BEIRUT, Lebanon: Nabih Berri, Amal party leader and Lebanese parliament speaker, pointed out a climb down by the opposition on its demand for a national unity government ahead of the forthcoming presidential elections.

He was speaking at a gathering to commemorate the disappearance of national leader Ayatullah Musa As-Sadr.

Berri also called for a consensus candidate that could encourage opposition parties to be involved in the upcoming elections and drop its demand to form a government with greater representation for them before the elections.      

HRW accuses Israel on Lebanon, govt rejects HELD JERUSALEM: Human Rights Watch in its harshest condemnation of Israel since last summer's war with Hezbollah has charged that most of the Lebanese civilian casualties came from "indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes".