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Beirut Refuses Libyan Jet Entry in Lebanon

Lebanese aviation authorities have reportedly refused to give the permission for a private Libyan jet with 10 people on board to land at Rafik Hariri international airport.

As Safir daily said Tuesday that the plane was due to take off from Tripoli’s airport before midnight but Lebanese authorities asked Libya to unveil the identity of the 10 people before allowing the jet to land in Lebanon.

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Peres: Ahmadinejad and Nasrallah Will be Toppled by Own People

Israeli President Shimon Peres has said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah would be overthrown by their own people.

Peres made the remark on Monday at the headquarters of the Jewish community in Spain.

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Zasypkin after Meeting MP Hariri: We Support STL and Want it to Continue its Work

Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin stressed on Monday his country’s support for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, saying that Russia is keen on uncovering the perpetrators behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and all other assassinations.

He said after meeting MP Bahia Hariri: “The STL is an instrument of international legitimacy and Russia supports it and wants it to continue its functioning.”

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UNIFIL: Demarcating Maritime Border Requires Agreement from All Concerned Sides

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Director of Political and Civil Affairs Milos Strugar stated on Monday that the international force’s jurisdiction does not include demarcating the maritime border, adding that it would be willing to do so if it receives the consent of the concerned sides.

He explained to the Central News Agency that several sections within the U.N. are dedicated to managing legal and political affairs that include peacemaking operations and tackling maritime borders.

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Jumblat: It’s Time for Gadhafi to Step Down from Power and Pave the Way for Real Change

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat criticized on Monday the West’s “suspicious” silence over the developments in Libya that are similar to the confusion it felt when confronting the anti-regime protests in Egypt.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine that the silence stems from the West’s interest in the oil wealth, “which remains the main drive behind most of western policies that turn a blind eye to human rights and democracy once their interests are jeopardized.”

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Miqati: Lebanon Holds Onto Justice, International Resolutions

Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati stressed Monday that Lebanon holds onto its ties with the international community and the concept of justice.

“Lebanon holds onto the best of relations with the international community, the respect of international resolutions and the concept of justice,” Miqati told a visiting Dutch parliamentary delegation.

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Suleiman: Israel Must Withdraw from South, Implement Resolution 1701 in its Entirety

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Monday the need for Israel to withdraw from all Lebanese territory in the South and commit to implementing all articles of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.

He also emphasized after holding talks with a Dutch delegation headed by Hendrik Jan Ormel the importance of granting Palestinian refugees the right to return to their homeland.

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Report: Riyadh Sees Any Threat to Order in the Region as Gain for Iran, Syria, Hizbullah

As pro-democracy uprisings spread across the Middle East, Saudi authorities are feeling increasingly isolated and concerned that Washington may no longer be a reliable backer, officials and diplomats told the New York Times.

“The Saudis are completely encircled by the problem, from Jordan to Iraq to Bahrain to Yemen,” said one Arab diplomat, voicing a view that is common in the halls of power in Riyadh.

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Israel Army: Hizbullah Might Attack Israel to Stave off Pressure in Iran

Tehran could activate Hizbullah fighters to attack Israel in an effort to stave off domestic pressure within Iran, according to assessments in the Israeli army’s Northern Command.

“The concern within the army is that if the regime in Tehran feels under pressure due to anti-government demonstrations, it will try to initiate an attack on an Israeli target – either overseas or near the border – to divert attention from its own troubles,” said The Jerusalem Post newspaper on Monday.

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Muallem Hopes Lebanese-Syrian Relations Would Prosper

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem has hoped that Lebanese-Syrian ties would be similar to relations between Damascus and Ankara.

Last week, Turkey's Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, praised booming ties with one-time foe Syria, saying that a joint dam project at the border between the two neighbors would further strengthen cooperation.

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