Lebanese soldiers patrol in the northern Mediterranean city of Tripoli in July 2008. An imam was killed and five people wounded in a gunbattle between rival communities in a village in northern Lebanon on Sunday, a security official said.

A Lebanese woman and her female Bulgarian companion have been jailed for a month for kissing and fondling each other and engaging in "indecent acts" on a public beach in Dubai, the media reported on Sunday. The Dubai Court of Appeal upheld the one-month jail sentence handed down by a lower court to the women.

Frustrations are growing in Sidon as a result of the country's ongoing electricity crisis, which has forced residents of the southern coastal city and other outlying areas to endure extensive power cuts each day. Lebanon suffers daily power cuts, including in the capital Beirut where many businesses and apartment blocks use generators to tide them over during lengthy blackouts

An imam was killed and five people wounded in a gun battle between rival communities in a village in North Lebanon on Sunday, a security official said. The shooting erupted between Sunnis and Alawites in the village of Sheikhlar in the Northern region of Akkar, he said, adding that rescue workers were unable to enter the area because of the intensity of the fighting.

Foreign passengers walk towards Rafiq Hariri International Airport in Beirut in May 2008. Portrait (R) shows missing Shiite Imam Mussa Sadr. Several thousand people joined a rally in Lebanon on Sunday to mark 30 years since Shiite leader Mussa Sadr vanished without trace in Libya, with the circumstances of his disappearance as mysterious as ever.

A small Southern California town is considering limiting the palette from which homeowners can chose repainting their homes.A local controversy erupted after Adnan Essayli decided to paint his La Palma home a color resembling the stone-walled homes in his native Beirut, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.He painted his house a mix of deep-toned golds, with red trim to highlight the windows, ...

An imam was killed and five people wounded in a gunbattle between rival communities in a village in northern Lebanon on Sunday, a security official said.

Several thousand people joined a rally in Lebanon on Sunday to mark 30 years since Shiite leader Mussa Sadr vanished without trace in Libya, with the circumstances of his disappearance as mysterious as ever.

Sappers from the French contingent of the UN peace keeping forces stack cluster bombs and other devises found in the fields of the southern Lebanon as they prepare to detonate them.

BEIRUT: Thirty years after Lebanese Shia leader Mussa Sadr vanished without trace in Libya, the imam lives on for his followers but the circumstances of his disappearance are as mysterious as ever.

BEIRUT, Aug 29 (Reuters) The Lebanese government appointed a new military commander today, a government source said, filling a post which has become a stepping stone to the presidency.

(RTTNews) - Lebanon's cabinet has appointed Brigadier General Jean Qahwaji as the chief of the Lebanese armed forces, officials said on Saturday.

TEHRAN, Aug. 30 (MNA) ? Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naeem al-Qasem has said no one can foment discord between Hezbollah and Lebanon?s army.

Two men stand near a billboard bearing a picture of disappeared Lebanese Shiite leader Imam Mussa Sadr in Beirut, February 2008. Thirty years after Sadr vanished without trace in Libya, the imam lives on for his followers but the circumstances of his disappearance are as mysterious as ever.

New Lebanese army chief, Jean Kahwaji, is promoted to general in a ceremony attended by President Michel Suleiman.

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Hezbollah on Friday handed over a man suspected of firing on a Lebanese army helicopter a day earlier, killing a navigator, the militant group said.Hezbollah described Thursday's shooting as "very unfortunate and painful," but some media reports claimed the Shiite militant group had mistakenly opened fire on the helicopter.

Young Egyptian superstar Tamer Husni will meet his Lebanese fans for the first time, although it is not his first visit to Lebanon. Last week Tamer hosted a live concert at the ?Forum Due? in Beirut, drawing a large number of fans.

Shirley Davis of North Adams is back with another of her recipes. She writes, "This is the number-one traditional Lebanese Sunday dinner. A parade-day favorite, ask our mayor!"

An undated handout picture released by the Lebanese Army in Beirut shows the new army chief, General Jean Kahwaji who was on Friday appointed chief of the Lebanese army to replace Michel Sleiman.

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines nearly pulled-off an upset against Lebanon but could not complete the win bowing to the 2006 bronze medalists, 87-84, in a preliminary round game on Friday in the Fiba-Asia Under-18 Junior Championship in Tehran, Iran.

BEIRUT: The Lebanese government appointed a new military commander yesterday, a government source said, filling a post which has become a stepping stone to the presidency.

The Lebanese cabinet on Friday appointed Brigadier General Jean Qahwaji as new army commander, replacing the former army chief who became president in May, Lebanon's Naharnet news website reported. The appointment was announced by Information Minister Tareq Mitri after Friday's cabinet meeting at the presidential palace, which also made other diplomatic and military appointments, Naharnet ...

General Jean Kahwaji has been appointed chief of the Lebanese army to replace Michel Suleiman who was elected president in May, Information Minister Tareq Mitri announced.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon have the right of return to Israel, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said during a visit to Beirut.

BEIRUT : General Jean Kahwaji was on Friday appointed chief of the Lebanese army to replace Michel Sleiman, who was elected president in May, Information Minister Tareq Mitri announced.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon 's Hezbollah turned over to the authorities on Friday one of its gunmen who shot at an army helicopter and killed its pilot, security sources said.

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) _ Hezbollah handed over a man suspected of firing at a Lebanese army helicopter into military authorities, a judicial official said Friday, amid media reports that the fatal shooting was a mistake by the militant group.

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah handed over a man suspected of firing at a Lebanese army helicopter into military authorities, a judicial official said today, amid media reports...

DUBAI - UAE went down76-61 to Lebanon in their opening match of the Asian Basketball Championship for under-18 at the Azadi stadium court in Iran on Thursday.

Lebanon's Shiite Muslim Hezbollah movement has handed over to military police the culprit behind the downing of a military helicopter that killed an army officer, a judicial source said on Friday.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Hezbollah militants are armed with advanced missiles capable of striking at Israel thanks to supplies from Iran, Arab sources alleged.

BEIRUT, Lebanon - For the rest of the world, the disappearance of the imam Moussa al-Sadr is probably at most a footnote in the checkered history of Libyan leader Moammar...

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Lebanese army helicopter that was hit by gunfire in south Lebanon was targeted by Hezbollah fighters who thought the aircraft was Israeli, a Lebanese newspaper reported on Friday.

BEIRUT, Lebanon?For the rest of the world, the disappearance of the imam Moussa al-Sadr is probably at most a footnote in the checkered history of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. In 1978, the Lebanese Shiite Muslim religious leader flew to Tripoli for a week of talks with Libyan officials.

For the rest of the world, the disappearance of the imam Moussa al-Sadr is probably at most a footnote in the checkered history of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. In 1978, the Lebanese Shiite Muslim religious leader flew to Tripoli for a week of talks with Libyan officials. He was never seen or heard from again. But in Lebanon, the mystery of the missing imam remains a burning issue for ...

A Lebanese army helicopter in the southern Lebanese region of al-Tuffah on Thursday was hit by Hezbollah, local newspaper al-Safir reported on Friday. The paper said that the gunmen of Hezbollah mistook the helicopter for an Israeli aircraft dropping off soldiers in the south of the country and opened fire, killing a pilot and several crew members wounded. Hezbollah, meanwhile, described the ...

A Lebanese army helicopter that was hit by gunfire in south Lebanon was targeted by Hezbollah fighters who thought the aircraft was Israeli, a Lebanese newspaper reported on Friday.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Lebanese army helicopter that was hit by gunfire in south Lebanon was targeted by Hezbollah fighters who thought the aircraft was Israeli , the Lebanese newspaper as-Safir reported on Friday.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Lebanese army helicopter that was hit by gunfire in south Lebanon was targeted by Hezbollah fighters who thought the aircraft was Israeli, the Lebanese newspaper as-Safir reported on Friday.

Source: Reuters BEIRUT, Aug 29 (Reuters) - A Lebanese army helicopter that was hit by gunfire in south Lebanon was targeted by Hezbollah fighters who thought the aircraft was Israeli, the Lebanese newspaper as-Safir ...

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Lebanese army helicopter that was hit by gunfire in south Lebanon was targeted by Hezbollah fighters who thought the aircraft was Israeli, the Lebanese newspaper as-Safir reported on Friday.

MANILA, Philippines - Victims of killer typhoon "Frank" last June received more aid this week, this time from the Taiwan government and from Filipinos in Lebanon.

BEIRUT: Lebanon's Cabinet is due to meet on Friday evening to appoint a new commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces. News reports on Thursday said that the new army chief would be appointed from a list of eight ranking officers.

(RTTNews) - Senior Iraqi official Al-Lami was detained by U.S. forces Wednesday at Baghdad airport on his way back from Lebanon for alleged ties with a violent Shi'ite Muslim militia. He was returning with his family after medical treatment in Beirut, a member of his committee, Qaiser Watout said.

LEBANON - Town of Lebanon records have gone to the dogs. Lists of dog licenses, vaccinations and rabies shots are inaccurate, out of date and mostly missing.

A Lebanese army officer was killed on Thursday when gunmen opened fire on a military helicopter flying over a village in a Hizbullah stronghold in the south of the country. An army official said the helicopter was conducting a training mission over the village of Sejoud when it came under fire.

Gunmen fired on a Lebanese Army helicopter on Thursday as it flew over southern Lebanon on a training mission, killing an officer and forcing an emergency landing, military officials said.

beirut ? Palestinian refugees in Lebanon should not be permanently resettled in the country, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday after talks in Beirut with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman.

Palestinian refugees in Lebanon should not be permanently resettled in the country, and they should abide by their host country's rules, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday after talks in Beirut with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman. "The Palestinians have the right of return and this is an issue we are discussing.

Police are looking for two people they believe were involved in several car break-ins in the Lebanon area.

BEIRUT (AFP)--A Lebanese army officer was killed on Thursday when gunmen opened fire on a military helicopter flying over a village in a Hezbollah stronghold in the south of the country.

The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been visiting Lebanon. Greeted by President Michel Suleiman, he also met Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri during his two day trip.

LEBANON, Pa. -- The Lebanon City Council had proposed hiking the cost of all day parking from 50 cents to $5. On Tuesday night, council approved an increase but lowered it to $2.

(RTTNews) - A Lebanese army officer was killed and 4 others wounded when the military helicopter they were traveling in got hit by gunfire from some unidentified gunmen in southern Lebanon, officials said Thursday.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (left) shakes hands with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman prior to their meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon should not be permanently resettled in the country, Abbas has said after talks with Sleiman.

BEIRUT - Sectarian violence in north Lebanon could provide Syria with a new pretext to intervene in its neighbour, anti-Syrian Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said on Thursday.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is meeting with top Lebanese officials, on a two-day visit, expected to include discussions over the future of the large Palestinian refugee community in Lebanon, and the armed presence of different Palestinian factions on Lebanese soil.

