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Public Drivers Plan April 19 Strike to Protest Rising Fuel Prices

The head of the public drivers syndicate, Bassam Tleis, called for a strike on April 19 to protest the government’s failure to set a ceiling for rising fuel prices.

“Our main demand lies in setting the ceiling for the prices of gasoline at LL25,000 and diesel at LL20,000,” Tleis said in a press conference he held at the General Labor Confederation headquarters on Wednesday.

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Maronite Bishops: New History Book Must Not Lead to More Division in Lebanon

The Maronite bishops council condemned on Wednesday the ongoing dispute over the new official history book that is being prepared to be taught at schools, saying that it should serve the country’s interests and recount events objectively.

It said in a statement after its monthly meeting: “The new history book should include the whole of Lebanon otherwise it will create more division among the Lebanon.”

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Small Quake Shakes Tyre and Nabatiyeh

A small quake measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale jolted cities in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, without causing any injuries or damage, the Bhannes Center for Seismic and Scientific Research announced.

Residents of the southern city of Tyre and its suburbs felt the earthquake at around 10:47 am, the National News Agency said.

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Miqati Discusses with Suleiman Latest Developments

Prime Minister Najib Miqati held a meeting with President Michel Suleiman ahead of a cabinet session on Wednesday at the Grand Serail.

The two discussed at the Baabda palace the latest local developments and the issues facing the cabinet and the parliament.

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Proposal of New Name for Higher Judicial Council Expected to Resolve Appointments Crisis

The thorny issue of appointments seems to be fading away as the cabinet will tackle the subject during its upcoming session at the Baabda Palace, As Safir newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The daily reported that head of the Higher Judicial Council will not be from the previous disputed names, as officials sought to choose a name other than those proposed by President Michel Suleiman and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun.

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Army Takes Stronger Security Measures as Source Claims Border Crossings Controlled

The Lebanese army took stronger security measures and set up checkpoints in northeastern areas bordering Syria on Tuesday after heavy gunfire was heard on the other side of the border, An Nahar daily reported.

The newspaper said Wednesday that gunfire was also heard between 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm on the other side of North Lebanon’s al-Kabir river inside the Syrian al-Arida village where the Assad regime forces carried out raids in their crackdown on protestors.

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Dispute over Power-Vessels, Deal with Iran to Deepen Electricity Crisis

The electricity crisis emerged back to the surface amid reports saying that Prime Minister Najib Miqati is seeking to refuse the leasing of power-generating vessels, while officials are still discussing the possibility of receiving a back-up from Iran.

According to An Nahar newspaper published on Wednesday, Electricite du Liban decided to ink an agreement with Iran to begin supplying Lebanon with 25 megawatts of power starting April, which would reach 100 megawatts in September.

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Berri Stresses Jumblat still Part of Parliamentary Majority

Speaker Nabih Berri has stressed that National Struggle Front leader Walid Jumblat was still part of the March 8 parliamentary majority despite accusations that he had joined the March 14 opposition.

In remarks to several newspapers published Wednesday, Berri said: “The March 14 team should be comforted. Walid Jumblat is still in the majority … and still one of its leaders.”

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Berri Goes Ahead with March 14 Proposal on Extra-Budgetary Spending

Speaker Nabih Berri announced on Wednesday that he agreed with Premier Najib Miqati and Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi for the government to prepare a detailed draft-law on an $11 billion spending made between 2006 and 2009 similar to a $5.9 billion bill referred to parliament by the cabinet.

“I decided to go ahead with the proposal of (al-Mustaqbal bloc leader) Fouad Saniora and the March 14 team to correlate the two draft laws,” Berri said in remarks to An Nahar and As Safir dailies.

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Franjieh: Dangerous Thing Plotted against Lebanon under Slogan of Humanitarian Corridors

Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh on Tuesday voiced concerns over a possible “dangerous thing being plotted against Lebanon under the slogans of humanitarian corridors and support for the (Syrian) opposition.”

“Security-wise, some places in Lebanon are calm and other places are tense. The atmosphere is being prepared day after day and it is heading towards negativity, not positivity. Who sensed the presence of (the extremist group) Fatah al-Islam before the eruption of its conflict with the army?” Franjieh said in an interview on OTV.

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