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Berri Slams March 14, Says Formation of Cabinet Not Linked to Electoral Law

Speaker Nabih Berri denied on Friday that the March 8 alliance is linking the formation of the government with the drafting of the new electoral law, urging Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam to discuss with all the major political parties the distribution of the portfolios.

“Achieving any progress in the formation of the government will have a positive impact on us and would facilitate reaching an agreement on the electoral law and vice versa,” Berri said in comments to newspapers.

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Fake Bomb Planted in Tripoli's Qalamoun, Army Cordons Off Region

A bomb was found on Tripoli's Qalamoun highway on Thursday, LBCI television reported, adding that a Military official said that the device was fake and was not set for explosion.

The television channel had said earlier that the army has cordoned off the Qalamoun highway after three bombs linked to a fuse were found in the area.

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Suleiman Calls for Committing to Baabda Declaration, Seeks U.N., Arab League Support

President Michel Suleiman Thursday called on political factions in the country to commit to the Baabda Declaration, urging the Arab League and the United Nations to protect Lebanon from the repercussions of the Syrian crisis.

"We must neutralize Lebanon from regional conflicts and I urge national leaders to show solidarity over what was agreed on in the Baabda Declaration,” Suleiman stressed in a speech he gave at Saint Joseph University, in an event commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the establishment of the college's Law School.

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Lebanon Asks Security Council to Share Refugees' Burden, Salam Stresses: No Syrians Will Be Deported

Lebanon's envoy to the United Nations Nawwaf Salam requested on Thursday sharing the burden of Syria's refugees with Arab states, confirming that no Syrians have been deported back to their country.

"The number of Syrians in Lebanon could reach 1.2 million by the end of 2013 and many Palestinian families are expected to enter Lebanon,” Salam warned at a U.N. Security Council session that discussed the situation of Syria's children in the midst of the country's conflict.

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STL President Pledges to Lebanese Officials Fair Trial that Respects Rights of Accused

President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Sir David Baragwanath concluded on Thursday a four-day visit to Lebanon during which he met with a number of officials, during which he thanked them for the “generous” support Lebanon has shown to the tribunal, he announced in a statement.

He said: “We will ensure a trial that is fair, expeditious and conducted with full respect for the rights of the accused and due regard for the protection of victims and witnesses.”

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Lebanon Shortlists 46 Operator, Non-Operator Companies to Tackle Offshore Oil

Caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil announced on Thursday that 46 international companies have been shortlisted to tackle the country's offshore oil and gas wealth.

He said that the 12 operator and 34 non-operator companies will be narrowed down and the remaining companies will be granted the proper license to extract the offshore wealth.

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Rival MPs in 'Vicious Cycle' as Electoral Subcommittee to Meet Again Tuesday

An electoral subcommittee will hold talks next Tuesday, its third meeting since it resumed sessions earlier in the week in a last-ditch effort to agree on a controversial vote law that has kept the rival parties in a “vicious cycle.”

During Thursday's meeting, Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan proposed a chart that is seen as a practical measure to bring viewpoints closer, the subcommittee chairman, lawmaker Robert Ghanem, said.

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U.S. Hails 'Close' U.S.-Lebanese Ties, Failure of 'Enemies of Democracy'

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has said the last 30 years of “close” cooperation between Washington and Lebanon proved that the goals of “terrorists” who struck U.S. interests in the country in the 1980s were not achieved.

“Hizbullah and other terrorist organizations like it hoped through these violent attacks to deter the United States from maintaining our strong relationship with the Lebanese people, and from working with all elements of Lebanese society to insure the stability and sovereignty of Lebanon,” Kerry said on Thursday in a statement on the 30th anniversary of the U.S. embassy bombing in Beirut.

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Asiri Denies Ties with Hizbullah Frozen Despite Political Differences

Saudi Ambassador Ali Awadh Asiri revealed on Thursday that political differences between Riyadh and Hizbullah were natural and should be used in Lebanon's national interest.

In remarks to As Safir daily, Asiri said that he was in continuous contact with Hizbullah. But stressed that their dispute on some political issues “were not a problem.”

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Families of Pilgrims Urge on Suleiman to Summon Turkish Ambassador

The families of the abducted pilgrims held in Syria's Aazaz since May last year called on Thursday on President Michel Suleiman to summon Turkish Ambassador Inan Ozyildiz to urge him to resolve the matter swiftly.

“If the case wasn't resolved soon we will not only halt Turkish airlines flights but also Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport,” one of the protesters said.

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