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A letter sent by the U.N. to Lebanon asking it to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon will be referred to the justice ministry to put the country’s financial obligations to the court in the draft state budget in cooperation with the finance ministry, An Nahar daily reported Sunday.
The newspaper said that the premiership will refer the letter to the justice ministry in accordance with the protocol signed between the Lebanese government and the STL.
Full StoryTwo inmates at Amyoun prison in Koura began a riot on Saturday after security forces detained the mother of one of them for trying to smuggle drugs into the jail, the National News Agency reported.
Inmates Yehya al-Ayoubi and Haitham Allaw locked their cell from the inside and threatened to harm prisoners protesting on detaining the mother of Allaw.
Full StoryPhalange Party leader Amin Gemayel stressed on Saturday that his party’s position on the Syrian infiltration into the Lebanese territories in the eastern Bekaa valley is a matter of principle.
“Sovereignty can’t be divided, it’s either complete or doesn’t exist, especially if a non-Lebanese army enters the Lebanese border and assault peoples’ privacy,” Gemayel said.
Full StoryPrime Minister Najib Miqati said on Saturday that no one is against improving wages, but several issues must be taken into consideration before carrying out this demand.
“No one is against improving wages, however, we should take into consideration the consequences that might be behind this raise like inflation, unemployment and the state treasury,” Miqati said after meeting with speaker Nabih Berri.
Full StoryThe head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Raad warned on Saturday that the Arab Spring may become victim to attempts by world powers to employ the movement for their own interests.
He said during a student graduation ceremony: “Some local or regional forces are eager to join these attempts than the actual powers themselves.”
Full StoryThe head of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Defense Office Francois Roux revealed that Prosecutor Judge Daniel Bellemare, Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen, and the Defense team will convene soon to assess proceedings of the tribunal.
He told the daily An Nahar in remarks published on Saturday that in absentia trials are much more difficult for the Defense, explaining that it requires time to evaluate the Prosecution’s file.
Full StoryThe head of the General Labor Confederation Ghassan Ghosn described as “good” his meeting with Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Friday.
He told As Safir newspaper in remarks published on Saturday: “We discussed figures on inflation and we set our demands.”
Full StoryRussia will likely veto any United Nations Security Council action against Lebanon should it fail to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, reported the daily al-Liwaa on Saturday.
An informed source told the daily that Syrian and Iranian circles view Russia and China’s veto of a U.N. resolution against Syria’s deadly crackdown on protests earlier this week as a turning point in relations between them.
Full StoryArmy Commander General Jean Qahwaji is expected to travel to the United States on Monday where he is scheduled to hold talks with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.
A prominent military source told the daily that the visit is aimed at “requesting military support for the Lebanese army, as well as providing it with weapons and logistic equipment.”
Full StoryThe French Foreign Minister voiced on Friday its “deep concern” over the safety of Syrians in Lebanon in light of reports that the Syrian army had infiltrated Lebanese territory on Thursday where it killed a Syrian national living near the border.
French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero stressed during a press conference that France is committed to an independent, sovereign, and secure Lebanon.
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