Both Lebanon Midway Speedway and Springfield Raceway will hold practice sessions on Saturday.

  

One of the most prominent career diplomats in Lebanon's modern history, Ambassador Nadim Dimechkie, died early on March 31 succumbing to pneumonia. He was 88 years old. Born on December 5, 1920, Dimechkie grew up in his family residence on Bliss Street where he developed his pan-Arabist views.

  

The International Telecommunication Union's 2009 Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Price Basket in 150 nations ranked Lebanon as the 65th most affordable nation worldwide and the 8th most affordable country in the Middle East & North Africa region, as reported by Lebanon This Week, the economic publication of the Byblos Bank Group.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 31 (UPI) -- Lebanese leaders praised improved relations with neighboring Syria but emphasized the importance of respect for national sovereignty.

  

A Canadian-Lebanese man held for allegedly killing four people and injuring 40 in the 1980 bombing of a Paris synagogue was ordered released on bail Tuesday ahead of his extradition hearing.

  

About a dozen business and education executives from China toured schools in the Lebanon School District yesterday as part of a leadership-training program.

  

Jason Swearingen has been Rolla High School baseball head coach for 10 years and has never been able to beat the Lebanon Yellow Jackets. Until Monday. Swearingen and the Bulldogs snapped its losing skid against perennial Ozark Conference power Lebanon in a big way on Monday, blowing out to a 10-0 league victory at the First Community National Bank Field at the Bray Sports Complex.

  

BEIRUT - Tensions rose on Tuesday in Palestinian refugee camps in southern Lebanon after a series of bomb explosions in the past few days, which left no casualties but caused fear among the camps' residents.

  

Beirut - Tensions rose Tuesday in Palestinian refugee camps in southern Lebanon after a series of bomb explosions in the past few days, which left no casualties but caused fear among the camps' residents. At dawn Tuesday a bomb exploded near the hous...

  

Domotex Middle East 2009 has announced that it is targeting Lebanon as a major market for carpets and floor coverings and a catalyst for the growing regional wholesale market in view of a massive reconstruction drive being implemented in the country, which according to the Beirut Chamber of Commerce is estimated to be worth $10bn.

  

BEIRUT: An explosion targeting a Fatah member's home rocked the southern Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh early Monday morning, causing material damage. The blast occurred at 1 a.m. outside Fatah member Salah Joumaa home and destroyed his front door.

  

Moreover, they hoped and expected that, in the context of the new approaches and initiatives made recently by the American president, Barack Obama, in his Mideastern policy, and similar moves by European leaders, notably French President Nicolas Sarkozy, progress of substance could be made on the hitherto moribund Arab-Israeli peace process, despite the advent of an Israeli government led by ...

  

LEBANON - Alex Machen has played in pain. Her high school career has included a sprained knee, a strained elbow, a broken finger and two stress fractures in vertebrae in her lower back.

  

BEIRUT: The Special Investigation Commission (SIC) said on Monday that Lebanese authorities continued their crackdown on money laundering and other illegal financial activities last year.

  

The Lebanese artist Najwa Sultan celebrated her birthday with family and friends at 'Fakher Al Deen' restaurant in Dubai. The music artist Amir Yezbik performed for Najwa at her birthday party.

  

Leadership. ABUJA. Police have freed a Lebanese worker kidnapped from a building site on the edge of a lagoon in the commercial hub of Lagos, killing six of the abductors in the process.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 30 (UPI) -- U.N. peacekeepers working in support of the mission in Lebanon were stopped by armed men outside their area of operations on two occasions, officials said.

  

Everyone interested in joining a local chapter of the League of Women Voters is invited to an organizing meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, at the First United Methodist Church of Lebanon.

  

The Issam Fares Institute's Research & Policy Forum on Climate Change and Environment in the Arab World and the American University of Beirut's Political Science and Public Administration Department are organizing a lecture on "Combining Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies:

  

The Special Investigation Commission (SIC) said on Monday that Lebanese authorities continued their crackdown on money laundering and other illegal financial activities last year. In a report covering its activities in 2008, the SIC said that the commission received a total of 226 cases involving suspected money laundering.

  

Beirut - From explicit articles about masturbation and homosexuality to columns about "My First Time", Joumana Haddad is out to lift the veil on Arab cultural taboos with a glossy magazine that is already the focus of controversy.

  

Sports: Baseball and football. School: Lebanon High School. Class: Senior. Age: 18. Claim to fame: "I was named first team all-GWOC South in football this year and second team all-GWOC South in baseball my junior year."

  

Speaker Nabih Berri criticized the government Saturday for its procrastination in the reconstruction efforts in South Beirut and Southern Lebanon. Those areas suffered major damage during the 2006 War with Israel. The areas, predominantly Shiite, were the targets of Israeli bombs in that country's effort to exterminate Hizballah, the resistance group that forced out [...]

  

Abuja - The police have freed a Lebanese worker kidnapped from a building site on the edge of a lagoon in the commercial hub of Lagos, killing six of the abductors in the process.

  

BEIRUT: Political developments in Lebanon ahead of June's Parliamentary elections are a serious risk to the country's stability, Byblos bank said Friday in its weekly report, citing a study by Standard Chartered.

  

As Arab leaders prepare to meet in Qatar, the BBC's Jim Muir argues that divisions between them will hamper their ability to deal with pressing problems.

  

LCNB National Bank CEO Steve Wilson will speak to the Area Progress Council at noon April 7 in the Young Room at OneStop Building, 300 E. Silver St., Lebanon. Reservations are required. A box lunch will be provided.

