equal to quarter of the country's population.

"It's enormous - we have never seen this before," Tourism ministry director Nada Sardouk remarked.

Reservations for the holy month of Ramadan, which starts around August 22, are 'very strong,' the Sardouk added

What is interesting about the new record is its composition

About 325, 000 Lebanese expatriates
An equal number of Syrians
About 79,000 Europeans from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
A substantial rise in the number of Saudi Arabians and tourists from other Arab states

According to observers this number shows that all Lebanon needs is peace for its tourism industry to flourish

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt who recently upset many in the west by announcing that he will be pulling out from the pro-western March 14 alliance commented about the last speech of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah :

"The most important point in Nasrallah's speech is the ruling out of a war in the near future"

Meanwhile the bickering between the opposition and the majority alliance continues

Each side is blaming the other for the delay in government formation

It has been 8 weeks since Hariri was appointed as the PM -designate by the president and asked to form a government, but this government won't see the light anytime soon. Free Patriotic Movement leader General Michel Aoun appears to be the main obstacle for now . Hariri has invited him for lunch a week ago and so far Aoun has not responded. Aoun wants 5 cabinet portfolios , including the ministry of interior and is insisting on including his son-in-law Gebran Bassil in the cabinet.

The ministry of interior is a red line because of Aoun's alliance with Hezbollah and besides the president wants this ministry along with the ministry of defense for security reasons

Bassil is also a red line because he failed in the parliamentary election and performed poorly as a minister of communication

Since Aoun derives his power from Hezbollah and its arms the majority has been urging Hezbollah to put pressure on Aoun to cooperate

No one now expects a government before Ramadan, but they don’t tell you which Ramadan.... 2009 or 2010 ?

Governments don’t do much in Lebanon anyway ...so as long as the whole process of government formation remains peaceful; Lebanon should be ok and should be able to reclaim its title as the "Switzerland of the Middle East".

Monday

10:40 pm Times Online: A suicide bomber rammed a truck loaded with explosives into a police station in the southern Russian republic of Ingushetia today, killing 20 people and wounding 138 more, including several children.

10:30 pm VOA : Voters in Afghanistan go to the polls Thursday to decide whether to re-elect President Hamid Karzai to another five year term or choose one of about than 30 other candidates who say they have a plan to lead the impoverished country

10:10 pm Telegraph.co.uk :The missing cargo ship Arctic Sea and its crew have been found by a Russian warship off west Africa, but mystery still surrounds its disappearance as it was not under the control of armed hijackers or pirates.

10:06pm Hezbollah MP Hajj Hassan: The present US administration is a poor copy of the Bush administration

08:43pm The Saudi cabinet issued a statement in which it stated that it has full confidence in the ability of the Lebanese to form a cabinet of national unity

08:31pm Central News Agency : a meeting between Hariri and Nasrallah is expected this week

08:13pm MP Oqab Saqr told New TV: The one that demands an important role for the president should never ask for the ministry of interior. If Aoun wants a sovereign ministry he should try to get it from his allies in the Hezbollah-led oppoistion and I advise the general to distance himself from his son-in-law

08:08 pm MP Boutros Harb: "It is shameful that someone responsible like FPM leader Michel Aoun would utter such low level disrespectful words as he did this afternoon that insulted the Lebanese people. His state of anger (in reference to Aoun's medical condition )needs treatment stressing that family affairs should not be at the interest of the nation( in reference to Gebran Bassil) . Harb added the Lebanese people deserve better and should never have been undermined and insulted in such a manner

06:30 pm Hariri's press office : “Every political party has the right to make its demands regarding its government share, however, the formation of the cabinet falls strictly under the responsibility of the PM-designate in cooperation with the president.”

5:25 Jumblatt supports 15-10-5 cabinet formula, will refrain from media talks and Iftars during Ramadan

05:06 pm Minister Ghazi Aridi : "MP Nuhad al Mashnouq's statement on LBC opens old wounds , is contrary to the spirit of reconciliation and damaging to the relations between Hariri and Jumblatt "

3:41pm Deputy speaker Farid Makari said: A government, headed by Hariri, will be formed soon and will satisfy all the Lebanese.

3:26pm Speaker Nabih Berri is heading a meeting of his parliamentary bloc to discuss current developments.

3:14pm Sayyed Fadlallah is meeting the Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad al-Ossairi and are discussing current affairs.

