BEIRUT, May 13 (Reuters) - The pro-government Future TV station, forced off the air by opposition gunmen last week, will resume broadcasting on Tuesday, the station's head said. Future TV and its sister news channel were to go on air at 4:30 p.m. (1330 GMT) from studios based in the Christian Sin el-Fil neighbourhood in time for a scheduled news conference by its owner, Sunni magnate Saad al-Hariri who heads the pro-government Future movement. "We will resume broadcasting from 4:30 p.m.," station head Nadim Munla told Reuters. A building housing some of the station's studios was set on fire by pro-Syrian gunmen during Hezbollah's rapid takeover of the Muslim half of Beirut last week before they later handed positions over to the army. Hezbollah, backed by Syria and Iran, and its opposition allies have routed loyalists of the Sunni-led government in Beirut and hills to the east in fighting that has pushed Lebanon to the brink of civil war. At least 81 people have been killed in the violence which erupted after Prime Minister Fouad Siniora outlawed Hezbollah's communication network and fired Beirut's airport security chief, who is close to the Shi'ite group -- a move Hezbollah saw as a declaration of war. Lebanon has a variety of television stations allied to rival domestic political factions. Future TV is viewed as the mouthpiece of the fragile U.S.-backed government that has lost much of its credibility in its 18 months of conflict with Hezbollah. Future's newspaper, also off newsstands since last week on Hezbollah's orders, will resume publication on Wednesday. (Writing by Yara Bayoumy; editing by Andrew Dobbie)
Lebanese soldiers in armoured personnel carriers are deployed in Tripoli May 13, 2008. Lebanon's army stepped up patrols on Tuesday as part of a drive to restore order after a week ...