  

Variety and brevity - a lot of acts, none of them lasting long enough to become tedious - were among the virtues of vaudeville. The spirit of that antique form has found a home in Talk20, which attracted a capacity crowd to the American University of Beirut's Hostler Center on Friday evening for two hours of presentations - this despite the driving rain.

  

The World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU) Union held a two-day conference at the Mariott Hotel in New York on March 21-22, according to a statement issued by (WLCU) on Sunday. The conference was headed by WLCU's president Elie Hakmeh. The conference renewed support to President Michel Sleiman.

  

Political developments in Lebanon ahead of June's Parliamentary elections are a serious risk to the country's stability, Byblos bank said Friday in its weekly report, citing a study by Standard Chartered. According to the report, the Lebanese government's financial health has been negatively affected by Lebanon's dependence.

  

Source: Reuters LAGOS, March 29 (Reuters) - Nigerian police freed a Lebanese worker kidnapped from a building site on the edge of a lagoon in the commercial hub of Lagos, killing six of the abductors in the process, ...

  

Emirates has announced that it will increase services to three of its key regional gateways; Dammam, Beirut and Tehran. From May 1, Emirates will introduce two additional weekly flights to Dammam, three additional weekly flights to Beirut and two extra weekly flights to Tehran.

  

The first I knew of the actress Ri Koran, otherwise known as Yoshiko Yamaguchi, was in 1985, while staying in a grubby hotel in Beirut. An old face-cream advertisement for the cosmetic company Shiseido had been tacked onto the bedroom wall. The image showed a woman with jade earrings dressed in a silk qi pao, holding an armful of chrysanthemums. The very fragrance of an idealized Orient, I took ...

  

Powerful Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, seen here in Beirut earlier this week, has moved one step closer to the throne of the world's biggest oil producer with his promotion to Saudi deputy premier, analysts have said.

  

Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, expressed hope Friday that the Arab summit to be held in Doha next week would leave a positive impact on Lebanon and other Arab causes, Local Elnashra website reported. "I hope the Arab summit in Doha would be the top summit that would unify the Arab decision," and would have a "positive impact on Lebanon," Salloukh said in a statement before he left for ...

  

The transformation of a flattened estate once labelled the 'Beirut of Sandwell' is moving closer, with the land set to be handed over to developers. The transformation of a flattened estate once labelled the 'Beirut of Sandwell' is moving closer, with the land set to be handed over to developers. The sale of derelict land [...]

  

BEIRUT: A judicial source said on Friday the attack on the cars of two senior judges in Beirut's Badaro neighborhood, one day earlier, was a message to the Lebanese judiciary as the international tribunal began operating.

  

BEIRUT: A "Hizbullah leader" and nine other prisoners detained in Iraq will be released as part of a deal to free five Britons abducted in Baghdad in 2007, the kidnappers have claimed.

  

Melanie Welles, from the town of Lebanon, has been named a finalist candidate in the recruitment of Wisconsin's 62nd Alice in Dairyland position.

  

A judicial source said on Friday the attack on the cars of two senior judges in Beirut's Badaro neighborhood, one day earlier, was a message to the Lebanese judiciary as the international tribunal began operating. "This attack is a message to the Lebanese judiciary upon the launching of the international tribunal in The Hague."

  

Utopia Now in Starco is shaping up to be a place where the trendy 20-somethings of Beirut would want to flock. The restaurant is being readied for its scheduled opening by the end of next week, and the basics are already in place. The walls are covered with stenciled quotes by Oscar Wilde and the like.

  

LONDON, March 27 (UPI) -- Launching a special tribunal to look into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri aids national reconciliation, his son wrote.

  

BEIRUT (AP) - Syria's security court, disbanded following a prison riot eight months ago, has resumed work despite calls for its dissolution, an international human rights group said Friday.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 27 (UPI) -- A 7-year-old boy was critically wounded Friday when a cluster bomb exploded in a southern Lebanese village, security sources say.

  

Lebanese soldiers killed a drugs baron travelling in a stolen car after he refused to stop at an army checkpoint in the eastern Bekaa Valley on Friday, the military said.

  

BEIRUT (AFP) - Lebanese soldiers on Friday killed a drugs baron after he refused to stop at an army checkpoint in the eastern Bekaa Valley, the military said in a statement.

  

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- Lebanon's military was unable and unwilling to confront the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah, a report said. The Center for Strategic and International Studies asserted that Hizbullah has significant influence over the Lebanese Army, with more than 56,000 troops.

  

The Russian Federation is giving ten of the fighter jets to Lebanon as military aid. The Lebanese army is largely funded by the United States, so the gesture from Russia is a bit of a surprise, especially to Israel, Lebanon's neighbor to the south. Lebanon also seems to be surprised by the offer. The United States [...]

  

The prosecutor at a special UN court set up to try suspects accused of attacks in Lebanon asked Beirut on Wednesday to hand over the case relating to the 2005 murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

  

BEIRUT: Stories of Lebanon's political discord and confessional tensions regularly appear in the foreign press, but on the travel pages of major US newspapers the Mediterranean country has reclaimed its place of prestige as a must-go tourist spot.

  

Lebanese businessmen have appealed to the Philippine government to allow Filipinos to work in Lebanon as the Middle Eastern country was in need of thousands of workers.

  

With all the turbulence that Lebanon endured, I am hopeful that the worst is behind us. My optimism stems from the resilience of the Lebanese, their ability to withstand very difficult conditions, and their stubborn attachment to their independence.

  

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) estimated that the travel and tourism industry would contribute directly $2.59 billion to the Lebanese economy in 2009, equivalent to 9.3 percent of GDP, and direct industry employment will reach 149,800, representing 9.6 percent of total employment in Lebanon this year.

