"We want the policy statement to become a real preamble for achievements that the Lebanese are awaiting for ... to improve their living conditions and provide them with better living standards," Hariri said

"We want a unity cabinet not only in the political sense but economic" sense as well, Hariri added

Lets hope other politicians will follow suit and start thinking of the Lebanese people who have been sick and tired of waiting to see a government that will start addressing the issues of concern for the people

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

8:30 pm President Barack Obama has signalled a further escalation in the crisis over Iran's nuclear ambitions by serving notice that punitive measures could be agreed "within weeks".

8:00pm Phalange sources to Future News: Phalange party through its representative in the Ministerial Statement Committee will show reservations regarding the resistance arms article and will ask to be discussed during the dialogue committee.

7:05pm Minister Baroud called for total halt to the debate inside ISF between its Commander Maj. Gen. Rifi and Police Chief Brig. Gen. Shakkour regardless of its reasons that will be under radical treatment once the government gains vote of confidence.

6:35pm The committee charged with drafting the Ministerial Statement started it’s fifth session which is being headed by PM Saad Hariri.

5:35 pm Egypt recalled its ambassador to Algeria in response to attacks against Egyptian football fans in Sudan and Egyptian businesses in Algeria, the official MENA news agency reported.

5:00 pm World powers will meet to discuss Iran's nuclear program after the Islamic Republic said it would not export its uranium for further enrichment.

4:50 pm Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been sworn in for a second term after months of political uncertainty in the wake of a fraud-marred presidential election. He vowed to Tackle Corruption in Second Term

04:42 pm CNA: Next Wednesday was the date set for the reconciliation meeting between Aoun and Jumblatt at the Baabda palace

4:30pm Former Prime Minister MP Fouad Saniora held separate meetings with LF leader Samir Geagea and a delegation from March 14 general-secretariat.

4:15pm VOL: PM Hariri insists on finishing the political part of the ministerial policy statement in today's meeting which may take some extra time.

3:50 pm Hezbollah issued a statement in which it announced the names of the members elected to the Hezbollah Shura Council. They include : Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as Secretary General, Sheikh Naim Qassem as Deputy Secretary General, Sheikh Mohammad Yazbeck as President of the legitimacy commission, Ibrahim Amin as chairman of the political council, Hashem Safieddine as chairman of the executive council, Hussein Khalil as the secretary general’s political aide, MP Mohammad Raad as leader of Hezbollah parliamentary bloc. Nasrallah will announce in après conference a new political document

3:47 pm Military Investigative Judge Fadi Sawwan on Thursday issued an arrest warrant against Fatah al-Islam member Fadi Ghassan Ibrahim, known as Sigmo, for his involvement with bomb attacks and the formation of terrorist cells.

3:45 pm Hariri met with Baroud to discuss internal security and also met the Syrian ambassador

3:35 pm President Suleiman will deliver a speech Saturday at 8 pm on the eve of Lebanese independence day

3:20 pm Public schools will be closed staring Friday Nov 26 and until Monday Nov 30 in observation of the Eid el Adha holiday

2:20pm Dahieh police station arrested a car thief.

2:17pm President Michel Suleiman met with Syrian ambassador Abdel Karim Ali and discussed with him bilateral ties, ongoing contacts over several issues and the latest Lebanese-Syrian summit in Damascus. Suleiman also met Minister Murr and Mps Hamadeh , Saad, Terro and Marouni

1:27pm A team of Russian military experts inspected the Qleiat airbase.

1:15pm PM Hariri met with UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Claudio Graziano at the Grand Serail.

1:06pm Belgian ambassador after meeting Phalange leader Amin Gemayel: I informed Gemayel about my country’s support for the new cabinet and hoped it would achieve its goals.

11:20am MP Walid Jumblatt met at his residence in Clemenceau with a delegation from the Tashnag party headed by its Secretary-General Hovig Mekhitarian and MP Hagop Pakradounian.

11:12 The Democratic Left Movement said the formation of the cabinet put obstacles to attempts to bring the country to a standstill. Arms and the defense strategy are the only issue on the agenda of the dialogue table.

10:45 Hariri at the Annual Arab Banking Conference: We want the policy statement to become a preamble for achievements that the Lebanese are awaiting for to improve their living conditions and provide them with better living standards.

9:00 PM Saad Hariri will deliver a speech during the opening of the Annual Arab Banking Conference at the Phoenicia hotel in Beirut.

8:30 Minister of the Displaced Akram Shehayeb told VOL: Discussions inside the ministerial committee will end with a consensus cabinet policy statement which will leave contentious issues to the national dialogue table.

7:30am Former Minister Mario Aoun told VOL: Aoun would visit Bkirki when there is a need for such a visit. The meeting between Jumblatt and Aoun is gathering pace.

Wednesday

11:30 pm New TV: General Kahwaji has revealed from Dubai that the Lebanese security authorities have been able to discover the names of the killers of Walid Eido and Francoise Hajj

10:55 pm Minister Ghazi Aridi told OTV: It is in our national to benefit from past mistakes and try to take advantage of the current positive atmosphere. We have an interest in developing special relations with Syria in line with the Taef accord

11;00 pm US Republican Senator John McCain on Wednesday strongly defended the top advisers from his 2008 presidential campaign in the face of sharp criticism from his vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin.

10:00pm Mitri: The Ministerial Statement Committee made progress

9:20 pm Algeria beats Egypt 1;0 and qualifies for 2010 World Cup

8:37pm Ministerial Statement Committee meeting ends, Fneish says political issues not resolved yet