A1 Team Lebanon, the first ever national racing team to represent the country in international motor racing, took to the race track at Brands Hatch today for the first day of the inaugural A1 Grand Prix race weekend. Completing two practice sessions, the team's two drivers, Basil Shaaban and Khalil Beschir, each took a turn behind the wheel for A1 Team Lebanon. Shaaban drove the A1 race car in the first session, with dry weather providing the young Lebanese with a good opportunity to gain more experience with the car and familiarize himself with the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit. For the second session the weather changed drastically, with heavy rain at the start. Beschir took over driving duties, but the rain, and a number of red flags due to track incidents, forced him to a limited number of laps.

Shaaban started the session well, posting lap times just outside of the top ten. As the session progressed, he dropped back, with the more experienced drivers starting to show their form, finishing 18th fastest as the session concluded. He reflected on his day, saying, "It's been a special day for me. Leaving the pitlane with the Cedar tree behind me was quite an emotional moment, although as soon as I was out on track, I was focused on gaining more experience of the car and learning the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit. The team has certainly improved the car since our last test at Paul Ricard and I feel more comfortable with the car each time I am behind the wheel. "

 ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER, BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Police have arrested four men who allegedly sold cell phone chips to members of the plot to assassinate former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, court officials said Thursday.Investigating magistrate Elias Eid has accused the four traders of forgery and withholding information that could have helped the investigation into Hariri's death, a court official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the inquiry.

A second court official said the four were accused of providing cell phone lines to those who planned and carried out Hariri's assassination. The official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity for similar reasons, said the chips for the cell phones were later destroyed in a bid to eliminate evidence. The arrests had been requested by the chief U.N. investigator into the Hariri killing, Detlev Mehlis. French and German experts assisting the U.N. investigation have studied thousands of calls made before and after the assassination.The phone dealers - Majed al-Akhras, Mustafa Misto, Ayman Tarabay and Raed Fakhereddine - were among 10 detained for questioning this week, the officials said. The four were formally arrested Wednesday and the others were released on bond.

 BEIRUT, 22 September (IRIN) - Lebanon needs to review its domestic laws and policies to conform to international norms in order to combat widespread trafficking in human beings, especially women and children, a United Nations expert said."Lebanon's victims of trafficking are often invisible because they suffer in places that remain hidden to the public eye such as private homes or hotel rooms," Sigmu Huda, the UN Special Rapporteur on human trafficking told reporters following a fact-finding mission that lasted from 8-15 September.

"Much remains to be done for the government to implement Lebanon's international obligations related to human trafficking. A number of domestic laws procedures and policies have to be brought in conformity with international norms and standards," Huda, who is a human rights activist and lawyer from Bangladesh, said on Friday.She noted, however, that the Ministry of Labour had indicated they intended to present legislation on domestic migrant workers one month from September.  "One survey brought to my attention found that at least one out of every three Lebanese employers beats his or her domestic worker," Huda told reporters in the capital, Beirut, on Friday. "Some victims personally related incidents of traumatic sexual abuse to me."

The Lebanese ICT industry, which records sustainable growth year after year, is positioning itself as a force to reckon with at Gitex Dubai 2005, with a group of leading Lebanese companies showcasing their products and solutions under the umbrella of the Professional Computer Association (PCA) Lebanon.

Driven by wider territorial expansion for the export of software services, the Lebanese ICT industry will use its participation in Gitex to consolidate its presence in the Gulf and the Middle East, its biggest and most important markets. The Lebanese pavilion at Gitex will be located in Sheikh Rashid Hall, E9, at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre, spread over an area of 156 square metres.
'Information Technology continues to get top priority in the markets of the Middle East in general and the Gulf in particular, driven by governments that believe in investing in IT and a corporate sector that uses technology for higher productivity,' Michel Nseir, Head of Lebanese Pavilion at GITEX Dubai 2005. 'The Lebanese ICT industry is keen to reach out to the high-potential markets of the region by participating in different trade exhibitions, especially Gitex Dubai, which is undoubtedly the most powerful and dynamic platform for achieving this goal.