  

The prosecutor at a special UN court set up to try suspects accused of attacks in Lebanon asked Beirut on Wednesday to hand over the case relating to the 2005 murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.The prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), Daniel A. Bellemare, filed an application late Wednesday.

  

Devin Baker of the city of Lebanon maintenance department hangs a yellow ribbon on a light pole Wednesday, while members of Boy Scout Troop 315 prepare more ribbons to go up on Main Street.

  

The Lebanese artist Maysam Nahas will appear as a guest on the entertainment show 'Sawalifna Helwah' (Our Chats Are Beautiful) next week, aired on Dubai television.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 26 (UPI) -- Lebanese lawmakers and U.N. officials outlined a "culture of corruption" in the Beirut government but said June elections and new laws may provide remedies.

  

BEIRUT?The Middle East and North Africa, where Internet usage is relatively low compared to Europe and the U.S., could see a large growth in Internet penetration rates in 2010, said members of a Google delegation touring the region Thursday.

  

WASHINGTON, March 26 (UPI) -- The United States maintains its support for Lebanese independence, but assistance will depend on the outcome of the June elections, a top U.S. official said.

  

LEBANON--Kevin Snavely, a Lebanon Police Department officer fired last March, will be back on the job as a patrolman Monday after the city decided not to appeal an arbitration ruling that said he should be reinstated with back pay.

  

LEBANON Superintendent George Lanning has ordered an independent investigation into cyberbullying at Lebanon High School.

  

Sa kabila ng positibong rekomendasyon ng Department of Foreign Affairs nananatili pa rin ang Deployment Ban sa mga Overseas Filipino Workers sa Lebanon. Ayon kay Department of Labor and Employment...

  

BEIRUT: Philippines Vice President Noli de Castro endorsed the lifting of the government ban on the deployment of workers to Lebanon in order to give Filipinos more job opportunities in light of the global financial crisis, the Far-Eastern country's Daily Inquirer newspaper reported on Wednesday.

  

BEIRUT: The results of Lebanon's June parliamentary elections could affect US aid programs to the country, senior State Department official Jeffrey Feltman told Congress Tuesday.

  

The Indonesian warship KRI Diponegoro-365 has left Belawan port for Lebanon to join the UN maritime task force in South Lebanon (UNIFIL), the Antara news agency reported on Thursday. KRI Dipononegoro-365 will be calling at several ports in a number of countries like Cochin (India), Salalah (Oman), Port Said(Egypt), and Beirut (Lebanon) covering a total distance of 6,555 nautical miles, Antara ...

  

Despite the recommendation of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the ban on sending Filipino workers to Lebanon stays, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque told INQUIRER.net Thursday.

  

Members of rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas turned out in their thousands for the funeral in Beirut of a Palestine Liberation Organisation official.

  

Ministers and civil society leaders painted a grim picture on Wednesday of the "culture of corruption" extending to all sectors in Lebanon but expressed confidence that upcoming legislation and efforts would put the country on a new track toward transparency.The remarks were made during a day-long event.

  

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday welcomed the appointment of a Syrian ambassador to Lebanon as a "historical step toward the improvement of relations between the two countries." In a statement issued by the Elysee Palace, Sarkozy said: "France hopes that this decision would contribute to promoting stability in the region.

  

Telecommunication Minister Jebran Bassil signed Wednesday contracts with five firms that want to set up international call centers in Lebanon. The firms which intend to set up call centers are Call Me, ICC, Tele Performance, Professional Call Center and Media Tech. Bassil said the ministry has so far signed 10 call-center contracts and expects to sign 10 more in the near future.

  

Members of rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas turned out in their thousands yesterday for the funeral in Beirut of a top Palestine Liberation Organisation official killed in a bombing.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 25 (UPI) -- Western countries have moderated their stance on the Lebanese Hezbollah due to the resilience and victories of the resistance, a leading party official said.

  

Members of rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas turned out in their thousands for the funeral in Beirut of a Palestine Liberation Organisation official.

  

MEMBERS of rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas turned out in their thousands overnight for the funeral in Beirut of a top Palestine Liberation Organisation official killed in a bombing.

  

Nawaf A. Salam, permanent representative of Lebanon to the United Nations, will speak at Fairleigh Dickinson University, College at Florham, in Madison, at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1. Mr. Salam's theme will be "Lebanon -- Past, Present and Future."...

  

The senior official that was killed in Lebanon was "a victim of inter-Palestinian feud," As-Safier daily quoted security sources as saying on Wednesday. Senior Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) official Kamal Medhat was killed by a roadside bomb Monday at the entrance of Palestinian refugee camp of Miyeh Miyeh in south Lebanon. The security sources said he was killed by a ...

  

Members of rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas turned out in their thousands on Wednesday for the funeral in Beirut of a top Palestine Liberation Organisation official killed in a bombing.

  

Ali Abdel Karim Ali has been accepted as Syria's first ambassador to Lebanon. The two counties gained independence from France in the 1940?s, but hadn't established formal diplomatic relations until just five months ago. Part of what is considered Greater Syria for over 400 years, Lebanon was occupied by Syrian troops up until 2005. That year, [...]

  

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview published on Wednesday that Damascus no information about the murder four years ago of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri.

  

Lebanon: Hoffmann-La Roche launched today the first session of its media briefing program entitled Roche Communicate a series of half-day workshops conducted by renowned specialists in the medical field. [AMEInfo.com]

  

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman approved Tuesday the appointment of Ali Abdel Karim as first ever Syrian ambassador to Lebanon, Elnashra website reported. A Presidential statement said that Syria has names its first ambassador to Lebanon, and the Lebanese president has approved the nomination. According to diplomatic norms the state does not reveal the name of its ambassador unless approved ...

