A cautious calm prevailed in the northern city of Tripoli on Monday as most businesses shot down in mourning following the death of 14 people in the fighting between two rival neighborhoods.
The National News Agency said that banks, the commerce and industry chamber in the North, and the municipality of Tripoli abided by the request of civil society organizations to close in mourning of the victims.
Full StoryMaronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi urged on Sunday the government to be up to the task of facing challenges in Lebanon.
He stressed during his Sunday sermon “the importance of national dialogue given the political, security, economic, and social situation in the country.”
Full StoryDefense Minister Fayez Ghosn stated on Sunday that the developments in Tripoli are jeopardizing Lebanon’s security stability.
He stressed in a statement: “The security plan that has been devised for the city will be implemented in full.”
Full StoryThe head of the Organization of Islamic Conference Akmaluddin Ihsan Oglu warned on Sunday of “dangerous developments” should the violence in Syria continue.
He voiced fears that Lebanon may once again slip into civil war should the crisis in Syria persist.
Full StorySyrian pressure on Prime Minister Najib Miqati is increasing on a daily basis and the Tripoli clashes have been provoked by the Syrian regime, a French source told the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published on Sunday.
It said: “The situation in Tripoli favors the Syrian regime.”
Full StoryThe army on Sunday announced that it has completed its deployment in Tripoli’s Syria Street and all neighborhoods in Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, as the Internal Security Forces stressed they “will not be tolerant with anyone anymore,” after 15 people were killed and more than 50 wounded in fierce street clashes.
Army units “deployed in all the neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen in addition to Syria Street, contrary to what some media outlets reported, while other units belonging to the ISF will deploy later in these areas,” said a statement issued by the Army Command in the afternoon.
Full StoryYouth and Sports Minister Faisal Karami called on Saturday the cabinet to hold an extraordinary session to confront the ongoing “farce” in Tripoli, the National News Agency reported.
“The government should unleash the security forces in order to control the situation by force and to disarm the militias,” Karami said.
Full StoryTwelve people were killed and more than 40 people were injured in renewed clashes between the Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhoods of the northern city of Tripoli, Beirut media reported on Saturday.
Among the dead were a woman and her son, killed by a rocket in the Bab al-Tebanneh district, a mostly Sunni Muslim community which supports Syria's anti-regime opposition.
Full StoryPrime Minister Najib Miqati gave an ultimatum to cabinet ministers to resolve the controversial funding of state projects by next Wednesday, media reports said.
Beirut dailies quoted on Thursday sources as saying that Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi proposed in coordination with Miqati the allocation of 100 million dollars as treasury loans to carry out development projects in their hometown of Tripoli in the North.
Full StoryCabinet criticized on Wednesday the Electricite du Liban contract employees’ recent protests, saying that they have violated the principles of peaceful demonstrations.
Information Minister Walid al-Daouq said: “Anyone who will deign to violate the law will be arrested.”
Full Story