Army, Hizbullah fire on encroaching Israeli jets
Israeli jets violated Lebanese airspace for a second straight day Monday, drawing ant-aircraft fire from the army and Hizbullah.
This came as Lebanon prepared to notify the United Nations of what it described as “new aggression” against the country’s sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Israeli helicopter gunships flew over military positions in the Shebaa Farms, making their way to the Syrian Golan Heights.
Throughout Sunday night, Israeli warplanes flew over the South of the country under a flurry of anti-aircraft fire from the army.
Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud said the Israeli overflights and the breaking of the sound barrier over several areas Sunday were another “provocation compounded with hundreds of others and an aggression on our sovereignty and independence.”
“We will notify the UN today of these provocations, violations and aggressions and urge it to shoulder its responsibilities of defending peace and security,” he added.

Fares heads committee probe into Council of the South
Deputy Prime Minister Issam Fares headed a ministerial committee meeting Monday, aimed at studying the extent of the Council of the South’s adherence to the rules governing public institutions.
The morning meeting, which was attended by Minister of the Displaced Marwan Hamade, Administrative Reform Minister Fouad Saad and Minister Bahij Tabbara, “dealt with the decrees governing the foundation of the Council of the South” and the rules governing its staff. The ministers decided to continue to discuss the same issue during subsequent meetings.
Fares headed another ministerial committee meeting in the afternoon to set the salaries and indemnity payments at public and semi-public institutions.
The second meeting was attended by Hamade, Social Affairs Minister Asaad Diab, Finance Minister Fouad Siniora, Economy Minister Basil Fuleihan and Administrative Development Minister Fouad Saad.

Karami blames Hariri for economic malaise
Tripoli MP Omar Karami launched a scathing attack against Rafik Hariri Monday, blaming the prime minister’s successive governments for the current economic crisis.
“For 10 years, ever since Hariri’s first tenure, we have been warning about such erroneous policies and saying that they would lead to a catastrophe,” Karami said during a celebration marking International Nurses Day.
“Unfortunately our efforts were in vain,” he added.
Karami added that until recently, “the country’s top officials were assuring us that everything was fine and there was nothing to fear.”
He added that “people do not believe (the rulers) anymore.”
Saad decries Sharm el-Sheikh renunciation of violence
The president of the Popular Nasserite Organization, Sidon MP Mustafa Saad, on Monday condemned resolutions adopted at talks between three Arab leaders at Sharm el-Sheikh.
The Presidents of Egypt and Syria, Hosni Mubarak and Bashar Assad, together with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, had called for an end to “all kinds of violence,” indirectly urging an end to the anti-Israeli suicide bombings by Palestinians.
In a statement issued Monday, Saad described the resolutions as “more Arab concessions amid growing Zionist aggression in Palestine and preparations underway to invade the Gaza Strip along with its refugee camps.”

PSP denounces US treatment of students as ‘racist’
The Progressive Socialist Party accused the United States Monday of violating the rights of Syrian, Libyan, Iraqi, Sudanese, Iranian, Cuban and North Korean nationals.
It said in a statement that the US had made it difficult for these nationals to enter the country and placed students from the countries concerned under “permanent security observation.”
The PSP said that such a move was “unjust” and “racially discriminatory” and maintained that the measures contravened the UN Charter.
The measures mainly target Arab and Muslim students studying at American universities, the group said.
The PSP urged the US to go back on these measures and refrain from resorting to the  “logic of dividing the world between the axis of the good and evil.”

Tashnak and Phalange link up in ‘democracy campaign’
Leaders from the Tashnak and Phalange parties Monday said they will form a joint cooperation committee in order to “enhance democracy” in the country.
The joint meeting, which took place at 12.30pm at the Phalange Party headquarters, was attended by Tashnak’s secretary-general, Hovig Mechitarian, and other officials from the group.
The president of the Phalange Party, Karim Pakradouni, attended the meeting along with his three deputies ­ Rashad Salameh, Simon Khazen and Paul Gemayel.

National Party elects new leadership council
The National Party, established in 1991, has elected a new leadership council, according to its Monday statement.
The elections, which took place Sunday, saw Ghazi Munzer elected president and official party representative to the government.
Mohieddine Jizi was elected vice-president and internal affairs officer and Joseph Maroun secretary-general and public relations officer.
Michel Saikali was appointed to lead the party’s executive committee.
Fifteen candidates stood for membership on the executive committee and were elected unanimously.

ISF, army net huge drug haul in Bekaa raid
Drug enforcement agents have seized a large haul of narcotics during a raid of homes in the Bekaa village of Kneiseh.
A statement issued Monday by the Internal Security Forces said that army units teamed up with personnel from the ISF’s Anti-Drug Bureau to conduct house-to-house searches of suspected drug traffickers, counterfeiters and others thought to have been involved in serious crimes. The statement did not give a date for the raid, which followed an order by Bekaa Chief Public Prosecutor Abdullah Bitar.
The security personnel seized 3,851 grams of cannabis, 2,640 grams
of cocaine, 240 grams of heroin and 1,800 grams
of opium seeds.
Security officials said that they had recovered four stolen cars and counterfeit local and foreign currencies as well as guns and military material.

