Visiting Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said on Tuesday in Damscus that Syria supports the Spanish-French efforts to resolve the political crisis in Lebanon. Moratinos made the remarks at a joint press conference with h ...

  

On a recent Saturday morning, the National Museum in Beirut was empty except for a family sprawled out on the soft low-slung benches inside an audiovisual room near to the entrance, where a documentary film on the institution's storied restoration was screening, and a lone security guard seated in a corner on the upper floor.

  

The Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) announced on Tuesday its plans to monitor the Metn and Beirut by-elections scheduled for next Sunday. The organization affirmed "the right of civil society to monitor the upcoming by-elections in order to guarantee that they proceed in a transparent manner.

  

During his stay the French minister had talks with Speaker Nabih Berri - with whom he had dinner -- and with Prime Minister Fuad Saniora.

  

If the speech of the late President Hafez Assad on July 20, 1976 laid the foundations of the policy and determined the obligations of the intervention in Lebanon, the address of President Bashar Assad on March 5, 2005 defined the bases of the withdrawal and closed the stage of three decades of presence and interventions in all the details of Lebanese politics.

  

Beirut- Lebanese leaders on the eve of the country's national Army Day have praised troops who have been engaged since May 20 in fighting with Islamic militants in the north. This anniversary witnesses heroic acts and sacrifices ... to confront the ...

  

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos on Tuesday welcomed Syria's support for efforts by Spain and France to resolve the eight-month-old political crisis in Lebanon.

  

BEIRUT - US promises of military aid or arms sales to strengthen its Middle Eastern allies against Iran and other regional foes seem aimed at repairing a balance of power destroyed by the US-led invasion of Iraq.

  

Lebanon's military, locked in fierce battle with Islamists at a refugee camp, is on Wednesday to celebrate Army Day, an event turned into a rallying point in a country with deep political divisions.

  

BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Michel Aoun implicitly rejected on Monday Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir's call for consensus in the by-election in Metn, saying he will not allow "human emotions to triumph over legitimate rights at all times.

  

BEIRUT, July 31 (Reuters) - Lebanon's Byblos Bank said on Tuesday its unaudited net profit for the first half of 2007 had climbed 13.8 percent.

  

BEIRUT, July 31 - Lebanon's Bank Audi said on Tuesday its unaudited net profit for the first half of 2007 rose 6.4 percent from the same period a year ago.

  

BEIRUT, July 31 - Lebanon's BLOM Bank said on Tuesday its net profit for the first half of 2007 had risen 5.4 percent from the same period a year ago.

  

DUBAI - UAE suffered their second defeat when they went down 106-64 to Lebanon in their Group B match of the 24th Asian Basketball Championship in Tokushima yesterday.

  

Lebanese army continued bombarding Fatah al-Islam militants' hideouts at a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon on Monday, local Future TV reported. The troops used tank and artillery to shell the remaining strongholds of Fatah ...

  

TYRE, Lebanon, July 25, 2007 (AFP) - A soldier serving with the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon was killed in an explosion on Wednesday during demining operations in the south of the country, a UN spokeswoman told AFP.

  

Lebanese troops pursued their advance deeper into a Palestinian refugee camp where die-hard Islamists have been fighting the army for more than two months.

  

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos ended his two-day visit to Lebanon and traveled to Damascus on Monday, as Spain added its efforts to those of the French in trying to resolve Lebanon's nine-month-old political deadlock. "There is a Lebanese will to end the crisis," Moratinos told reporters on Monday after his meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

  

Reduced to sneaking in the night across borders to escape and then moonlighting to survive, most Iraqi Christian families are resigned to never returning to the land of their ancestors."Under Saddam we lived in safety. At least we had our dignity and a decent life," said Duleir Nuri Sleiman, father of three girls, referring to Iraq's executed dictator Saddam Hussein

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- France's visiting foreign minister succeeded Sunday in bringing together rival Lebanese factions who have had no contact for months but said he had not reached a breakthrough to ease the country's political crisis.

  

BEIRUT (AP)--U.N. peacekeepers conducted a major military exercise with live ammunition in southern Lebanon on Monday, the peacekeeping force said in a statement.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon - The army unleashed tank and artillery fire on Monday on the remaining hideouts of Al Qaeda-inspired militants holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, continuing fighting that killed a soldier overnight, a senior military official reported.

  

TOKUSHIMA, Japan : Lebanon, Taiwan and Jordan on Monday advanced to the second round of the Asian men's basketball championship, keeping their Olympic dreams alive for 2008.

  

TOKUSHIMA, Japan : Lebanon, Taiwan and Jordan on Monday advanced to the second round of the Asian men's basketball championship, keeping their Olympic dreams alive for 2008.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon - The army unleashed tank and artillery fire Monday on the remaining hideouts of al-Qaida-inspired militants holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, a senior military official reported.

  

Beirut, July 30, SPA -- There were about 2,600 or 13 percent Saudis out of 20,000 Arab tourists in Lebanon last month, the Jeddah-based Saudi Gazette reported today.

  

Armenia will be the first country the Lebanese Prime Minister is planning to visit after the resolution of the internal crisis in Lebanon.

  

FRANKLIN - The Franklin VFW Post #9066 will host a food booth at the Lebanon Fair next week and are seeking volunteers to help out. The fair runs Aug. 10 through Aug. 12.

  

NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon - Lebanese troops have pursued on Monday their advance deeper into a refugee camp where die-hard Islamists have been fighting the army for more than two months, an army spokesman said.