Security officials say a Lebanese army officer was killed when gunfire struck a military helicopter

Thu, Aug 28, 2008 (4:21 a.m.) Attackers opened fire on a military helicopter Thursday, killing a Lebanese army officer and forcing the craft to make an emergency landing, a senior security official said.

Beirut - Visiting US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Asia and the Near East, David Hale, said Thursday his country will keep on supporting Lebanon's independence and sovereignty. The United States will continue supporting Lebanon as a sovere...

Palestinian refugees in Lebanon should not be permanently resettled in the country, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said on Thursday after talks in Beirut with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman.

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Security officials say a Lebanese army officer was killed when gunfire struck a military helicopter in the country's south. Details about the shooting were sketchy.

A Lebanese army helicopter made a forced landing after being hit by gunfire in south Lebanon on Thursday, the military said, adding that the pilot had been killed.

Attackers opened fire on a military helicopter Thursday, killing a Lebanese army officer and forcing the craft to make an emergency landing, a senior security official said.

Beirut - A Lebanese army helicopter crashed in southern Lebanon on Thursday after apparently being struck by gunfire, killing one officer and wounding others, initial reports by army sources said. Officer Samer Farah was killed and others were wounde...

Gunmen have opened fire on a Lebanese army helicopter flying over a southern village killing an officer, a security official says.

A Lebanese army helicopter made a forced landing after being hit by gunfire in south Lebanon, a Lebanese security source said, adding that the pilot had been killed.

Associated Press - August 28, 2008 5:43 AM ET BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Security officials say a Lebanese army officer was killed when gunfire struck a military helicopter in the country's...

Gunmen opened fire on a Lebanese army helicopter flying over a southern village on Thursday killing an officer, a security official said.

Security officials say gunfire struck a Lebanese army helicopter, forcing it to make an emergency landing in the southern part of the country.

BEIRUT: A joint plan between the Lebanese and Omani governments to build a world-class House of Arts and Culture in downtown Beirut is taking shape - and seeking an architect.

Jordan has expressed its readiness to provide electricity to Lebanon, local daily The Jordan Times reported on Thursday. Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khaldoun Qteishat made the promise at a meeting Wednesday with electricity and energy ministers of Egypt, Syria and Lebanon, according to the report. Lebanon earlier asked Egypt, Syria and Jordan to provide 200 megawatts ...

Jordan offers to supply Lebanon with electric power

If you're going to run an offense that passes the ball 90 percent of the time, you'd better have a quarterback that can sling the pigskin.That's why Lebanon coach Gerry Yonchiuk is glad James Capello is back to be the triggerman fo...

UNITED NATIONS ? Lebanon's border with Syria is highly "penetrable," a U.N. team of border control professionals is concluding, bolstering Israeli claims that Hezbollah is rearming. Members of the U.N. Security Council yesterday received copies of the team's report, even as they deliberated an extension for the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, deployed in the aftermath of the 2006 war between ...

A Lebanese prosecutor has charged Libya's Moammar Gadhafi and six other Libyan officials in the disappearance of a top Lebanese Shiite cleric 30 years ago, judicial officials in Beirut said Wednesday. Prosecutor Samih al-Haj charged the Libyan leader with "incitement to kidnap and withhold the freedom" of the imam and his companions, the officials said. Under Lebanese law, the charges ...

A Lebanese prosecutor has charged Libya's Moammar Gadhafi and six other Libyan officials in the disappearance of a top Lebanese Shiite cleric 30 years ago, judicial officials in Beirut said Wednesday. Prosecutor Samih al-Haj charged the Libyan leader with "incitement to kidnap and withhold the freedom" of the imam and his companions, the officials said. Under Lebanese law, the charges ...

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Wednesday to keep a peacekeeping force in Lebanon for another year, calling for stepped-up efforts to achieve a permanent cease-fire and long-term resolution of the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

A joint plan between the Lebanese and Omani governments to build a world-class House of Arts and Culture in downtown Beirut is taking shape - and seeking an architect. Culture Minister Tamam Salam discussed the design competition for the $20-million project at the headquarters of the Engineers and Architects Syndicate in Jnah.

Wed, Aug 27, 2008 (10:51 a.m.) A Lebanese prosecutor has charged Libya's Moammar Gadhafi and six other Libyan officials in the disappearance of a top Lebanese Shiite cleric 30 years ago, judicial officials in Beirut said Wednesday.

Lebanon - Iran - Meeting Iran's charge d'affaires in Lebanon conferred with head of Al-Marade political party on Wednesday. Mojtaba Ferdowsi-pour in a meeting with Solayman Franjiya, who is also one of the leaders of "March 8 Group" discussed Lebanon situation and developments in the region.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- A Lebanese magistrate signed an arrest warrant for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi for his alleged role in a kidnapping 30 years ago, officials said.

BEIRUT (AFP)--A former Lebanese security chief detained over the murder of ex- premier Rafiq Hariri is suing a former U.N. investigator in the case, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit met in Beirut Wednesday with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Fouad Seniora, expressing his worries about the situation in Lebanon and particularly in Tripoli, local NBN TV reported. The Northern Lebanese city of Tripoli was the scene of fierce sectarian clashes in the past weeks. "We discussed recent ...

Lebanon has issued an arrest warrant for Libyan leader Moammer Kadhafi, seen here, over the disappearance 30 years ago of a senior Shiite Muslim cleric after a visit to Libya, officials have said.

Jordan said on Wednesday it has offered to sell power-starved Lebanon between 50 and 70 megawatts of electricity a day until the end of 2009 to help the country meet a drastic shortfall.

AMMAN (AFP)--Jordan said Wednesday it has offered to sell power-starved Lebanon between 50 and 70 megawatts of electricity a day until the end of 2009 to help the country meet a drastic shortfall.

Beirut - Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit has offered his country's assistance in rebuilding Lebanon's army, in a bid to improve security amid ongoing sectarian tensions. North Lebanon has witnessed in the past two months repeated clashes b...

Egypt has urged Israel to stop making threats against Lebanon, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said on a visit to Beirut on Wednesday.

Lebanon: Several departments at the American University of Beirut joined forces to conduct a summer camp for students so they could gain hands-on civil engineering experience while doing community service. [AMEInfo.com]

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Egyptian officials are trying to ease tension between Lebanon and Israel that has risen over an exchange of threats.

Egyptian FM says his country rejects any threat to Lebanon?s unity, sovereignty, especially from Israel.

Beirut - Lebanon has indicted Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi and is seeking his arrest for his alleged role in the disappearance of a Lebanese Shia Muslim leader in 1978, according to Lebanese local radio Wednesday.

Lebanon's parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has postponed the parliamentary vote on a new draft election law until Sep. 25, after majority legislators refused to adopt the new law without further reforms, local Daily Star reported Wednesday. Berri decided to refer the law to a parliamentary committee in charge of discussing the reforms, said the report, adding the parliamentary session on Sep. 25 ...

Source: Reuters By Alistair Lyon, Special Correspondent BEIRUT, Aug 27 (Reuters) - The acrimony between Russia and the West stirred by the Georgia conflict complicates any effort to tighten U.N. sanctions on Iran ...

Wed, Aug 27, 2008 (1:39 a.m.) Egyptian officials are trying to ease tension between Lebanon and Israel that has risen over an exchange of threats. Israel's prime minister warned last week that his country would hit back harder than in the 2006 war if Hezbollah guerillas attacked again.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon has indicted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and is seeking his arrest for an alleged role in the disappearance of a prominent Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim leader 30 years ago, according to judicial documents.

BEIRUT: Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri postponed Tuesday the vote on new draft electoral law for next year's parliamentary polls to September 25 after the parliamentary majority refused to adopt the new law without further reforms.

BEIRUT: Foreign maids are dying each week in Lebanon often by committing suicide to escape bad treatment by their employers, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said yesterday.

BEIRUT: Prices of consumer goods continued to climb in Lebanon as the debate over the minimum wages intensified. According to a study by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prices of goods in general rose by 7.2 percent in the first seven months of 2008.

A FORMER Australian soldier who was tortured and served time in a Lebanese jail for helping kidnap two girls to reunite them with their mother, says he does not regret what he has done despite the trauma.

Beirut ? Lebanese President Michel Suleiman is to make a two- day official visit to Qatar on September 1 ahead of his tour to various Arab capitals after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, official sources said.

BEIRUT - Foreign maids are dying each week in Lebanon often by committing suicide to escape bad treatment by their employers, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.

Relatives of detained Islamist suspects in Lebanon staged a protest in Beirut on Tuesday to demand the release of their kin. Some 200 protesters shouted Islamic slogans and waved black flags and banners, steps away from the Parliament which was in session. One banner lamented that with Parliament elections due next year.

Human rights activists are calling for a closer investigation into the deaths of immigrant domestic workers in Lebanon.Human Rights Watch said Tuesday that the Lebanese government needed to scrutinize the workplace conditions that contribute to a death rate of about one person per week from suicide or falls from buildings.All those involved ? need to ask themselves what is driving these women to ...

Ethiopian house maids gather outside a church in Beirut in 2007. Foreign maids are dying each week in Lebanon often by committing suicide to escape bad treatment by their employers, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri postponed Tuesday the vote on new draft electoral law for next year's parliamentary polls to September 25 after the parliamentary majority refused to adopt the new law without further reforms. As different MPs stated their arguments regarding the electoral law.

BEIRUT ? An international human rights watchdog says immigrant maids in Lebanon are dying of ??unnatural causes?? at an alarming rate and is calling for an investigation.

Speeding and inadequate infrastructure are contributing to deadly collisions on national highways, particularly on routes linking Beirut with Tripoli and Damascus. In the three months from April to June this year, 128 collisions occurred on the Beirut-Tripoli highway. These accidents claimed the lives of 13 people and left 194 people injured.

Prices of consumer goods continued to climb in Lebanon as the debate over the minimum wages intensified. According to a study by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prices of goods in general rose by 7.2 percent in the first seven months of 2008. The central bank estimates that inflation in Lebanon could reach as high as 15 percent at the end of 2008.

BEIRUT, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Below is a table of the latest Lebanese economic statistics.

NICOSIA ? Lebanon has been divided over its next military chief. Lebanese sources said the government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora wants to appoint a pro-Western officer to head the army.

Beirut- Lebanese President Michel Suleiman is to make a two- day official visit to Qatar on September 1 ahead of his tour to various Arab capitals after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, official sources said. The president is also to visit the Unit...

Beirut - Relatives of alleged Islamic extremists staged a protest Tuesday in downtown Beirut to demand the release of their family members from Lebanese jails. About 200 protesters gathered in a square near the Lebanese parliament which was in sessio...

At least one immigrant maid is dying each week in Lebanon in a suicide or escape attempt, Human Rights Watch says.

With its bristling 16-inch guns, the Battleship New Jersey has faced down many enemies over the last 65 years - from World War II through combat actions in Korea, Vietnam, and Beirut, Lebanon.

Iran - Lebanon - Basketball Lebanese Youth Basketball Team arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to participate in the Asian Basketball Championship (under-18) Championship.

