Twin bomb blasts targeted a hotel and a liquor store in the southern city of Tyre at dawn Wednesday, causing extensive damage but no casualties.

The first explosion ripped through a restaurant of the three-story Queen Elissa hotel which lies on the coast around 5:00 am. Several vehicles were damaged in the blast.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati reiterated Tuesday that “the stance recently taken by Lebanon at the Arab foreign ministers meeting on Syria is aimed first and last at protecting domestic stability in Lebanon.”

During a cabinet session he headed at the Grand Serail, Miqati stressed that “Lebanon will remain interactive with its Arab surrounding and part of the Arab world,” noting that “Lebanon’s vote at the Arab League stemmed from historical and geographic considerations that take into consideration the Lebanese sensitivities of which our Arab brother are aware.”

The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday slammed Lebanon’s decision to vote against suspending Syria’s membership in the Arab League.

In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, the bloc condemned “Lebanon’s stance at the meeting of the Council of Arab Foreign Ministers (in Cairo on Saturday), which sided against the brotherly Syrian people and represented a dangerous precedent by defying the popular Arab consensus.”

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.