Beirut - Lebanon celebrated its 66th Independence Day . A military parade was held in the capital Beirut, with President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, as well as foreign and Arab officials present.
In a speech on the eve of the Independence Day said President Michel Suleiman called for abolishing political sectarianism :
"To encourage vast participation in political life , a national committee should be established and charged with abolishing political sectarianism ." He said
Sunday
3;40 pm VOA: Indonesian transportation officials say at least 15 people were killed and more than 230 were rescued Sunday after a ferry sank in rough waters near Sumatra island.
3;25 pm Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned on Sunday that Turkey cannot resume its role of mediator in indirect talks with Syria."After all the verbal attacks and insults toward us expressed by the Turks, they cannot be considered as mediators between us and the Syrians," he told reporters.
3:00pm BBC : Iran has begun five days of war games to simulate attacks on its nuclear sites, state media report. The head of Iran's air defense said the aim was to thwart aerial reconnaissance of the sites as well as air attacks.
14:30 Former presidents Amin Gemayel and Emile Lahoud , Hussein Husseini , Salim Hoss and Omar Karami were absent from the Independence day reception at Baabda palace
2:15pm VOL: Seven Israeli soldiers stepped out of their patrol vehicle at Fatmeh crossing, making provocative gestures toward Lebanese troops which led to friction. UNIFIL troops stepped in to defuse tension.
1;00 pm Hamas says armed groups agree to halt rockets
12:35 Iran insists it needs guarantees over nuclear fuel supply
11:00am Suleiman, Berri, Hariri receive delegations at Baabda Palace congratulating them on the occasion of Independence Day.
10:53 March 14 coordinator Soueid: We Insist that Hezbollah and Iranian arms be under the control of the state
10:30 Khamenei aide: Iran will strike Tel Aviv if attacked
10:15am Military parade on Beirut's Shafiq Wazzan Ave. ends.
9:10am Hawker Hunter jets perform low-level acrobatics at the start of the military parade.
9:01 President Michel Suleiman arrives at the festivities.
8:30am The government kicks off celebrations in Beirut to mark the occasion of Independence Day.
7:38 am Sfeir from Beirut airport before heading to the Vatican: I don’t oppose President Suleiman’s views on the resistance, but there is a difference between the weapons of the resistance and those of the army.
Saturday
8:00 pm President Michel Suleiman addressed the nation on Saturday night, the eve of Lebanese Independence Day: “in order to preserve a fair representation, it is necessary to eliminate political sectarianism.”
6:30 pm Four Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia died from swine flu, the Health Ministry said . They are a Moroccan woman, a Sudanese man an Indian man and a 17-year-old girl from Nigeria
6:30pm Arslan: We are in dire need of being united during these critical times
6:27pm Jumblatt: We stick to the previous Ministerial Policy Statement and there is no justification for changing it
6:24pm Expanded Jumblatt - Arsalan family gathering in Mukhtara , Shouf in the presence of a number of several ministers and MPs
YaLibnan is dedicated to Lebanese individuals who strongly believe in liberty and in the changes it will bring to a sovereign Lebanon. We sincerely believe that democracy will bring about fundamental changes in the Lebanese constitution that will result in a better Lebanon for all its citizens. For more infomration please visit www.yalibnan.com
This is originally posted at http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2009/11/sunday_news_bri_74.php and YaLibnan is responsible for the content.
- Word Count: 553
- |
- Total Views: 4
- |
- permalink