A Syrian in UAE jail fears execution for Hariri murder

A man claiming to be a former Syrian intelligence officer, who was jailed for six months over a forged passport, remains in Al Wathba prison nearly a year after his conviction because he faces execution if deported.

Mohammed Zuhair al Siddiq came to the UAE using a fraudulent Czech passport, which he said was given to him by French intelligence operatives hoping to protect him.

At one point, Mr al Siddiq was considered a key witness in the 2005 assassination of the Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri. But after his testimony and background were discredited, Mr al Siddiq was expelled from France. (more…)

2 French UN peacekeepers die in road accident in Lebanon

An armored vehicle carrying United Nations peacekeepers veered off a road and into a ravine in southern Lebanon Saturday in an accident that killed two French peacekeepers, officials said. (more…)

France seeking emergency aid from EU after storms leave 47 dead

France is seeking emergency aid from the European Union after the fiercest storms in a decade which left 47 people dead.
Hurricane-force winds and widespread flooding battered vast swaythes of western France and left more than a million homes without power. (more…)

Germany, France, Netherlands to rescue Greece from debt crisis

Germany, France and the Netherlands plan to buy Greek bonds to help Athens cope with a severe debt crisis, a German member of the European Parliament told Greek television on Saturday. (more…)

French PM raises human rights concerns with Syria

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said he held “frank and direct” talks with Syria’s president on the issue of human rights, days after the trial of a Syrian lawyer who championed the cause of political prisoners.
France has led European moves to help Syria emerge from diplomatic isolation, though Syrian authorities have intensified arrests of politicians and others calling for democracy.
“Yesterday I exchanged views with President (Bashar al-) Assad on human rights. The discussion was frank and direct,” Fillon said in the Syrian capital on Saturday.
“Our dialogue with the Syrian authorities … permits us to open all the subjects on which we have different views,” said Fillon, who signed economic deals and other agreements. Click on Reuters to read full report

Body of French amabssador’s wife flown to Paris

The body of Mrs. Marla Sanchez Pietton, wife of the French ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton who died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash of flight ET409 last January 25 was flown to Paris today on board an Air France jet

France urges Israel to exercise ‘great restraint’

A senior French politician urged Israel to exercise “great restraint” during a visit to Beirut on Wednesday, amid a war of words between the Jewish state and Lebanon’s Shiite movement Hezbollah.
“The French parliament today calls on Israel to exercise great restraint, and we mean it,” said Gerard Larcher, head of the French senate, or upper house of parliament.
“French parliamentarians of all political affiliations await … the end of all escalating threats in the region, especially as concerns Lebanon,” Larcher told a news conference.
Larcher was ending a four-day official visit to Lebanon during which he held talks with top leaders and a Hezbollah delegation.AFP

Hezbollah urges France to ‘curb Israeli hostility’

A Hezbollah delegation met with the French Senate ( Upper House) President Gérard Larcher at Qasr el Snaoubar ( Pine palace ), headquarters of the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign affairs , according to a party statement.

The delegation included Hezbollah International Relations Officer Ammar Moussawi and party MPs Ali Fayyad and Nawwar Sahili.

“We ask that France take a firm stand and work with the international community to rein in Israeli aggressiveness,” according to Hezbollah statement
The delegation blamed Tel Aviv’s policies for the tensions in the region, adding that Lebanon maintains the right to retaliate against any possible Israeli attacks.
The Hezbollah delegation asked France to work with the international community “to limit Israeli hostilities.”

“The delegation also praised France’s desire to support Lebanon, its people and institutions,” the statement said.

Hariri: Lebanon on the path to economic & social reform, stability and modernity

During a speech at a dinner   at the grand Serail in honor  of   visiting French Senate President Gérard Larcher , Lebanon’s PM Saad Hariri said:“Lebanon is engaged on the path to economic and social reform, stability and modernity,” pointing out that “the Lebanese national unity government, which includes all the political parties of Lebanon, is determined to work for a more prosperous and stable Lebanon .”Larcher responded by reiterating French support for a unified, free, independent and sovereign Lebanon.

ET409 crash : Remains of more victims identified

DNA testing has identified the remains of more victims of the Ethiopian Airlines flight ET409 that crashed last January 25 minutes after taking off from beirut airport :
Mohammed Mustafa Badawi, Tanal Abdallah Fardoun, Assaad Massoud Feghaly, and Haifa Ahmed Wazneh. The relatives of the victims were notified and will be handed over the remains on Saturday according to The National News Agency (NNA)
The Ethiopian embassy will also be receiving tomorrow the remains of five victims
The Divers of the Lebanese Navy Commando Unit have recovered more remains of victims today. DNA testing will be used for identification.
The divers also recovered seven suitcases belonging to the Ethiopian plane victims as well as passports and other personal belongings
Meanwhile Khalil Madani , one of the victims was laid to rest in his hometown of Deir Qanoun.
According to Al Manar TV, the remains of Marla Sanchez Pietton, French Ambassador’s wife were not handed over yesterday as originally planned. They will however be handed over tomorrow to an embassy delegation .