Lebanon’s independence day , but Information Minister Tarek Mitri said after visiting from Bkirki this afternoon : “It is difficult to draft the policy statement before independence day. However, there is willingness to reach an agreement.”
Friday
11:59 pm Mohamed ElBaradei, the departing chief of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency, said Iran's continued refusal to accept tighter scrutiny of its nuclear activities would likely force the international community to impose new sanctions.
10:30 pm As hope fades for an Iran nuclear deal before the end of the year, UN Security Council members discussed possible sanctions at a meeting in Brussels.
10:10 pm Al-Manar television Judicial Police Commander General Anwar Yehya said that evidence in the death of a mother, Grace Jalkh, and her three daughters in Bhersaf-Metn on Wednesday night points points to to a suicide. According to Yehya, the mother willingly poisoned a fruit salad, which she fed to her children and proceeded to consume herself.
9:00 pm Reuters: Herman Van Rompuy's appointment as the first European Union president provoked fears in Turkey that he might hinder Ankara's hopes of joining the bloc, with some media declaring outright that he is anti-Turkish.
8:30 pm A UN panel on Friday blasted Iran for "serious, ongoing and recurring" human rights violations, including violence against protesters after the disputed June presidential elections.
8:10 pm OTV : The opposition minsters discussed today the dispute between rifi and Shakour and declared their support for Shakour
8:09 pm OTV: The general direction of the ministerial committee is to leave the issue of Lebanese Syrian relations to the dialogue
8:01 pm Future TV: the economic discussions of the ministerial committee covered Paris III, privatization , electricity and development of the rural areas
8:00pm Christians of March 14 want the ministerial policy statement to state that the decision of war and peace should only be in" the hand of the state"
7:37pm Mitri following the end of the ministerial committee meeting: No clashes inside the committee and all are interested in an agreement
6:50 The ministerial committee charged with drafting the ministerial statement ended its meeting . It will meet again on Monday
6:30 pm ( March 14) Lebanese forces and Kataeb supporters winners in the NDU student elections
5:58pm Bureau of Combating International Thefts handed over 24 retrieved cars to owners.
5:40 pm Turkey on Friday scrapped a 2008 bid won by a Russian-led consortium to build and operate the country's first nuclear power plant.
5:35pm In response to an invitation by March 14 forces general-secretariat, March 14 student organizations leaders will hold a press conference on Saturday, November 21.
5:12 pm former president Amin Gemayel said that the plan of Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt to withdraw from March 14 forces preceded the incidents of May 7, adding that Jumblatt's dialogue with Hezbollah 'established security, stability, and reconciliation.'. Gemayel stressed that Lebanon is suffering from "the impossibility of coexistence between two states and two armies on one land", adding that it was necessary to reach agreements with Hezbollah in the future.
4:15pm The committee tasked with drafting the ministerial policy statement has started its sixth session at the Grand Serail.
3:05pm Prime Minister Saad Hariri told ASCAME general assembly : “Lebanon is looking forward to having Europe as a political, economic and cultural partner.”
2:21pm Hariri issued an order calling for closure of public institutions on Monday on the occasion of independence day.
2:20pm Mitri from Bkirki: It is difficult to draft the policy statement before independence day. However, there is willingness to reach an agreement.
2:17pm Williams from Center House: We hope the new cabinet would implement resolution 1701.
2:15pm Syrian President Bashar Assad and U.S. President Barack Obama sent cables to their Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman on the occasion of independence day.
12:55pm Hariri met with U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams.
12:13pm Information Minister Tareq Mitri is meeting with Patriarch Sfeir in Bkirki.
12:04pm Minister Wael Abou Faour told LBC: There is disagreement not only on the resistance’s arms issue. The solution is to adopt the previous policy statement.
12:00pm A delegation from the March 14 secretariat-general visited Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir.
11:23 Speaker Nabih Berri sent letters of good wish to Arab and Islamic leaders on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.
11:04 Hariri: Lebanon welcomes the new initiative for the Mediterranean Union and it will be a real partner and make efforts for the success of the initiative.
10:15 PM Saad Hariri will make a speech at the opening of the ASCAME general assembly at al-Kassar building in Jnah.
8:19 Youth and Sports Minister Ali Abdullah told VOL: There is disagreement over the ministerial statement’s political chapter. The resistance and its arms should be preserved to defend Lebanon against Israel.
Thursday
11:19pm Minister Elias Murr: Hariri will be confronted by many challenges ...political, security, economic and social but we are confident he can do it
11:00 pm Belgian prime minister, Herman Van Rompuy was appointed as the president of the European Council and Britain's Cathy Ashton, was appointed as Europe's foreign minister
10:27pm Minister Sayyed Hussein told LBC: finalization of the ministerial policy statement by this government will be much easier than the previous one and I expect the previous clause on resisitance arms will be used this time too in the statement
10:22 pm Minister Ofaish told LBC: In this government we will be working together as one team and we will be positive . The atmosphere is positive with regards to the ministerial policy statement
9:50pm Investigation by an official government physician of the 4 bodies has revealed that the mother and her children have eaten 4 plates of processed fruit that were mixed with poison and this is why they died
8:15pm The bodies of Grace Jalakh and her three daughters were found inside a house near Deir Mar Youssef in Harsaf and security sources are saying that poison may be the cause of their death without revealing the source of the poison