  

BEIRUT, July 30 (Reuters) - Below is a table of the latest Lebanese economic statistics. Figures are provided by the central bank, finance ministry and ratings agencies.

  

BEIRUT: French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Sunday in Cairo that pressure had to be exerted on Syria and Iran to avoid a new war breaking out in Lebanon.

  

A Lebanese man abducted and savagely bashed in an unprovoked attack while holidaying in Melbourne is likely to spend the remaining two months of his trip recovering.

  

(RTTNews) - The Lebanese army has tightened its grip over a Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli when troops moved deeper into the camp in a bid to flush out the remaining Islamist fighters holed out inside.

  

A Lebanese man has been abducted and savagely bashed in an unprovoked attack while holidaying in Melbourne.

  

A LEBANESE man on holiday in Melbourne has been abducted, robbed and viciously bashed as he walked to the local milk bar.

  

Lebanese troops move deeper into a Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli to try to oust Islamist fighters inside.

  

Japan improved to 2-0 in the FIBA Asia Championship, rallying for a 77-67 Group B victory over Lebanon on Sunday in Tokushima. Japan, which trailed 60-52 entering the final period, outscored Lebanon 25-7 in the decisive quarter.

  

Lebanese soldiers use tanks, jeep-mounted recoilless cannon fire to suppress militant positions.

  

Beirut: Last summer's war in south Lebanon has left the US vision of a "new Middle East" in shambles, and Hezbollah is ready to strike Israel at any time, the group's leader said late on Saturday.

  

With imported food stuffs crowding the shelves of Lebanon's large supermarket chains, and Western fast-food franchises proliferating in the capital, it has become increasingly difficult for local agricultural cooperatives to access more lucrative city markets. Market access has been even more difficult for the dozens.

  

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Sunday in Cairo that pressure had to be exerted on Syria and Iran to avoid a new war breaking out in Lebanon. "Pressure is needed on the environment [of Lebanon], meaning that Syria and Iran must not exercise influence that could lead to war," he said.

  

BEIRUT (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Sunday left Lebanon without any breakthrough and after warning of the danger of violence if the eight-month political standoff is not resolved through talks.

  

CAIRO, July 29, 2007 (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Sunday in Cairo that pressure had to be exerted on Syria and Iran to avoid a new war breaking out in Lebanon.

  

France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner brought together rival Lebanese leaders for lunch at the French Embassy on Sunday, describing the meeting as a "success" and an encouraging sign.

  

Beirut - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner ended Sunday a two-day visit to Lebanon without achieving tangible results towards the end of Lebanon's political crisis, which is threatening co-existence and stability in the country. Speaking to re...

  

Some rival Lebanese leaders met face-to-face for the first time in months during a lunch at the French embassy in Beirut on Sunday, the only tangible result of a 3-day mediation visit by France's foreign minister.

  

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Some rival Lebanese leaders met face-to-face for the first time in months during a lunch at the French embassy in Beirut on Sunday, in the only tangible result so far of a 3-day mediation effort by France's foreign minister.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Hezbollah's leader said that the militant Islamic group's war last summer with Israel has left the U.S. vision of a "new Middle East" in shambles and claimed the guerrilla group was ready to strike Israel again at any time.

  

BEIRUT. At least 40 people were killed yesterday in a strike on a southern Lebanese village, the country?'s prime minister said, as the Israeli military showed no sign of letting up its offensive despite UN moves to end the fighting.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon – Lebanese troops stormed an Islamic militant hide-out in a Palestinian refugee camp yesterday, killing eight fighters, state-run media reported. A Lebanese army commander said the final assault to crush the remaining Fatah Islam fighters there was “imminent.”

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon Hezbollah's leader said Saturday that the militant Islamic group's war last summer with Israel has left the U.S. vision of a "new Middle East" in shambles and claimed the guerrilla group was ready to strike Israel again at any time.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah's leader said Saturday that the militant Islamic group's war last summer with Israel has left the U.S. vision of a "new Middle East" in shambles and claimed the guerrilla group was ready to strike Israel again at any time.

  

Lebanon: Chafic Abi Said, the former Director of Studies at Electricite du Liban, has said that the Lebanese government urgently needs to establish a regulatory body to oversee the restructuring of the country's electricity sector or output will continue to dwindle, reported the Daily Star. He said the transfer of the sector from public to private control is needed to stem annual losses at EDL of around $800m. [AMEInfo.com]

  

BEIRUT: Lebanon faces the danger of new civil strife if the eight-month-old political crisis is not resolved through talks soon, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said yesterday.

  

BEIRUT: Lebanon decided yesterday to create a mobile force backed by German experts to combat an influx of weapons trafficked into the country from Syria, the government said.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Lebanese troops stormed an Islamic militant hideout in a Palestinian refugee camp on Saturday, killing eight fighters, state-run media reported. A Lebanese army commander said the final assault to crush the remaining Fatah Islam fighters there was "imminent."

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon Lebanese troops stormed an Islamic militant hideout in a Palestinian refugee camp on Saturday, killing eight fighters, state-run media reported. A Lebanese army commander said the final assault to crush the remaining Fatah Islam fighters there was "imminent."

  

Lebanese troops stormed an Islamic militant hideout in a Palestinian refugee camp on Saturday, killing eight fighters, state-run media reported.

  

France's foreign minister Bernard Kouchner has been holding talks with rival factions in Lebanon in a bid to resolve the deepening political crisis threatening to tear...

