Observers dismiss AL’s Syria mission as a ‘whitewash’

It looked like the Arab League was putting serious pressure on the Syrian regime, when it said it would send a team to investigate charges that more than 5,000 people have been killed by President Bashar Assad’s regime. (more…)

Lebanon business community opposed to new wage hikes

General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture chief Mohammad Shukair said on Thursday during an interview with MTV that the economic commissions “will take action to protest” the cabinet’s latest decision on the increase in minimum wages. (more…)

French parliament passes Armenian genocide bill

France’s parliament passed a controversial Armenian genocide draft law Thursday, making it a crime to publicly deny the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks last century, a National Assembly press officer said. (more…)

Hariri: Syria should halt its killing machine

Lebanon’s Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri , who is in Turkey on an official visit said on Wednesday, following a meeting with Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, that Syria “should stop its killing machine,” according to local reports (more…)

Cabinet raises minimum wage to 675,000 LL , Update

The cabinet agreed to raise the minimum wage to 675, 000 Lebanese pounds ( $450) during its meeting at the Baabda presidential palace .

The cabinet also agreed to raise wages ranging between 500,000 LL and 1 million LL by 200,000 LL and raise wages above 1 million by by 30 percent on condition that the increase is minimum 300,000 LL . (more…)

As Safir denies that reporter detained in Syria is its correspondent

MTV reported that Al Safir newspaper denied that Mohammed Dahnoun who was detained by the Syrian security forces is its correspondent in Syria. (more…)

Geagea: All Lebanon should be free of non-state weapons

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea backed on Wednesday Beirut MPs’ call for arms-free capital and added that all of Lebanon should be free of non-state weapons.

“Not only do we demand the disarmament of non-state groups in Beirut, but this should be the case in all of Lebanon as well,” Geagea said (more…)

North Lebanon rallies against Syria’s Assad

A rally is taking place on Wednesday in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, National News Agency reported.

The protesters marched from Tripoli’s Qobba area toward other areas carrying posters against the Syrian regime, according to the report (more…)

‘Massacre’ in Syria ahead of Arab League mission

Both sides in the Syrian conflict are flexing their muscles ahead of the arrival of Arab League monitors.

New amateur video claims to show opposition fighters from the Syrian Free Army in the north of the country, where reports say some of the conflict’s worst bloodshed has been taking place. (more…)

Iran confirms that five of its citizens kidnapped in Syria

Iran said on Wednesday five of its technicians had been kidnapped in the Syrian city of Homs, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

“The five were kidnapped on Wednesday at 0630 a.m. while heading to their work place … We demand their immediate release,” Mehr quoted a statement issued by the Iranian embassy in Damascus as saying. (more…)