A group of 11 Lebanese Shiite pilgrims abducted in Syria on Tuesday were freed unharmed, Lebanon’s foreign minister said Friday. Their kidnapping had triggered violent protests in Shiite-dominated suburbs in Beirut.
Syrian forces shelled the rebel bastion of Rastan on Wednesday, activists said. The besieged Free Syrian Army also denied it was behind the kidnapping of Lebanese pilgrims in the north of the country, as alleged by the Lebanese foreign minister.
Syrian rebels kidnapped 12 Lebanese Shiite men Tuesday in northern Syria, security officials have stated. The report has sparked protests in Beirut's southern suburbs to demand their release.
A Lebanese court on Tuesday released anti-Syrian activist Shadi al-Moulawi on bail, whose arrest earlier in May had triggered violent clashes in northern Lebanon that left 8 people dead. He was charged with belonging to a “terrorist” organisation.
Has Obama's policy in Afghanistan been a disaster, why is Syria's conflict tipping over into Lebanon, and who's going to win the Egyptian election? It's all in the international press review.
Lebanon feels the boomerang effect of the conflict in Syria with a spike in violence both in the north and in Beirut. François Picard’s panel ponders the potential radicalisation of Lebanese politics and the consequences for the wider region.
Lebanon feels the boomerang effect of the conflict in Syria with a spike in violence both in the north and in Beirut. François Picard’s panel ponders the potential radicalisation of Lebanese politics and the consequences for the wider region.
As tensions in Lebanon mount and deadly clashes spread to the capital Beirut, there is escalating concern that unrest in Syria has crossed over into its neighbour Monday. FRANCE 24 examines the likelihood of an escalation in the violence.
Battles broke out on Sunday night in Beirut, after a Sunni cleric was shot down by the army. Many fear the Syrian conflict could be spilling over into neighbouring Lebanon. Meanwhile, Egyptians go to the polls to choose a new president. Voters want their next leader to address basic issues, such as security, food, and jobs. Finally, our correspondent reports from southern Yemen, where al Qaeda has established a new base.
Intense street battles in Beirut that pitted pro- and anti- Syrian Sunnis against each other early Monday, killing two and wounding 15 others, has prompted fears that the conflict in neighbouring Syria will destabilise Lebanon.