Lebanon: By the end of June 2008, gross public debt reached LBP67,060bn ($44.5bn), a 5.83% increase over the end-December 2007 level, with net public debt at LBP60,909bn ($40.4bn), registering an increase of LBP2,072 bn over the end-December 2007 level. [AMEInfo.com]

NICOSIA [MENL] -- Lebanon has been divided over its next military chief. Lebanese sources said the government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora wants to appoint a pro-Western officer to head the army.

Lebanese artist Najwa Sultan participated in the ?Harajel Tourism Festival? where she held a musical night and over 1500 fans coming from various places in Lebanon to listen to her and sing with her.

Relatives of imprisoned Sunni Islamic militants in Lebanon have staged a protest in the capital Beirut demanding the release of their kin.

Lebanon: An international workshop on "Power, Governmentality, Resistance and State of Exception in the Arab World" will be held at the American University of Beirut on August 29-30 in West Hall. [AMEInfo.com]

BEIRUT: Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Jumblatt spoke on Monday of Israel's inability to learn from its military defeat in Lebanon during the summer 2006 war, saying the Jewish state posed a serious threat to UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701.

Kouchner says France can help Syria, Lebanon solve thorny issues at their request.

BEIRUT: Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said on Monday that all Lebanese parties were committed to implementing what was agreed on in Doha last May regarding the drafting of a new electoral law for next year's parliamentary elections.

BEIRUT: France expressed concern yesterday about instability in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli and said foreign influence was fuelling tensions there.

DAMASCUS: France?s Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner yesterday offered French help to Syria and Lebanon on thorny issues linked to their resolve to normalise ties for the first time since independence 60 years ago.

Source: Human Rights Watch (Beirut, August 26, 2008) ? The high death toll of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon, from unnatural causes, shows the urgent need to improve their working conditions, Human Rights Watch said today ...

LEBANON--Residents would be able to park for 10 hours for $2 at long-term meters, rather than only for eight hours, in the latest revision to proposed new parking meter fees approved on first reading by Lebanon City Council Monday night.

Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said on Monday that all Lebanese parties were committed to implementing what was agreed on in Doha last May regarding the drafting of a new electoral law for next year's parliamentary elections. "All parties are committed to implementing the Doha Agreement in this regard.

Iran - Lebanon - Culture Lebanese Culture Minister here Monday stressed need for broadening and strengthening cultural cooperation between his country and Iran.

France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Monday offered help to Syria and Lebanon on thorny issues linked to their resolve to normalize ties for the first time since the French mandate ended 60 years ago. Kouchner, whose government currently holds the European Union's rotating presidency.

Lebanon High School From Rancho Rd. - 6:58 a.m., 30383 Rancho Rd.; - 6:59 a.m., 30430 Ty Valley Rd.; - 7:01 a.m., Ty Valley Rd. at Fawn Dr.; - 7:03 a.m., 37100 Rock Hill Dr.; - 7:05 a.m., 31095 S. Fifth St.; - 7:07 a.m., 30758 SW Larson Rd.; - 7:07 a.m., 30770 SW Larson Rd.; - 7:39 a.m., Old Crowfoot School; - 7:41 a.m., 610 Crowfoot Rd.; - 7:43 a.m., Crowfoot Rd. at Baker Dr. - 7:45 a.m., ...

DAMASCUS, Aug 25, 2008 (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Monday visited Lebanon and Syria, offering his country's aid as the neighbours grapple with issues linked to their decision to set up ties for the first time since independence from France six decades ago.

France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Monday offered help to Syria and Lebanon on thorny issues linked to their resolve to normalise ties for the first time since the French mandate ended 60 years ago.

Beirut/Damascus - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Monday highlighted France's role in establishing diplomatic relations between Lebanon and Syria and played down the growing animosity between Israel and Lebanon's militant Hezbollah moveme...

DAMASCUS (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Monday visited Lebanon and Syria, offering his country's aid as the neighbours move to set up ties for the first time since independence six decades ago.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Monday visited Lebanon and Syria, offering his country's aid as the neighbours grapple with issues linked to their decision to set up ties for the first time since independence from France six decades ago.

BEIRUT - France expressed concern on Monday about instability in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli and said foreign influence was fuelling tensions there.

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- After three years of back-to-back crises, assassinations and war, this divided country has a window of stability, and Lebanese are jumping at the chance to party again. ...

The famous Lebanese television host and now singer/ actress Razan Al Maghribi was shocked after she was fired from taking a role in the new television drama series ?Hawaket Boat? , which was a decision made by the director Ahmad Al Badri.

LEBANON, Ky. (AP) - A little boy was killed when he wandered behind his uncle's car as the man was backing out of a driveway near Lebanon. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported the accident on Saturday killed 3-year-old Landon James Gootee.

Visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Monday told reporters at Beirut airport that France is Lebanon's friend, and his visit to Lebanon is in support of Lebanon's stability, local Elnashra website reported. Kouchner, who arrived Sunday evening in Lebanon, on Monday met with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and Parliament speaker Nabih Berri. ...

Gulfbankers Executive Search, one of the largest search firms for the banking industry in the Middle East, announced today the commencement of its Lebanon operations during a special ceremony held in Beirut.

DAMASACUS -- Lebanon and Syria have for the first time in history agreed to establish diplomatic relations and to begin demarking their border.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner played down on Monday the significance of a mounting war of words between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah but acknowledged the region was tense.

The meetings between Jordanian intelligence officers and Beirut-based Hamas officials may be as important for what they signal about Iran, Syria, Israel and Palestine as for what they tell us about Hamas and Jordan, argues Rami G. Khouri .

BEIRUT (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner played down on Monday the significance of a mounting war of words between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah but acknowledged the region was tense.

BEIRUT: After three years of back-to-back crises, assassinations and war, this divided country has a window of stability, and Lebanese are jumping at the chance to party again.

BEIRUT: Lebanon's trade deficit in the first six months of 2008 widened by 34 percent to $5.568 billion due to the weakening US dollar and high prices of oil.

BEIRUT: Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed yesterday to destroy Israel if it carries out threats to hit Lebanon should the government give greater legitimacy to the Shia militant group.

Outlook, schedule and roster for the 2008 Lebanon Pioneers

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Israel will be targeted by thousands of rockets if it attacks Iran, a senior official in the Tehran-backed group Hezbollah said on Sunday.

The second Summer Camp for Palestinian and Lebanese Youth kicked off Friday in the Salihiya's Care House, a Catholic religious school. The camp, organized by the Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development and by the Palestinian Refugee Youth Society, is hosting 70 young Palestinian and Lebanese men and women.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, who arrived in Beirut Sunday, said that the future of relations between France and Syria was dependent on the nature of relations between Beirut and Damascus. "I will tell Syrian officials during my prospective visit to Syria that the future of French-Syrian relations.

Activity on the Beirut Stock Exchange was driven by the adverse information relating to the EFG Hermes and Bank Audi merger news. This in line triggered a wave of heavy selling on the part of investors that rushed to limit their financial portfolio losses by profit taking on their Solidere stocks.

Lebanon's record on the environment ranked 90th out of 149 countries and ninth in the Middle East and North Africa region in the recently published 2008 Environmental Performance Index (EPI). The EPI, whose results "offer a useful snapshot of environmental performance," was issued by the US universities Columbia and Yale.

BEIRUT (AFP) - Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed on Sunday to destroy Israel if it carries out threats to hit Lebanon should the government give greater legitimacy to the Shiite militant group.

BEIRUT, Lebanon - The leader of Lebanon's powerful Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia warned Israel Sunday against attacking the group, saying the response from his fighters would be more fierce than in the monthlong war between the two enemies in 2006.

BEIRUT, Lebanon - After three years of back-to-back crises, assassinations and war, this divided country has a window of stability and Lebanese are jumping at the chance to party again.

TEHRAN, Aug. 24 (MAN) ? Lebanon?s top Shia cleric Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlalah has warned that there is no ?guarantee? that Lebanon will not come under another attack by Israel, Lebanon?s National News Agency said in report posted on its website on Sunday.

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) _ Syria's diplomatic recognition of Lebanon marks a symbolic turning point in the two neighbors' often turbulent history, and may have bigger significance for the Middle East and the chances of an overall peace deal with Israel.

Sun, Aug 24, 2008 (6:18 a.m.) Syria's diplomatic recognition of Lebanon marks a symbolic turning point in the two neighbors' often turbulent history, and may have bigger significance for the Middle East and the chances of an overall peace deal with Israel.

BEIRUT, Lebanon - After three years of back-to-back crises, assassinations and war, this divided country has a window of stability and Lebanese are jumping at the chance to party again.

1920: France, the colonial power in Syria and Lebanon, declares a Lebanese state with its current borders, adding to it regions that were part of the Ottoman province of Syria.

On the 9th of August both Lebanese artists Wael Kfoury and Nancy Ajram hosted a live concert at the Intercontinental Resort in Dubai, which lasted till morning hours.

BEIRUT (AFP) - Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas will begin a two-day visit to Lebanon on Thursday, a government official said on Sunday.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas will begin a two-day visit to Lebanon on Thursday, a government official said on Sunday.

BEIRUT, Lebanon ? After three years of back-to-back crises, assassinations and war, this divided country has a window of stability, and Lebanese are jumping at the chance to party again.

"Iraq Star" winner Bassam Abdul Mehdi took time in Beirut, Lebanon, as he released his first single to thank those who supported him on the TV competition.

LAST YEAR: 2-8, 2-5 in Lancaster-Lebanon Section II. RETURNING STARTERS: 8 on offense, 7 on defense. NOTEWORTHY: A majority of the Cedars' defensive woes last season began up front as teams averaged more than 254 yards per game on the ground.

Iraq Star winner Bassam Abdul Mehdi took time in Beirut, Lebanon, as he released his first single to thank those who supported him on the TV competition.The singer, who won the third season of the popular Iraqi TV series, was at a Virgin Megastore in the Lebanese capital to release the single Thahab Kalamak Thahab, Alsumaria said Saturday.The video for the new music single is directed by Walid ...

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- "Iraq Star" winner Bassam Abdul Mehdi took time in Beirut, Lebanon, as he released his first single to thank those who supported him on the TV competition.

Eight Israeli soldiers entered south Lebanon area of Mais el-jabal, and pulled out after 15 minutes, Lebanon's local daily As-Safier reported Saturday. The Israeli force has made a brief penetration into south Lebanon in violation of UN resolutions, the report said. According to the security forces, the Israeli force on Friday penetrated 100 meters into Mais el-Jabal in Marjayoun province before ...

Lebanon: AcademiX Middle East, the three-year-old English magazine published in Lebanon and distributed throughout the Arab countries, won the Content Generation Category at the Asian Publishing Awards, during the Asian Publishing Convention (APC) held in Singapore on the 15th of August. [AMEInfo.com]

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Lebanon plans to lodge a complaint with the United Nations about Israeli threats to pursue Hezbollah across the border if Lebanon becomes a "Hezbollah state."

