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Adwan Submits Hybrid Electoral Law amid Minor Reservations

Lebanese Forces bloc MP George Adwan on Friday said he submitted a new draft electoral law to the parliamentary electoral subcommittee, noting that its members only voiced minor reservations over his proposal.

“I submitted a proposal on behalf of the Lebanese Forces that reflects all the remarks, demands and concerns voiced by the MPs throughout this period,” Adwan said after the subcommittee's meeting on Friday afternoon.

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Connelly Meets Qahwaji, Voices U.S. Concern over Security Situation in Lebanon

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly underscored on Friday that the U.S. remains concerned that developments in Syria not contribute to instability in Lebanon.

She emphasized “U.S. concern for the current security situation in Lebanon and called on all parties to exercise restraint and respect for Lebanon’s security and stability.”

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Asiri Slams al-Rahi's Caricature: It Doesn't Represent Saudi Arabia's Stance

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awadh Asiri slammed on Friday a caricature published in the Saudi al-Watan newspaper criticizing Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi's visit to Syria.

“The caricature doesn't depict the kingdom's stance from al-Rahi,” Asiri told the state-run National News Agency.

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Syria Women Face Horror of War, Seek Refuge in Lebanon to Give Birth

Syrian women waiting for pre-natal care at a Lebanese clinic know their pregnancies may end prematurely due to stress and fear, and that they may be unable to provide for their babies.

Many of the women are unable to cover the high cost of hospital care in the northern portal city of Tripoli, home to thousands of Syrians uprooted by the conflict that has ravaged their country for nearly two years.

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Miqati: Law Obligates us to Hold Elections Based on 1960 Law Should New One Not Be Reached

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stated on Friday that the government is committed to the draft law that it referred to parliament.

“An active law already exists, that of the 1960 law,” which was adopted during the 2009 elections, he remarked.

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Arrest Warrant Issued against Minister Fneish's Brother of Drugs Scandal

An arrest warrant was issued on Friday against the brother of Minister of State for Administrative Reform Mohammad Fneish over his links to the drug scandal that erupted in Lebanon in 2012.

MTV reported that Judge Jean Ferneini issued the arrest warrant against Abdul Latif Fneish in connection to the case of the illegally imported medications.

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Bassil Opens Pre-Qualification Stage for Oil Companies to Explore Offshore Lebanon

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil announced on Friday the opening of the pre-qualification period for oil exploration companies interested in exploring Lebanon's offshore oil and gas reserves.

“The deadline for submitting applications will be on March 28 and the Petroleum Authority will announce after three weeks the list of accepted companies then we will begin the round of tenders, which will last until the end of the year,” Bassil said at a press conference.

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Army Arrests 11 in Arsal for Arms Possession, Residents Block Roads in Protest

The army arrested 11 people in the Bekaa region of Arsal on Thursday and Friday as part of the security measures it has undertaken in the area, reported the National News Agency Friday.

It said that 11 people, including four Syrians, were arrested for the possession of arms and military equipment.

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Roumieh Inmates Protest Decision to Transfer Prisoner, Vow to Take Action

Several inmates staged a protest in Bloc B in Roumieh prison over transferring another prisoner into another cell inside the facility, vowing to escalate their actions, the state-run News Agency reported on Friday.

Around 60 inmates began rioting overnight over transferring prisoner Mohammed Abdul Hajj to the department of convicts.

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Aoun: President Should Not Bother Rejecting Orthodox Law because it Does Not Need Consensus

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stated that an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law, specifically the Orthodox Gathering draft law, is not linked to constitutional rules, reported al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday.

He told the newspaper: “President Michel Suleiman should not bother rejecting the law because it does not require consensus seeing as it is an electoral mechanism.”

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