2 bombs found in front of MP Marouni’s home

The Phalange Party issued a statement in which it revealed that two bombs were found in front of Phalange MP and former minister Elie Marouni’s residence in Zahle on Tuesday morning.

“One bomb was found at the main entrance of his house, and the second one was placed on his car’s windshield,” the statement said.

It added that the Lebanese authorities rushed to the scene and contacted the bomb squad to defuse the bombs.

The statement also said that “[today] marks the second commemoration of the murder of Nasri Marouni – the MP’s brother,” who was shot dead in Zahle in 2008. (more…)

Lebanon May Sell New Eurobonds as Spending Rises

Lebanon may sell new Eurobonds this year and roll over existing debt to help finance a proposed jump in fiscal spending that would push the budget deficit to a record, said Finance Minister Raya Haffar el-Hassan.

“We are adopting an expansionary budget that is going to be financed from revenues that are increasing as a result of growth and minor measures we took on the revenue side and by higher debt,” Hassan said in an interview at her office in Beirut yesterday.

The draft 2010 budget sent to the cabinet last week included a 15.5 percent increase in spending and a deficit forecast at $4 billion, or 10.7 percent of gross domestic product, compared with 8.6 percent last year. The cabinet has yet to discuss the proposals, which must also go to parliament for approval. (more…)

Analyze This.

By Ghassan Karam Special to Ya Libnan

Please poke me, wake me up and tell me that this is all a dream. A nightmare is more like it. Are we really living in the 21st century or is this a cruel joke, a charade.

Aoun: Lebanon is the country of diversity

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun who is visiting Spain stressed on Monday that “Israel is rejecting peace and seeking solutions via wars which are not of use anymore.”

Aoun who is allied with Hezbollah , said “the fighters of the resistance had chosen to liberate the land, not to practice terrorism, as some are trying to publicize.” (more…)

Al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq ‘killed’

An Iraqi intelligence team has hunted down and killed two senior al-Qaeda leaders, Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, has said. (more…)

Deal Is Set to Reopen Air Travel in Much of Europe

Swaths of the European sky are expected to reopen to commercial flights as early as Tuesday morning, with some small areas set aside as no-fly zones while the authorities monitor an ash cloud spreading from an Icelandic volcano, European officials announced Monday after an emergency meeting to address the travel chaos. (more…)

Jumblatt wants the Christians back in Shouf region

In his weekly article with Al-Anbaa newspaper to be published Tuesday, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt made the following comments :
Hezbollah arms:
Jumblatt wrote that that it is better for parties to “not discuss Hezbollah’s arms through the media because it would only increase domestic tension without any practical result.” (more…)

Ogassapian in Syria to discuss amending Lebanese-Syrian agreements

Lebanese State Minister Jean Ogassapian headed to Syria accompanied by a technical delegation to meet with Syrian officials.

The visit aims at paving the way for the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Saad Hariri to Damascus and to discuss amending bilateral agreements

The delegation already met with with Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Otari in Damascus Monday to discuss bilateral ties. (more…)

Official: Brazil is a great market for Lebanon products

The Lebanese government hopes Brazil may be one of the foreign investors in the country. The message was transmitted to the Brazilian delegation that visited the Arab country April 16 by the minister of Economy and Trade, Mohammad Safadi.

The Lebanese authority and the minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade of Brazil, Miguel Jorge, who headed the delegation to the country, opened the business roundtables between Brazilian and Lebanese businessmen, at the convention space at Hotel Habtoor, in Beirut. (more…)

Iraqi court orders partial vote recount

An Iraqi court on Monday ordered a partial recount of votes in last month’s national election, further inflaming tensions that many here fear could easily turn violent as the United States begins to withdraw most of its combat troops. (more…)