Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast slammed on Friday caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri's recent position on Iran, which he said only serves U.S. and Israel's interests, reported Press TV.
Addressing Hariri, Mehmanparast said that with a proper understanding of the lessons of the popular uprisings in the Arab countries of the Middle East, "[you] should consider the criteria for ruling people as respecting their dignity and independence, as well as avoiding dependence on the West, particularly the U.S. and Zionism."
Full StoryCaretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri telephoned Bahraini King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa on Friday stressing to him Lebanon’s support to the Kingdom’s sovereignty and stability.
He urged him not to consider any position taken by any political group in Lebanon as being the stance of the Lebanese state or its people.
Full StoryFree Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stated on Friday that Lebanon’s national unity is more important than the presidency.
He added before a youth delegation in Rabieh: “Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati should take risks or resign.”
Full StoryPrime Minister-designate Najib Miqati stressed on Friday the need for political forces in Lebanon to calm their political rhetoric given the instability in the Arab world.
He said before his visitors in the northern city of Tripoli: “The rhetoric harms the Lebanese people because it is involving them in disputes with fraternal states that have stood by Lebanon and the Lebanese during the hardships they have endured.”
Full StoryLebanon has set up an air bridge to ferry its citizens out of war-torn Ivory Coast and on to Beirut, the French foreign ministry said Friday, announcing the creation of a crisis coordination cell.
A fleet of medium-sized planes will fly Lebanese citizens from Abidjan airport, which is now controlled by French troops, to neighboring Ghana's capital Accra, where they will be transferred to Lebanese airliners.
Full StoryLebanon’s Ambassador to Bahrain Aziz al-Qazzi revealed on Friday that the Bahraini authorities requested ten Lebanese to leave the Gulf state.
He told Free Lebanon radio that the situation in Bahrain is stable.
Full StoryMilitary Prosecutor Saqr Saqr charged on Friday 11 individuals for conspiring and participating in the kidnapping of the seven Estonian cyclists two weeks ago.
The accused abducted the cyclists through the use of force and their whereabouts are still unknown.
Full StoryProsecutor General Saeed Mirza allowed on Friday a committee of journalists and inmates’ families to enter Roumieh prison to inspect the prisoners’ conditions.
He granted them permission after a committee from the families met with him to inquire about the prisoners.
Full StoryWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange revealed that 6,000 documents on Israel will be released soon, saying that they will shed some light on its confrontation of Iran’s nuclear program and its role in the assassination of prominent Hizbullah official Imad Mughniyeh.
He told Israel’s Yediot Ahronot: “The documents we released in the past few months were the fuel that ignited the Arab revolts.”
Full StoryCaretaker Transportation and Public Works Minister Ghazi Aridi stated on Friday that there have been no convincing justifications given over the delay in the government formation.
He told Voice of Lebanon radio: “It appears that the team charged with the forming the government does not trust its members … as if they are waging a battle over the distribution of portfolios.”
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