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Al-Rahi to Head to Iraq, Russia after Syria Visit

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi will head to Iraq and Russia soon after he made a short visit to Syria over the weekend.

According to An Nahar newspaper published on Monday, al-Rahi will head to Iraq during the upcoming two weeks to attend the enthronement of Louis Sako, the new patriarch of the Chaldean church.

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Cabinet to Hold Stormy Session on Formation of Authority Overseeing Elections

The cabinet on Wednesday is expected to witness a heated debate over a proposal by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel to begin the formation of an independent authority overseeing the elections, local newspapers reported.

According to As Safir newspaper published on Monday, the March 8 alliance completely rejects holding the upcoming parliamentary elections based on the 1960 winner-takes-all system, which indicates that sharp differences over the matter will loom during the session at the Baabda Palace.

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Miqati Denies VAT Increase as Economic Committees Hold 2nd Meeting with him to Spur Growth

Prime Minister Najib Miqati denied on Monday that the government would increase the Value Added Tax after a related article was put on the agenda of the cabinet that is set to meet later this week.

Both Miqati and Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi said in remarks to An Nahar daily that the article does not call for an increase in VAT from 10 to 12 percent. But it calls for amendments on taxes to provide incentives for companies.

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Electoral Subcommittee Faces 'Fateful' Week to Find Common Ground among Rivals

The electoral subcommittee resumed talks on Monday to find common ground between rival parties on an electoral law that better represents all Lebanese factions and sects.

The subcommittee chairman MP Robert Ghanem told reporters gathered at the parliament after the first round of talks that “Tuesday is the last day to suggest amendments on the hybrid electoral law.”

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Abu Ibrahim Reportedly Held amid Positive Signs in Case of Pilgrims Kidnapped in Syria

Bassam al-Dada, an adviser to the commander of the rebel Free Syrian Army, has denied reports that the kidnapper of Lebanese pilgrims in Syria was killed.

Al-Liwaa daily on Monday quoted al-Dada as saying that Amar al-Dadikhi of the rebel North Storm brigade, also known as Abu Ibrahim, who last May kidnapped 11 Lebanese pilgrims on their way home from Iran, was being held in Turkey.

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Ghosn Warns Lebanese of 'Delicate' Stage, Says Army 'Only Shelter'

Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn called on Monday on the Lebanese to be aware of the “delicate” stage the country is passing through and to let the army carry out its tasks for being “our only shelter.”

“The Lebanese should act responsibly with the (latest) developments, and shouldn't allow anyone to destabilize their faith in the nation and their army,” Ghosn said in comments published in As Safir newspaper.

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Bulgaria to Brief EU Ministers on Bus Bombing amid Talks on 'Additional Measures' against Hizbullah

Bulgaria will brief other EU nations on the results of the probe that linked Hizbullah to last year's bus bombing that killed five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian driver, Bulgaria's foreign minister said Sunday.

The findings, announced on Tuesday, brought renewed pressure on the European Union from the U.S., Israel and Canada to designate the group a terrorist organization and to crack down on its fundraising operations across Europe.

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Washington Post: Iran, Hizbullah Try to Build Militias Inside Syria

Iran and Hizbullah, are trying to build a network of militias inside Syria to protect their interests there in case President Bashar Assad falls, The Washington Post reported late Sunday.

Citing unnamed U.S. and Middle Eastern officials, the newspaper said Iran's goal appears to be to have reliable operatives in Syria in case the country fractures into ethnic and sectarian enclaves.

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Businessman Najib Youssef Freed after 6-Day Kidnap Ordeal

A wealthy businessman kidnapped on Tuesday in the Tyre region was released on Sunday evening, a media report said.

“Abductee Najib Youssef has been released and handed over to the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau in Beirut,” al-Jadeed television reported.

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Qaouq Says Same Political Cover for Syria Rebels, Arsal 'Troop Killers'

Hizbullah noted Sunday that “those providing political cover for opposition fighters in Syria are the same ones who are providing political cover for those who killed army troops in Arsal,” adding that “providing cover for Syrian gunmen in Lebanese territory is a continuous crime against the country and Syria.”

In a speech he delivered at a memorial service in the southern town of Qabrikha, deputy head of Hizbullah's Executive Council Sheikh Nabil Qaouq said “Israel does not dare to wage any aggression against Lebanon because it cannot afford to bear the equations and surprises of the resistance."

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