Lebanon aid convoys delayed for lack of clearance

Two UN convoys destined for southern Lebanon were halted Tuesday after failing to receive necessary security clearance from Israeli military forces and Hizbullah, officials said. Christiane Berthiaume, a spokeswoman for the World Food Program, said one aid shipment intended for the coastal city of Naqoura and one for the hillside town of Rmaich, about 135 kilometers (84 miles) south of Beirut, were unable to reach their destinations. The UN requires that Hezbollah and the Israeli army are notified of the route and time frame for each convoy, and for this information to be acknowledged by the two sides.