  

Vice President Noli de Castro has endorsed the lifting of the government ban on the deployment of workers to Lebanon in order to give Filipinos more job opportunities in light of the global financial crisis.

  

Lebanon's official news agency has said the country has approved the appointment of Syria's first ever ambassador to Beirut.

  

(RTTNews) - Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has approved the appointment of Ali Abdul Karim Ali as the first Syrian ambassador to Beirut, said a statement from the Lebanese presidency on Tuesday.

  

Lebanon says it has approved the first ambassador to Beirut from Syria, the country which occupied Lebanon for decades.

  

Beirut approves the appointment of Syria's first envoy, five months after the neighbours set up diplomatic contacts.

  

Syria has appointed its first ambassador to Lebanon and Lebanese President Michel Suleiman accepted his diplomatic accreditation Tuesday, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

  

The official, Kamal Midhat, was the deputy leader in Lebanon of Fatah, the mainstream Palestinian faction led by Mahmoud Abbas.

  

SIDON, Lebanon A bomb killed a senior official in the Palestinian Fatah faction and four other people in southern Lebanon yesterday, security sources said, increasing tensions in the country's volatile refugee camps. Kamal Medhat, deputy head of...

  

A 31-year-old police dispatcher is out of a job after a police officer told officials that he witnessed the woman giving oral sex to her boyfriend while another man stood nearby during her March 1 shift at the Lebanon Police Department.

  

Lebanon: Indevco manufacturing plants from across Egypt, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia will exhibit together at Gulf Pack 2009 from 6 - 9 April 2009 in Dubai's Airport Expo, Stand W485. [AMEInfo.com]

  

Lebanon: On behalf of the American University of Beirut (AUB) Board of Trustees, Dr. Thomas Q. Morris has announced that vice chair Philip S. Khoury, PhD will succeed him as chair of the University Board of Trustees. [AMEInfo.com]

  

Lebanon: Alfa, the mobile operator, announced more than 60% reduction in SMS prices for all postpaid and prepaid subscribers with effect from March 18, 2009. [AMEInfo.com]

  

A shipment of US-made military vehicles arrived in Beirut Monday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese Armed Forces, which said the delivery was part of an aid package "promised by the United States." Army Commander General Jean Kahwaji won a pledge for continued US military support during a 10-day visit to Washington last month.

  

The FORWARD Forum organized by Career Consultancy company CAREERS drew a large crowd of jobseekers of all experience levels, all of whom were hunting for new opportunities during the four-day recruitment fair. The fair is designed to match eager and qualified candidates with companies looking to fill vacancies and expand their resume databases.

  

SIDON, Lebanon, March 23 (UPI) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the bombing that killed No. 2 Palestinian leader Kamal Medhat and three of his bodyguards Monday in Lebanon.

  

The Monitor's Beirut correspondent finds action of the wintry variety in the Middle East.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 23 (UPI) -- The Lebanese military received a shipment at a Beirut port Monday of U.S.-manufactured reconnaissance vehicles as part of a Washington aid package.

  

The official, Kamal Midhat, was the deputy leader in Lebanon of Fatah, the mainstream Palestinian faction led by Mahmoud Abbas.

  

A Lebanese security official says a senior Fatah official has been killed in an explosion in southern Lebanon.

  

A bomb killed a senior official in the Palestinian Fatah faction and four other people in southern Lebanon Monday, security sources said.

  

March 23 (Bloomberg) -- A bomb killed at least four people in a convoy of Palestinian officials, including a local Palestine Liberation Organization leader, near the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, the Fatah movement said.

  

An explosion in southern Lebanon on Monday killed a senior Fatah official and three of his bodyguards as they were leaving a Palestinian refugee camp, Lebanese and Palestinian security officials said.

  

An explosion in southern Lebanon on Monday killed a senior Fatah official and three of his bodyguards as they were leaving a Palestinian refugee camp, Lebanese and Palestinian security officials said.

  

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A roadside bomb killed a senior official in the Palestinian Fatah faction and four other people in southern Lebanon on Monday, security sources said.

  

Beirut - A Palestine Liberation Organisation official along with three of his bodyguards were killed Monday when a roadside bomb targeted his convoy near a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, Lebanese army and Palestinian sources said. Kama...

  

The Palestinian political movement Fatah said one of its officials Kamal Medhat, the deputy head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in Lebanon, was killed by a roadside bomb there on Monday.

  

A roadside bomb killed a senior official in the Palestinian Fatah faction and four other people in southern Lebanon on Monday, security sources said.

  

BEIRUT (Reuters) - An explosion in southern Lebanon killed a senior official in the Palestinian Fatah faction and three other people, security sources said.

  

A senior representative of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon has been killed in a bombing, security officials say.

  

BEIRUT (Reuters) - An explosion badly damaged a car near a Palestinian camp in south Lebanon on Monday, witnesses said.

  

A top Palestinian official and four bodyguards were killed in a bombing on Tuesday at Mieh Mieh refugee camp near the southern Lebanese coastal city of Sidon, a Palestinian official told AFP.

  

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has agreed to lift the three-year deployment ban to Lebanon after the safety of Filipino workers in that Western Asian country was assured.

  

Hezbollah-led projects seek to transform Beirut's neglected southern suburbs into modern residential area.

