Nigerian kidnappers released the four Lebanese hostages

Nigerian kidnappers on Saturday released four Lebanese seized last week in the country’s oil-rich south, a foreign ministry official in Beirut said.

“Lebanon’s consul to Nigeria, Shawki Bou Nassar, today informed us that all four Lebanese nationals were freed in the early morning,” the official told AFP. (more…)

Hariri: Israeli drills run counter to current ME peace efforts

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri slammed Israel’s expected military exercises on Sunday and said they run counter to current Middle East peace efforts. (more…)

An Icelandic pain in the ash

Figuring out whether travel insurance covers your canceled trip can be as hard to fathom as the pronunciation of the volcano causing all the trouble (Eyjafjallajokull).

Melhem Karam passed away at 76

Melhem Karam, President of Editors Syndicate passed away Saturday at the age of 76, National News Agency (NNA) reported.

It said Karam died shortly after he was rushed to the Hotel Dieu Hospital in critical condition. The cause of Karam’s death was not immediately known.

Karam also headed Alf Laila w Laila, the publisher of the daily Al-Bayrak newspaper, and three weekly magazines. (more…)

The Onerous Cost of The Sovereign Debt In Lebanon

By Ghassan Karam
There is nothing wrong about debt. A modern developed and efficient society is often differentiated from a developing and less sophisticated one by the relative importance of its financial sector

Over 160 killed in Air India crash

A plane crash in southern India early Saturday has killed more than 160 passengers, an Indian official said.

V.S. Acharya, the home minister of India’s Karnataka state, told CNN-IBN he thought about five or or six people had survived the crash.

The Air India plane was carrying 165 passengers — including four infants — and went down around 6:30 a.m. (9 p.m. ET Friday) near the Mangalore International Airport, CNN’s sister network reported, citing an airline spokesman. (more…)

Siniora called for massive voter turnout in Sidon

Lebanon’s Former PM and Head of al Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc Fouad Siniora on Friday called on Sidon’s voters “to massively head toward polling stations this Sunday to prove that we want the ‘Consensus for Development’ (electoral) list to succeed, and to practice our right to vote as granted by the Constitution – which is also a duty”

During a rally to announce the electoral list in Sidon, Siniora said: “We want this election to be in commemoration of those who liberated and built Sidon and in commemoration of martyred PM Rafik Hariri.” (more…)

Miss USA at Center of Controversy

US conservative writer, broadcaster and columnist Debbie Schlussel says Rima Fakih should not be Miss USA because of alleged family ties to Hezbollah

Israel is walking in the path of fascism

Israel’s denial of entry to Noam Chomsky is but the latest in a long list of attempts to silence critics of Zionist oppression and violence.

Hezbollah shows off arms at a new museum

The Hezbollah militia on Friday inaugurated a ” museum ” displaying its own heavy weapons and those left by Israel, to mark the 10th anniversary of Israel’s pullout from south Lebanon. (more…)