Time shown on the left is the local time in Beirut, Lebanon

may be possible in order to discuss the cabinet status .

The focus shifted Monday from the government formation to the violence in Tripoli as the Hezbollah backed opposition fought the pro-government forces . The fighting ended after an agreement was reached at the home of the Tripoli Mufti and after ten people were killed and another 50 wounded .

The agreement called for the army to deploy in Jabal Mohsin and Bab al-Tabbaneh.

Prime Minister - Designate Fouad Siniora was in Vienna on Monday to attend the Donor conference for rebuilding the Nahr el bared palestinian refugee camp. $122 million were pledged by the European and western countries and the Arab countries pledged to contribute half the cost of rebuilding the camp and the surrounding villages

When Siniora returns Tuesday he is expected to get active in trying to form the cabinet . The distribution of the sovereign ministries continues to be the sticking point . General Aoun supported by Hezbollah is still insisting on having a sovereign ministry and at the same time is opposing the allocation of the ministry of defense to Elias Murr, whom the president seems to trust the most for this post.

Tuesday

22:43 Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini: Shebaa Farms provided a pretext for "Hezbollah" to exist there with its arms and if we removed that excuse , this would help the government of Premier Fouad Siniora to disarm all the militias

22:21 Mosbah el Ahmad told LBC:" it is illogical to accept that there is something called resistance , if there is no apology from what has happened

22:03 US Charge d'affaires in Lebanon Michelle Sison returned to Beirut via Paris this evening. She left last week to the US after he motorcade was attacked by Hezbollah supporters in south Lebanon

21:30 "The Middle East News Agency": spokesman for the Egyptian presidency confirms his country's support for placing of the Shebaa Farms under United Nations jurisdiction

22:43 Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini: Shebaa Farms provided a pretext for "Hezbollah" to exist there with its arms and if we removed that excuse , this would help the government of Premier Fouad Siniora to disarm all the militias

22:21 Mosbah el Ahmad told LBC:" it is illogical to accept that there is something called resistance , if there is no apology from what has happened

22:03 US Charge d'affaires in Lebanon Michelle Sison returned to Beirut via Paris this evening. She left last week to the US after he motorcade was attacked by Hezbollah supporters in south Lebanon

21:30 "The Middle East News Agency": spokesman for the Egyptian presidency confirms his country's support for placing of the Shebaa Farms under United Nations jurisdiction

20:35 the wife of one of the Israeli prisoners detained by Hezbollah said that Israeli PM Olmert will be requesting the Israeli cabinet this coming Sunday to approve the prisoner swap with Hezbollah

20:00 LBC: The president and MP Samir Franjiyeh denied al Markaziyeh's report that they met today at the presidential palace

17:44 Tripoli mourns two of its martyrs Abdel Rahim el Lababidi and Khaled Shamra , both killed in the recent clashes in the northern capital

16:53 "al Markaziyeh ": PM Siniora refused to comment on the attacks of Gen. Aoun . He said General Aoun" is free to say what he wants but this is the wrong way to deal with this critical situation"

15:40 PM Siniora after meeting with President Suleiman: contacts will continue with all parties including Gen. Aoun to resolve the obstacles facing the forming of a government and the current security conditions. The Interior Minister should be neutral. Continuing the policy of disruption will not yield any solutions

15:01 The spiritual leaders started departing from the presidential palace and the president and PM Siniora are currently holding a bilateral meeting

14:45 MP Saad Hariri departs to Doha on a business related trip

14:25-MP Mohammad Haj Hassan: Our solidarity with the change and reform bloc and and Gen. Aoun for its legitimate rights in accordance with its parliamentary representation is part of the sincere solidarity among the opposition parties

13:36 The Spiritual Summit issued a statement

13:17 Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Speaker Nabih Berri arrived at the Baabda presidential palace.

12:24 President Michel Suleiman delivers a speech at the spiritual summit in Baabda

12:15 Spiritual summit begins in Baabda.

11:34 The heads of various religious sects have started arriving at the Baabda presidential palace to participate in the spiritual summit.

10:48 An explosion was heard in the area separating Jabal Mohsin and Bab al-Tabbaneh, which could have been caused by unexploded ordinance left over from recent clashes in the region.

09:14 MP Antoine Zahra to the Voice of Lebanon radio station: The other party wants to achieve maximum gains to use in the upcoming legislative elections. I call on the Lebanese army to disarm all those who possess weapons in order to control things.