  

Former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel said Sunday that Lebanon should be wary of foreign interventions and domestic armed groups on the road of rehabilitation, local Naharnet website reported. "Sovereignty can not be completed as long as some want to give a part of it to Iran, Syria or the Palestinians," Gemayel said in a conference gathering his Phalange party leaders in the eastern suburb of ...

  

BEIRUT, Mar 23, 2009 (AFP) - Salam Hassoun is thrilled by the new flat Hezbollah has built for her to replace the one Israeli bombs destroyed during the 2006 summer war on the Lebanese Shiite movement.

  

BEIRUT: Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud on Sunday called on delegates attending a conference of Arab interior ministers in Beirut to set up an anti-organized crime bureau to counter drug trafficking, immigrant smuggling and e-crime.

  

BEIRUT: Interior Minister Prince Naif yesterday denounced moves by certain interest groups to undermine the security and stability of Arab countries by creating suspicions about their governments as well as political, social and economic systems.

  

Source: Reuters * Bolani says expansion of police force on hold * Al Qaeda, other armed groups only remain in "pockets" By Tom Perry BEIRUT, March 22 (Reuters) - Lower oil prices have forced the ...

  

Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud on Sunday called on delegates attending a conference of Arab interior ministers in Beirut to set up an anti-organized crime bureau to counter drug trafficking, immigrant smuggling and e-crime. Baroud stressed in opening remarks at the 26th conference of the Arab Interior Ministers' Council held at the Phoenicia Hotel.

  

A Canadian-Lebanese national arrested for his alleged role in a 1980 Paris synagogue bombing is the victim of "anti-Arab" prejudices, a defense witness said Friday. Hassan Diab, 55, was arrested in November in an Ottawa suburb at the request of French authorities who want him extradited to stand trial for murder.

  

The secretary general of the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF), Abdou Diouf, gave a flattering address to students Friday at Beirut's University of Saint-Joseph where the former Senegalese president was invited to speak on the theme, "Francophonie: cultural choice, political engagement."

  

March 22 (Bloomberg) -- Iraq's interior minister has frozen the hiring of 66,000 new members of the security forces due to falling oil prices, a cutback that he said will not endanger U.S. plans to withdraw troops as the insurgency is in its 'final throes.?

  

The famous Lebanese artist Nancy Ajram denied that she will take time off from her music career due to her pregnancy during a recent press conference in Kuwait held prior to her performance at the 'Hala Febrayer' music festival.

  

The media in Lebanon is considered one of the most diverse in the Arab world. The outlets are closely related to its political and religious groups. As such, they have the power to raise or lower the temperature at will.

  

AFP/Tripoli, Lebanon Palestinian factions in Lebanon yesterday accused the Lebanese army of contaminating Iranian food aid destined for a refugee camp by using sniffer-dogs to search the shipment.

  

BEIRUT - A military spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon says five peacekeepers have been lightly injured during an accidental detonation of a smoke grenade.

  

"He was a fun-loving guy. He spent 20 years in the Marine Corps. He was in Beirut, Lebanon, Gulf War and on the invasion of Grenada. He spent time serving his country as a good citizen," said Chris Larsen, the brother of Paul Larsen.

  

Saturday, March 21 GREAT BARRINGTON - A New Lebanon, N.Y., woman has been charged with embezzling more than $24,000 from two Becket employers by allegedly over-paying herself and using company funds to purchase personal items, including James Taylor tickets and a stay at the Jiminy Peak ski resort.

  

Tree is omnipresent symbol of nation's identity The imposing, majestic cedar, which has defined Lebanon since biblical times, now faces a potentially bigger threat to its existence than war or political overkill: climate change. The Tribune's Liz Sly reports from Barouk, Lebanon.

  

BEIRUT: Syria has asked UN chief Ban Ki-moon to prevent his special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen from interfering in Damascus' relations with Lebanon and stick to his mandate, Al-Akhbar newspaper reported Friday.

  

Incumbent Lebanon Mayor Scott Abner is being challenged by political newcomer Anthony Buhl in the April 7 election, while Alderwoman Julie Haupt is attempting to retain her seat against challenger Jim Horneman.

  

A Canadian-Lebanese national arrested for his alleged role in a 1980 Paris synagogue bombing offered Thursday to wear an electronic monitoring anklet and accept other restriction on his movements if granted parole. Hassan Diab, 55, was arrested in November in a suburb of Canada's capital at the request of French authorities.

  

The Orient Institute in Beirut (OIB) issued a press statement on Friday saying numerous speculations were recently made in the media about the reasons why Tunisian author Moncef Marzouki was denied an entry visa to Lebanon. "The OIB, who had invited professor Marzouki to an academic lecture.

  

The president of Lebanon Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) Dani Richa said on Friday that Lebanon was going to have a pioneering media role in the region in the future. He added that Lebanon was the first market in the region to have introduced Television Audience Measurement Systems (TAM) in 1999.

  

BEIRUT (AFP) Three hundred Lebanese police officers have undergone training to protect four judges appointed to a UN tribunal to try the accused killers of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri, a security official said on Friday.

  

On March 11, Lebanon Police detectives arrested Washington state murder suspect Kenneth McBride.

  

LEBANON Six of the 16 people who applied to become the next superintendent of the Lebanon Community School District will be interviewed for the position, the Lebanon School Board has decided.

  

BEIRUT (AFP) - Three hundred Lebanese police officers have undergone training to protect four judges appointed to a UN tribunal to try the accused killers of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri, a security official said on Friday.

  

It's not often a party is held in Lebanon Municipal Court, but Jim Leak's retirement from law enforcement after almost 40 years was a worthy occasion.

  

A young chef from Lebanon got to show off her cooking skills on national television.