  

A Lebanese soldier was killed during a skirmish with militants at a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon Saturday.The soldier's death brings the toll among troops to 123 since the battles --Lebanon's worst internal violence since the 1975-1990 civil war -- erupted May 20, Alalam Satellite TV reported. More than 85 Fatah al-Islam fighters and 41 civilians have been killed, while 65 ...

  

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner warned Saturday of the danger of violence if the eight-month crisis between Lebanon's political parties is not solved through negotiations.

  

France's foreign minister warned on Saturday that Lebanon could face a new civil war if its feuding leaders fail to resolve the political crisis threatening to tear the country apart.

  

Beirut - The Lebanese army are in their final stage of fighting to defeat Islamist militants holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon, an army source said Saturday. We are now in our final stage of the fighting ... but this will requi...

  

BEIRUT (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner warned on Saturday of the danger of violence if the eight-month standoff between Lebanon's political parties is not solved through negotiations.

  

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has urged Lebanese leaders to resolve their differences through renewed dialogue. Kouchner has been visiting Lebanon since Friday, meeting the leaders of the country's various political factions.

  

Source: Reuters NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon, July 28 (Reuters) - Islamist militants killed one Lebanese soldier in fierce fighting at a Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon on Saturday, security sources said. They ...

  

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon faces the danger of new civil strife if the 8-month-old political crisis is not resolved through talks soon, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Saturday.

  

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner (L) meets with Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut. Kouchner has warned of the danger of violence if the eight-month standoff between Lebanon's political parties is not solved through negotiations.

  

France's foreign minister was in Lebanon Saturday to try to ease tensions between supporters of Lebanon's prime minister and pro-Syrian opposition. Bernard Kouchner's visit is a follow-up to a conference France sponsored earlier this month, the BBC report...

  

France's foreign minister was in Lebanon Saturday to try to ease tensions between supporters of Lebanon's prime minister and pro-Syrian opposition.Bernard Kouchner's visit is a follow-up to a conference France sponsored earlier this month, the BBC reported.Supporters of Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora have been deadlocked with members of the pro-Syrian opposition since November when the ...

  

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner warned on Saturday of the danger of violence if the eight-month standoff between Lebanon's political parties is not solved through negotiations.

  

BEIRUT (AFP) - Visiting French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner met various Lebanese leaders on Saturday as he tried to broker an end to an eight-month standoff between the country's political parties.

  

The 39th annual Albert E. Brumley Sing will be Wednesday-Saturday, Aug. 1-4, at the Cowan Civic Center in Lebanon.

  

France's foreign minister arrives in Lebanon in a bid to resolve tensions between feuding political factions.

  

BEIRUT?Two Lebanese soldiers died in overnight fighting with Al Qaeda-inspired Islamic militants barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp in the country's north, a senior military official said.

  

Chinese soldiers stand during a ceremony to organize the third batch of Chinese peacekeeping troops for Lebanon in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 27, 2007. The force, an engineering battalion comprising 275 officers and soldiers, will have an eight-month operation, replacing the second batch peacekeepers in Lebanon in early September.

  

The Lebanese coastline remains heavily polluted from last year's Jiyyeh oil spill and cleaning efforts have not achieved the desired result, said two environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on Friday. Their conclusions contrast sharply with reports by other NGOs and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

  

LEBANON - A change in city code now labels as a nuisance dogs that bark loud enough to disturb neighbors for more than 10 minutes total in an hour. The city council passed the ordinance change at its Wednesday night meeting.

  

Martial arts enthusiasts flocked to Lebanon on July 21 for the third annual Way of the Warrior Tournament. The event, held at Lebanon High School, was hosted by Patton's ATA Black Belt Academy/Karate for Kids.

  

BEIRUT (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner arrived in Lebanon Friday on a delicate mission to follow through with a French initiative to end a standoff between the country's political parties.

  

Fighting at a refugee camp in Lebanon where militants are holed up claims two Lebanese soldiers' lives.

  

BEIRUT, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner arrived in Lebanon Friday on a delicate mission to follow through with a French initiative to end a standoff between the country's political parties.

  

Lebanon's Byblos Festival will still go ahead this weekend despite continuing political tensions and security worries in the country, the organisers said on Friday.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon Two Lebanese soldiers were killed in overnight fighting with al-Qaida-inspired Islamic militants barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp in the country's north, a senior military official said Friday.

  

Two Lebanese soldiers were killed in overnight fighting with al-Qaida-inspired Islamic militants barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp in the country's north, a senior military official said Friday.

  

NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - The Lebanese army claimed a significant advance on Friday in its bid to rout Fatah al-Islam extremists from a refugee camp, saying soldiers were fighting house-to-house with the militants.

  

The Lebanese army claimed a significant advance on Friday in its bid to rout Fatah al-Islam extremists from a refugee camp, saying soldiers were fighting house-to-house with the militants.

  

NAHR AL BARED, Lebanon -- Peering at plumes of smoke billowing from a refugee camp in northern Lebanon, where the army has been battling Islamists for nearly 10 weeks, the soldier summed up the army's resolve.

  

Lebanese troops were battling Islamist militants house-to-house at a Palestinian refugee camp as the death toll from 10 weeks of fighting, Lebanon's worst since the civil war, rose to 248.

  

Source: Reuters NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon, July 27 (Reuters) - Lebanese troops were battling Islamist militants house-to-house at a Palestinian refugee camp on Friday as the death toll from 10 weeks of fighting, Lebanon ...

  

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner arrives in Lebanon late on Friday on a delicate mission that observers say has little chance of ending a standoff between the country's political parties.

