by Jocelyne Zablit, BEIRUT (AFP) Lebanon’s army arrested 17 people on Saturday, including several soldiers, over the shooting deaths of seven people during protests in Beirut that raised fears of civil unrest in a country already gripped by political crisis. "In light of the events that took place on January 27 in the region of Mar Michael and Shiyah and that led to the deaths of seven civilians and left a number of people injured, including soldiers, the military police ordered these arrests," a statement said.

Those detained included three officers, two non-commissioned officers, six soldiers and another six civilians. The statement said some were arrested for causing public disorder and several for illegally carrying weapons. It said 29 civilians, including five minors, had been released after questioning, while the identities of another three suspected of having incited violence were being checked.

The statement said 85 civilians and 120 soldiers had been questioned, and that weapons seized were being tested to see if they had been fired. Sunday’s violence broke out after youths protesting power cuts in the Shiite district of Shiyah entered the nearby Christian area of Ein el-Rommaneh and began throwing stones and setting cars on fire. The situation quickly escalated after a member of the Shiite party Amal was shot in the back.

Daily star, By Hani M. Bathish 
 BEIRUT: The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) refused to give any details about its investigation into Sunday’s riots before its conclusion, as the death toll from the clashes rose on Tuesday to nine after Jihad Rashid Munzir died in hospital of injuries sustained in Mar Mikhael. The army refused to confirm the identities or political affiliations of those arrested or whether they were detained for sniping at protesters. Amid the official silence, however, media speculation remained rife concerning the presence of snipers and their political affiliations.

Lebanese Forces (LF) boss Samir Geagea, who met Premier Fouad Siniora Tuesday, denied that LF members were arrested in connection with alleged sniping activities aimed at protesters in Mar Mikhael. "These rumors are false. There were members of the Lebanese Forces as well as people from Ain al-Rummaneh that the army rounded up. Some were carrying guns without a permit, but it has nothing to do with [Sunday’s riots]. No one was sniping," Geagea said following his meeting with Siniora.

Also Tuesday, the LF accused some media outlets and opposition politicians of launching a campaign aimed at "distorting facts" and laying blame for Sunday’s events on the Lebanese Forces. The LF said it has taken steps to file lawsuits against those who take part in this campaign or contribute to it.

DAMASCUS (AFP) – Lebanese diva Fairuz has taken to the stage to perform in the Syrian capital for the first time in more than 20 years to the rapt delight of her fans. The singer, 73, electrified her audience with a host of favourites on Monday night, including the operetta Sah al-Nawm which tells the story of a village chief who is always sleeping and fails to address the needs of villagers.

"That was marvellous," enthused young doctor Lina after the performance. "I’m in a state of excitement. I feel reborn." Fairuz is widely considered the greatest Arab singer, following the death of Umm Kalthoum, and is hugely popular throughout the Middle East and has performed around the world.

She is to give eight concerts, each time playing to sold-out theatres, but has frustrated more fans than she has pleased, with thousands of Syrians trying in vain to buy the sought-after tickets. "All Syrians want to go and see Fairuz, but there are only 10,000 tickets available," said one fan. Dozens of VIPs, including Syrian Vice President Faruq al-Shara, scooped places for the opening night

Jan 27- Seven people have been shot dead in Lebanon’s capital after protests over power cuts. At least five of the dead in Sunday’s clashes in Beirut were supporters of the opposition, opposition sources said. At least four of the dead were close to the Hezbollah, which together with Amal has the support of the country’s Shia population. Security sources said 22 people were also wounded. The violence came two days after a car bombing killed a senior intelligence officer and four others involved in investigations into assassinations blamed by many Lebanese on Syria.

The deadlock has fuelled sectarian tensions between Shia Muslims loyal to the opposition Hezbollah and Amal factions, and Sunni supporters of Saad al-Hariri, who leads the governing March 14 coalition. Amal, which is led by Nabih Berri, the parliament speaker, called on its followers to halt the protests. "We have no link to this action. We call on people not to react. We call on them to pull out of the streets," Ali Hassan Khalil, a senior Amal official, told the Reuters agency. Hezbollah members used loudspeakers to urge calm.  The violence escalated after an Amal activist was shot dead when the army moved to break up a demonstration against power cuts.

By Yara Bayoumy, BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanon’s police chief vowed on Saturday to confront those who "terrorize this nation" at a memorial service for a police intelligence officer killed in a car bomb attack the previous day. Captain Wisam Eid, who helped investigate assassinations in Lebanon, and his bodyguard were killed when a car bomb ripped through a Christian suburb of Beirut on Friday. Police said the death toll in the attack had risen to five, from four, and there were 42 wounded.

Red Cross ambulances evacuated at least a dozen casualties, after a powerful explosion tore through rows of parked cars, near a major highway overpass, targeting a top Lebanese police investigator.Firefighters worked feverishly to douse the blazing wreckage of twisted automobiles, as thick plumes of acrid black smoke choked the air. Lebanese security officials say top police investigator Wissam Eid, the apparent target of the blast, died immediately.

Charles Ayoub, the Editor of Lebanon’s Ad Diyar newspaper told al Arabiya television that at least 30 to 40 kilos of a TNT were used in the bombing.Lebanese investigators, using sniffer dogs, combed through the rubble of the explosion, looking for clues, but sources say that water used to douse the blaze was making the search extremely difficult.

BEIRUT, Lebanon