  

MANILA, Philippines - The honorary consul general of Lebanon to the Philippines on Friday welcomed the possible lifting of the deployment ban to the Mideastern country by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

  

Cartoons depict satirical view of Arab world eaten by totalitarianism, corruption, rampant unemployment, chronic violence.

  

BEIRUT: Maintaining good trade ties between Lebanon and China was the subject of discussions at the conference held Thursday at Crown Plaza hotel in Beirut.

  

A gas well fire in the Town of Lebanon rerouted traffic for hours on Thursday. Early reports say the morning fire began as drilling equipment was being removed from the well.

  

(IsraelNN.com) Wrapping up a three-day visit to France Wednesday night, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman explicitly rejected direct talks with Israel and praised Hizbullah for its military accomplishments.

  

Have Passport, Will Appropriate: Beirut's new album is under the Mexican influence.

  

Maintaining good trade ties between Lebanon and China was the subject of discussions at the conference held Thursday at Crown Plaza hotel in Beirut. Beirut traders association member Sabah Ramadan stressed on the importance of deepening commercial ties between Lebanon and China.

  

LEBANON Six of the 16 people who applied to become the next superintendent of the Lebanon Community School District will be interviewed for the position, the Lebanon School Board has decided.

  

Historic Downtown Lebanon, an organization devoted to promoting downtown Lebanon's businesses, attractions and history, has been named a member of a prestigious state program.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 19 (UPI) -- Lebanese President Michel Sleiman says he would support regional peace talks for the Middle East instead of direct talks with Israel.

  

Writing from Beirut - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says: "We need to focus on the three Ds-defense, diplomacy and development." No mention of another "D" word: democracy.

  

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman rejected the French call to hold bilateral talks with Israel, local As-Safier daily reported on Thursday. The Lebanese president returned Wednesday night to Beirut following a three-day official visit to Paris where he held talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and Prime Minister Franois Fillon. "France asked Lebanon to engage in bilateral and direct ...

  

Lebanon's Hezbollah Parliamentary block expressed relief Wednesday night, over the recent signs of inter-Arab reconciliation, and warned against the danger of Israeli practices, Al-Akhbar daily reported Thursday. In a statement following Wednesday night meeting, the block welcomed Arab reconciliation and rapprochements which lead to support Arab causes on top of the Palestinians. The recent ...

  

BEIRUT (AFP) - Lebanon's parliament on Thursday approved a bill lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 but the measure will not come into effect in time for the June parliamentary election.

  

Lebanon: InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the appointment of Haitham Mattar as Commercial Director Near East. [AMEInfo.com]

  

It is a sad tradition that the Lebanese to blame others for what ails their country; the blame falls on just about everyone. The photo shows Daniel Bellemare, prosecutor, Special Tribunal for Lebanon, at the Rafik al-Hariri tribunal on March 1. (ANP Photo via Newscom)

  

ISTANBUL, March 19 (Reuters) - Turkish fertiliser producer Bagfas said on Thursday it received an order worth $24 million for export to Iran. The order for 60,000 tonnes of DAP-type fertiliser is from Beirut-based Unifert, Bagfas said in a statement to the Istanbul Stock Exchange. Half of the order will be sent in May, and the rest in June, it said. Bagfas shares rose 2.4 percent to 64 lira at ...

  

( Editor's note: This is the second in a series of articles previewing the electoral districts likely to decide the outcome of the June 7 general elections.

  

Lebanon: Its crystal-clear that the best gift to present for a mother on her Day is that which keeps her connected to her beloved family and acquaintances, from this starting point, Alfa, the mobile operator, launched a special promotion in the occasion of the Mothers Day. [AMEInfo.com]

  

The contract of Lebanon High School girls basketball coach Tracey Hammel was not renewed at a school board meeting Tuesday night.

  

This week's confrontation between Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) head MP Michel Aoun and various March 14 coalition leaders over Nayla Tueni's parliamentary candidacy underscores the importance Aoun accords to the electoral battleground of Beirut's first district. Aoun a stalwart of the March 8 alliance, said.

  

Private career counseling, training, and human resource management services firm CAREERS could not have chosen a better time to open the doors of its ninth annual FORWARD recruitment forum this Thursday to the multitudes of Lebanese on the prowl for employment.

  

PARIS, March 18 (UPI) -- The June legislative elections in Lebanon were a sign the country was moving in the right direction in a new era of democracy, the Lebanese president said.

  

DAMASCUS, Syria, March 18 (UPI) -- Syria, which opened its first embassy in Lebanon in December, will appoint its ambassador to Beirut in the near future, the Syrian deputy foreign minister said.

  

Lebanon: The Faculty of Health Sciences in hosting a lecture on tobacco regulation as well as a symposium on the impacts of conflicts and wars on health today. <BR> <BR> [AMEInfo.com]

  

BEIRUT: The Lebanese Finance Ministry issued a statement Tuesday declaring a 90-percent decrease in the fines imposed on delayed tax payments collected by the ministry's directorate general.

  

BEIRUT, March 18 (Itar-Tass) - Russian authorities support the Special Tribunal for Lebanon but they speak against the politicizing of its activity, Mikhail Margelov, the chairman of foreign policy committee in the upper house of Russian parliament said here Tuesday.

  

BEIRUT - On Feb. 24, violent confrontations between Shiite pilgrims and the Saudi religious police and security forces occurred at the entrance to the prophet Muhammad's mosque in Medina. The timing and location of the clashes may have serious repercussions for domestic security, if not for the regime itself. Some 2,000 Shiite pilgrims gathered near the mosque that houses the prophet's tomb for ...

