Iraqi official steals $2 mil worth of computers

An Iraqi official stole US-purchased computers worth almost two million dollars that were a US donation for Iraqi schoolchildren and sold them off for less than 50,000 dollars, the US army said on Friday. (more…)

Wedding fireworks cause fire that wounds the groom, 2 others

Three people were wounded in a fire caused by fireworks at an indoor wedding party in Regency Palace Hotel in Adma north of Beirut. (more…)

Suleiman tours the Shouf region

President Michel Suleiman who is currently residing at the Beiteddine palace in the Shouf region of Mount Lebanon toured the Shouf region today and specially the Cedar Mountain areas of Barouk and Maaser el-Shouf and met the local residents. (more…)

Berri considers Hezbollah-Al Ahbash incident a brotherly clash

Speaker Nabih Berri told an Iftar held in BIEL on Friday
“I cannot start without referring to what happened a few days ago. Let’s consider that what happened (in Borj Abi Haidar) was a clash among brothers,”

His comment comes after clashes broke out in the Beirut neighborhood of Borj Abi Haidar on Tuesday night (more…)

FPM MP calls for confiscation of illegal arms

Another Free patriotic Movement official criticized the clashes of last Tuesday. MP Alain Aoun told LBCI television on Friday that the arms that do not serve a specific purpose should be confiscated by the state.

The only way to empower the state is to have the security forces deployed in all regions and to hold them responsible for the security situation in Lebanon, Aoun said. (more…)

FPM MP also calls for arms free Beirut

In  a change of heart Change and Reform bloc MP Naji Gharios told the Voice of Lebanon (VOL)   on Friday that Beirut should be an arms-free city.

Change and Reform is headed by Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun , a close ally of Hezbollah and a key defender of Hezbollah arms

Gharios’  comments come after clashes broke out in the Beirut neighborhood of Borj Abi Haidar on Tuesday night  (more…)

Geagea: Clashes are part of campaign to weaken Lebanon PM

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea told al-Liwaa daily in remarks published Friday that the latest clashes between Hezbollah and Al-Ahbash gunmen in Borj Abi Haidar were part of the organized campaign to weaken Prime Minister Saad Hariri. (more…)

Hezbollah MP calls Tuesday clashes ‘isolated incident’

Hezbollah MP Hussein Moussawi on Thursday described the bloody street clashes that shook the Lebanese capital last Tuesday evening as “isolated incident” and warned against using the incident against the Resistance and its weapons.

“Israel is our enemy Israel and no one will drag us into civil strife,” Moussawi stressed. (more…)

Future bloc: What are Hezbollah weapons doing in Beirut?

The condemnations of the Borj Abi Haidar clashes between Al-Ahbash—and Hezbollah on Tuesday night continue. (more…)

Freedom of Religion vs. Religious Phobia

By Ghassan Karam

Utopias are perfect societal structures that are goals to be attained. They are dreams that will never be fulfilled whether they are based on Plato’s Republic or Thomas Mores’ ideal economy