Beirut  - Syria has confirmed for the first time the weekend assassination of a top army officer who was also a military adviser to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Lebanese media reported Thursday.

"(Mohammed) Suleiman, an officer of the Syrian Arab Army, has been assassinated," Butheina Shaaban, a political adviser to Assad, was quoted as saying.

"An investigation is under way," she added.

On Sunday, Arab media reported that Suleiman had been murdered in northern Syria.

The Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily al-Hayat quoted "informed sources" in London as saying that a senior Syrian officer had been found dead.

Beirut - European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering started an official one-day visit to Lebanon Thursday for talks on the Middle East peace process.

"European Parliament members are interested in knowing how Lebanese politicians view the development of the peace process in the Middle East," Poettering said upon arrival in Lebanon late Wednesday.

Poettering is scheduled to hold separate talks with Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh.

He also is to meet Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir and the spiritual leaders of the Lebanese communities.

Beirut (Lebanon), August 7 : An archaeological excavation team from the British Musuem in Sidon, Lebanon, have unearthed a new grave containing human skeletal remains belonging to a Canaanite warrior, dating back to 4,000 years.

According to a report in The Daily Star, the delegation made the discovery at the “Freres” excavation site near Sidon’s crusader castle.

“This is the 77th grave that we have discovered at this site since our digging activities has started ten years ago with Lebanese-British financing,” said archeology expert and field supervisor Claude Doumet Serhal.

Beirut  - Lebanese judicial authorities on Wednesday turned down a request to free four army generals who have been held without charge since August 2005 in connection with the assassination of ex- premier Rafik Hariri, a judicial source said.

"The judicial authorities refused to free the four men, who have pleaded their innocence in the assassination," the source said.

Beirut  - Lebanon has officially asked the international police organization Interpol to help with the investigation of the murder of a Lebanese singer who was killed earlier in the week in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanese judicial sources said Saturday.

The body of Suzzane Tamim was discovered Monday in her apartment in the Dubai Marina area by a cousin and a police officer.

According to judicial sources, the office of Lebanese Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said that Lebanon has decided to ask Interpol in Dubai for assistance.

Beirut - A Lebanese soldier was killed and another was wounded on
Wednesday when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a Lebanese army post
in Hermel, eastern Lebanon, security sources said.

Sadallah Khalil Yazbeck was killed and Mohammed al Khatib wounded
when gunmen fired at a post located 200 meters from the Syrian border.
The post was recently established to control smuggling in the border
region.

According to sources, army troops responded to the fire and a chase
was carried out for the gunmen who withdrew further east towards Syrian