Assad accepted Suleiman’s invitation to visit Lebanon

Lebanon’s Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh during an interview with Future News television on Sunday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has accepted Lebanese President Michel Suleiman’s invitation to visit Lebanon.

Suleiman reportedly gave Assad the official invitation during their meeting in Damascus last Tuesday. (more…)

Israel frees one Hamas MP

Israel on Sunday released one of several Hamas MPs arrested after Gaza militants captured an Israeli soldier in a deadly cross border raid in June 2006, prison authorities said.

Naif al-Rajoub was released into the occupied West Bank because it was “the end of his sentence,” a spokesman said, without providing further details. (more…)

Israel lifting blockade of Gaza ‘except for military items’

Israel plans to ease its blockade of Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday following an Israeli Security Cabinet meeting, a step welcomed by the United States and Middle East envoy Tony Blair. (more…)

Report: US donates $60 million to UNRWA

The US announced Friday that it would be making an additional contribution of 60.3 million US dollars to UNRWA’s core budget and special projects in the West Bank Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. (more…)

Suicide blasts kill 26 at Iraqi state-sector bank

Suicide car bombers attacked the Trade Bank of Iraq Sunday, killing at least 26 people, an Interior Ministry source said.

The blasts wounded 53 people at one of the public sector’s most active financial institutions, which is at the forefront of efforts to encourage foreign investment in Iraq as the sectarian violence that followed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion fades. (more…)

Sfeir: The spirit of love prevailed in Zahle

Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir opened on Sunday the new Saint Maroun Cathedral in the city of Zahle , in the Beqaa region in East Lebanon with a call for unity and reconciliation among rival Christian factions.

The ceremony was attended by Minister of Tourism Fadi Aboud as the representatives of President Michel Suleiman, MP Adel Latif al Zaina as the representative of Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Minister Adnan Qassar as the representative of Speaker Nabih Berri and (more…)

Lebanon flotilla denied permission to sail to Gaza

Another aid ship, Julia, is expected to sail to the Gaza Strip from Lebanon, but Minister of Transportation and Public Works Ghazi Aridi has denied it permission ( to sail to Gaza) because it has not presented a request to the ministry( to sail), according to An Nahar newspaper. (more…)

Lebanon imposes new taxes on auto license plates with few digits

The Lebanese cabinet agreed on Friday to impose LL500,000 ($333 ) tax on auto license plates with three digits and LL250,000($117) on four-digit plates in a move aimed at generating LL14 billion ($9.33 million). (more…)

Iran Warns to Retaliate against West’s Cargo Inspection

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani stressed last Wednesday that Tehran will take retaliatory measures in case Iran-bound air and ship cargoes come under inspection by the West.

“We warn the US and certain adventurist countries that if they are tempted to inspect Iranian air and ship cargos, we will take tough action against their ships in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman,” Larijani said (more…)

2010 budget: 2 articles not approved

According to local media reports the adoption of articles 31 and 32 of the 2010 budget was a constitutional violation , because the articles did not get the required 2 thirds of the votes of the members of the cabinet. (more…)