  

Jerusalem - The Israeli navy commander, Admiral David Ben Ba'ashat, resigned late Thursday, the latest in a string of top officials to step down over last summer's inconclusive Lebanon war. Ben Ba'ashat submitted his letter of resignation to Military...

  

BEIRUT - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner arrives in Lebanon late on Friday on a delicate mission that observers say has little chance of ending a standoff between the country's political parties.

  

BEIRUT, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner arrives in Lebanon late on Friday on a delicate mission that observers say has little chance of ending a standoff between the country's political parties.

  

NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon: The Lebanese army yesterday tightened the noose around militants at a refugee camp in a bid to end a near 10-week standoff that has cost the lives of 120 soldiers.

  

The first Business Confidence Index (BCI) concluded that Lebanon's industry, services and trade sectors sustained losses during the first six months of 2007 in comparison with same period of 2006 - although some criticized the index's methodology. The BCI, a survey of Lebanese businesses, indicated general declines for businesses in turnover.

  

The Lebanese army kept up its bombardment Thursday of al-Qaida-inspired Palestinian militants in a northern refugee camp, pounding them with tank and artillery fire, a senior military official said.

  

A Lebanese Yachting Federation has been approved by the Youth and Sports Ministry after three years of disputes between the ministry and members of the federation. The administrative problems between the ministry and the federation kept the Lebanese sailing team from taking part in any Arab or international contests, said.

  

The Lebanese Army pushed into the last pocket controlled by Fatah al-Islam militants inside the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp on Thursday. Lebanese soldiers engaged in "house-to-house" fighting with militants in the densely built camp, capturing new ground as army engineers worked to clear booby-trapped buildings.

  

LEBANON - A dream shared by two former Intel workers - to breathe life into old cell phones and printer ink cartridges - spread this summer to the 11 Roth's Fresh Markets in the Willamette Valley.

  

Beirut - The Lebanese army Thursday tightened its siege on Islamist militants holed up inside the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, as its casualties increased. An army source said the body of a soldier was recovered Thursda...

  

DUBLIN, Ireland----Research and Markets has announced the addition of "Lebanon - Telecoms Market Overview & Statistics" to their offering.

  

The U.S. State Department has shelved plans to build a new embassy in Beirut based on security concerns, ABC News reported Thursday.

  

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Nordstrom Inc. said Thursday that it's agreed to sell French designer brand Faconnable for $210 million to a Lebanese family-owned company that wants to significantly expand the line.

  

Lebanese troops fought close-quarter battles in a Palestinian refugee camp on Thursday in an offensive described as a "final assault" aimed at crushing Al Qaeda inspired militants.

  

The Lebanese army, backed with heavy artillery, on Thursday made its first incursion into the rebel-held Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon. Using heavy tank fire, troops entered the near-deserted Nahr El-Bared refugee camp and house-to-house fi...

  

The Lebanese army, backed with heavy artillery, on Thursday made its first incursion into the rebel-held Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon.

  

Lebanese troops fought close-quarter battles in a Palestinian refugee camp on Thursday in an offensive aimed at crushing al Qaeda-inspired militants who have held out there for more than two months.

  

The Lebanese army on Thursday tightened the noose around Islamists at a refugee camp in a bid to end a near 10-week standoff that has cost the lives of 119 soldiers.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon - A French peacekeeper working on a U.N. mine-clearing team was killed yesterday when an unexploded shell from last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah blew up as he was trying to clear it, a U.N. official said.

  

TO understand what Terry Waite is all about, one has to go back to the days before his incarceration (1987) in a squalid cell somewhere in the depths of war-torn Beirut, Lebanon.

  

Syria still occupies 458 square kilometers of Lebanese soil two years after its soldiers' withdrawal, according to a report published in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.

  

Papua New Guinea international striker Reginald Davani is on the brink of a historic breakthrough as he chases a contract with Lebanon's Racing Beirut.

  

French defense ministry Wednesday confirmed that a French soldier serving with the United Nations had been killed during a mine clearance operation in southern Lebanon. French defense minister Herve Morin expressed "his profound emotion ...

  

NAHR AL BARED, Lebanon: Lebanese troops advanced towards fortified positions of Islamist militants at a Palestinian refugee camp yesterday in what political sources said was the start of a final assault to root out the gunmen.

  

The first Beirut-based private-equity fund geared specifically toward Lebanese companies was launched this week in a move that will hopefully encourage the private sector to provide more capital to develop local businesses. The European Investment Bank (EIB), eight Lebanese banks, and the commercial arm of the French Development Agency.

  

Hopes to forge consensus concerning by-elections in Metn and Beirut vanished Wednesday after efforts failed to have the Free Patriotic Movement's (FPM) Metn candidate Camille Khoury withdraw, while seven candidates will compete for the Beirut seat. Two candidates pulled out of the contests as the deadline for candidates.

  

Syria still occupies 458 square kilometers of Lebanese soil two years after its soldiers' withdrawal, according to a report published in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.The report said a fact-finding mission on the Lebanese-Syrian border conducted by the International Lebanese Committee for UN Security Council Resolution 1559 (ILC).

  

Lebanon - Some of Lebanon's vacant retail space may be getting a new lease on life. Developers are eyeing two of the city's vacant big box stores as future sites for family fun centers.

  

BEIRUT (AFP) - Top French diplomat Jean-Claude Cousseran on Wednesday wrapped up a three-day mission without making much progress in breaking an eight-month deadlock among Lebanon's feuding political parties.

