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Syria Frees Two Lebanese Men Abducted from al-Abboudiyeh

Syrian authorities on Sunday released two Lebanese citizens abducted by Syrian forces on Wednesday from the northern border town of al-Abboudiyeh.

The abduction led to an uproar in the region and prompted residents to block the international highway.

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Jumblat: Only Dialogue Can Prevent Spillover of Syrian Crisis

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat has stressed that only dialogue can prevent a spillover of the Syrian crisis into Lebanon, saying the Lebanese have two options: “entering the Syrian inferno or organizing their disputes.”

During a meeting with Lebanese expats on Saturday in Kuwait, Jumblat described the latest clashes in Tripoli as “very dangerous,” urging Lebanese leaders to avoid a crisis in the key northern city.

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Suleiman, Kuwaiti Emir Discuss 'Boosting Cooperation, Regional Issues'

President Michel Suleiman on Sunday held talks in Kuwait with Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah on “strengthening the brotherly and special bilateral ties” between the countries and “the latest developments in the region and the world,” Kuwait’s state-run news agency KUNA reported.

Suleiman, who arrived in Kuwait at noon Sunday, was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Samir Moqbel.

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Gemayel: Accepting Dialogue Means We Won't Tolerate Continued Presence of Illegal Arms

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Sunday said his party has agreed to take part in national dialogue to underline that “we will not tolerate the continued presence of illegal arms outside state control.”

“We in the Phalange Party have supported the president’s call for dialogue, despite our awareness of the current negativities in the country and the other camp’s intentions, in order to create a national environment that allows the state to address people’s concerns away from the major political conflicts,” Gemayel said in a speech during the inauguration of a party office in the Batroun town of Kfar Abida.

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Al-Rahi Stresses Importance of Dialogue: Govt. Must Be up to Task of Facing Challenges

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi urged on Sunday the government to be up to the task of facing challenges in Lebanon.

He stressed during his Sunday sermon “the importance of national dialogue given the political, security, economic, and social situation in the country.”

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Ghosn: Tripoli Security Plan Will Be Implemented in Full

Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn stated on Sunday that the developments in Tripoli are jeopardizing Lebanon’s security stability.

He stressed in a statement: “The security plan that has been devised for the city will be implemented in full.”

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Organization of Islamic Conference: Lebanon May Slip into Civil War if Syrian Crisis Persists

The head of the Organization of Islamic Conference Akmaluddin Ihsan Oglu warned on Sunday of “dangerous developments” should the violence in Syria continue.

He voiced fears that Lebanon may once again slip into civil war should the crisis in Syria persist.

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Teacher, Who Molested 11 Schoolgirls, Hospitalized after Car Crash

A school teacher, who has been accused of sexually harassing 11 underage school girls, has landed in hospital after crashing his car, reported LBC television on Saturday.

The teacher, identified with the initials B.S., is being kept under heavy judicial and security protection in a Jounieh hospital.

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Report: Tripoli Clashes Favor Syrian Regime

Syrian pressure on Prime Minister Najib Miqati is increasing on a daily basis and the Tripoli clashes have been provoked by the Syrian regime, a French source told the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published on Sunday.

It said: “The situation in Tripoli favors the Syrian regime.”

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Report: Turkey Requested Reducing ‘Media Uproar’ to Help Release 11 Pilgrims

Turkey has requested that Lebanon reduce its “media uproar” over the 11 Lebanese pilgrims who were kidnapped in Syria nearly two weeks ago in order to allow it to resolve the case, reported the daily An Nahar on Sunday.

Sources monitoring the situation stated that the abductors chose to raise their demands for the release of the captives once they noticed the great media and political attention the case has been receiving.

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