Farmers warned to prepare for heavy rain
The Agriculture Scientific Research Department in Tal Amara Monday warned farmers of upcoming strong rainstorms, advising them to adopt preventive measures to protect their crops.
Based on the weather forecast of lower temperatures and heavy rains Tuesday and Wednesday, the department advised all farmers to refrain from spraying their crops with pesticides that would be washed out by the rain.
The department also advised farmers to
to gather fodder cut and dried, and prepare to
fight fungus and insects that might spread following the storms.
The department asked farmers to follow the instructions to protect the environment and reduce pollution. Farmers should contact the department for further information.

Army clears 200,000 square meters of mines
The Lebanese Army announced the results of its demining efforts so far this year in a statement Monday, declaring over 200,000 square meters land mine free. While clearing the 209,342 square meters, the army removed 1,775 anti-personnel and 16 anti-vehicle land mines.
The army also disposed of 1,047 missiles, rockets and explosive charges.
The statement also said that a new land mine awareness campaign had reached some 50,000 school students in 200 schools and 20,000 local residents in 188 towns throughout the country.
The army reiterated its previous warning that people should not approach any suspicious object and immediately report the object to the nearest military post. The army also called on residents to seek the army’s advice as to whether it was safe to travel in areas that were not officially declared free of land mines.

Agriculture Ministry employees relocated from suspect buliding
Agriculture Minister Ali Abdullah and Director-General Joseph Jabbour have relocated to the Housing and Cooperatives Ministry in Achrafieh after vibrations shook their building last week.
The National News Agency reported Monday that the ministry’s employees at Galerie Semaan decided to evacuate the building, leaving engineers to work at reinforcing the building’s foundation.
The administrative departments will relocate to the Mount Lebanon Authority in Furn al-Shubbak and al-Harir building in Kfar Shima.
Abdullah will hold a meeting tomorrow to coordinate with the ministry’s departments and director-general of
cooperatives Joseph Torbey in order to resume regular business.
Restoration work is set to begin soon after the architectural maps and specifications are prepared, with the construction phase estimated at between one and two months.

Language students join Japan’s ambassador for sushi
Some 50 students joined Japan’s ambassador to Lebanon for sushi during their graduation ceremony at the Hariri Canadian Academic Complex after completing Japanese courses given as part of their curriculum.
The ceremony was held Monday and attended by the ambassador, Naoto Amaki, and the Mustafa Zaatari, who is responsible for the complex’s activities.
In a speech delivered in Japanese, Amaki praised the students for being the first class to graduate and master the language and hoped the number of students wishing to learn Japanese would increase next year. The students were from the Faculty
of Business.
Zaatari thanked the Japanese embassy for its “fruitful” cooperation, indicating that other languages used in the industrial world would
be offered soon at the complex in addition to Japanese and German.
Noriko Matsubara, the Japanese teacher, was presented with an honorary shield in appreciation of her efforts.

Bad debts threatening health workers’ jobs
Financial difficulties in the health sector are threatening the job security of more than 25,000 hospital employees, the president of the Health and Education Sector Confederation warned Monday.
Saadeddine Humayde Saqr said that many hospitals, including prominent ones, are about to shut down. Saqr cited the closing down of the Barbir Hospital earlier this year as an example.
Speaking at a news conference at the General Labor Confederation’s headquarters, Saqr said that some hospitals are paying their employees half salaries and have threatened to close if insurance companies and military institutions do not settle their bills.
Insurance companies, the army and security bodies owe hospitals around LL700 billion, according to the association of hospital owners.
Saqr called for exempting health sector employees from paying income taxes.

Jisr honors top judge for battle against crime
Justice Minister Samir Jisr held a ceremony at his office Monday in honor of Judge Mustafa Noureddine, to mark the Judicial Inspection Authority member’s retirement from public service.
During the occasion, which was attended by a number of leading judges and senior officials, Jisr presented Noureddine with the ministry’s shield and a token gift.
In a speech, Jisr praised Noureddine as “one of the best judges of which we are proud of” and said that his activities had led to an increase in the number of court cases resolved.
The number jumped from 72 to 95 percent in less than two years.
In turn, the retiring judge thanked the minister and expressed hope that his colleagues would continue to seek ensuring justice in the country.

EDL announces Aley power cuts in upgrade work
Electricite du Liban announced Monday that consumers living in the qada of Aley will experience power cuts over the next six days due to the installation of a high-tension cable between Aramoun and Sofar.
According to an EDL statement, the cuts will affect the areas of Sofar, Roueisat Sofar, Majdal Baana, Shaney, Qobbeih, Qoraya, Msas al-Harf, Halazonieh, Qataleh, Roueisat Naaman, Sebaal and Haret Hamzeh. The cuts will start Monday and continue from 8am to 6pm over the six-day period.

Shoe workers union calls for end to lay-offs
The Leather and Shoe Factory Workers Union Monday called on the government to prevent a local shoe company from -dismissing employees.
In a statement, the union requested the immediate intervention of the Cabinet and Labor Minister Ali Qanso to force St. Michel’s shoe factory to reconsider their decision to discharge more than 20 employees.
The employees had earlier consulted the labor ministry on ways to preserve their legal rights. The union said the workers were exercising their “natural rights” and should not be punished. It added that the factory should seek to “maintain employees’ continuity.”

Copyright © The Daily Star