airport avoid an area over the eastern Mediterranean for the next three days, Transport and Public Works Minister Ghazi Zoaiter said.
Russia, which is carrying out air strikes in Syria, "has asked the Lebanese authorities that planes leaving Beirut airport towards the west avoid overflying an area in Mediterranean territorial waters because of maneuvers on Saturday, Sunday and Monday," he said.