  

The Lebanese army on Wednesday stepped up its shelling of Islamists holed up in a northern refugee camp as it tried to seize the last small area still under their control.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon A French peacekeeper working on a U.N. demining team was killed Wednesday when an unexploded shell from last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah blew up as he was trying to clear it, a U.N. official said.

  

BEIRUT (AP)--A French peacekeeper deployed with the U.N. force in Lebanon was killed Wednesday in an explosion of ordinance left over from last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah in the country's south, a U.N. official here said.

  

Lebanese troops advanced towards fortified positions of Islamist militants at a Palestinian refugee camp on Wednesday in what political sources said was the start of a final assault to root out the gunmen.

  

BEIRUT, July 25, 2007 (AFP) - Top French diplomat Jean-Claude Cousseran wrapped up a three-day mission to Lebanon Wednesday without making much headway in breaking an eight-month deadlock among the country's feuding political parties.

  

BEIRUT - Lebanon will suffer an 'economic catastrophe' if a presidential election fails to take place on time later this year, the country's economy and trade minister said on Wednesday.

  

Lebanese forces unleashed barrages of artillery and tank shells Wednesday at armed Islamists in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, witnesses and security officials said.

  

Source: Reuters (Recasts with casualties, political sources) By Nazih Siddiq NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon, July 25 (Reuters) - Lebanese troops advanced towards fortified positions of Islamist militants at a Palestinian ...

  

Lebanese troops advanced towards fortified positions of Islamist militants at a Palestinian refugee camp on Wednesday in what political sources said was the start of a final assault to root out the gunmen.

  

NAHR AL BARED, Lebanon -- The Lebanese army Wednesday intensified its shelling of Islamists holed up in a northern refugee camp as it tried to seize the last small area still under their control.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon Lebanese army troops unleashed barrages of artillery and tank shells Wednesday at Islamic militants in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, witnesses and security officials said.

  

The Lebanese army has intensified its shelling of a Palestinian refugee camp in the north of the country in a bid to seize the last remaining area still controlled by Islamist militants.

  

Beirut: Lebanese army troops unleashed barrages of artillery and tank shells Wednesday at Islamic militants in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, witnesses and security officials said.

  

NAHR AL-BARED - The Lebanese army on Wednesday intensified its shelling of Islamists holed up in a refugee camp in the north of the country as it tried to seize the last remaining area still controlled by the militants.

  

Source: Reuters NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon, July 25 (Reuters) - Lebanese troops bombarded a Palestinian refugee camp with tank and artillery shells on Wednesday, trying to force al Qaeda-inspired militants ensnared in ...

  

Lebanon: Refugee students in Lebanon have been given Dh1m by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charity and Humanitarian Establishment, the WAM news agency reports. Schoolbags and school equipment will be given to around 10,000 refugees at different educational stages. A further 13,000 will be given aid to reduce their suffering. [AMEInfo.com]

  

Visiting French envoy Jean-Claude Cousseran talked with Lebanese leaders Tuesday aimed to set the stage for a visit by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and promote dialogue to settle the ongoing Lebanese political crisis. Cousse ...

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon, JULY 24, 2007 ( Zenit.org ).- Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir warned that the "inflexibility and obstinacy" of Lebanese politicians' might lead to the country's downfall.

  

BEIRUT, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - Top French diplomat Jean-Claude Cousseran met on Tuesday with political leaders in divided Lebanon as part of efforts to help break an eight-month deadlock.

  

-- In the past 60 days, Lebanon has witnessed unprecedented levels of violence that threaten to mortally weaken what is left of the country's institutions and governance apparatus.

  

Two Lebanese soldiers were killed on Tuesday in fighting with Islamist militants at a refugee camp in northern Lebanon, a military spokesman said.

  

NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon (Reuters) - Islamist militants killed three Lebanese soldiers on Tuesday at a Palestinian refugee camp convulsed by more than nine weeks of fighting.

  

As the list of dead soldiers grows, anger mounts in villages in northern Lebanon where the army has been locked in a deadly showdown with Islamist militants for more than two months.

  

IBM and its business partner, Computer Business Machines, today announced that the Bank of Beirut and the Arab Countries SAL (BBAC), a commercial bank in Lebanon, has selected IBM software, hardware and industry expertise to create a business ...

  

Lebanon town officials have scheduled an informational meeting with state and gas company officials for town residents who have concerns about gas well leasing and seismic testing.

  

Ministry of Social Affairs estimates around 100,000 under-14s doing manual labour in Lebanon.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon?Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said Monday his group possesses an arsenal of rockets that can reach all of Israel, including Tel Aviv.

  

UNITED NATIONS - Secretary-General Ban yesterday asked the Netherlands to agree to host an international tribunal to try suspects in Lebanon's political assassinations, but fears over mounting violence in Lebanon make a fierce debate in Amsterdam likely. Established by the Security Council earlier this year, the tribunal of Lebanese and international jurists would try suspects in the ...

  

The European Union expressed today deep concerns regarding the continuing violence in Lebanon, and in particular the fighting in the Palestinian refugee camp at Nahr al Bared.

  

France will try to push Lebanon's rival political parties to resume talks, visiting French envoy Jean-Claude Cousseran said on Monday. Cousseran, former French ambassador to Damascus, said France's efforts to resolve the Lebanese crisis ...

  

NAHR AL BARED, Lebanon: Eleven Lebanese soldiers were wounded yesterday in clashes with Islamist militants holed up for more than two months in a refugee camp in northern Lebanon, hospital sources said.

