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.

DAMASCUS (AFP) – Syria vowed to cooperate fully with the head of the UN probe into the murder of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri, saying it was in the interests of Damascus to uncover the truth."Detlev Mehlis arrives in Damascus tomorrow… Syria will cooperate with him and extend all possible facilities to the international commission of inquiry," the official SANA news agency said Sunday."It is in the interests of Syria to reach the truth on the crime of Rafiq Hariri’s assassination."

 An official daily, Ath-Thawra, said Syria would "cooperate in a serious and responsible manner" with Mehlis, who is visiting Syria as part of his commission’s probe which has seen the arrest of four top pro-Syrian Lebanese security officials.Syria and its political allies in Lebanon at the time are accused of having a hand in the February 14 bomb blast on the Beirut seafront that killed Hariri and another 20 people.

 KIEV (AFP) – Ukraine called for the United Nations to review its decision to replace Kiev’s peacekeeping contingent in Lebanon, following findings of "significant financial misconduct  by the troops.  "We will do everything so that the decision to replace the Ukrainian contingent is reviewed," Vassyl Filipchuk, a foreign ministry spokesman, told reporters in Kiev.

Last Friday UN spokeswoman Marie Okabe said that a UN probe "has shown significant financial misconduct by Ukrainian military personnel, including the commanding officer, who served with the mission."She added that the UN had taken steps to replace the Ukrainian unit in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and to prevent the recurrence of such misconduct.

 The UN probe into the murder of Lebanon’s late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri made a significant breakthrough following new information which had been provided by a Syrian defector to Chief UN Investigator Detlev Mehlis. 

According to Paris-based intelligence specialist Intelligence Online, the defector, Colonel Mohammed Safi, provided information regarding the types of explosives used in the bombing which killed Hariri last February.

Safi revealed that the explosives had been purchased from Slovakia.Safi, who had previously directed the office of General Ali Khalil, Syria’s former intelligence chief, had supposedly been convinced to defect from Syria’s ranks by US and Saudi intelligence services. The former colonel initially left Syria for Saudi Arabia, where he was interrogated by Saudi intelligence services and later handed over to US authorities.