March 14 general-secretariat coordinator Fares Soaid called the rally at the Martyrs Square on Sunday “the Intifada of Dignity,” and vowed to remain united.
“We will call this uprising the Intifada of dignity,” Soaid told the March 14 supporters. “The uprising is against oppression, treachery, assassination and arrogance.”
Full StoryThe "Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades of Imad Mughniyeh" claimed responsibility for a stabbing attack that killed five family members in Itamar, a settlement home to around 800 Israeli Jews, Pan Arab daily al-Hayat reported on Sunday.
Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades officials denied that the attack came from within their ranks.
Full StoryPremier-designate Najib Miqati has reiterated that the Hizbullah-led alliance did not put preconditions when it nominated him and stressed he wants “to rescue the nation.”
He said he did not seek the position. His love for Lebanon forced his hand. "When I saw what was happening in the country, the deadlock, I said it's time to stand. The real motivation is to rescue the nation."
Full StoryFree Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun has accused the March 14 forces of luring Hizbullah to use its arms against the coalition and its supporters.
“We hope this doesn’t take place. But if so, then they would have deserved it,” Aoun said during a dinner held by the FPM.
Full StoryThe cabinet would be announced within days, Najib Miqati’s circles said, stressing that the premier-designate received support from the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The 30-member cabinet line-up would include politicians, technocrats and independents, the circles told An Nahar daily in remarks published Sunday.
Full StoryThe Maronite bishops have ended their retreat ahead of the election of a new patriarch, reported the daily An Nahar Saturday.
The retreat began Thursday morning and ended Friday night with the election scheduled to take place Saturday morning over a four-round process.
Full StoryFrench Ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton stated on Saturday that he is certain that the Lebanese government will be formed soon, revealing that France and the international community will compare the ministerial statement of Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati’s government to that of caretaker Premier Saad Hariri’s Cabinet.
The French official stressed the need for the new government to cooperate with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, noting that Hizbullah is in fact cooperating with the investigation into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri despite its calls for the Lebanese not to cooperate with it.
Full StoryA European source revealed that European nations have received an explanation from France on the current governmental situation in Lebanon where they were informed of how caretaker Prime Minister was replaced by Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati, revealed the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat Sunday.
The manner in which Hariri was replaced has created an imbalance in power in Lebanon that had been established by the Taif Accord and the Doha agreement, “which set the rules of the political game in Lebanon for a while.”
Full StoryThe release of the indictment in the investigation in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is expected to be delayed after Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare filed an "amended indictment" on Friday for confirmation by STL Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen.
Sources monitoring the situation told the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published on Saturday that this development will delay the announcement of the indictment, while international sources predicted that it may be released in May or June of this year.
Full StoryThe government formation process will witness intensified efforts next week aimed at addressing the demands of the concerned sides, according to informed sources.
Newspaper reports said that the dispute over the interior ministry portfolio has been settled in former minister Naji al-Boustani’s favor, who received congratulations on this matter from Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun during their meeting on Thursday.
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