BEIRUT, Lebanon - Kenya's Francis Kamau won the Beirut International Marathon on Sunday in 2 hours, 19 minutes, 20 seconds. Kamau was followed by last year's winner, Eshetu Bekele of Ethiopia, in 2:19:38. Petrus Jacobs of South Africa was third in 2:20:26. More than 17,000 runners from 77 countries took part.

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BAALBEK, Lebanon, Nov 12 (Reuters) – Hundreds of people demonstrated on the streets of the ancient Lebanese town of Baalbek on Saturday, …

All eyes are fixed on Syria following Security Council Resolution 1636 calling on Damascus to fully cooperate with UN Prosecutor Detlev Mehlis's investigation into the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri. But political powerbrokers in Lebanon are wasting no time preparing for the implications of this pressure on Lebanon's future.

In Lebanon, the presidential race is back in the news, as well as speculations about the location and format of an international or local trial of suspects in the crime. The question of the presidency took on an unexpected twist as news circulated of a possible meeting between embattled President Emile Lahoud and primary candidate for the post Michael Aoun.

A meeting that did take place between high-profile Christian leaders former president Amin Gemayel and freed Lebanese Forces head Samir Geagea to discuss the presidency file had considered the possibility of a national conference to form a consensus on the issue. Aoun has not ruled out any negotiations between him and other factions on this file, but he seemed less keen on tackling the subject at this point in time, and he told the BBC he will not vote for any other candidate if other parliamentary blocs don't support his nomination.

BEIRUT: The Lebanese Forces (LF) and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) agreed Thursday to postpone any decisions concerning the presidency until the UN investigation into the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri releases new results, expected in the next few weeks.

"We share with [LF leader] Samir Geagea the view that deciding the next step regarding the presidency will have to wait until the UN investigator Detlev Mehlis releases his final report," said Major General Issam Abu Jamra after meeting with Geagea. Abu Jamra was representing FPM leader Michel Aoun during the discussions.

He added that the subject is so complicated "we cannot decide anything off hand or on the spot. We need to consider other related developments in Lebanon and the region."

Metn MP Walid Khoury, representing the Reform and Change Parliamentary bloc, accompanied Abu Jamra at the meeting. Khoury said Aoun does not actually support President Emile Lahoud, but fears that a political vacuum may result if Lahoud resigned immediately.