A prominent Lebanese anti-Syrian member of parliament and journalist has been killed in a car bomb attack in Beirut. Gibran Tueni's convoy was targeted as it travelled in the Christian-dominated eastern suburb of Mekallis. At least two other people were killed and several injured in the powerful blast during rush hour.

The attack comes hours before a UN team investigating the murder of ex-prime minister Rafik Hariri presents its findings to the UN Security Council. The report is expected to detail Syria's alleged role in his assassination in a massive blast in Beirut in February.

Since then, Christian and anti-Syrian areas have been the target of at least 14 blasts, says the BBC's Kim Ghattas in Beirut. Mr Tueni was managing editor of the leading liberal An-Nahar newspaper, and an outspoken critic of Syria's occupation of Lebanon.

The 52-year-old - who had recently remarried and was the father of twins - was elected to parliament in June. He had spent months in Paris because of security concerns, reportedly only returning to Lebanon on Sunday. Another An-Nahar journalist, the anti-Syrian writer Samir Kassir, was killed in a car bomb in June.

| BBC |

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