Lebanon
Latest stories
Young Lebanese Ready to Fight alongside Syrian 'Brothers'

About 20 armed men enter a dilapidated barn in northeastern Lebanon, preparing to sneak across the border and fight alongside their Syrian "brothers" against the regime in Damascus.

The young men decide to rest briefly at the farm near Al-Qaa in the Bekaa Valley, their arms and baggage placed against a wall.

W140 Full Story
Saniora Accuses Cabinet of Covering Up Assassinations by Blocking Telecom Data

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc leader MP Fouad Saniora accused on Saturday the cabinet of covering up for “criminals and assassination groups,” wondering if Prime Minister Najib Miqati is waiting until all the opposition leaders are “liquidated” until he decides to hand over the telecommunications data.

“The citizens are wondering if the assassination bids returned while the cabinet is still under the influence of the political rift,” Saniora said at a national gathering in Majdelyoun.

W140 Full Story
Raad Says Sharp Differences with FPM Will Not Lead to Rift

Head of Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc MP Mohammed Raad said on Saturday that the sharp differences with the Free Patriotic Movement will not lead to a rift between the allies, stressing that those who are staking on the collapse of agreements and allies will be disappointed.

“As long as there is a strategic understanding, no one will be able to create a rift,” Raad said.

W140 Full Story
Harb Meets Qahwaji, Says Investigations on 'Right Track'

Opposition MP Butros Harb stressed on Saturday that he will delay briefing the public about the details on the assassination attempt against him.

“I’ve already said that I will inform the public about the results of the investigation and I thought it would happen on Monday, but the probe requires few additional days to analyze the obtained information,” Harb told reporters after holding talks with Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji at his residence in Hazmieh.

W140 Full Story
Al-Rahi Urges Expats to Participate in 2013 Ballots

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi expressed hope that officials would agree on a modern electoral law that provides the best representation and achieves the ambitions of all Lebanese.

“The participation of Lebanese expatriates in the elections consolidate their ties and belonging to the nation,” al-Rahi said during a meeting with Australian speaker Peter Slipper in the presence of ambassador Lex Bartlem at his north Lebanon summer residence in Diman.

W140 Full Story
Suleiman Calls for Greater Democracy in Lebanon

President Michel Suleiman called on Saturday for the improvement of Lebanon’s democratic performance to reap the benefits of the political changes in the region.

“We should improve our democratic performance to take advantage of what’s happening in the region in terms of democratic change,” Suleiman said in a statement released by the presidential palace.

W140 Full Story
Contract Workers Close EDL’s Gates, Warn of Further Escalation

Electricite du Liban’s contract workers on Saturday blocked the entrances to the state-run company’s main building in Mar Mikhael, warning they would take escalatory measures next week if their demands are not met.

The National News Agency said the workers prevented the employees that have contracts with service providers from receiving bills to collect them from people who haven’t been paying for the past 3 months.

W140 Full Story
Ministers Loyal to Aoun Mulling Participation in Cabinet Next on Monday

Change and Reform bloc ministers are thinking over whether to participate in a cabinet session that is scheduled to be held at Baabda palace on Monday, following their boycott of two other meetings over a dispute on the full-time employment of Electricite du Liban’s contract workers.

By Saturday, the 10 ministers loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun hadn’t announced their participation in the session that Premier Najib Miqati called for to discuss the latest security incidents, the murder attempt against MP Butros Harb, including the telecom data, and the 2012 draft state budget.

W140 Full Story
Handing of Telecom Data in Harb’s Attempted-Murder Probe Falls Short

Opposition MP Butros Harb confirmed Saturday that Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui informed him that the security agencies were delivered the so-called telecom data in the investigation into the assassination attempt against him.

In remarks to An Nahar daily, Harb described as an “achievement” the handing over of the data although security forces said the information was incomplete over the failure of delivering the security agencies what is known as the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).

W140 Full Story
U.S. Court Fines Iran $813 Million for 1983 Beirut Bombing

A U.S. federal judge has ordered Iran to pay more than $813 million in damages and interest to the families of 241 U.S. soldiers killed in the 1983 bombing of a Marine barracks in Lebanon.

"After this opinion, this court will have issued over $8.8 billion in judgments against Iran as a result of the 1983 Beirut bombing," Judge Royce Lamberth wrote in a ruling this week, a copy of which was seen Friday by Agence France Presse.

W140 Full Story