  

Source: Reuters DUBAI, July 23 (Reuters) - Syria warned Israel it would send troops into Lebanon during the Jewish state's 2006 war against Hezbollah militants if its forces advanced into a Lebanese region adjacent ...

  

Lebanon High School graduate and former East Linn Loggers football player Justin Terherst died early Sunday morning at Providence Hospital in Portland after a six-month battle with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He was 27.

  

French envoy Jean-Claude Cousseran arrived in Beirut on Monday in a bid to relaunch dialogue in Lebanon between feuding political leaders and break the eight-month-old political deadlock. "Syria expressed its willingness to help the Lebanese dialogue," Cousseran told reporters after his meeting with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

  

More than 100 motorcycles gathered in Lebanon over the weekend for a good cause. Organizers for the fundraiser said that over the weekend they were able to raise $3,200 for a memorial gazebo called Zach's house in Atchley Park. Part of the money from the fundraiser, $ 2,800 will be given to the Bankston family. Zachary Jones was killed on June 10 during a prearranged fight, police said. His ...

  

Eleven Lebanese soldiers were wounded on Monday in clashes with Islamist militants holed up for more than two months in a refugee camp in northern Lebanon, hospital sources said.

  

Top French diplomat Jean-Claude Cousseran said on Monday he hoped an upcoming trip to Beirut by France's foreign minister would help break an eight-month deadlock between Lebanon's rival political factions.

  

A Lebanese smokes a waterpipe next to a picture of assassinated prime minister Rafiq Hariri and a slogan that reads in Arabic: 'The Truth', at a cafe in Beirut, May 2007. UN chief Ban Ki-moon has asked the Dutch government to host the international court that will try suspects in the murder of Hariri, his press office announced Monday.

  

BEIRUT, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - Top French diplomat Jean-Claude Cousseran said on Monday he hoped an upcoming trip to Beirut by France's foreign minister would help break an eight-month deadlock between Lebanon's rival political factions.

  

WOUNDED: Lebanese Red Cross personnel carry a Lebanese soldier who was wounded during the fighting with Al Qaeda-inspired militants of the Fatah Al Islam group in Nahr Al Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon July 23.

  

BEIRUT (AP) - Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said Monday that his group possesses an arsenal of rockets that can reach "any corner" of the state of Israel, including Tel Aviv.

  

BEIRUT (AP) - Three Lebanese soldiers were killed in sporadic fighting with al-Qaida-inspired Islamic militants barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, a senior military official said Monday.

  

Lebanese troops on Monday resumed their bombing of Islamist militants holed up for more than two months in a refugee camp in northern Lebanon.

  

Three Lebanese soldiers were killed in sporadic fighting with al-Qaida-inspired Islamic militants barricaded in a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon, a senior military official said Monday.

  

Iran - Rafsanjani - Palestine Islamic groups in Lebanon and Palestine have the last word in mobilizing people in their resistance, Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said on Monday.

  

BEIRUT, July 23 (Reuters) - Below is a table of the latest Lebanese economic statistics. Figures are provided by the central bank, finance ministry and ratings agencies.

  

Saudi Arabia has seen a literary explosion in the last two years after the success of "Girls of Riyadh," a taboo-breaking novel that this month went on sale worldwide in English.

  

BEIRUT: The renewal of inter-Lebanese dialogue on Lebanese soil under French auspices is the straw many in Lebanon are clutching at, hoping the talk-shop will iron out differences over pressing national issues, mainly the timing of presidential elections, the legality of by-elections and the matter of a national unity government.

  

BEIRUT - Lebanon's political paralysis and bomb blasts may have deterred summer tourists but it's a case of 'crisis, what crisis?' for a small elite: the hard-core party crowds of Beirut and its modern-day protege Dubai.

  

Hezbollah guerrillas have moved most of their rockets in south Lebanon among civilians in villages, an apparent attempt to avoid detection by Israel and U.N. troops, Israeli military officials said Sunday.

  

NAHR AL BARED, Lebanon: Four Lebanese soldiers were killed in pitched battles with Al Qaeda-inspired militants at a Palestinian refugee camp yesterday as Lebanon's worst fighting since the civil war entered its 10th week.

  

Four Lebanese soldiers have been killed in pitched battles with Al Qaeda-inspired militants at a Palestinian refugee camp as Lebanon's worst fighting since the civil war entered its 10th week.

  

NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon (AFP) - Three Lebanese soldiers were killed yesterday in sporadic gunfire between the army and Islamist militants holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp.

  

NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon, July 22 (Reuters) Four Lebanese soldiers were killed in pitched battles with al Qaeda-inspired militants at a Palestinian refugee camp today as Lebanon's worst fighting since the civil war entered its 10th week.

  

Four Lebanese soldiers were killed in pitched battles with al Qaeda-inspired militants at a Palestinian refugee camp on Sunday as Lebanon's worst fighting since the civil war entered its 10th week.

  

Iran - Lebanon - Hizbollah Iran's Ambassador in Beirut Mohammad Reza Sheibani said on Sunday that genuine support of Lebanese people for 'Islamic Jihad Movement' the military wing of Lebanese Hizbollah in the fight against the Zionists was the real cause of their victory.

  

Source: Reuters (Updates casualties) NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon, July 22 (Reuters) - Three Lebanese soldiers were killed in pitched battles with al Qaeda-inspired militants at a Palestinian refugee camp on Sunday as ...

  

Three Lebanese soldiers were killed in pitched battles with al Qaeda-inspired militants at a Palestinian refugee camp on Sunday as Lebanon's worst fighting since the civil war entered its 10th week.

