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Adib Promises 'Mission Govt.' that 'Satisfies All Lebanese'

Prime Minister-designate Mustafa Adib on Wednesday stressed his keenness on forming a "mission government" that would "satisfy all Lebanese" and be comprised of "competent specialists."

“It will work on implementing the French initiative’s economic, financial and monetary reforms to which all parties had agreed,” he added in a statement.

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France Welcomes Hariri’s Suggestion to End Govt. Stalemate

France’s foreign ministry welcomed on Wednesday a proposal made by ex-PM Saad Hariri to end the cabinet formation stalemate, describing his position as “responsible.”

It indicated in a statement that Lebanese parties should appreciate and understand the importance of Hariri’s declaration which represents an opening to form a government of mission.

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'The Port Came to Us': Story behind AP Photo of Beirut Blast

When Mustafa Kinno felt the ground shake and heard the deafening blast toward the port, he frantically called his brother living nearby.

No reply. He tried a neighbor, who said the family was sitting outside their apartment across from the port when it exploded. Terrified, Mustafa ran more than two miles (four kilometers) to his brother, glass crunching under his feet.

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Report: Govt Negotiations Grew at Night after Hariri’s Initiative

Contacts between Lebanon’s political parties on the government formation stalemate reportedly “intensified” Tuesday night after ex-PM Saad Hariri proposed an initiative aimed at finding a solution to the deadlock over the finance ministerial portfolio, al-Liwaa newspaper reported Wednesday.

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France Urges Lebanon Parties to Form Government 'without Delay'

France urged competing political forces in Lebanon to agree on forming a government "without delay" as it ramped up pressure for a new cabinet in the crisis-hit country.

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In Blast-hit Beirut, Armenian Elders Determined to Stay

Beirut resident Vany Bandikian once dreamt of travelling outside Lebanon, but after a massive explosion wrecked her neighbourhood, all she wants is to stay in the home her father built.

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Shiite Duo Voices Mixed Reaction to Hariri's Initiative

Ex-PM Saad Hariri’s initiative on the finance portfolio might be a “positive” step in terms of “giving the Shiite duo what it wants,” but the issue has not yet reached a positive conclusion, Shiite duo sources said on Tuesday.

“Hariri’s initiative is a step forward and we hope there will be communication with the President, who is a partner in the formation process,” the sources told al-Jadeed TV.

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Ex-PMs Say Hariri's Move Personal, Warn against Unconstitutional Norm

Former premiers Najib Miqati, Fouad Saniora and Tammam Salam on Tuesday distanced themselves from an initiative put forward by ex-PM Saad Hariri to resolve the row over the finance ministerial portfolio, describing the move as a “personal initiative.”

“The Lebanese constitution is very clear: no ministerial portfolio can be an exclusive right to ministers belonging to a certain sect, and also the constitution does not forbid any Lebanese, regardless of their sect, to be in charge of any ministerial portfolio in Lebanon,” the ex-PM said in a statement.

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Hariri: I've Decided to Help Adib Name an Independent Shiite Finance Minister

Ex-PM Saad Hariri on Tuesday proposed an initiative aimed at finding a solution to the deadlock over the finance ministerial portfolio.

“I have decided to help PM-designate (Mustafa) Adib find an exit through naming an independent finance minister from the Shiite sect who would be chosen by him, similarly to the rest of ministers, on the basis of competency, integrity and non-partisanship,” Hariri said in a written statement.

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Powerful Blast Hits Hizbullah Arms Depot in Southern Town of Ain Qana

A strong explosion shook a Hizbullah stronghold in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, but the cause was not immediately clear.

As TV networks said the blast ripped through a "house belonging to Hizbullah," pro-Hizbullah journalist Salem Zahran said it occurred at a depot for storing "shells from the war era," adding that it caused no casualties.

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