TYRE, Lebanon: Many of the 44 teams clearing cluster munitions scattered by Israel in south Lebanon during its 2006 war with Hezbollah will have to stop work this month for lack of funds, a UN spokeswoman said yesterday.

Nicholas E. Salvo, 34, of Mt. Lebanon sent sexually explicit messages and videos to an undercover agent whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl, the state prosecutor's office announced.

A lack of money is jeopardizing the effort to clear cluster bombs dropped by Israel in south Lebanon during its 2006 war with Hezbollah, according to the United Nations.

Metro Police are looking for two "scruffy-looking" men who robbed a First Tennessee Bank on Lebanon Pike earlier today.

Summer nights in Gemmayzeh are experiencing a cultural boost thanks to the Touristic Festival of Beirut, a visual and performing arts exhibition from August 20-24. From 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., pedestrians on Gemmayzeh's main street may enjoy free of charge a variety of music and dance performances on an outdoor stage.

A Mt. Lebanon chemistry teacher has been arrested, accused of using Internet chat rooms to sexually solicit someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. INSIDE: Karen Welles' Report

Metro Police are looking for two "scruffy-looking" men who robbed a First Tennessee Bank on Lebanon Pike earlier today.

Lebanon's Cabinet has approved the establishment of diplomatic ties with Syria and the opening of a Lebanese embassy in Damascus.

International bicycle racing stars will pedal through Lebanon on Sept. 11 in the second Tour of Missouri, and community leaders are preparing to give the Tour a grand welcome.

A Mount Lebanon High School teacher was arrested Thursday, becoming the latest suspect in the state Attorney General's continuing online sting.

The state attorney general announced today that a Mt. Lebanon High School chemistry teacher has been caught in a child predator sting

BEIRUT: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) expected the tourism sector to account for 14.5 percent of Syria's GDP in 2008 and to rise to 16.8 percent of GDP in 2018. It forecast the broad tourism and travel economy to generate demand of $4.9 billion in 2008, growing to $9.6 billion in 2018, as reported by the Country Risk Weekly Bulletin, the economic publication of the Byblos Bank Group.

Beirut - Lack of funds is threatening the work of teams working with the UN Mine Action Coordination Centre (UNMACC) in southern Lebanon to clear Israeli cluster bombs which were dropped over the area in the July 2006 war. UNMACC spokeswoman Dayla Fa...

Many of the 44 teams clearing cluster munitions scattered by Israel in south Lebanon during its 2006 war with Hezbollah will have to stop work this month for lack of funds, a U.N. spokeswoman said on Friday.

Earlier this month, a crew from the London based Internet site Elaph went to famous Lebanese superstar Ragheb Alameh?s summer home in the mountains surrounding Beirut for an interview.

Source: Reuters TYRE, Lebanon, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Many of the 44 teams clearing cluster munitions scattered by Israel in south Lebanon during its 2006 war with Hezbollah will have to stop work this month for lack of ...

Lebanese cabinet issued an executive decree during its weekly meeting late Thursday, to establish officially diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria, local As-Safier daily reported Friday. The cabinet convened at the presidential palace, and was headed by President Michel Suleiman. Contrary to what was expected, the cabinet did not name a new army commander, but instead focused on the ...

BEIRUT: The World Bank indicated that inward remittance inflow into Lebanon reached $5.5 billion in 2007, up by 6.2 percent from $5.183 billion in 2006 and by 11.7 percent from $4.924 million in 2005, according to the 2008 edition of the "Migration and Remittances FactBook."

It took me three tries to successfully get into the parking lot of Rose?s Place without violating major traffic laws.

Lebanese citizens on Thursday reported receiving recorded phone messages asking for information about missing Israeli soldiers. The message asks people to view an Israeli Web site or call a phone number in the United Kingdom if they have any information on the whereabouts of the missing troops.

The World Bank indicated that inward remittance inflow into Lebanon reached $5.5 billion in 2007, up by 6.2 percent from $5.183 billion in 2006 and by 11.7 percent from $4.924 million in 2005, according to the 2008 edition of the "Migration and Remittances FactBook." Bank Audi's Weekly Monitor, which published the report.

LEBANON'S new cabinet passed a resolution today to establish diplomatic relations with Syria, Information Minister Tareq Mitri said.

BEIRUT (AFP) - Lebanon's new cabinet passed a resolution on Thursday to establish diplomatic relations with Syria, Information Minister Tareq Mitri announced after the meeting.

Beirut - Lebanon's Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh said on Thursday that Israel's threats aim at hurting Lebanon's image. Who said that the cabinet has given the okay to Hezbollah to carry out any action against Israel? Salloukh asked. ...

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanese have been receiving recorded phone messages asking for information about missing Israeli soldiers.

Shocked parents make their daughter apologise after party gatecrashers "terrify" neighbours.

After her last song ?Sibak Min Hobi? (Don?t Love Me) achieved a great success on Arab radio stations, Jordanian music artist Gharam has started preparing to launch a new solo single that is written and composed by her.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on Wednesday became the second Arab leader to visit Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein, arriving for talks nine days after a flying visit by Jordan's King Abdullah.

Lebanon opens the 2008 football season at Colerain High School tomorrow night ? but the Warriors won't face the powerhouse Cardinals. Due to ongoing construction of its stadium, Western Hills was forced to move the season opener so the Warriors and Mustangs will meet on neutral ground.

You no doubt have decided you've had about enough of the tourist-fueled, post-beach binge drinking - whether to re-hydrate or inebriate. You may have quietly resigned yourself to the likelihood that the Lebanese Olympic team may not bring home any more gold medals. What better time to hunker down with some Lebanese film.

The fate of the 100-year-old home at 23 W. Main St. in Lebanon has created passionate arguments. Some residents want the house preserved, and others want it demolished for a public park.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Iraqi Christians are finding themselves in legal limbo in Lebanon as sectarian violence in northern Iraq forces many religious minorities to flee their country.

The construction of a new high school in Lebanon is on hold because of a minor change in state rules for the bidding process.

BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraqi leaders are continuing their efforts to rebuild the country now that the security situation has improved. Iraq and Lebanon plan to sign a series of trade agreements in coming weeks, including one to export Iraqi oil to Lebanon.

Lebanon's Prime Minister, Fuad Siniora, is expected to arrive in Baghdad Wednesday. Relations are improving between Iraq's Shiite-dominated government and the Arab world's Sunni leaders.

Lebanese political leaders have been carrying intensive contacts to reach consensus regarding the appointment of a new army commander in the country, and the upcoming national dialogue sessions, local Daily Star website reported Wednesday. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri met Tuesday night with Druze majority leader MP Walid Jumblatt, after he had earlier met with Defense Minister Elias Murr to ...

Iraq and Lebanon agreed to sign agreements soon in different fields during the visit of Lebanese Prime Minister to Baghdad on Wednesday. In a televised news conference, the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said that he discussed with Fouad al-Sanyoura, the visiting Lebanese counterpart, several issues, including trade exchange and cooperation in the field of the oil industry and exporting. ...

BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraqi leaders are continuing their efforts to rebuild the country now that the security situation has improved. Iraq and Lebanon plan to sign a series of trade agreements in coming weeks, including one to export Iraqi oil to Lebanon.

Lebanon's prime minister paid a visit to Iraq on Wednesday -- the first such visit by a Lebanese leader in the post-Saddam Hussein era -- and he and his Iraqi counterpart discussed issues including oil exports and investment.

BAGHDAD - Visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday agreed, among other things, on the export of Iraqi crude oil to Lebanon during talks in Baghdad.

Iraq and Lebanon agreed to sign agreements soon in different fields during the visit of Lebanese Prime Minister to Baghdad on Wednesday.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Siniora arrives in Baghdad, in the first visit by a Lebanese leader since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad al-Sanyoura arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday and was received by his counterpart Nuri al-Maliki, Iraqi official television reported. The Iraqia channel aired footage showing Maliki receiving Sanyoura. The two sides are expected to discuss bilateral diplomatic and trade relations. Sanyoura's visit to Iraq is the first for a Lebanese prime minister, and second for top ...

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on Wednesday became the second Arab leader to visit Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein, arriving for talks nine days after a flying visit by Jordan's King Abdullah.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora became the second Arab leader to visit Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein, arriving for talks nine days after a flying visit by Jordan's King Abdullah.

Baghdad - Visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday agreed, among other things, on the export of Iraqi crude oil to Lebanon during talks in Baghdad. Seniora arrived in the Iraqi capital amid ...

Israel has warned the Lebanese government against giving greater legitimacy to the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, saying it would make the entire country a target in any future war.

BAGHDAD - Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Siniora was in Baghdad on Wedneday for trade and policy talks, the first Lebanese leader to visit since the fall of Saddam Hussein more than five years ago.

Iran - Lebanon - Visit Former Lebanese prime minister Omar Karami is to visit the Islamic Republic of Iran in the near future, it was announced here on Wednesday.

At a castle on the mountain in Lebanon Iraqi singer Kather Al Saher sang for Baghdad and Beirut during the ?Beit Al Deen? festival. Fans started cheering him on because they were very happy to have musical concerts in Lebanon after two year of absence due to the crises that Lebanon went through.

BAGHDAD, Aug 20, 2008 (AFP) - Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Siniora was in Baghdad on Wedneday for trade and policy talks, the first Lebanese leader to visit since the fall of Saddam Hussein more than five years ago.

In any new war with the Shiite militant group Hezbollah all of Lebanon will be a target for Israel, including its civilian infrastructure, an Israeli minister said on Wednesday.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on Wednesday became the second Arab leader to visit Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein, arriving for talks nine days after a flying visit by Jordan's King Abdullah.

20 August 2008 BAGHDAD - The director of al-Belad Islamic bank on Wednesday announced the initial agreement of the Iraqi Central Bank and the Central Bank of Lebanon to open a branch of the bank in Beirut.

BEIRUT: Minister of Public Works and Transport Ghazi Aridi said on Tuesday that Rafik Hariri International Airport should remain above the political bickering in the country.

BEIRUT: The benchmark survey of the Middle East hotel sector by Ernst & Young indicated that occupancy rate at hotels in Beirut was 40 percent in the first half of 2008, up 4 percent from 36 percent in the same period last year.

Minister of Public Works and Transport Ghazi Aridi said on Tuesday that Rafik Hariri International Airport should remain above the political bickering in the country.Aridi, who made a tour of the airport along with senior executives of the Civil Aviation, also said that the Middle East Airlines (MEA).

The benchmark survey of the Middle East hotel sector by Ernst & Young indicated that occupancy rate at hotels in Beirut was 40 percent in the first half of 2008, up 4 percent from 36 percent in the same period last year. The occupancy rate in Beirut was the lowest among 22 markets in the region.

According to calculations derived from balance of payments and trade deficit results, net capital inflows into Lebanon amounted to $5.649.8 billion in the first half of 2008, up by 43.0 percent as compared to the same period of 2007. This hefty influx of capital into the country managed to fully cover.