  

Israel deliberately flooded Lebanese farmlands with excess rainwater from an Israeli orchard, located off the southern town of Mais al-Jabal early Tuesday, ruining crops and properties, the state-run national news agency said.The Lebanese Army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) dispatched teams to look into the incident.

  

The commercial office at the Iraqi Embassy in Lebanon organized a meeting on Tuesday with representatives of the various economic sectors to introduce them to the commercial shopping center that is going to open this July under the supervision of the Iraqi Union for Development and Investment in Baghdad.

  

Lebanon police are looking for a vehicle that allegedly left the scene after striking two juveniles, sending one to the hospital.

  

Lebanon Midway Speedway will hold practice sessions April 4, 11 and 18 for all divisions of race cars scheduled to compete at the facility this season.

  

NICOSIA [MENL] -- The United Nations has conducted a military exercise meant to counter insurgency strikes near the Israeli-Lebanese border. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon staged an exercise meant to demonstration the ability of peace-keeping units to respond to Hizbullah or Al Qaida attacks on patrols in southern Lebanon.

  

Sport: Track. School: Lebanon High School. Class: Senior. Age: 18. Claim to fame: "I was a member of the 400 relay team that placed at state last year."

  

The Lebanon license office will be among the latest to go up for competitive bids, according to the Missouri Department of Revenue.

  

A large group of mourners have gathered at a Lebanese church to say goodbye to a fallen Canadian soldier from Mississauga, Ont.

  

BEIRUT - A prominent Tunisian opposition leader accused his government on Tuesday of pressuring Lebanon into denying him a visa for a lecture about democracy in the Arab world.

  

Beirut hostage joins 'pretty harmless' camp Former Beirut hostage Terry Waite has spoken out against attempts to extradite self-confessed Pentagon hacker Gary McKinnon to face a US trial.'

  

BEIRUT, March 17 (Reuters) - Lebanon's BLOM Bank said on Tuesday it had proposed a dividend of 5,500 Lebanese pounds ($3.65) a share on 2008 profits, unchanged from the previous year's level.

  

BEIRUT, March 17 (Reuters) - Lebanon's BLOM Bank said on Tuesday it had proposed a dividend of 5,500 Lebanese pounds ($3.65) a share on 2008 profits, unchanged from the previous year's level.

  

HEZBOLLAH HALTS MISSILE ATTACKS -- Hezbollah has not fired a single rocket from southern Lebanon or any other place into Israel since the summer 2006 war came to a halt. The photo shows people returning to their business office in southern Beirut after the ceasefire.

  

The leading Shiite cleric in Lebanon has issued an order that no bribes should be offered during the June parliamentary elections.

  

BEIRUT: About 25 young activists belonging to the Union of Lebanese Democratic Youth (ULDY) demonstrated outside a Beirut Starbucks Monday evening to protest the Seattle-based coffee shop's ties to Israel.

  

EDMONDS -- Fadl Khalil unfastened the legs of a folding table and set it upright on the kitchen floor. Minutes later, his 18-year-old daughter, Amera Khalil, covered it with a sheath of yellow fabric and colorful Lebanese prayer beads.

  

Lebanon: Indevco Paper Making, a division of the multinational Indevco Group, will exhibit at Tissue World 2009 from 24 - 26 March 2009 at Acropolis Palais des Expositions in Nice, France: Stand # D175. [AMEInfo.com]

  

More than 500 international delegates from across the globe will converge in Beirut to take part in Arabcom 2009, one of the biggest telecom summits in the Arab World.

  

Lebanon: More than 500 international delegates from across the globe will converge in Beirut to take part in Arabcom 2009, one of the biggest telecom summits in the Arab World. [AMEInfo.com]

  

Damascus/Beirut, March 16 : Lebanon Monday opened an embassy in neighbouring Syria for the first time in a step toward normalising relations.

  

DAMASCUS: Lebanon opened an embassy in Damascus for the first time yesterday, after international pressure on Syria to establish diplomatic ties and treat its smaller neighbour as a full sovereign country.

  

DOHA: The Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar will present Rubble, an exhibition by Lebanese artist Nada Sehnaoui, which will start tomorrow and last till April 15.

  

Unknown assailants removed the doors of eight public cemeteries and desecrated three graves near the Lady of Deliverance church in the coastal city of Jbeil, northern Beirut, a police report said on Monday. The Internal Security Forces began investigations into the matter.

  

About 25 young activists belonging to the Union of Lebanese Democratic Youth (ULDY) demonstrated outside a Beirut Starbucks Monday evening to protest the Seattle-based coffee shop's ties to Israel. Members handed out leaflets and shouted slogans outside the store, catching the attention of passers-by.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 16 (UPI) -- Lebanon's relations with its neighbors should be the foundation for rebuilding national independence, the platform for the March 14 coalition said.

  

BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 16 (UPI) -- Talking with the political wing of Hezbollah is part of the wider engagement with the Lebanese government, said British government spokesman John Wilks.

  

NEW YORK - Any rapprochement between Israel and the Palestinians beyond a temporary ceasefire seems rather improbable at the moment. However, the Golan Heights' and Shebaa Farms' territories contested between Israel, Syria and Lebanon could spearhead a peace process in the Middle East now actively pursued by the Obama administration. A peace agreement with Syria and Lebanon could energize the ...

  

Lebanese President Michel Sleiman kicked off a three-day state visit to France Monday, holding talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy who pledged his full support for the reconciliation process in Lebanon.

  

The head of Lebanon's Western-backed majority bloc in parliament, Saad Hariri, said on Monday that the general election in June will be a straight choice between Hezbollah and the country's sovereignty.

