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Berri Calls for Speeding up Oil Excavation to Resolve Lebanon’s Financial Problems

Speaker Nabih Berri hoped on Wednesday that efforts will be speeded up in petroleum excavation in order for Lebanon to move on to the drilling phase.

He said during his weekly meeting with MPs at Ain al-Tineh: “The sooner we begin the excavation, the sooner we begin to seriously tackling the country’s economic and financial problems.”

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Aoun: We Hope Syrian People Will Be Diligent Enough to Thwart Strife

Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun noted on Wednesday that attempts to create strife are taking place in Syria, praising President Bashar Assad’s efforts to implement reform.

He hoped that the “Syrian people would be diligent enough to thwart the strife.”

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Shura Council Approves Nahhas’ Wage Plan, Conditions Amendments

The Shura Council approved on Wednesday the new wage hike proposal made by Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas on condition of introducing amendments to it.

The Council conditioned some modifications to the decision that was submitted by Nahhas, who didn’t put his proposal to vote at the cabinet yet.

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Ex-Ogero Employee Charged with Spying for Israel

Military Prosecutor Judge Saqr Saqr charged on Wednesday a former employee with state-run telecom operator Ogero with spying for Israel, the National News Agency reported.

NNA, which did not identify the man, said Saqr charged him for allegedly meeting with Israeli officers abroad and providing them with information on the telecom sector in return for money.

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March 14: Govt. Must Distance Lebanon from Syrian Crisis after Assad’s Hint of More Violence

The March 14 General Secretariat condemned on Wednesday Syrian President Bashar Assad’s speech on Tuesday, urging the international and Arab communities to take action to halt the regime’s ongoing crimes.

It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “The Lebanese government should distance the country from the Syrian crisis after Assad’s speech hinted at more violence on the internal scene.”

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Al-Merehbi to Naharnet: Army Arrested Syrians after Seeking Medical Care in North

The Lebanese army intelligence has arrested a group of Syrian and Lebanese men at a checkpoint that lies between Akkar and Hermel, MP Moeen al-Merehbi told Naharnet on Wednesday.

The Akkar lawmaker said the arrest was made at al-Rouwayma checkpoint on Tuesday as the men were heading to Syria through the eastern border town of Arsal following their hospitalization in northern Lebanon.

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Beirut MPs: We Will Now Meet with Various Political Powers over Establishment of Arms-Free City

The Beirut MPs stressed on Wednesday that establishing an arms-free capital does not only include administrative area of the city, but Greater Beirut.

It said after a meeting at parliament: “After holding talks with the president, premier, and speaker over an arms-free capital, it is now time to hold talks with the various political powers.”

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ISF Confiscates More than 1,200 Unlicensed Motorcycles, Vows to Continue Crackdown

The Internal Security Forces have so far confiscated more than 1,200 unlicensed motorbikes and fined more than 400 car drivers for having tinted windows, the ISF General Command said in a communique on Wednesday.

On the first day of the campaign that was launched on Tuesday, the ISF confiscated 1,252 unlicensed motorcycles and fined 435 drivers whose vehicles had tinted windows, the communique said.

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Mansour in Libya to ‘Turn Black Page’ of al-Sadr Disappearance

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said Wednesday he was visiting Libya to receive information on the investigations into the fate of Imam Moussa al-Sadr and to turn the black page of the past in the Lebanese-Libyan ties.

In remarks to As Safir daily published Wednesday, Mansour said: “We are not going there for exploration but to get the final result of the case of Imam Moussa al-Sadr and his companions.”

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Davutoglu in Beirut for ESCWA Conference, Could Meet with March 14

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and the former head of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, are among the high-level dignitaries who would attend a U.N. conference on democracy in the Arab world over the weekend, al-Liwaa daily reported.

The newspaper said Wednesday that Davutoglu and Moussa will address the "Reform and Transitions to Democracy" conference which will also see U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon as a keynote speaker.

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