The Australian Embassy estimates that by the end of the summer season, at least 30,000 Australians will have visited Lebanon. This is a higher figure than in previous years due to the improved security situation and suggests that Lebanese-Australians are returning to their home country for summer vacations in increasing numbers.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Egypt will supply energy to Lebanon.

BEIRUT, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Below is a table of the latest Lebanese economic statistics.

Beirut - Prime Minister Fouad Seniora is to travel to Baghdad this week for trade talks, becoming the first Lebanese leader to visit Iraq since the fall of former dictator Saddam Hussein, Lebanese officials said on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Fawzi Sal...

BEIRUT, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Below is a table of the latest Lebanese economic statistics.

Lebanon: A new website has been launched by Faire Face - the cancer patient support group - at Hotel Sofitel Le Gabriel in Beirut. [AMEInfo.com]

BEIRUT - Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu will meet with U.S.'s special envoy to OIC Sada Cumber in Istanbul.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said on Monday he would visit Iraq this week to discuss energy and trade, in another sign of improving ties between the Arab world and the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad.

A COUPLE of weeks ago I went to a village in Lebanon's wine-growing region, where Sunni fundamentalists, waving live bombs around, lectured me on why al-Qaeda's tactic

Lebanon's balance of payments posted a cumulative surplus of $83 million in the first half of 2008 compared to a deficit of $207 million in the same period last year, said Banque du Liban figures published in the latest edition of Byblos Bank's Lebanon This Week.

Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh said on Monday Damascus has presented to Beirut a list of 100 Lebanese citizens jailed in Syria as criminals. Salloukh said talks would determine if the detainees could "serve the remaining periods of their sentences in Lebanon." "The Syrians also gave us lists of Syrian citizens missing in Lebanon," Salloukh added.

Lebanon City Schools' search for their fourth treasurer in four years has turned up nine applicants, whose resumes will be reviewed by the school board tonight, Aug. 18.

After years of political instability in Lebanon, the recent election of President Michel Suleiman has brought a renewed sense of hope to the religiously diverse country.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Siniora (seen here earlier this month) will travel to Baghdad this week for trade talks, the first Lebanese official to visit Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein, officials said.

BEIRUT, Lebanon - A New-York-based human rights group has called on the Syrian government to "immediately" release three women detained by state authorities.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said on Monday he would visit Iraq this week to discuss energy and trade, in another sign of improving ties between the Arab world and the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad.

A Beirut court has ruled in favor of the Lebanese superstar Najwa Karam, who filed a case against the journalist Nidal Al Ahmadyeh for slandering her. The court could have scentenced Nidal to prison, but only fined the famous journalist 10 million Lebanese Liras, or about US$8,000.

Siniora?s visit to Iraq will be second by Arab head of state since 2003 US-led invasion.

Prime Minister Fuad Siniora is to travel to Baghdad this week for trade talks, becoming the first Lebanese leader to visit Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein, officials said on Monday.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said on Monday he would visit Iraq this week to discuss energy and trade, in another sign of improving ties between the Arab world and the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad.

Daredevil armed robbers in Kano were on rampage at the weekend as they visited the residents of two expatriates, killing two persons and leaving one other with injuries.

Lebanon's Hizbullah on Monday signed a new memorandum of understanding with another Lebanese group, in a bid to "preserve national unity and prevent sedition" in the country.

Lebanon's Hizbullah on Monday signed a new memorandum of understanding with another Lebanese group, in a bid to "preserve national unity and prevent sedition" in the country.

The 2008 Concord Charity Beirut Tourney is scheduled for Aug. 23 in Concord, N.H., near the University of New Hampshire. The Beirut tournament, known as beer pong in layman's terms, is being held to raise money for cancer research and is being supported by CollegeBeerGames.com.

Riyadh 18 Aug 2008: Sama Airlines Sama Airlines , the newest low-fares airline in Saudi Arabia, announced that launch of two new international routes between Riyadh-Asiut and Dammam-Beirut, starting from 1st of September 2008.

Sama Airlines, the newest low-fares airline in Saudi Arabia, announced that launch of two new international routes between Riyadh-Asiut and Dammam-Beirut, starting from 1st of September 2008.

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said that decrees in Beirut and Damascus would be issued on Thursday to formally establish diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria, local Daily Star reported Monday. Meanwhile, Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh said Sunday that establishing diplomatic relations between Beirut and Damascus requires a decision by the Syrian Parliament. "Such a decision ...

BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora announced on Saturday that Egypt will supply Lebanon with electricity and gas to meet the growing consumption in a country that has been experiencing severe power rationing for the past 15 years.

Lebanon and Syria agreed on Thursday on a range of measures to reduce tensions, following the establishment of full diplomatic relations on Wednesday for the first time since both countries became independent in the 1940s.

BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman told his visitors at the presidential palace Sunday that the recent Lebanese-Syrian summit, which was held in Damascus last week, was the first step toward establishing brotherly and friendly ties between the two countries.

LEBANON, Ohio -- A driver?s actions left some people in the dark on Sunday. Lebanon police said a car crashed into an electric transformer at the intersection of South East Street and Justice Drive.

LEBANON and Syria made history this week when President Michel Suleiman went calling on his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad. Beirut and Damascus are only 52 miles away from each other.

Hizbullah will sign on Monday a memorandum of understanding with 15 Sunni Salafist groups in a step aimed at easing Sunni-Shiite tensions and banning the use of violence to settle political disputes between Shiite and Sunni political parties. Hizbullah's information department said.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) estimated that the travel and tourism industry would contribute directly $1.36 billion to the Lebanese economy, equivalent to 5.7 percent of GDP in 2008, according to a report in Lebanon This Week, an economic publication of the Byblos Bank Group.

About 500 Beirutis used the sunny Assumption Day holiday on Friday to escape the noise and stress of the city and soak up some rays at the public beach in Ramlet al-Baida. Equipped with beach umbrellas, chairs and the omnipresent nargileh, most seemed to be enjoying the day off work.

President Michel Sleiman told his visitors at the presidential palace Sunday that the recent Lebanese-Syrian summit, which was held in Damascus last week, was the first step toward establishing brotherly and friendly ties between the two countries. News reports on Sunday also quoted Sleiman as saying that decrees in Beirut.

The public entered the festival grounds along a tree-lined path, its low hanging branches beautifully illuminated against the darkness. To the left, the black silhouette of the Nahr al-Kalb valley stretches beneath you toward the sea. The lights of villages crown the surrounding hilltops and, in the distance, the sprawl of Beirut can be discerned through the trees.

Artist: Detektivbyrn Album: E18 Label: P-Vine Records Release Date: May 2, 2008 If in some rare occurrence Beirut, Yann Tiersen and Efterklang were to perform all at once, then you would get a rough idea of what Detektivbyrn sound like. The Gothenburg-based instrumental trio have gradually moved towards a more mature sense of identity and purpose. And even though their 2008 ...

Lebanon police are looking for the driver of a car that struck an electrical transformer, causing several residents to lose power this morning.

Matthias S Klein: The Lebanese are wary of political 'success': decades of disappointments have led to apathy and cynicism

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon aims to complete steps towards establishing diplomatic ties with Syria within weeks, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora was quoted as saying on Sunday.

The annual Lebanon homecoming will take place on Aug. 31 in the Senior Citizen?s Center. All residents, past and present, are encouraged to attend and bring a covered dish for lunch at 12:30 p.m. This is also a good time to make a donation to the cemetery.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said on Saturday that Egypt would supply his energy-starved country with electricity and gas, following talks with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanon's foreign minister said Saturday he expects diplomatic ties with Syria to be fully established and ambassadors to be exchanged within two months.

The Cairo-based Arab League (AL) on Friday welcomed an agreement reached by Syria and Lebanon to set up their diplomatic relations. In a statement issued by the 22-member pan-Arab body, AL Secretary General Amr Moussa described the decision of the two neighboring countries as "an important historical step." The AL chief said the agreement of the two sides to demarcate their borders and revive ...

More than 3,000 football fans and the curious made their way to a preseason scrimmage Friday as Lebanon unveiled its artificial playing surface.

LEBANON ? As of late Friday afternoon, no contractor had taken advantage of the city of Lebanon?s new, faster permitting process system, said Tammy Dickey, the city?s permitting specialist.

Iraqi Shiite assassination teams are being trained in at least 4 locations in Iran by Tehran's elite Quds force and Lebanese Hezbollah and are planning to return to Iraq in the next few months to kill specific Iraqi officials as well as U.S. and Iraqi troops, according to intelligence gleaned from captured militia fighters and others in Iraq. A senior U.S. military intelligence officer in ...

The Lebanon Town Board will meet Saturday at 9 a.m. at the town offices as 1210 Bradley Brook Road in the hamlet. The public is invited to attend. The meeting is being

Relatives of suspected members of an Islamist group that battled the Lebanese army last year staged protests in Beirut demanding their release from jail.

BEIRUT (AFP)--Relatives of suspected members of an Islamist group that battled the Lebanese army last year staged protests Friday demanding their release from jail.

The 22-member Arab League on Friday hailed the decision by Syria and Lebanon to establish diplomatic relations as an important historical step.

How do you cope with with living in Lebanon? Get a nose job Here in Beirut, they love plastic surgery. They don't just love being beautiful and glamorous - though the city does have a shop that sells only gold shoes - they love the whole process of spending money to change your appearance.

DAMASCUS, Syria | Syria agreed Thursday to begin negotiations with Lebanon on demarcating their border, making its second concession in two days to longtime demands from the Lebanese as they seek to normalize relations with their dominant larger neighbor.

DANBURY -- In the early part of the 20th century, a community of Lebanese immigrants emerged in Danbury, using their fur-working skills to thrive in the city's heyday of hat manufacturing.In 1932, St. Anthony's Maronite Catholic Church was founded by some 70 families of Lebanese descent.

By ALBERT AJI Syria agreed Thursday to begin negotiations with Lebanon on demarcating their border, making its second concession in two days to longtime demands from the Lebanese as they seek to normalize relations with their dominant larger neighbor. Formally setting the border is a key symbolic move recognizing Lebanon's sovereignty, as was Syria's agreement a day earlier for the two nations ...

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The United Nations says progress is being made in clearing out the once enormous threat of cluster munitions in southern Lebanon.

Senior Lebanese political, military and religious figures joined hands with non-governmental organizations (NGO) and cluster munitions survivors on Wednesday to commemorate the second anniversary of the end of the 2006 war with Israel and draw attention to the plight of the conflict's cluster-bomb victims.

The summit between Lebanon and Syria is being heralded as the dawn of a new era, but there is still a way to go, writes Bethany Bell.

BEIRUT (AFP)--Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah accused Israel Thursday of seeking to eliminite the Lebanese Shiite movement's leaders, in a televised speech on the second anniversary of the war with Israel.

BEIRUT - A Lebanese army investigation into a bomb attack that killed 15 people, including 10 soldiers, is focusing on militant Sunni Islamist involvement, a security source said on Thursday.