  

A Lebanese soldier was killed Sunday in sporadic gunfire between the army and Islamist militants holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp.

  

Two Lebanese soldiers were killed in pitched battles with al Qaeda-inspired militants at a Palestinian refugee camp on Sunday as Lebanon's worst fighting since the civil war entered its 10th week.

  

BEIRUT -- Lebanon's political paralysis and bomb blasts may have deterred summer tourists, but it's a case of, "Crisis' What crisis?" for a small elite: the hardcore party crowds of Beirut, and its modern-day protg Dubai.

  

BBAC sal (Bank of Beirut and the Arab Countries) has recently contracted with CBM, the business partner of IBM in Lebanon and Pexim of Belgrade, Serbia (leading company in software solutions and services for financial institutions) to acquire and implement a full business intelligence solution joining the IBM BDW, the latest Banking Data Warehouse.

  

Lebanon: Lebanese opposition leader Michel Aoun, who heads up the Free Patriotic Movement party, has launched his own television channel called Orange TV, reported the AP news agency. Aoun leads the largest Christian bloc in Lebanon's parliament and he has established the channel to set 'new standards of objectivity'. OTV went on air late on Friday with a news bulletin, followed by an interview with Aoun himself. [AMEInfo.com]

  

NAHR AL BARED, Lebanon: The Lebanese army intensified its shelling yesterday of Islamists fiercely defending their last patch of a Palestinian refugee camp as the death toll on both sides mounts.

  

While I was in a hotel in Beirut last June I discovered the director of the National Democratic Institute in Sana?a, Robin Madrid, happened to be in the same hotel. I did not hesitate in contacting her at her room to ask for a meting.

  

The 62-year old Haj Tawfiq Saad sits in the courtyard of his house in Bint Jbeil facing Maroun Araas mountain, the scene of some of the fiercest battles during Israel's onslaught on Lebanon last summer.

  

BEIRUT, July 21 (RIA Novosti) - Saddam Hussein's cousin, Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as "Chemical Ali," who was sentenced to death in late June for using chemical weapons against the Kurds, will be executed in Baghdad, an Iraqi paper said Saturday.

  

NAHR AL BARED, Lebanon -- The Lebanese army Saturday resumed its shelling of Islamists holed up at a Palestinian refugee camp as the death toll among the troops rose to 113, an army official said.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon - The army used loudspeakers Friday to urge Islamic extremists inside a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon to surrender, as sporadic fighting continued, witnesses and security officials said.

  

PARIS -- Lebanon's rival parties met in a French chateau Saturday for unusual and long-awaited talks meant to ease a political and sectarian crisis that threatens to rip apart their country.

  

BEDDAWI, Lebanon: They have been stripped of virtually all their belongings - their houses, their livelihood, their precious jewellery, even their identity papers.

  

Gunmen killed a Lebanese businessman in his home early Friday in oil-rich southern Nigeria, police said, while attackers tried to ambush a truck carrying several foreign workers in what appeared to be a kidnapping attempt later in the day.

  

Lebanon's former president Amin Gemayel on Friday announced he will run in August 5 parliamentary by-elections to replace his son, Pierre Gemayel, who was assassinated in Beirut late 2006.

  

Former president Amin Gemayel on Friday announced he will run in disputed August 5 parliamentary by-elections to replace his son, Pierre Gemayel, who was assassinated in Beirut last November "I am a candidate for the deputy's seat in the Metn region ... Isn't it strange that the father is succeeding his son?"

  

Lebanese Alaa Abdel-Karim al-Bouz is 21, the oldest resident of the Home of Hope orphanage in Kahale, on the mountains east of Beirut. Alaa's parents died when he was an infant and after growing up in an orphanage his elder brothers abused him. After two years in prison, Alaa found stability at the Home of Hope.

  

A Lebanese businessman was shot dead Friday by suspected armed robbers in the southern Nigerian city of Port Harcourt in the oil-producing Niger Delta, the local police commissioner said on Friday. Felix Ogbaudu said the robbers locked a security guard inside his post and entered the Lebanese man's house, took some of his belongings and shot him dead.

  

The political party of Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun, the sole declared candidate to date for Lebanon's disputed presidential election, launched its own television channel on Friday.

  

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Many of the 32,000 Palestinian refugees who have fled fighting between the Lebanese army and Islamist militants will need temporary homes while their devastated camp is rebuilt, a U.N. official said on Friday.

  

Two months since fighting erupted at a Palestinian refugee camp, the Lebanese army on Friday was still mired in a painstaking battle to wipe out the last pockets of Al-Qaeda-inspired militants.

  

The army used loudspeakers Friday to urge Islamic extremists inside a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon to surrender, as sporadic fighting continued, witnesses and security officials said.

  

Source: Reuters By Alistair Lyon, Special Correspondent BEIRUT, July 20 (Reuters) - Many of the 32,000 Palestinian refugees who have fled fighting between the Lebanese army and Islamist militants will need ...

  

Lebanon, 07/20 - The Lebanese army has continued shelling Islamist militants cornered in a Palestinian refugee camp. At least 110 Lebanese soldiers have now died in the fighting with the Fatal al-Islam group in the last two months.

  

Unidentified assailants have shot and killed a Lebanese national at his home in southern Nigeria, witnesses said.

  

A Lebanese businessman is killed in southern Nigeria, as violence continues in the oil-rich Delta region.

