Lebanon
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Ban Presents Replacements for Bellemare to Lebanese Govt.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently presented to the Lebanese government the names of three possible replacements for outgoing Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Judge Daniel Bellemare, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

A western diplomatic source revealed that Ban had sent a letter to the government with two or three replacements.

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Cabinet to Resume Sessions Monday without Tackling Contentious Issues

Cabinet is expected to resume its sessions on Monday ahead of President Michel Suleiman’s official visit to Romania, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

It said that the session will be held at the Baabda Palace and it will not tackle any contentious issues, such as the appointments of top civil servants.

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Berri Calls Head of Parliamentary Committees to Meet to Resolve Dispute over Spending

Speaker Nabih Berri called for a session for the heads of the parliamentary committees on Monday amid efforts to resolve a dispute over the spending of funds during the governments of former Prime Ministers Fouad Saniora and Saad Hariri, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

Informed parliamentary sources told the daily that the speaker is seeking the formation of a parliamentary-ministerial committee that can tackle the dispute and conduct contacts with the various blocs to reach a solution.

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Jreissati Meets Aoun: Change and Reform Can Be Achieved without Disputes

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun announced on Friday that newly-appointed Labor Minister Salim Jreissati had become the newest members of the Change and Reform bloc, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

Jreissati meanwhile said that a mission to achieve change and reform “can be achieved without creating disputes.”

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3 Lebanese Sentenced to Death for Spying for Israel

Three Lebanese were sentenced to death by the Military Court on Friday for spying for Israel, a judicial source said.

The tribunal "condemned to death Moussa Ali Moussa, who was found guilty of having contacted the Israeli enemy and passing on information," the source said.

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Gemayel Discusses with Berri 'Ideas to Reinforce Consensus'

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Friday met with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain al-Tineh, saying he discussed with him “some ideas that could reinforce consensus among all parties amid these circumstances.”

Gemayel said the proposed ideas would help “immunize our domestic arena in the face of all the storms around us.”

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Suleiman: Some Flaws in the State Need to Be Addressed to Fortify Taef Accord

President Michel Suleiman revealed on Friday that he will propose a number of constitutional reforms to cabinet in the upcoming months.

He said before the new council of Arab journalists in Beirut: “I believe in the Taef Accord as it is, but in order to fortify the agreement, some flaws in state need to addressed.”

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Nasrallah: Lebanon Chose to Distance Itself from Regional Events to Preserve the Govt.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah defended on Friday Lebanon’s decision to distance itself from regional developments.

He said: “Lebanon is part of the region, but its decision is aimed at preserving the government.”

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Lebanon Files Complaint with U.N. Over Israeli Razor Wire Near Blue Line

Lebanon filed a complaint with the U.N. against Israel for erecting a barbed wire near the U.N.-drawn Blue Line in the town of Adaisseh, the foreign ministry announced on Friday.

The ministry said in a statement that the incident took place on Feb. 8 when Israeli forces “erected a 40-meter concertina wire near the Blue Line in the town of Adaisseh to block the road leading to the Blue Line and that crosses into a minefield.”

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Hizbullah Operative in Iraq to Face U.S. Military Charges

Ali Moussa Daqdouq, a Lebanese Hizbullah operative and the last prisoner held by American forces in Iraq, is set to face U.S. military charges, reported the New York Times on Thursday.

The American administration is cooperating with Iraq to transfer the detainee to the United States in accordance with Iraqi law, it added.

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