Thursday, November 27
20:20 The SSNP, in a statement, declared "regret" for the Harqous attack and said it turned over to security forces the person involved in the attack.
19:45 Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri condemned the attacks in Wednesday night attacks inMumbai and said such crimes were rejected by all the world’s laws and religions. In a press release issued on Thursday, Hariri called for solidarity in the fight against terrorism, which he said, had no religion. He offered condolences behalf of his movement and MPs, to the people of India, and said he hoped they would succeed in defeating the threat they faced.
19:01 March 14 youth groups: Attack on Future News journalist a continuation of the May invasion
18:41 A sit-in to protest the assault on Future News journalist Omar Harqous will be held tomorrow at noon outside the station’s headquarters.
18:30 March 14 Forces denounced the attack by March 8 "pro-Syria mercenaries"against Future Television Reporter and called for a sit-in on Friday by media personnel.
18:15 Information Minister Tarek Mitri said that the attack against journalist Omar Harqous, who was assaulted on Hamra street Thursday, was an attempt to undermine the freedom and dignity of the press. Mitri called for taking immediate measures against the attackers, and said that it was crucial that all political factions seek to limit violence against journalists, which, the minister added, was always unacceptable no matter the context.
16:36 Sources tell NOW Lebanon that some 15 Syrian Socialist National Party supporters attacked Omar Harqous, a journalist, on Hamra street. Harqous has been transferred to a hospital.
15:42 UAE foreign minister left Beirut to Abu Dhabi following a two-day visit
15:32 Secretary General of the Baath Party in Lebanon Former Minister Fayez Shouker said met with Marada leader Sleiman Franjieh said that Phalange President Amin Gemayel shared the interests of the “Israeli enemy.” He added that March 14 would lose in the 2009 parliamentary elections because the national mood had changed and the truth was becoming apparent to the Lebanese people.
15:18 Iraqi parliament approves security agreement.
14:38 Family of assassinated Progressive Socialist Party Saleh Aridi presented Prosecutor General with a compliant against an unknown for assassinating him.
14:20 MP Saad Hariri following his meeting with Egyptian President Mubarak: President Mubarak has reiterated his support to Lebanon, its independence and that Lebanon and Egypt’s security are one.
14:18 The cabinet will convene in the presidential palace in Baabda at 5 p.m. rather than 6 p.m., as some media had reported.
14:15 National Block Party following its meeting: The abundance of arms among the Lebanese and provocative speeches by some leaders facilitate acts of violence.
14:05 Minister of Public Works and Transportation Ghazi Aridi placed cornerstone for building three bridges in Tripoli.
14:00 UAE FM Zayed Bin Al-Nehayan invited PM Saniora to visit: We have to seriously work on preparing ourselves and peoples on how best to handle upcoming economic conditions.
13:11 French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the Special Tribunal for Lebanon that will try suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri was final and "not to be bargained with."
"The international tribunal is now in U.N. hands," Kouchner told al-Watan al-Arabi magazine. In response to a question on whether Syria would suggest canceling the tribunal as a condition to "cooperation," Kouchner said: "This is impossible since the tribunal is now in the hands of the United Nations."
"We had spoken to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and he told us that he was not interested in the international tribunal," Kouchner added. "Let the U.N. system do its job," Kouchner quoted Assad as telling him during a visit to Damascus in August.
12:45 MP Akram Chehayeb held discussion talks in Cairo with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit.
11:45 Pope may visit Israel in 2009. A Vatican spokesman said on Thursday that Pope Benedict XVI is considering a visit to Israel next year. "There are contacts at a diplomatic level to study the possibility of carrying out this trip next year," he said. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz also reported on Thursday that the visit will be scheduled for May 2009 and will be an effort to end the increased tension of recent months between the Catholic Church and the Jewish State over the initiative to canonize Pope Pius XII.
11:33 Resistance MP Hassan Hobballah calls for cabinet accountability. He added that President Michel Sleiman’s visit to Iran, which he said aimed to consolidate bilateral relations, was one of the president’s most important visits. He also said that his bloc did not participate in Independence Day because most of the members were travelling and some had social engagements.
11:13 Report: Sleiman requests medium-sized weapons for LAF on Tehran visit
10:37 Minister of Justice Ibrahim Najjar announces the opening of the Arab Justice Ministers Conference at the Grand Serail.
7:30 State Minister Ibrahim Shamseddine to VDL: Administrative appointments should not be made through a quota system.
Wednesday, November 26
23:50 The Kuwaiti daily Al-Siyassa reports that Hizbullah has completed the purchase of all land between Lebanon's Beqa'a and South Lebanon provinces, and has begun to set up villages and cities on it to house its supporters. A security source said that Hizbullah could cut the two provinces off from each other if it so wished. It was also reported that the organization had completed the acquisition of lands on the Sidon-Beirut coastal road.
23:30 Lebanon's banking sector is weathering the global financial crisis and profits are expected to increase by 10 per cent this year, the Central Bank governor said Wednesday, in a reflection of the country's ability to rebound from a legacy of adversity.
Riad Salameh attributed the growth in the banking sector, which comes at a time when a liquidity crisis has gutted some of the world's top banking giants, to strict regulations imposed by the Central Bank, including a cash reserve requirement of 15 per cent.
22:32 Lebanese citizen Fouad Ghanem was killed by a mysterious blast that ripped through his apartment in the northern suburb of Zouk Mikael late Wednesday. Police said the death of Ghanem, 23, was instantaneous. The nature of the blast could not be immediately established. Police sappers were rushed to the blast scene to launch an investigation. Initial reports by privately-owned radio stations said Ghanem committed suicide by detonating a bomb due to a failed love affair. Police withheld comment, however.
22:00 Future Movement MP Samir Jisr said on Wednesday that he expected a series of assassinations aiming to eliminated major candidates in the run-up to the 2009 parliamentary elections. He added that the elections would be momentous as they would answer the question of whether the people supported sovereignty or dependency.
Jisr also warned of efforts to frighten the residents of North Lebanon and undermine their electoral will.
21:57 Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Wednesday accused Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh of relaying a Syrian message by predicting more assassinations.
"These are Syrian words spelled out by a Lebanese mouth," Geagea said of remarks made by Franjieh recently in a media interview.
He said visits to Syria by Lebanese politicians spark "suspicion" in light of the "pending problem" and charges that Damascus is blamed for 20 assassination operations in Lebanon.
He expressed hope that Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun would not visit Syria "especially that we had been together in confronting the Syrian viewpoint regarding Lebanon."
Threats that had been made by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak should be "taken seriously because they are directed at Iran and could target Lebanon because the Israelis view Hizbullah as part of the Iranian army," according to Geagea.
21:40 Security leaders from Hezbollah, the Progressive Socialist Party and the Lebanese Democratic Party issued a joint statement that stressed the need for a stable atmosphere in the Mountain after the decisions made in Khaldeh, which brought a truce to the area following the May events.
After a meeting at the home of LDP leader Talal Arslan, the leaders vowed that their organizations would not tolerate those who breached security, no matter their party affiliation.
21:14 Unofficial AUB student election results: out the 109 contested seats, March 14 wins 50, March 8 wins 34 and Jordanians win 5, with independents taking the rest.
21:06 Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri arrives in Cairo to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Moubarak.