Syria and Lebanon agreed on Thursday to take formal steps to demarcate their borders as part of a string of decisions to normalise their relations for the first time after decades of tension.

NICOSIA [MENL] -- The Lebanese Army has become the latest target of insurgency attacks. At least 14 people were killed when a bomb rocked the downtown section of the northern city of Tripoli on Aug. 13. At least nine off-duty soldiers were killed and nearly 50 others were injured in the morning rush hour blast at a military gathering point in the coastal city.

Source: Reuters BEIRUT, Aug 14 (Reuters) - A Lebanese army investigation into a bomb attack that killed 15 people, including 10 soldiers, is focusing on militant Sunni Islamist involvement, a security source said on ...

Syria and Lebanon agreed on Thursday to take formal steps to demarcate their borders as part of a string of decisions to normalise their relations for the first time after decades of tension.

Damascus - A Lebanese-Syrian committee is to resume its work in demarcating the borders between the two countries based on a joint agreement, said a statement from the two countries' presidents following negotiations in Damascus Thursday. The stateme...

Syria and Lebanon have agreed to negotiate the demarcation of their border a longtime Lebanese demand as part of a new push to normalize relations.

The bomb attack that killed nine soldiers in Lebanon was a message to the army and aimed at undermining a landmark visit by President Michel Sleiman to former powerbroker Syria, analysts said.

BEIRUT: Jordan's Foreign Minister Salah Bashir is scheduled to visit Lebanon next week for talks with Lebanese officials on regional developments, the state-run Jordanian News Agency said Wednesday.

Lebanon and Syria agree to resume work on formally demarcating for the first time their common border.

Syria and Lebanon were discussing the thorny issues of border demarcation and the fate of missing persons on Thursday, the final day of a landmark visit to Damascus by Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, an official said.

BEIRUT: Telecommunication Minister Jebran Bassil pledged on Wednesday to reduce the cellular rates before the privatization of the telecom sector. "Of course I will cut the mobile rates. As I explained before, this issue requires some time to study it thoroughly.

BEIRUT - Lebanon and Syria formally established diplomatic relations yesterday for the first time since they won their independence in the 1940s, a historic move that was overshadowed by a bombing in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli in which 18 people were killed.

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman arrived in Damascus on Wednesday for a groundbreaking visit to Syria. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his wife received their Lebanese counterparts at the Damascus International Airport, according to the official SANA news agency. This is Suleiman's first visit to Syria after he took the presidency and also the first by a Lebanese president to Damascus ...

An explosion targeting a bus rocked a business district in central Tripoli Wednesday morning, killing at least 12 people and wounding 50 others, a senior member of Lebanon's internal security forces told CNN.

Besides mourning the losses to children's reading lists, blocking books printed by cold neighbors is empty politics. Are publishers of childern's books in Beirut or Damascus really a target for Israel?

Wednesday's bombing in the coastal city of Tripoli gathered wide condemnation from across the Lebanese political spectrum, with President Michel Sleiman describing the bombing as "an atrocious criminal act." "The Lebanese army and security forces will not surrender to any criminal acts," Sleiman said in a statement Wednesday.

BEIRUT, Aug. 13 -- A bomb exploded near at a bus stop in the northern city of Tripoli Wednesday, killing at least 13 soldiers and civilians and injuring more than 50, only hours before the first Lebanese-Syrian summit since the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in 2005.

The U.N. Security Council condemned the perpetrators of a roadside bombing in Lebanon Wednesday that sprayed shrapnel through a bus and onto a nearby sidewalk, killing 18 soldiers and civilians.

Syria and Lebanon agreed Wednesday to establish full diplomatic relations for the first time, taking a step toward healing tensions that have fueled decades of turmoil in Lebanon

A Syrian official says the presidents of Lebanon and Syria have agreed to establish full diplomatic relations.

(RTTNews) - Wednesday, Lebanon and Syria formally agreed to establish full diplomatic relations for the first time after the Middle East countries gained their independence six decades ago.

Syria and Lebanon have agreed to start diplomatic ties and exchange ambassadors for the first time since independence about 60 years ago, a Syrian presidential adviser said Wednesday.

DAMASCUS (AFP)--Syria and Lebanon have agreed to establish diplomatic ties and exchange ambassadors for the first time since independence about 60 years ago, a Syrian presidential adviser said Wednesday.

A Syrian official says the presidents of Lebanon and Syria have agreed to establish full diplomatic relations.

Syria and Lebanon agreed on Wednesday to start diplomatic ties for the first time since independence about 60 years ago, during a landmark visit to Damascus by Lebanese President Michel Sleiman.

Lebanese soldiers secure the site of a roadside bomb in central Tripoli in northern Lebanon. Twelve people were killed in the blast, a security official said, updating an earlier toll.

A bomb ripped through a bus during Wednesday morning rush hour in a northern Lebanese city, killing 18 soldiers and civilians, security officials said

TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - A bomb killed at least 18 people, including nine soldiers, in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Wednesday, security sources said.

Lebanon's president arrives in Damascus for talks with Syria's leader, the first such trip after three years of turbulence.

TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - A bomb killed at least 18 people, including nine soldiers, in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Wednesday, security sources said.

A bomb blast targeting the Lebanese army killed nine soldiers and five civilians in the northern city of Tripoli on Wednesday hours before a landmark visit by President Michel Sleiman to Syria.

BEIRUT - 17 people, including 10 army soldiers, were killed and some 40 others wounded on Wednesday morning in an explosion in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli, LBCTV reported.

TRIPOLI, Lebanon - A bomb blast targeting Lebanese solders killed at least 12 people in the northern city of Tripoli on Wednesday just hours before a landmark visit by President Michel Sleiman to Syria.

Lebanese security officials say the toll from the morning rush hour bombing of a bus carrying civilians and members of the military in the northern city of Tripoli has risen...

BEIRUT : Twelve people were killed in a bomb blast that rocked the main north Lebanese port city of Tripoli on Wednesday, a security official said, updating an earlier toll.

TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - A bomb killed at least 18 people, including nine soldiers, as they boarded a bus in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Wednesday, security sources said.

TRIPOLI, Lebanon (AP) - Lebanese security officials say the toll from the morning rush hour bombing of a bus carrying civilians and members of the military in the northern city of Tripoli has risen to 18 killed and 40 wounded.

A bomb ripped through a bus carrying civilians and members of the military during Wednesday morning rush hour in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, killing 18 people and wounding 40, security officials said. The officials said the dead included 10 off-duty soldiers.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The death toll from a bomb attack on Wednesday on a bus in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli rose to 16, security sources said.

17 people, including 10 army soldiers, were killed and some 40 others wounded on Wednesday morning in an explosion in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli, LBCTV reported.

Lebanon: Bomb attack targets soldiers in Tripoli (AKI) - At least 18 people were killed and another 40 injured in a bomb explosion in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Wednesday. It was the deadliest attack on the army since it clashed with Al-Qaeda inspired Islamist militants in the north of Lebanon last year.According to media reports, a bomb targeted a military bus in ...

An explosion close to a bus in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli kills at least 16 people including off-duty soldiers.

BEIRUT -- Eleven people were killed in a bomb blast that rocked the north Lebanese port city of Tripoli on Wednesday morning, a security official said, updating an earlier toll.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The death toll from a bomb attack on Wednesday on a bus in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli rose to 16, security sources said.

(Updated 4:10 p.m.) TRIPOLI, Lebanon - A bomb ripped through a bus carrying civilians and members of the military during Wednesday morning rush hour in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, killing 18 people and wounding 40, security officials said.

At least 18 people have died in Lebanon after a bomb exploded on a bus in Tripoli.

A bomb exploded near a bus carrying civilians and members of the military in the northern city of Tripoli early Wednesday, killing nine people, including seven soldiers, security officials said.

Tue, Aug 12, 2008 (10:45 p.m.) Lebanese security officials say that a bomb has exploded on a busy street in the northern city of Tripoli, killing at least three people and wounding many others.

Beirut, Aug 12 : The Lebanese cabinet Tuesday won a parliamentary vote of confidence following four days of heated debate over radical Shia movement Hezbollah's demand to have weapons and its rights to resist Israel, the LBC TV reported.

BEIRUT, Lebanon ? Lebanese security officials say that a bomb has exploded on a busy street in the northern city of Tripoli, killing at least three people and wounding many others. The officials say the bomb appear to have targeted a military bus in central Nour Square. They say today's explosion took place as the streets were full of people heading to work. The officials spoke on condition of ...

Source: Reuters BEIRUT, Aug 13 (Reuters) - A bomb targeted a bus in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Wednesday, killing at least nine people, including seven soldiers, security sources said. The bomb was ...

Source: Reuters TRIPOLI, Lebanon, Aug 13 (Reuters) - An explosion in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Wednesday hit a bus, killing at least five people, witnesses said. Casualties from the blast included ...

TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - A bomb targeted a civilian bus in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Wednesday, killing at 16 people, including seven soldiers, security sources said.

TRIPOLI, Lebanon (AFP)--An explosion went off in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli on Wednesday morning, causing a number of casualties, a security official said.

Source: Reuters (Updates toll, adds background) TRIPOLI, Lebanon, Aug 13 (Reuters) - A bomb targeted a civilian bus in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Wednesday, killing at 16 people, including seven ...

BEIRUT, Lebanon?Lebanese security officials say that a bomb has exploded on a busy street in the northern city of Tripoli, killing at least three people and wounding many others.

-Staff and officials of the Lebanon I-44 Speedway are preparing for one of the biggest races of the season as the running of the 6th annual Larry Phillips Memorial is right around the corner with the dates on Aug 29&30 on the Labor Day Weekend.

The Lebanese parliament has overwhelmingly approved the country's national unity Cabinet after a five-day debate on a controversial policy that upholds Hezbollah's right to keep its weapons.

A woman, who was found dead in her apartment in the Beirut suburb Jal al-Dib north of Beirut on Monday, has reportedly killed her 37-year-old schizophrenic son and then committed suicide. Media reports on Monday said Samir Ashkar found the bodies of his wife Janet Shukrallah Hajal, 62, and son Roy Samir al-Ashkar.

Let it be known that the whir of espresso machines will not deter young poets from reciting their latest work. The Beirut-Type Writer open-mic poetry series, a monthly gathering of amateur poets, last week convened for the first time at its new venue - Cafe Younes, just off Hamra Street.

The Mount Lebanon region has seen a remarkable increase in tourism this summer, with scores of emigrants and Arab visitors filling several regions of the governate. Hammana Mayor Habib Rizk told The Daily Star on Tuesday that the town is currently hosting some 450 Kuwaiti families in addition to several Emirate and Jordanian visitors.

World governing body FIFA has sent a clear message to the Lebanon Football Association (FLFA) that it would not tolerate government interference in its football affairs, English football Web site Goal.com reported on Tuesday. FIFA said in a letter to the Lebanese association that the FLFA leaders elected in 2005 are under a four-year.

Egypt is banning news coverage of the murder of a Lebanese pop singer following media reports that claim a wealthy Eyptian businessman ordered the attack.