09:11 MP Zahra: The electoral law cannot be partially adopted.

08:47 MP Boutros Harb to the Voice of Lebanon radio station: Speaker Nabih Berri will not call for a session on adopting the electoral law, which cannot be passed quickly because it needs to be discussed thoroughly in order to improve the agreement and reassure the Christians over the divisions of some districts.

07:32 Minister Talal Al-Sahili to the Voice of Lebanon radio station: The delay in establishing the government will lead to a lack of balance and to a dangerous situation similar to how it is now in some regions. The commissioned prime minister must not spare any efforts and must consult with all parties so that they can establish the cabinet. The president also has the right to give his opinion on every issue.

07:12 "Al Akhbar ": Berri is examining the decision to call for a parliament session to discuss the electoral law, but it is not likely the majority will attend such a session and will insist the government should be formed first . General Aoun has asked Berri to call for this session

06:56 President Suleiman is being careful about revealing his real position regarding the government on the other hand he sees nothing wrong in his insistence that Elias Murr should be the defense minister, despite all the criticism and comments . General Aoun has been the most vocal in is criticism against Murr

06:51 "New TV ": President Suleiman interested in preparing a draft statement at the end of the spiritual summit in conformity with his inaugural speech after he was elected the president

06:05 "An-Nahar": a meeting may be held on the sidelines of the spiritual conference between president Suleiman, PM Siniora and speaker Berri on the issue of government formation and the obstacles this process is facing

06;01 An Nahar : In an interview the Mufti of Tripoli and North Lebanon Sheikh Malek Al Shaar said "Tripoli is comfortable with what happened yesterday. This was not a truce but a true agreement between two brothers living in one city." He said . He called on the citizens to "receive the army with flowers and rice, along with chanting ". He expressed confidence that "the problem ended." He explained that "the problem is not sectarian, but is in response to the political conflict." He was referring to the fighting that started Sunday and ended Monday afternoon after the army deployed in the area

06:00 spiritual summit will be held at the presidential palace starting at 11 a.m. today. 14 religious leaders from all sects in Lebanon confirmed that they would attend

05:51 Israel formally began its first steps yesterday to blow up a deal to exchange prisoners with «Hezbollah». This came about after Israel found out that the two captive Israeli soldiers, they were going to exchange with Hezbollah priosoners are most probably dead

05:49 Rice: The Palestinian-Israeli talks should not be affected by the Syrian-Israeli talks . Warming up in the Lebanese - Israeli is a possibility

05:39 Siniora told reporters on the sidelines of the Vienna: the contribution made by the four Arab Gulf states namely Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, would amount to 50% while the rest will be provided by the international community. He was referring to the donor conference for rebuilding the Nahr el bared camp

05:35 Berri's visitors told "As safir": Berri turned into a fire extinguisher , since he has beein extinguishing fires in Bekaa , Masnaa and now Tripoli area

05:33 Responding to a question from the "As safir " on whether pro-government forces will respond to an invitation Berri to the parliament , one of the members of his bloc said " In the past they accused him of locking the parliament , now they will accuse him of opening the parliament

Monday

23:20 Minister Marwan Hamadeh told Future TV: the forces that did not hesitate to invade Beirut and tried to invade mount Lebanon , today is trying to transfer its violence to the north . The people are no longer asking us for anything nowadays except for weapons and we of course are opposed to that because we strongly believe in and trust our security institutions

23:15 Kabbara: Isnt it ironic that the violence moved to the northern capital after Gen. Aoun made false accusations?

22:10 Russian Foreign Ministry : Tripoli clashes constitute a direct violation of the Doha accord and complicates its implementation, particularly with regard to the formation of the government . It is a step back

20:48 PM Siniora visited the Austrian president and Prime minister to discuss the results of the Vienna donor conference and to thank them for their support

20:40 Gemayel The time has come for Hezbollah to explain to the Lebanese people by what it means by" the Islamic resistance is a permanent project in Lebanon".

19:00 Austrian Foreign Minister: The Donor conference in Vienna was able to raise $122 million U.S. dollars in pledges for the reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared camp and surrounding villages. The funds were pledged by European and Western countries . UNRWA has requested $450 million and the Arab nations according to PM Siniora pledged to pay for half the cost ( about $225 million ). This means that another donor conference is needed to raise about $113 million in order to rebuild the camp and surrounding villages ( corrected)

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