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Army Deploys to Contain Tripoli Unrest after Man Arrested for Appearing in Shaker's Video

Unrest erupted Monday afternoon in the northern city of Tripoli as a man was arrested for interrogation after he appeared alongside singer-turned-Islamist militant Fadel Shaker in a video circulated in the wake of the Abra battle.

“A hand grenade was hurled near Tripoli's Serail as gunmen appeared on the city's streets and blocked roads in al-Nour Square and al-Beddawi,” MTV reported.

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Gemayel Urges Hizbullah Pullout from Syria, Does Not Oppose Extending Qahwaji's Term

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel urged on Monday Hizbullah to end its fighting in Syria and “return to the Lebanese fold,” while saying that he is not opposed to extending the term of Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji.

He said after the party's weekly politburo meeting: “It would be beneficial to make an exception and extend Qahwaji's term due to the current tensions.”

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Netanyahu Seeks Italy Help in Putting Hizbullah on EU Terror List

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on Monday due to seek Italy's help in putting Hizbullah on a European Union list of “terrorist” organizations.

Ahead of talks with his Italian counterpart Enrico Letta, Netanyahu told reporters that Hizbullah is one of the most "pre-eminent terrorist organizations of our time," adding that the group currently poses the most immediate security threat to Israel, in remarks carried by the website of The Jerusalem Post.

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Burns Says Hizbullah Syria Intervention Puts Lebanon Future in Danger

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns on Monday wrapped up an official visit to Lebanon after meeting with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati.

Burns also met with Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji, Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat and former premier Fouad Saniora, head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc.

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DNA Samples Taken from Asir and Shaker Relatives to Identify Charred Bodies

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr has asked for the DNA samples of Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir's mother and the brother of singer-turned Salafist Fadel Shaker, the state-run National News Agency reported on Monday.

NNA said the results of the tests will be compared with the DNAs of two burned bodies found by the army after taking control of the complex of al-Asir near the southern city of Sidon following two days of heavy gunbattles last week.

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Gas Tanker Comes under Fire at Zahle Highway

Unknown assailants opened fire on Monday a gas tanker on the Zahle highway, reported the National News Agency.

The driver Ali Mehdi Jaafar, who escaped unscathed, said that he was chased by two cars as he reached the Rihab crossroad on the highway near the Bekaa city.

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Berri Postpones Legislative Session over Lack of Quorum But Holds Onto Same Agenda

Speaker Nabih Berri postponed on Monday a three-day parliamentary session over lack of quorum caused by the boycott of several blocs for their doubt on the constitutionality of the session with a resigned government.

His office released a statement saying the session was postponed to July 16-17-18 to discuss the same items that were put on Monday's agenda.

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EDL Contract Workers Stage Sit-in amid Self-Immolation

Electricite du Liban contract workers held a sit-in and blocked the highway near the company's headquarters in Beirut on Monday to protest an urgent draft-law on their employment put on the agenda of a parliamentary session.

One contract worker identified as Hussein Allam set himself on fire but was rushed to Geitawi hospital. Two others suffered burns in their hands when they set garbage bins on fire.

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Ghosn Warns of Extremism, Accuses Certain Factions of Protecting Asir

Caretaker Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn warned on Monday from the proliferation of extremists in Lebanon, accusing Lebanese political factions of playing a role in the rise of Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir.

Some “Lebanese factions protected him all this time. Had the army arrested him, they would have said that a certain party is being targeted” through this arrest, Ghosn told al-Akhbar newspaper.

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Miqati Meets Berri, Refuses to Sign Decree on Extraordinary Legislative Session

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Monday that he rejected a parliamentary session that does not include essential items on its agenda but he also refused signing a decree that calls for an extraordinary session.

“I will not sign a decree for an extraordinary session. We don't want more problems,” Miqati said after talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in parliament.

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