Tue, Aug 12, 2008 (12:15 p.m.) Egypt has banned news coverage of the brutal slaying of a Lebanese pop star following media reports in other regional papers that say a wealthy Egyptian businessman ordered three men to carry out the killing.

The Lebanese parliament has overwhelmingly approved the country's national unity Cabinet after a five-day debate on a controversial policy that upholds Hezbollah's right to keep its weapons.

Lebanon?s national unity cabinet on Tuesday received an overwhelming vote of approval in parliament for its new policy statement safeguarding the role of Hizbollah party as an armed resistance movement against Israel.

Lebanon City Council is scheduled to vote on a new water plan at its meeting tonight, Aug. 12. If approved, the plan would shift the procurement and treatment of water from city-run facilities to the Greater Cincinnati Water Works over the next four-plus years.

The Lebanese cabinet on Tuesday won 100 votes of confidence out of 107 lawmakers in parliament over its policy statement, LBC TV reported. "The cabinet got 100 votes out of 107 present, five voted against and two sustained," parliament speaker Nabih Berri announced at the end of the session. The Lebanese parliament convened after almost two years of non-functioning, and approved the cabinet ...

BEIRUT, Lebanon?The Lebanese parliament has overwhelmingly approved the country's national unity Cabinet after a five-day debate on a controversial policy that upholds Hezbollah's right to keep its weapons.

BAGHDAD, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Coalition forces in Iraq say they've captured nine men believed to be members of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and connected to arms smuggling.

The Lebanese parliament has overwhelmingly approved the country's national unity Cabinet after a five-day debate on a controversial policy that upholds Hezbollah's right to keep its weapons.

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) ? The Lebanese parliament has overwhelmingly approved the country's national unity Cabinet after a five-day debate on a controversial policy that upholds Hezbollah's right to keep its weapons.

Lebanese MPs attend a session at the parliament in downtown Beirut on August 8. Lebanon's parliament is set to hold a confidence vote in the new national unity government following a stormy debate among lawmakers on the thorny issue of Hezbollah weapons.

Beirut - Lebanon's national unity cabinet won a parliamentary vote of confidence Tuesday following four days of heated debate that focused on the thorny issue of weapons belonging to the radical Shiite movement Hezbollah. The national unity governme...

BEIRUT - Lebanon's new national unity government won a vote of confidence in parliament on Tuesday following a stormy debate among lawmakers on the thorny issue of Hezbollah weapons.

Lebanon's new national unity government won a vote of confidence in parliament on Tuesday following stormy debates among rival lawmakers on the thorny issue of Hezbollah weapons.

BEIRUT, Aug 12, 2008 (AFP) - Lebanon's parliament is set to hold a confidence vote on Tuesday in the new national unity government following a heated debate centred largely on the thorny issue of Hezbollah weapons.

Lebanon's parliament was set to hold a confidence vote in the new national unity government on Tuesday following a stormy debate among lawmakers on the thorny issue of Hezbollah weapons.

Famous and romantic Lebanese singer Majida Al Roumi performed at the Carthage music festival, after a four-year of absence. According to the London daily Elaph, Majida came up on stage wearing a white dress, looking like a white dove singing for peace.

CAIRO: Egyptian police have arrested a retired police officer in connection with the murder of Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim who was found dead in her apartment in Dubai on July 28, police said yesterday.

A man was flown Sunday to Hartford Hospital with injuries he sustained after his tractor rolled on top of him at the Lebanon Fair, state police said.

A Lebanon man died Monday night after losing control of his motorcycle and striking an embankment on Route 22 in West Hanover Twp., state police said.

School and city leaders in Lebanon conducted a district-wide safety drill Monday night.

A Lebanese man, Samir Ashkar, found his wife and son stabbed to death in their apartment on Monday morning in the Beirut suburb of Jal al-Dib, the Voice of Lebanon radio station reported. No further details were reported about the killing of Janet Shukrallah Hajal, born in 1942, and her son, Roy al-Ashqar, born in 1971.

Qatar aid to build mosque BEIRUT: The Mufti of Lebanon, Sheikh Mohamed Rashid Qabbani, yesterday received a cheque for $3mn as a donation from HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani to build the Imam al Shafie Mosque at HH the Emir?s expenses at Mahalt al Sanaie neighbourhood in the Lebanese capital.

A Syrian soldier walks past the Masnaa border point between Lebanon and Syria, 2005. The establishment of diplomatic ties and the opening of embassies will top the agenda of this week's Damascus summit between the Lebanese and Syrian presidents.

BEIRUT, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Below is a table of the latest Lebanese economic statistics.

BEIRUT, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Below is a table of the latest Lebanese economic statistics.

Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah launched a verbal campaign against pro-government majority coalition which criticizes Hezbollah's adherence to weapons, LocalAn-Nahar website reported Monday. "The state which does not preserve the right of the resistance, will not preserve the interests of its people," Hezbollah member of Parliament Mohammed Raad said. Pointing to the non-stop Israeli threat to ...

BEIRUT: The potential microfinance market in Lebanon could be worth up to $286.1 million, with only 11.5 percent of this potential demand currently being met by existing financing sources, leaving 88.5 percent of the market untapped, said a report by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector arm of the World Bank, as published by the latest edition of Byblos Bank's Lebanon ...

Lebanon: Middle East Airlines (MEA) has signed a five-year $3m agreement for its global IT upgrade with SITA to boost speed and data access. The solution will add more flexibility, security and bandwidth to MEA's network-supported services over SITA's IP VPN secure network. [AMEInfo.com]

A man has been arrested in connection with the death of Lebanese singer SUZANNE TAMIM. The star's body was discovered last month (Jul08) in the city of Dubai, with ...

Bader (Young Entrepreneurs Program) has launched a new initiative with the organization of its first Global Lebanese Business Leaders Conference in Beirut on August 5, 2008, at InterContinental Phoenicia, bringing together a select group of successful, inspiring and dynamic Lebanese senior executives and entrepreneurs from around the world.

Lebanese singer Yara has hosted a series of musical concerts since the release of her latest album ?Inta Mini? (You Are from Me), which was a great success.

The famous Saudi singer Muhammad Abdoh held his first musical concert in Beirut for the 2008 summer season at the Vanessa Hotel, drawing a large number of fans that cheered throughout his performance.

The Lebanon Twisters defeated Ferrell-Duncan 11-2 Sunday in the championship game of the Mediacom Adult B/C Ice Hockey Tournament at Mediacom Ice Park.

The Beirut Stock Exchange underwent a week of profit-taking in line with consolidating the rapid rise of the index over the past two months. Investors who had earlier discounted the news of the Cabinet's policy statement in their trading patterns, saw an opportune time to make gains.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak pledged "very tough" Israeli retaliation to any attack by Hizbullah, vowing to target areas "deep in Lebanon" Lebanese daily An-Nahar reported on Sunday. Barak warned against an "intimate relation" between Hizbullah and Syria saying it could lead into distorting the balance of power in Lebanon, "which would lead Israel to retaliate."

An undated file picture shows late Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim posing during a photoshoot in Egypt. Sunday's edition of Egyptian daily Al-Dustur was seized after it alleged an "important Egyptian figure" was involved in the brutal death of the pop singer, the paper's editor said.

PALESTINIANS are mourning the death of poet Mahmud Darwish who gave voice to their decades-old struggle and is widely considered one of the Arab world's greatest writers.

The Sunday edition of the independent Egyptian newspaper al-Dustour, which contained a story about the murder of a Lebanese singer in Dubai, disappeared from the market on Saturday, officials said.

DUBAI - A 39-year-old Arab man has been arrested in connection with the murder of popular Lebanese singer Suzan Tamim. The crime which had sent shockwaves through the UAE had prompted a major manhunt for the killer.

Police in Dubai say they have arrested a man in connection with the death of Lebanese pop star Suzanne Tamim.

10 August 2008 Dubai: A 39-year-old Arab man has been arrested for the murder of popular Lebanese singer Suzan Tamim, Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Acting Chief of Dubai Police, said on Sunday.

Lebanon: Bader (Young Entrepreneurs Program) has launched a new initiative with the organization of its first Global Lebanese Business Leaders Conference in Beirut on August 5, 2008, at InterContinental Phoenicia, bringing together a select group of successful, inspiring and dynamic Lebanese senior executives and entrepreneurs from around the world. [AMEInfo.com]

BEIRUT, Lebanon - For the first time since war broke out three weeks ago, Hezbollah's leader threatened yesterday to strike at Tel Aviv if Israel attacks central Beirut.

Palestinians on Sunday mourned the passing of Mahmud Darwish, who gave voice to their decades-old struggle and is widely considered one of the Arab world's greatest modern poets.

719 S. President St. Baltimore, MD Lebanese Taverna , a famliy-owned Washington-area institution, with seven full-service restaurants and cafs stretching from Arlington north to Annapolis, recently pulled into Baltimore's ritzier-by-the-second Harbor East neighborhood.

DUBAI - The hunt for Lebanese singer Suzan Tamim's killers has narrowed down to two Egytian suspects who stayed in Dubai for just two days and fled soon after accomplishing their mission, a source in Dubai Police said yesterday. They had come to Dubai on visit visas.

Mahmud Darwish, widely considered one of the greatest Palestinian poets, died Saturday in a US hospital following open-heart surgery, hospital officials told AFP.

Israel's simmering conflict with Al Jazeera is heating up again.

For Charlie and Joanna Simon, nothing says family like a plate of stuffed grape leaves, baked kibbee, hummus and baklava.

BERLIN - German federal police (BKA) have warned in a secret report that the Lebanese-based Hezbollah movement has the capacity to undertake damaging attacks in Germany, the news magazine Focus reported on Saturday.

09 August 2008 TEHRAN - Prosecutor General Saeed Mirza has called on the Lebanese judiciary to issue arrest warrants against Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi as well as 11 other Libyan officials charged with kidnapping Imam Musa al-Sadr, the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper reported on its website Friday.

Opposite my apartment in Beirut there used to live an American-born English teacher called Marion Lanson. When she departed Lebanon, I inherited her 1949 Random House American College Dictionary, edited by one Clarence L Barnhart "with the Assistance of 355 Authorities and Specialists". I like "authorities" and "specialists" very much because we have largely abandoned such words.

Over two months ago, we achieved, under the patronage of Lebanon's brothers and friends, a remarkable accord necessitated by an extraordinary era. It is an accord that brings us back to the Constitution, to the political process and to constitutional rules and customs as a means to practice our democratic system and resolve our problems.

Lebanon's parliament on Friday started to debate a policy statement drawn up by the new unity government and focused on the thorny issue of Hezbollah's arms, in only its second session in 22 months.

In the center of the Lebanese capital Beirut, the Emirati singer Hussein Al Jismi held his only live concert in Lebanon this summer season at the Vanessa Hotel.

Producer Adel Matooq, husband of the late Lebanese artist Suzan Tamim, will hold a press conference to respond to the rumors surrounding the murder of his wife.

