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ISF Hands Over to Army 2nd Flr of Adlieh Telecom Ministry Bldg

An agreement was reached Friday between the army and the Internal Security Forces under which the army became in charge of the second floor of the telecom ministry building in al-Adlieh district, state-run National News Agency reported.

“Consequently, the (OGERO Telecom mobile phone station) installations located on the floor have become in the army’s custody,” NNA added.

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6 Italian Peacekeepers Hurt in Blast Targeting UNIFIL near Sidon

Six Italian peacekeepers were wounded -- two of them seriously -- along with two civilians on Friday in a roadside bomb explosion targeting a U.N. patrol along a highway near the Lebanese southern city of Sidon, officials said.

"There was an explosion late afternoon that targeted a U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) logistics convoy along the main highway near Sidon," UNIFIL spokesman Neeraj Singh told Agence France Presse.

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Hizbullah Backs Nahhas: Yesterday’s Actions Undermine State Institutions

Hizbullah condemned on Friday the incident at a Telecommunications Ministry building at Adlieh on Thursday, saying that it raises questions over whether Lebanon has official security forces or statelets independent of the state.

It said in a statement: “Yesterday’s development is an indication that Lebanon’s institutions are at risk of being emptied of their constitutional and legal elements in favor of personal interests of sides claiming to respect the state while they are actually seeking to destroy it.”

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Rifi: We Won’t Allow Mobile Network to Be Transferred to Private Sector Except with Cabinet’s Approval

Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi stated on Friday that he won’t allow the mobile phone network in Lebanon to be transferred to the private sector except with the government’s approval.

He told LBC television: “The Security forces would be geld responsible if these stations are destroyed or stolen.”

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Miqati Vows to Set Things Straight if Impasse Continues

Premier-designate Najib Miqati warned on Friday that he would take the appropriate decision to set things straight in the formation of the new government.

“I want the formation of the cabinet today more than any other day because it is an additional factor of stability,” Miqati told al-Iktissad Wal Aamal conference at the Phoenicia hotel in Beirut.

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UNIFIL Commemorates International Day of U.N. Peacekeepers

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) commemorated on Friday the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, remembering colleagues who lost their lives in the line of duty and celebrating their contributions to peace.

A ceremony was held at UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura to mark the international day that is observed every year on 29 May.

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Aoun Calls for Referring Rifi to Judiciary: Telecom Ministry Incident Premeditated Crime

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun urged on Friday President Michel Suleiman to take the necessary measures to address Thursday’s incident at one of the Telecommunications Ministry buildings at Adlieh, describing the event as a “premeditated crime”.

He said after an extraordinary FPM meeting on the incident: “According to the military law on rebellion and mutiny, yesterday’s incident is a crime that was part of a coup attempt.”

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Sheikh Oraymet: My Stance from Aoun Doesn’t Reflect Dar al-Fatwa’s Viewpoint

The Secretary General of the Higher Islamic Council said Friday that his announcement about attempts by Dar al-Fatwa to file a lawsuit against the Free Patriotic Movement leader was only an expression of his personal viewpoint.

Sheikh Khaldoun Oraymet said in a statement that his remarks to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper on Thursday that Dar al-Fatwa was seeking to sue FPM chief Michel Aoun for libel and defamation was an expression of his “personal point of view and did not reflect the opinion of Dar al-Fatwa or Mufti” Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani.

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Geagea: Technocrat Government Addresses People’s Concerns

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea condemned the recent incident at the Telecommunications Ministry, saying it is very unfortunate that some sides’ daily actions are serving to destroy the country’s democracy.

He said during the opening of the 13th session of the party’s general conference: “Such actions are eliminating the people’s interests and driving them towards choosing between matters that are not related to them and their concerns.”

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Raad: We Call on Army to Protect Finance Ministry to Avoid Repeat of Telecom Ministry Incident

The head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, MP Mohammed Raad noted on Friday that those behind Thursday’s incident at the Telecommunications Ministry were seeking to “cover up several scandals that are aimed at toppling the state.”

He therefore called on the Lebanese army to protect the Finance Ministry “to avoid a repeat of the Telecommunications Ministry incident.”

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