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Catholic Patriarchs of the East Urge Christians to Cling to their Homeland

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi called on the Christians on Thursday to keep their grip on their homeland amid the developments storming the Arab world.

“Christians should hold onto their homeland and historical sacred places,” al-Rahi said at the end of the 20th convention of the Catholic Patriarchs of the East held in Bkirki.

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Miqati Stresses Dialogue to Consolidate Unity, Confirms Security Situation ‘Under Control’

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Thursday that the cabinet is working on reviving the dialogue among the Lebanese political foes in order to consolidate the national unity.

“The cabinet is prioritizing the national dialogue,” Miqati said at the opening of the Lebanese Economic Forum held at the Coral Beach Hotel in Beirut.

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Report: Jumblat to Announce New Strategy, Shifts Positions

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat shifted his position, as he is seeking to return to the March 14-led opposition, the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa newspaper reported on Thursday.

“We’ve budged, we moved to another position and we’re waiting for the right time to announce this,” March 14 sources quoted Jumblat as saying.

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Syrian Diplomat Lauds Lebanese Stance, Shrugs Off March 14 Criticism

A Syrian diplomatic source said Damascus has appreciated the stance taken by Lebanon at the meeting of the Arab foreign ministers in Cairo last Saturday.

The source told al-Joumhouria daily published on Thursday that the Lebanese position expressed the common vision of the two countries.

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Hizbullah Says Ban Biased to West, Slams Report on Implementation of 1701

Hizbullah slammed on Thursday United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s report on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701.

“Ban confirmed once again that he is completely biased towards the west instead of implementing the goals of the international organization to establish peace and stability around the world,” the party said in a statement.

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Tenenti: No Indication that UNIFIL was Target of Tyre Blasts

Deputy spokesperson for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Andrea Tenenti has said the peacekeeping mission was not the target of bombings that rocked the southern city of Tyre on Wednesday.

The media quoted him as saying there is no indication that the U.N. was the target.

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Miqati Denies he Would Resign if Cabinet Doesn’t Fund STL

Prime Minister Najib Miqati denied on Thursday that he has vowed to resign if the cabinet failed to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

The denial came after al-Liwaa daily said Miqati has stressed he would submit his resignation if his allies in the cabinet Hizbullah, AMAL and the Free Patriotic Movement were not convinced of the importance of funding the STL.

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PSP Says No Need for Further Divisions as Majority of Cabinet Ministers Support Proportionality

Most political forces represented in the government expressed support for proportional representation in the parliamentary elections on Wednesday except for the Progressive Socialist Party claiming that the cabinet was in no need for further divisions.

During a cabinet session held at Baabda palace, Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour, who is loyal to PSP chief Walid Jumblat, asked: “Is this the appropriate political timing to discuss the electoral draft law and approve it?”

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Syria Revolt Deepens Rift between Lebanese Foes

Lebanon's decision to stand by Syria's embattled Bashar Assad has deepened the rift between the March 8-dominated government and the March 14-led opposition.

"The decision of the Lebanese government to support the Syrian regime went against the current of the Arab Spring and ... ignored the wishes of a large part of its own population," said Imad Salamey, political science professor at the Lebanese American University.

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Hariri: Only Israel, Iran and Hizbullah Backing Syrian Regime

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed on Wednesday that only Israel, Iran and Hizbullah along with the current government are defending the Syrian regime, reiterating his call on President Bashar Assad to leave power.

“Don't you see that now Israel and Iran and Hizbullah and this government are defending the Syrian regime?” Hariri said on the social networking website twitter.

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