In the center of the Lebanese capital Beirut, the Emirati singer Hussein Al Jismi held his only live concert in Lebanon this summer season at the Vanessa Hotel.

A member of parliament and his bodyguard were pelted with with stones and bottles on Friday in northern Lebanon during a protest demanding the release from jail of alleged Islamists.

BEIRUT (AFP)--Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah now has more arms and personnel than it did before the 2006 war with Israel, a Shiite lawmaker said Friday.

A Charlestown man has died after crashing his motorcycle on Interstate 89 in Lebanon.

An-Nahar (Lebanon): Israel Threatens to Stop Hezbollah Arms Flow ? Israel has threatened to stop the flow of arms from Syria to the Lebanese Hezbollah group, especially advanced anti-aircraft weapons that could shoot down Israeli aircraft, which violate Lebanese air space every day.

BEIRUT: Bank of Beirut unveiled a new housing-loan scheme Thursday which would allow the borrower to buy a house at zero percent interest.

BEIRUT: Lebanon needs to increase its current electricity output from 1,500 MW to close to 2,300 MW and this requires an investment of over $2 billion, Energy and Water Minister Alan Tabourian said on Wednesday.

Residents complain of a natural gas odor in Lebanon, where some homes and businesses are evacuated.

A San Rafael nonprofit organization is teaming with Global Book Exchange in Novato to ship more than 40,000 books to Lebanon in the first phase of Aref Ahmadia's

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said after meeting European Parliament chief Hans-Gert Pottering on Thursday that Lebanon was fully committed to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, while accusing Israel of violating the resolution, which put an end to the 34-day war.

The Daily Star on Thursday.

Bank of Beirut unveiled a new housing-loan scheme Thursday which would allow the borrower to buy a house at zero percent interest. In collaboration with the state run Public Corporation Housing (PCH), Bank of Beirut said it has launched the housing-loan program to help the Lebanese achieve their dream of buying a house.

BEIRUT: Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said on Wednesday that the Parliament sessions aimed at giving the government a vote of confidence were likely to end on Tuesday.

Beirut - The Lebanese daily al-Akhbar, which is close to Hezbollah, launched Thursday a vehement attack on U.N. peacekeepers patrolling south Lebanon, accusing them of spying for Israel. Under the headline UNIFIL: A list of violations in favour of I...

Associated Press - August 7, 2008 6:35 AM ET LEBANON, N.H. (AP) - A Charlestown, N.H., man has died after crashing his motorcycle on Interstate 89 in Lebanon.

LEBANON, N.H. -- A Charlestown man has died after crashing his motorcycle on Interstate 89 in Lebanon. Police said 44-year-old Douglas Bashaw was injured Tuesday evening when he lost control of his motorcycle on the Exit 19 off-ramp. The bike rolled several times.

Beirut - European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering started an official one-day visit to Lebanon Thursday for talks on the Middle East peace process. European Parliament members are interested in knowing how Lebanese politicians view the dev...

Weapons of war Israeli soldiers work on their tanks as their unit deploys on the border with the Gaza Strip on July 11. Israel battered... Acts of war Smoke billows from the Rafiq Hariri International Airport in Beirut following Israeli air strikes on July 13. At least 2...

Many Mediterranean restaurants rely on Italian food to bring in business, but at Mazza there are only two pastas and no falling back on pizza. Lebanese and Greek fare dominate the intriguing menu at the Pembroke Pines restaurant west of Interstate 75.

Culture*Park is seeking stories from the Lebanese community for the "Dream Book" Oral Histories Project about Lebanese immigration to, and assimilation in, Greater New Bedford.

The 49th annual Lebanon Country Fair begins this weekend.

UNITED NATIONS ? With Israel increasingly concerned about Hezbollah's military buildup on its northern border and about the growing political influence of the Iranian-backed organization in the Lebanese capital, General David Petraeus made an unannounced visit to Lebanon yesterday to discuss American support for the country's national army. The presence in Beirut of General Petraeus, confirmed ...

(LEBANON, Mo.) -- Some people in Lebanon want their mayor out of office. A group alleges Mayor C.P. Craig is mismanaging the city he was elected to run just a few months ago.

As children, we are taught to be proud of our nation and to praise and support it, expecting to receive in exchange an immutable sense of belonging. As adults, we in turn instill this very loyalty in our children. Even in the current deteriorating economic situation in Lebanon, Lebanese nationals are being strongly urged to demonstrate faith in their country.

Lebanon needs to increase its current electricity output from 1,500 MW to close to 2,300 MW and this requires an investment of over $2 billion, Energy and Water Minister Alan Tabourian said on Wednesday. "We definitely need more power plants and [need to] modernize existing ones to meet the demand for electricity in Lebanon.

Beirut - The commander of US forces in Iraq, General David Petraeus, made a surprise visit to Lebanon Wednesday to offer military support to the Lebanese army, local media reported. Petraeus held talks with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, acting ...

U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, the top coalition military commander in Iraq, paid a surprise visit to Lebanon Wednesday, officials said. Lebanon's official news agency announced that Petraeus arrived aboard a U.S. military plane and was expected to hold talks with Lebanese defense officials, Iran's Press TV reported. DEBKAfile.com, an Israeli Web site, quoted unnamed military sources as saying ...

LEBANON ? A planned new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) center at the Lebanon hospital got its most important piece of machinery Tuesday when the MRI magnet was hoisted into place.

The US commander in Iraq, Gen David Petraeus, meets President Michel Suleiman on a surprise visit to Lebanon's capital.

Lebanon town officials will consider a request by Nornew Inc. for multiple road bores under town roads as part of plans to install a new 12-inch natural gas pipeline in the

BEIRUT, Lebanon - The top US military commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, met with officials in Lebanon Wednesday to discuss American aid to the country's army and political cooperation.

BEIRUT (AFP)--The U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, Wednesday held talks with President Michel Suleiman during a surprise visit to Beirut Wednesday, offering further military support to Lebanon.

A Lebanese Shiite militant brandishes his machinegun during the funeral of a Hezbollah militant in Beirut, May 2008. A court near Tel Aviv has indicted an Arab Israeli man on charges of spying for the Lebanese Shiite Muslim militia Hezbollah.

BEIRUT, Aug 6, 2008 (AFP) - Lebanon on Wednesday turned down a request to free four army generals held without charge since August 2005 in connection with the assassination of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri.

Israel freed five Palestinian prisoners on Wednesday as part of a UN-brokered prisoner exchange with the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, the prisons administration said.

The US Iraq commander Gen. David Petraeus, soon to be promoted to Central Command chief, arrived unannounced in Lebanon on Wed. Aug 6. DEBKA file ?s military sources report that he came to check out the strategic ramifications of Hizballah?s seizure on behalf of Syria and Iran of two strategic Lebanese peaks, Mt. Sannine and Mt. Barukh.

Lebanon: Capital Intelligence, the international credit rating agency, today announced that it has revised the outlook on Lebanon's 'B-' (B minus) long-term foreign and local currency ratings to stable from negative. [AMEInfo.com]

Israel on Wednesday freed five Palestinian prisoners as part of a UN-brokered prisoner exchange with the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, the prisons administration said.

Republic of Lebanon FC/LC Ratings Raised To B-, Says S&P

Iran - Lebanon - Israel Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad-Reza Sheibani said on Tuesday that Tehran attaches great importance to the upcoming visit to Iran of the Lebanese President Michel Suleiman.

Israel released on Wednesday five Palestinian prisoners as part of a swap deal with the Lebanese Hezbollah guerrilla group that brought the bodies of two Israeli soldiers home.

Lebanon: BBAC s.a.l. Bank of Beirut and the Arab Countries announced the launch of its operations in its new branch located at Al Hayek cross road in Sin El Fil. [AMEInfo.com]

BEIRUT: Bader, an NGO that supports Lebanese companies and entrepreneurs, has created a $17 million equity fund targeting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs.)

BEIRUT, August 6 (Itar-Tass) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel and Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority meet in Jerusalem on Wednesday to discuss the framework of a possible peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

BEIRUT: Middle East Airlines (MEA) chairman Mohammed Hout proposed on Tuesday the creation of an advanced aviation training center in Beirut. After meeting with Public Works and Transport Minister Ghazi Aridi, Hout said he discussed the idea of establishing this center with the minister.

LONDON (Standard & Poor's) Aug. 5, 2008--Standard & Poor's Ratings Services today said it had raised its long-term sovereign credit ratings on the Republic of Lebanon to 'B-' from 'CCC+'. The outlook remains stable.

BEIRUT: Education Minister Bahia Hariri stressed the importance of developing the educational sector in Lebanon during the inauguration of the regional workshop on Education for Sustainable Development organized by UNESCO on Tuesday.

KUANTAN: Malaysia will send its Malcon West peacekeeping contingent to Lebanon to replace the Qatar army which completed its mission and returned home a year ago.

NEW YORK, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Standard & Poor's said on Tuesday it raised its long-term sovereign credit rating of Lebanon to "B-" from "CCC+" on the easing of tensions between political parties that in May could have driven Lebanon to civil war.

Lebanese photographer Rima Maroun has officially been announced as the winner of the Anna Lindh Euro-Med Award for the Dialogue between Cultures in 2008, the Anna Lindh Foundation said Tuesday. The Award, which is bestowed and voted on by the members of the Anna Lindh Foundation's networks of civil society present in over 30 countries.

A Lebanese newspaper says United Nations peacekeeping troops have developed a contingency plan to recover Israeli warplanes shot down by Hezbollah.The report in the Lebanese daily al-Akhbar came as Israelis were becoming nervous about new guidelines issued in Beirut allowing Hezbollah to take action against the Israeli occupation of the Shaba Farms area independently of the central government, ...

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- A Lebanese newspaper says United Nations peacekeeping troops have developed a contingency plan to recover Israeli warplanes shot down by Hezbollah.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. ? The Lebanon All-Stars finished 0-4 in pool play to be eliminated from the Babe Ruth Girls? Fast-Pitch Softball Age 16-Under World Series, held Friday through Sunday.

Several hundred suspected members of an Islamist group involved in a deadly 15-week standoff with the Lebanese army last year have launched a prison hunger strike, a security official said on Tuesday.

S&P Raises Lebanon's Ratings On Easing Tensions

MUMBAI (Thomson Financial) - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services raised its long-term sovereign credit ratings on the Republic of Lebanon to 'B-' with a stable outlook from 'CCC+' to reflect the easing of tensions between the March 14th coalition, which dominated the government, and the opposition that in May had taken Lebanon to the brink of civil conflict. The Doha accord, which has delivered ...

Lebanese minister, Iranian Envoy discuss economic cooperation

Source: IRIN They may have been uprooted "more than 40 times" over the years since Lebanon's Civil War began in 1975, but Hussein Mohammed and his family say they have rarely felt as threatened as they do today.

Lebanese President Michel Sleiman will visit Damascus next week for talks with Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad, as the two neighbours move to establish diplomatic ties, an official said on Tuesday.