Beirut - An explosion Tuesday ripped through the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el Hilweh in southern Lebanon, killing one person and wounding foru others, Palestinian sources said.

The sources inside the camp said Ahmad Qassem was killed and four others were injured in an explosion near the camp's al-Nour Mosque, which is controlled by Islamists.

Shortly after the explosion, the sound of machinegun fire was heard across the camp.

Beirut  - An explosion Tuesday ripped through the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el Hilweh in southern Lebanon, causing casualties, Palestinian sources said.

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Berlin - A German peacekeeping mission to Lebanon, mainly comprising naval units patrolling offshore, received renewed authorization Wednesday till December 
15, 2009.

The German parliament voted in favour of the request from Chancellor Angela Merkel's government by a margin of 451 in favour to 107 against.

The maximum authorization for the contingent, which is controlled by the UN mission UNIFIL, was reduced from 1,400 to 1,200 personnel. Military officials had said previously they did not need the larger number.

Beirut - Reports that Syrian troops crossed into northern Lebanon and took up positions in seven villages were denied by Lebanese security sources Tuesday.

"The reports are not true," one of the sources said, dismissing the report from the Israel-based DEBKAfile website known for its headline-grabbing claims.

The website spoke of a Syrian "invasion" of Lebanon by two Syrian commando battalions backed by reconnaissance and engineering units.

Beirut  - Lebanon's political leaders have closed the first session of a national political dialogue on Tuesday aimed at resolving the country's long-standing difficulties, vowing to hold a second session in November.

"The participants have set November 5 as the date for their second session," a statement released by the dialogue, which was led by Lebanese president Michel Suleiman, said.

The statement called on leaders to stop their "fiery political statements against each other to prepare grounds for the second session and pave the way for more reconciliations."