on the future of the Lebanese-Syrian relations. A Saudi delegation is expected to visit Damascus before the end of the week to present Hariri's answers to Syrian president Bashar al Assad.
Yes, this is Lebanon ...where the people vote, but someone else decides for them.
Syria through its allies the Hezbollah-led opposition continues to exert influence in Lebanon and wants to be completely satisfied with Hariri 's answers before giving the green light to Hezbollah. Saudi Arabia is mediating between Lebanon and Syria on this issue .
Based on media reports the math formula 15-10-5 is the most serious formulation that is being considered for the government formation. This formulation allocates 15 ministerial portfolios for the majority, 10 for the minority and 5 for the president. This formulation gives the president much more power , at the expense of the majority but at the same time does not provide the minority with the veto power it has been after.
Thursday
07:50 pm President Barack Obama said that Russia's PM Putin was someone who has "one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new" and stressed that Russia must understand that "old Cold War approaches" to relations with the US belong in the past.
O7:30 pm The Washington Post: The White House says Vice President Joe Biden is in Iraq to visit U.S. troops and meet with Iraqi leaders, including President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. He will reiterate the U.S. commitment to carry out President Barack Obama's plan to withdraw combat forces. He also will press Iraqi leaders to make more progress toward political reconciliation.
7:25pm Premier-designate Saad Hariri is offering his condolences to the family of victim Zeina al-Miri in Aicha Bakkar.
7:00 Interior ministry: A Sikorsky N61 firefighting helicopter, which was delivered, to Lebanon two weeks ago, was used for the first time to extinguish a fire in al-Qmatiyeh using 4000 liters of water.
07:10pm March 14 coordinator Fares Soueid rejected Thursday a visit to Syria by the PM-designate Saad Hariri before the formation of the government. "A visit to Syria before a government has been formed for the aim of facilitating the process is rejected both by Hariri and (March 14)," he added
05:10 pm Japan's ambassador to the Vienna-based IAEA, Yukiya Amano was elected by the IAEA's 35-member board of governors as the new chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency to succeed Mohammad al-Baradei
04:58pm Al Markaziyah sources: Hezbollah's Shura Council held a meeting recently and decided not to participate in the new government
04:56pm One person was arrested in Moamalatain when he tried to rent a car using false documents
04:55pm Internal security forces arrested 3 in Akkar wanted in the smuggling of foreigners theft crimes
04:10 pm CNN: Employers in the US cut more jobs than expected in June and unemployment rate climbed for the ninth straight month, hitting 9.5%.
04:04pm US ambassador Sison: The US will is committed to its support for Lebanon and especially its internal security forces
03:46 Riffi : The high technical capabilities of the internal security forces spared Lebanon the terrorism plots and delivered the knockout blow to the espionage and intelligence infrastructure of the enemy
03:40pm a series of fires in the Koura were extinguished by the civil defense
03:40 pm Lebanon's new firefighting helicopter put to use for first time, extinguishes blaze in Aley district
3:30pm Caretaker PM Siniora received Army Commander Jean Kahwaji and the Secretary-General of the Higher Defense Council Gen. Saeed Eid. Discussions focused on military affairs and security measures.
02:15 pm President Michel Suleiman kicks off Beiteddine International Festival
2:12pm President Suleiman paid tribute to security and military efforts for arresting those disturbing the peace.
01:38pm Sakr: Cabinet will be formed, but the formula has not yet been decided
1:15pm A truck overturned at Mdeirej bridge on the international highway, injuring its driver and causing heavy traffic.
12:35pm Hezbollah in response to Ban’s UN report on resolution 1701: Ban should have condemned and held Israel responsible for crimes and their consequences.
12:15pm President Michel Suleiman discussed latest developments with Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh.
11:50 AP Iran's former president Mohammad Khatami has joined ranks with the country's embattled reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, and accused the Iranian government of failing its people in the recent election and condemning the subsequent crackdown on protesters.
11:42 Qubaissi told OTV: The investigation will reveal who is responsible for the Aisha Bakkar riots and the death of Zaina Al Miri and this is what we are calling for and we do not want to point fingers at anyone
11:28 Minister karam: The plane that were donated to Lebanon was not used in extinguishing the fire because there was no crew to command
11:15 Army units worked to support the helicopters of the Lebanese Air Force in collaboration with the Lebanese civil defense forces to fight the fires which broke out in several areas
11:02 Senior Syrian source: The Saudi Arabian-Syrian summit will be held on July 16 in Damascus in the presence of Hariri
10:52 The phone lines are still cut off in the Bikirki and specifically the patriarchal headquarters since yesterday
10:48 Patriarch Sfeir met with the ambassadors of Britain, Uruguay
10:42 Al Bayan sources: President Suleiman is hoping to get 5 Ministerial posts representing the major religious sects and is insisting on keeping Interior minister Baroud and defense minister Murr
10:33 Hariri sources: giving up is out of the question for Hariri , will be forming the government and will leave the door for concessions wide open
10:30 Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea: " All those calling for dialogue with Damascus every time there is an internal political event are disregarding the sacrifices and the blood spilled by martyrs, " He said and criticized those who allegedly "behave as if the March 14 forces didn't win the June 7 parliamentary elections". He accused the March 8 opposition of "making demands that obstruct democratic and political life in the country "
10:25 Al Anbaa source : the chances of have improved for Bahij Tabbarah and Kamel Mihanna to join the government as part of the president's share
10:22 Iraqi Vice President called Berri and Hariri and congratulated them on being selected to head the parliament and the government respectively
10:20 Reuters - The sole survivor of a Yemeni jet that plunged into deep water while attempting to land on the Indian Ocean archipelago of Comoros was reunited with her father back in France early on Thursday.
