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Gemayel says opposition meeting over president, vows 'new approach' with Hezbollah

Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel said Wednesday that the opposition forces are forming a coordination framework in order to reach a common agreement on a candidate for Presidency.

"We are communicating with the Lebanese Forces, the Progressive Socialist Party and other new MPs in order to agree on a President who is able to rescue Lebanon," Gemayel said.

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Geagea accuses Hezbollah, FPM of pressuring Constitutional Council

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Wednesday that Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement are exerting pressure on the Constitutional Council in order to transfer four seats from the opposition to the March 8 Alliance.

"They are trying to manipulate the parliamentary appeals in different regions especially in Tripoli and Marjayoun," Geagea said in a tweet.

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Report: Hochstein to visit Israel soon, agreed with PM on 'positive framework'

U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein has told the Lebanese parties that all the reports about a "negative atmosphere" regarding the demarcation negotiations are coming from Lebanon's side.

Al-Akhbar newspaper said Wednesday that Hochstein has denied the reports, saying that he and Israel have nothing to do with them.

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Aoun, Mikati meet over govt. line-up, ending month-long deadlock

After more than a month of stalemating the Cabinet formation negotiations, Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati and President Michel Aoun met Wednesday in Baabda.

Mikati and Aoun discussed a Cabinet line-up that the PM had submitted in late June.

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Lebanon to receive $29.5M from US to address food crisis

As part of the recently announced $2.76 billion in U.S. government funding to help address the global food security crisis, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide $29.5 million, consisting of $15 million in humanitarian assistance and $14.5 million in economic support funding, to help protect vulnerable populations from rising food insecurity in Lebanon, the U.S. embassy said.

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Aoun calls on judiciary to confront 'Salameh and partners'

President Michel Aoun on Tuesday called on the judiciary to confront “anyone restraining its justice, at the central bank as well as in the Beirut port blast case.”

In a statement addressed to the judicial authority, the president reminded that on June 9, the relevant judicial authorities “charged Central Bank Governor Riad Toufic Salameh and his partners with dangerous financial crimes, specifically the crimes of embezzlement, falsification, the use of forged documents, money laundering, illicit enrichment and tax evasion.”

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Judge Khoury orders release of Federal Bank hostage-taker

Attorney General Judge Ghassan Khoury on Tuesday ordered the release of Federal Bank hostage-taker Bassam al-Sheikh Hussein.

The National News Agency said the decision was taken after the bank dropped the lawsuit against the defendant.

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Gasoline delivered to distributors as BDL lowers subsidization

Gasoline was delivered to fuel distributors on Tuesday after contacts were made over the past hours, the representative of fuel distribution companies, Fadi Abu Shaqra, said, after queues returned to gas stations in some regions.

“A clarification will be issued about the modification of the mechanism that has been adopted by the Banque du Liban (central bank),” Abu Shaqra added.

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British Ambassador meets Mikati at Grand Serail

British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell met Tuesday with Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Grand Serail.

"I had a good first meeting with Prime Minister Designate Najib Mikati. Our discussion underlined the importance of strengthening the longstanding bilateral relations between our countries," Ambassador Cowell said after the meeting.

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Independent, Change MPs to meet for second time

A group of independent and "Change" MPs will meet Tuesday for the second time at the Parliament.

Last week, sixteen independent and "Change" MPs convened to discuss the Parliamentary sessions' agendas and the method of voting.

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