03;00 pm BBC :Japan has become the latest major economy to take a tentative step out of recession. The world's second-largest economy grew 0.9% in the second quarter from the first three months of the year, figures showed on Monday.

2:30pm PM designate Saad Hariri met Syriac Catholic Mar Ignatius Youssef III.

02:22pm Wiam Wahab : the Lebanese want a solution and don’t care who goes with whom for lunch. ( in reference to Hariri's invitation of Aoun for lunch ) . He added : There is no more majority and minority and the 15-10-5 formula may not be valid anymore ( in reference to Jumblatt's announcement that he is leaving the majority)

2:07pm MP al Jisr told "MTV:" If Each group wants to demand a certain number of portfolios and insist on receiving specific portfolios then this makes Lebanon, a sectarian federation

1:55pm Top Shiite cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah said: Friday Aug 21 is the first day of the holy month of Ramadan

1:31pm president Suleiman said after meeting ministers Arslan and Khalife and general Kahwaji : Lebanon with its population mix and geographic location is the address of culture, so lets protect this strategy

1:15pm The Ministry of Tourism invited parties interested in setting up Ramadan tents to apply for a license from the Ministry

1:14pm MP Samir Jisr quoted Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir as saying that the cabinet should be quickly formed.

1:12 pm Speaker Nabih Berri meets with a delegation from the Iranian parliament,accompanied by Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Shibani in Ain al-Tineh

11:35 MP Michel Aoun said during a press conference : "Everyone was surprised when I said that the cabinet will not be formed before September. We have a mandate from the people to name our ministers and I am proud of my son-in-law Gebran Bassil. If they don’t accept them to hell with them"

10:49 The body of Tony Abdo al Butaish, 20 was found after he reportedly drowned in Qaraoun lake on Aug 9

10:48 Israel removed its army post from Kfar Shouba Hills

10:15 MP Alaeddine Terro told Future News: Everyone knows that Aoun is obstructing the cabinet formation. Some parties in the opposition are supporting him.

08:32 Al Anbaa: Sudden deterioration in the relations between Aoun and Arslan . Arslan may be leaving Aoun's change and reform alliance but some are intervening to prevent this from happening

8:30 MP Assem Araji told VOL: It is obvious that there is no serious pressure on MP Michel Aoun by his allies despite Hezbollah’s promises.

7:35 MP Youssef Khalil told VOL: MP Michel Aoun will unveil today where the real cabinet obstacle lies. Each team has the right to demand any key ministry. The president is not insisting on the interior ministry.

06:53 Al Mustaqbal sources : We call on Hezbollah to seriously put pressure on Aoun

06:49 Source: There is an understanding between Hariri and President of the Republic not to include losers ( in the last election) in the cabinet

06:39 sources "the future": Hezbollah's proposal that each party should name its ministers is not practical because Hariri is not just a mail box . As a prime minister he should have the last say over who he wants in his cabinet

06:07 Jumblatt: The most important point in Nasrallah's speech is the ruling out of a war in the near future

05:49 March 14 sources: The opposition MPs are either attempting to achieve additional gains, or obstructing the government formation

05:46 opposition sources: it is necessary for Hariri to hold direct dialogue Aoun

05:33 "An-Nahar:" There is no mediation by "Hezbollah" between Hariri and Aoun

05:21 Hariri is still waiting since last Friday for a response from General Aoun, regarding an invitation for lunch at his home

Sunday

10:50 pm Iran has freed on bail Clotilde Reiss, 24, a French teaching assistant charged with spying, President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said in a statement on Sunday.

10:20 pm WSJ International aid started trickling in to Taiwan on Sunday, a week after the worst typhoon in half a century killed hundreds of people in mountain villages.

10:10 pm VOA: Iranian media report that 28 more people have been put on trial for their alleged involvement in the unrest following the presidential election in June.

10:00 pm VOA: Three candidates in the Afghan presidential election, including incumbent President Hamid Karzai, former finance minister Ashraf Ghani and former planning minister Ramazan Bashardost have faced off in a nationally broadcast debate.

9:43pm MP Marouni , Minister of tourism told New TV : I will be leaving for the ministry a complete program to develop tourism in Lebanon. The Kataeb ministers will be setting examples for others in Lebanon

08:33pm Minister Aridi told "future news": the increase in speed and the overloading of the trucks need to be under%