Beirut, 15 Sept. (AKI) - The UN commission investigating the death of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri has asked that banking secrecy be lifted on the bank accounts of nine Lebanese and Syrian citizens, to review financial transactions over the last five years. The list includes a number of high-ranking figures; the current Syrian interior minister, Ghazi Kanaan, who was head of Syrian security in Lebanon until 2002, his successor until April 2005, Rustum Ghazale, the current Lebanese defence minister, Elias al-Murr, the editor of ad-Diyar newspaper, Charles Ayub, and former Lebanese MP, Nasir Qandil.
The UN list comprises more than thirty people, who are suspected of involvement in Hariri's murder.

 Police on Wednesday arrested three officials of an nationalist group, a day after they called on Lebanon to withdraw from the Arab League, a judicial official said. Prosecutor Mukhtar Saad said the three members of the Guardians of the Cedars were detained for "issuing a statement that incites internal sedition."

On Tuesday they gave a press conference in a hotel north of Beirut where they issued a statement, The group has long called for the expulsion of Palestinian refugees and their descendants from Lebanon. The statement also called Lebanon to withdraw from the Arab League "because we are not part of the Arab world." It added that the policy of pan-Arabism had brought only harm to Lebanon.  "Syria is worse than Israel," the statement added.

 Being perhaps the most unique urban reconstruction and city regeneration projects of its kind regionally and internationally, the multi-billion dollar Beirut City Centre project involves the development and reconstruction of the traditional Beirut City Centre into the 'finest City Centre in the Middle East'.

A mixed-use development, the Beirut City Centre covers over 1.9 million square meters of prime land, of which one third is reclaimed from the sea. On this land, Solidere is developing 4.69 millions m2 of built-up-space featuring 40% residential, 50% commercial and offices and 10% hotels, cultural and leisure services.

 Phase One of the Beirut City Centre project, which was successfully completed, saw the installation of top-of-the-line infrastructure and utilities and the reconstitution of the public domain. Highlights include restoration of more than 90% of retained buildings, construction of the Beirut Marina and one-kilometre sea defence structure and execution of new development projects including the United Nations (UN) building, the Embassy complex, Saifi Village residential district, as well as the start of development of residential blocks in the Wadi Abu Jamil residential sector and a number of prominent residential, and office buildings in other sectors of the City Center.

 DUBAI (AFP) - A previously unheard of group in Iraq threatened to kill a Lebanese hostage it accused of working with a liquor distribution firm that "deals with the occupiers," according to a video posted on the Internet. "The Group for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" said it had "captured an importer of food and liquor in Baghdad who works for a company that deals directly with the crusader occupiers of Iraq." It demanded the company's "withdrawal from Iraq as soon as possible in order to free the Lebanese hostage -- otherwise woe on him and you."

The hostage, who speaking in Arabic gave the Armenian name of Garabet Jean Chekerjian, said he held dual Lebanese and Cypriot nationality. He was shown in the footage sitting on the floor with his hands and feet tied. A hooded gunman pointed an automatic weapon at his head. The captive exhorted Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and the Lebanese embassy in Baghdad to put pressure on his employers to pull out of Iraq."I hold dual Lebanese and Cypriot nationality and I work with the branches of the 'Jetco Trading' (phonetic) company in Lebanon, Cyprus and Iraq. The company supplies foodstuffs and alcoholic beverages to the occupation forces and the Iraqi army," he said.