Explosions rock Israeli position in Lebanon border area  

JERUSALEM (AFP) - A series of explosions were reported near an Israeli military base in the contested Shebaa Farms district on the border between Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

At least six blasts, probably caused by rocket fire from southern Lebanon, rocked the volatile area, an army spokeswoman said Friday.

Lebanese police said earlier that Israeli troops had opened fire with heavy machine guns on southern Lebanon amid fresh tension along the border.

The shooting hit the village of Kfarshouba near the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms district, damaging a house, police said.

Israel holds Lebanon responsible after border blasts

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israel reiterated that Lebanon was responsible for maintaining peace along their common border following at least two explosions in 24 hours in the volative region.

"Israel holds Lebanon responsible for what happens on its border," Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz told public radio, adding that Israel had no interest in escalating tension along its northern border.

"We are following events in Lebanon closely. The Syrians continue to play a certain role despite announcing their troops have withdrawn," Mofaz added Friday.

Lebanese banks struggle with public debt

Banking official slams government for failure to take serious action

BEIRUT: Lebanese banks may not be able to finance the public debt this year at the same pace as before if customer deposits and capital inflow shrinks, the secretary general of the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) warned Thursday. "Commercial banks have been financing the public debt for a long time. However, this trend may change if the banking sector does not achieve real growth in deposits and assets" said Makram Sader.

According to the Central Bank, the money supply in the first four months of 2005 fell by 3.2 percent compared to 3 percent growth in the same period of 2004.

Sfeir brushes off U.S. accusations he is stirring sectarian strife

Patriarch lashes out at Lebanon's MPs saying they failed their duty to pass a new electoral law

By Leila Hatoum , Daily Star staff

BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir brushed off U.S. accusations that he was "whipping up sectarian sentiments" following his criticism of Lebanon's electoral law and launched a fresh attack on the legal framework for the upcoming elections.

Following his insistence that the current electoral law "violates Christian Muslim coexistence," which drew a sharp rebuke from the White House, who accused the patriarch of  increasing sectarian tension by "adding fuel to the fire," Sfeir said yesterday that the law failed to "satisfy anyone."