  

Four Lebanese soldiers were killed Wednesday as the army battled Islamic militants in their remaining hideouts inside a northern Palestinian refugee camp, a senior military official said.

  

Suspected armed robbers have shot dead a Lebanese businessman in the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta, say police.

  

Abuja: Suspected armed robbers shot dead a Lebanese businessman in Nigeria's Port Harcourt, the local police commissioner said on Friday. Felix Ogbaudu said the robbers locked the security guard inside his post and entered the Lebanese man's house, took some of his belongings and shot him dead.

  

DUBAI - Lebanon proved too strong for UAE notching up an easy 3-0 victory in their Group A match of the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone tennis championship in Colombo yesterday.

  

Lebanese troops, advancing behind a curtain of shell fire, stormed the headquarters of the Fatah al- Islam militants in a northern Palestinian refugee camp on Thursday, local press reported. The official National News Agency (NNA) said ...

  

A scanner to monitor the Lebanon-Syria border crossing was being installed, Lebanon's Naharnet news website reported Thursday. According to the report, Lebanese as well as German custom officers supervised the field work as the device w ...

  

Sara Rood purchased Lebanon Coffee Co. late in May, but is still putting her own mark on the business, including a change in name to Rock the Caffe'. Rood was looking to open a drive-through when she saw that Lebanon Coffee was for sale.

  

NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon: The Lebanese army yesterday shelled Al Qaeda-inspired militants cornered in parts of a Palestinian refugee camp and security sources said two more soldiers were killed in the fighting.

  

BBAC (Bank of Beirut and the Arab Countries) has recently contracted with CBM, the business partner of IBM in Lebanon and Pexim of Belgrade, Serbia - the leading company in software solutions and services for financial institutions - to acquire and implement a full business intelligence solution joining the IBM.

  

"The war situation induced us to take action. We were just a group of friends that decided forming Mouatinoun in the court of my building," said Nayla Geagea. Mouatinoun, like several other non-governmental organizations, was formed during last summer's war with Israel to provide assistance to internally displaced Lebanese.

  

The Israeli July 2006 war on Lebanon formed a turning point in Lebanese politics, its aftermath throwing into relief the fragility of the coalition that had been patched together at the last minute between Hizbullah, the Amal Movement, independents and Walid Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party.

  

Iran's President Mamoud Ahmadinejad mocked Israel and called for Lebanese unity during meetings in Damascus Thursday with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

  

BEIRUT, July 19 (RIA Novosti) - Lebanese troops seized the headquarters of extremist group Fatah al-Islam in a Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon, the country's national news agency said Thursday.

  

Source: Reuters By Andrew Hammond RIYADH, July 19 (Reuters) - Recent reports suggesting there are significant numbers of Saudis fighting alongside Islamist militant groups in Iraq and Lebanon have provoked ...

  

A Lebanese soldier was killed on Thursday as the army closed in on Islamists in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon, a military spokesman said.

  

Aramex recently opened its logistics centre in the Beirut Port Authority's newly launched logistics free zone, which also houses facilities for other regional and international logistics services providers.

  

Al-Qaeda-inspired militants killed four Lebanese soldiers on Thursday in fierce battles at a Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon, security sources said.

  

The Lebanese army shelled al Qaeda-inspired militants cornered in small parts of a Palestinian refugee camp on Thursday and security sources said two more soldiers were killed in the fighting.

  

NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon (Reuters) - The Lebanese army shelled al Qaeda-inspired militants cornered in small parts of a Palestinian refugee camp on Thursday and security sources said two more soldiers had died in the two-month-old battle.

  

Lebanon: On the occasion of launching the Sea of Stars campaign, which is sweeping over the Lebanese territory, Pepsi held an exquisite gala dinner in Beirut inviting all customers and key stakeholders from around the Middle East and North Africa to attend this special event. [AMEInfo.com]

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Four Lebanese soldiers were killed as Lebanese troops on Wednesday battled militants inside a northern Palestinian refugee camp, a senior military official said.

  

The United States is united with France over Lebanon's political and economic reform and efforts to bring to justice those responsible for former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq's murder, the State Department said Wednesday. "There is no ...

  

BEIRUT: Saudi Telecom, the kingdom's second largest company by market value, said its second-quarter net profit fell 8.6% to 3.1bn Saudi riyals ($826.6mn) from a year earlier. STC, which is 70% owned by the Saudi government, said its second-quarter net profit rose 14% from the first quarter of 2007.

  

BEIRUT - The Islamist militant group battling Lebanese troops at a Palestinian refugee camp said on Wednesday it was willing to resume talks to end the fighting, a move that came after it lost ground in a two-month-old battle.

  

UNICEF and the government's Central Administration for Statistics (CAS) will conduct a nation-wide survey to determine access to and effectiveness of social services and other development indicators in Lebanon. "We are committed to ensuring that programs and services are accessible to all in Lebanon, across all communities," said.

  

Three Lebanese soldiers were killed on Wednesday as the army closed in on the last pockets of Islamist guerrillas in a battered refugee camp after two months of battles that have cost some 200 lives.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon Four Lebanese soldiers were killed as Lebanese troops on Wednesday battled militants inside a northern Palestinian refugee camp, a senior military official said.

  

A man in Lebanon was stopped by police Sunday night because he appeared to be intoxicated. When police came closer, they discovered blood and bullet wounds, said Sam Mustard, Lebanon Chief of Police. There were two 22 caliber bullet wounds. The first bullet went in through the small of his back and the second one was in his butt. Neighbors reported hearing gun shots but there are no suspects in ...