  

The Philippines has proposed a labor agreement with Lebanon on the deployment of household service workers in a bid to open up new jobs in the Middle East country.

  

Lebanon on Monday opened an embassy in Syria, sealing the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the long-feuding rivals for the first time since they gained independence from France in the 1940s.

  

Three people were injured in an accident at 7:30 a.m. today at State Drive and Linden Road, South Lebanon Twp. police said. Kirsten E. Clemens, 17, of the 1600 block of Greenwood Drive, and an unnamed male passenger were taken to Hershey Medical Center, police said.

  

A South Lebanon Twp. man died Friday night after his vehicle struck a tree and utility pole guide wire at 11:40 p.m. in the 1800 block of South Fifth Avenue, police said.

  

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - A Lebanese embassy opened in Damascus on Monday after international pressure on the Syrian government to establish diplomatic ties and treat its smaller neighbor as a fully sovereign country.

  

Lebanon opened its first embassy in Syria on Monday, five months after the neighbours established diplomatic ties following decades of turbulent relations.

  

Lebanon's charge d'affaires Rami Murtada raised Monday the national flag for the first time over the embassy headquarters in Damascus' Abu Rummaneh Street, local Naharnet website reported. With the flag hoisting, the first-ever Lebanese embassy has been inaugurated in Syria five months after the two neighbors established diplomatic ties following decades of turbulent relations. However, local ...

  

Lebanon has opened its first ever embassy in Syria in another sign of improving ties between the long-feuding neighboring countries.

  

A United Nations investigation into the killing implicated Syrian officials. Syria denied any involvement in Hariri's death and other political killings in Lebanon.

  

DAMASCUS, March 16 (RIA Novosti) - Lebanon officially opened its embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Monday for the first time since the countries gained independence in the 1940s, a RIA Novosti correspondent said.

  

Associated Press - March 16, 2009 7:33 AM ET DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Lebanon has opened its first ever embassy in Syria in another sign of improving ties between the long-feuding neighboring...

  

Lebanon opens its first embassy in the Syrian capital after decades of turbulence with its powerful Arab neighbour.

  

Lebanon's first ever embassy on Monday was inaugurated in Damascus as the charge d?affiares raised the Lebanese flag over the embassy headquarters.

  

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A curious consensus has emerged in the Middle East to support Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, seen as a victim of Western malice, regardless of his innocence or guilt.

  

Moody's Investors Service says that the government of Lebanon's recent voluntary debt exchange is supportive of its B3 ratings.

  

BEIRUT -- The news this past week was a sign of the times, and of the days ahead: The British government said it was resuming contacts with the civilian wing of Hezbollah, and the American government said it was interested in exploring contacts with "moderates" among the Taliban in Afghanistan who might be separated from the more extremist faction allied with Al-Qaida.

  

BEIRUT: The 2009 survey of the world's most expensive office locations in 57 cities around the world by property consultants Cushman & Wakefield ranked Beirut as the 33rd most-expensive city worldwide and the third-most expensive among six cities in the Middle East & Africa region included in the rankings, as reported by Lebanon This Week, the economic publication of the Byblos Bank Group.

  

BEIRUT: The Lebanese successfully swapped $2.1 billion in Eurobonds to finance the public debt, the Finance Ministry said. "The Lebanese Republic launched a voluntary debt exchange offer for any-or-all of selected notes maturing in 2009 for new longer-dated notes.

  

Visiting British government spokesman John Wilks on Sunday defended the country's decision to open contacts with Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, the official Petra news agency reported. "We support the Lebanese government and the Lebanese regime. Therefore, how can we play this role without holding contacts with the various parties represented in the government?" Wilks said at a press ...

  

Allegedly locked in a blood feud with a rival Lebanese family, Abdul Darwiche was a man with a troubled past as he took six children to a fast food restaurant in Sydney's Bass Hill.

  

Prime Minister Fouad Siniora welcomed on Sunday recent efforts toward Arab rapprochement, saying that Lebanese-Syrian reconciliation would benefit Lebanon. Speaking during an interview with Al-Jazeera news channel, Siniora said Lebanon would "benefit the most from Arab reconciliation."

  

Senior US diplomats are planning to persuade the Israeli government to pull troops out of Lebanese territory in the border village of Ghajar before parliamentary elections in June, media reports have said.Jeffrey Feltman, a state department official and former US ambassador to Lebanon, will try to convince the new Israeli government.

  

Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir urged the Lebanese during his Sunday sermon to vote during the June 7 elections for candidates who will defend their basic rights. "Voters must know who they will be choosing to defend their basic rights," Sfeir said. "They must not forget the proverb 'whoever buys you shall sell you.'"

  

Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri said on Saturday Lebanon would be the first to benefit from a Syrian-Israeli peace deal, adding that Syrian-Saudi rapprochement is needed in order to unite the Arab stance on the Arab Peace Initiative. In an interview with Radio France International, Hariri said.

  

Charles Springer proudly displaying the Ranglers front page picture in the Lebanese publication La Revue Du Liban. Published on: 3/15/2009. IN BEIRUT, Lebanon, a group of eight musicians waited in a nightclub dressing room. They were called onto the stage one by one.

  

Source: Reuters By Alistair Lyon, Special Correspondent BEIRUT, March 15 (Reuters) - A curious consensus has emerged in the Middle East to support Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, seen as a victim of Western ...

  

BEIRUT, March 15, 2009 (AFP) - Lebanese President Michel Sleiman visitsFrance on Monday as his country prepares to open its first ever embassy informer powerbroker Syria and ge