Lebanon
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Six Years On, No Solution for Missing Lebanese

A press conference was held on Monday at the Gibran Khalil Gibran garden near the U.N. house in Beirut to send a message to authorities that the suffering of the families of Lebanese missing in Syria has not dissipated six years after they erected a tent to make their voices heard.

The event took place in the presence of the Committee of Parents of Lebanese Detainees in Syrian Prisons, the Committee of Parents of Kidnapped and Missing Persons in Lebanon, the Support of Lebanese in Detention and Exile (SOLIDE) and the Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH).

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Cabinet Discussions Reportedly Make Progress as FPM Dismisses Atmosphere of Optimism

President Michel Suleiman rejected over the weekend a draft cabinet lineup proposed by Premier-designate Najib Miqati but media reports said Tuesday that discussions have made progress and are now centered on the distribution of portfolios and names of candidates.

Suleiman had remarks on the lineup that Miqati proposed to him on Saturday night during a meeting held at Baabda palace away from the media spotlight, As Safir daily said Tuesday.

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Berri Threatens to Expose ‘Another Kind’ of WikiLeaks

Speaker Nabih Berri called for an emergency meeting for Amal movement officials last night in which he informed them that “there’s a conspiracy targeting their relationship with Hizbullah,” and they should work on abolishing it.

He said that the last reports from WikiLeaks were “dangerous” and “poisonous,” what required a decisive response from Amal Movement and Hizbullah, As Safir newspaper reported on Tuesday.

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On Civil War Anniversary, Suleiman Slams Division of Shares and Urges Dialogue on Controversial Issues

President Michel Suleiman urged the country’s politicians to fully implement the Taef Accord lamenting that the constitution was transformed into a mechanism of division of shares.

“We haven’t yet been able to form a modern state that protects itself and watches over the interests of its citizens,” Suleiman told An Nahar daily in remarks published Tuesday on the eve of the 36th anniversary of the Lebanese civil war.

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Phalange: One-Sided and Technocratic Governments Cannot be Formed Given Regional Developments

The Phalange Party stressed on Monday the need to speed up the formation of the new government given the regional and local developments.

It said in a statement after its weekly politburo meeting: “These developments demand that the formation take a new turn that would not necessarily abide by the rules that the current formation is adopting.”

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Geagea: Main Problem of Illegitimate Arms Will Remain Whether New Government is Formed or Not

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea noted on Monday that the main problem of the illegitimate arms will remain in Lebanon whether a new government is formed or not.

He told the Central News Agency: “There is a major flaw in the country that should be rectified.”

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Williams Meets Baroud, Hopes New Government Will be Formed in a Few Weeks’ Time

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams hoped on Monday that a new government would be formed in a few weeks’ time in order for it to tackle the recent security unrest in the country, among other matters.

He said after holding talks with Caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud that this issue should be at Lebanese politicians’ main concern.

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Jumblat Questions Purpose of Launching Debate with Iran: Let us Instead Focus on Ending Internal Tensions

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat warned on Monday that the recent unrest at Roumieh prison may be the first chapter of a dispute whose repercussions have not ended yet.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “The recent events require that this file, which has been neglected for tens of years, receive the attention it deserves.”

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Legal Action Against Two Mobile Operators Alfa and MTC in Lebanon

Cedarcom, the largest fixed and mobile wireless broadband data operator in Lebanon, has reiterated its position on broadband and 3G services in Lebanon.

"Cedarcom supports the implementation of the latest technologies in Lebanon, including VoIP, VDSL, fiber to the home, 3G, 4G, WiMAX (e & m), etc. and is supportive of implementing transparent regulations and enforcing fair competition on all operators as stated in Telecom Law 431/2002. Cedarcom is against the creation of a new monopoly in wireless broadband services," the firm said in a press release.

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Distribution of Portfolios Being Studied as Pivotal Meetings in Cabinet Formation are Scheduled

Meetings and consultations have taken place away from the media spotlight to guarantee the success of the contacts over the government formation, revealed informed sources.

They told the daily An Nahar in remarks published on Monday that “pivotal” meetings over the formation are scheduled to take place in the next 24 hours.

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