10:05 MP Antoine Zahra told LBC: The Syrian regime is giving us a choice between veto power and normalization of ties and forgetting about what happened in Lebanon. This is a return of Syrian meddling in internal Lebanese affairs.
10:00 MP Dory Chamoun told Future TV : Everyone has an interest in formation of cabinet as soon as possible. This requires some concessions.
09:12 Al Mustaqbal sources: The spiritual summit will ask all sides in Beirut to withdraw completely their weapons and their gunmen from the capital
08:59 sources: Aoun is seeking to be represented in the government by four Maronites, 1 Catholic , 1 Druze and 1 Armenians to help him with all communities
08:48 MP Jisr told al Anbaa : Jumblatt's talk about "Lebanon First" requires clarification from him , before I can express my opinion and the motto in question is not coincidental
08:45 " Voice of Lebanon": Bikirki and surrounding region is complaining about telephone line interruptions since yesterday due to work carried out by the municipality in the region
08:32 "The Voice of Lebanon:" The security forces managed to arrest the gunmen who shot at the Al-Hariri educational development compound and he is from the Al-Dirani family
8:30 Former MP Samir Franjiyeh told VOL: Formation of a cabinet, which is not likely to be soon, requires that the opposition admits to its defeat during the elections.
08:29 Hariri left last night to Jeddah to follow up the results of the Riyadh- Damascus consultations and returned to Beirut at dawn
08:06 Future TV: Internal Security Forces detain one person for kidnapping and robbing AUB students in Jebeil
07:40 AFP - Iranian presidential election runner up Mir Hossein Mousavi renewed a demand for a complete re-run of the vote and pledged to help set up a new group to defend citizen's rights.
07:35 Yassin Jaber, the "Voice of Lebanon:" Hariri operates in secrecy which will help to accelerate the formation of the government and we hope that the Syrian Saudi Arabia reconciliation will reflect positively on this issue
7:30 Interior Minister Ziad Baroud told VOL: What happened in Aisha Bakkar is unacceptable. It is our duty to provide maximum security to citizens.
07:14 Berri told "Al-Nahar:" I'm not going to accept that the blood of martyred Zaina el Miri to go to waste ...I consider her like my daughter
07:10 French diplomatic sources: our attention was focused on a perfect election battle and that is exactly how it was , unlike what is happening in many neighboring countries.
07:00 The formula 15-10-5 is being considered the most serious formulation for the government formation ( 15 ministerial portfolios for the majority , 10 for the minority and 5 for the president )
06:48 Berri and Khojah discussed over the phone the outcome of the Syrian Saudi discussions
06:36 President Suleiman is planning to participate in the Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement to be held on July 15 and 16 and the sources did not rule out the formation of the government before this date
06:36 Political sources did not rule out the forming of a government before July 15
06:29 A key opposition leader : the new government will see the light within two weeks
06:07 Neither the French, nor the Syrians are predicting that Hezbollah will be obstructive with regards to the government formation
05:57 A Saudi delegation will visit Damascus before the end of the week to present Hariri answers on the future of the Lebanese-Syrian relations
05:55 French source denies that the Syrians are insisting on a obstructive one third in the government for the opposition
05:42 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad expressed willingness receive the Prime Minister designate Hariri and welcomes his participation in any future summit
05:37 Damascus is looking forward for a national unity government in Lebanon that will be able to govern without constraints
05:25 Sources : the talk about various summits (bilateral or trilateral ) is strictly speculation at this time
Wednesday
09:50pm Minister Marouni told "Future News": We are sorry to see that one of the groups is still affected by decisions of foreign States.
09:45pm Minister Aoun told "Future News": We see a retreat in Hariri's role with regards to the formation of the government in favor of the Foreign moves as if we are unable to form a government that is "Made in Lebanon"
09:34pm prime minister designate Saad Hariri, left for Jeddah this evening
08:27pm judicial police raided some areas of Brital and seized stolen cars and arrested one of the suspects
08:26pm army command announced the arrest of 21 people that took part in the Aisha Bakkar riots
08:15pm OTV : the Lebanese army arrested on Tuesday afternoon, four people from the al Mustaqbal that were involved in Aisha Bakkar riots
08:08pm Interior minister Baroud told New TV: The fire-fighting helicopters are part of the air force, but require special training and we cannot use before the completion of the training which is a matter of days
07:43pm The Hariri Educational Development Complex in Sidon was subjected to gunfire on Wednesday evening by some
