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Al-Rahi Says Talk of Reform Absurd without Govt. of Specialists

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday reiterated his call for the formation of a “government of nonpartisan specialists.”

“Without the formation of a government of nonpartisan specialists in which no party has hegemony, it will be absurd for officials to continue to talk about rescue, reform, fighting corruption, forensic audit, defense strategy and national reconciliation,” al-Rahi said in his Sunday Mass sermon.

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Bassil Says 'Corrupt System' Preparing to Seize 'State Assets'

Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil on Sunday lashed out at what he called the “corrupt system.”

“Usually, in corrupt nations, the people revolt against oppressive regimes, topple them and recover their stolen rights, whereas here the corrupt system has staged a coup against the people and seized their money and is now preparing to stage a coup against the state’s assets and existence,” Bassil said in a tweet.

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Potholes, Graffiti, Broken Streetlights: Lebanon's Crumbling Capital

Beirut's roads are riddled with potholes, many walls are covered in anti-government graffiti and countless street lamps have long since gone dark.

At night, car drivers creep cautiously past broken traffic lights and strain their eyes for missing manhole covers, stolen for the value of their metal.

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Reports: FPM Trio Convince Aoun, Hale to Soften Sea Border Stances

MPs Elias Bou Saab and Alain Aoun and President Michel Aoun’s adviser Salim Jreissati have convinced the president to shelve the proposed amendments to Decree 6433 to give a chance to the resumption of sea border negotiations with Israel, media reports said.

“This trio met U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale once he arrived in Beirut on Tuesday night and before he kicked off his meetings with top officials and political leaders,” a prominent parliamentary source told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in remarks published Sunday.

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'No Sweets': For Syrian Refugees in Lebanon, a Tough Ramadan

It was messy and hectic in Aisha al-Abed's kitchen, as the first day of Ramadan often is. Food had to be on the table at precisely 7:07 p.m. when the sun sets and the daylong fast ends.

What is traditionally a jovial celebration of the start of the Muslim holy month around a hearty meal was muted and dispirited for her small Syrian refugee family.

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Report: Hizbullah Stockpiling in Preparation for ‘Collapse’ in Lebanon

Hizbullah party is reportedly making preparations in anticipation of the “complete collapse” of Lebanon’s faltering economy, media reports said on Saturday.

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Hariri Concludes Visit to Russia by Meeting Lavrov

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri concluded his visit to Russia Friday by meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow, Hariri’s press office said in a statement.

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Report: Rahi Likely to Visit Gulf Region, Vatican in May

Maronite Patriarch Beshara el-Rahi prepares to make a tour to Gulf countries and the Vatican in mid May, al-Markazia news agency reported on Friday.

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Abiad Says Drop in Virus ICU Patients Doesn’t Mean Covid is Defeated

Director of the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Firass Abiad, said although the number of coronavirus cases needing ICU has dropped, faster vaccination remains a need in crisis-wracked Lebanon.

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Aoun Invited to Attend Armenian Genocide Anniversary

President Michel Aoun received an invitation from his Armenian counterpart to attend the anniversary of the Aremnian genocide on April 24, the National News Agency reported on Friday.

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