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Hariri in Riyadh to Extend Condolences Over Death of King’s Sister

Caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri traveled to Riyadh on Thursday to attend the funeral of Saudi King Abdullah’s sister, a statement by his press office said.

Hariri was accompanied by his bureau chief Nader Hariri and his advisor Hani Hammoud, it said.

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Miqati Meets Suleiman: We Decided to Give Ourselves More Time to Form Cabinet that Preserves Stability

Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati announced on Thursday after meeting President Michel Suleiman that the two agreed to give themselves more time before revealing the new government.

He said after the meeting at Baabda Palace: “After consulting with the President, we decided to wait in order for the government to live up to the Lebanese people’s expectations.”

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Suleiman before his Visitors: Stalling over Formation of Government Harms Lebanese

President Michel Suleiman voiced his concern on Wednesday over the ongoing vacuum in Lebanon given the failure to form a new government.

His visitors reported him as saying that the stalling in the formation process will harm the Lebanese’s interests, especially given the unstable situation in the region, reported the daily Al-Mustaqbal Thursday.

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Bakeries Threaten to Cut off Supply of Bread Starting Wednesday

The owners of bakeries vowed to launch an open-ended strike on Wednesday despite a meeting set by Caretaker Economy Minister Mohammed Safadi for Monday to find a solution to their demands.

Head of the Bakeries Association Kazem Ibrahim told An Nahar daily in remarks published Thursday that the strike will be launched next Wednesday and will not reach a halt until the authorities meet the demands of the bakers.

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Hizbullah, Amal Accuse March 14 of Seeking to Ignite Strife over Illegal Construction

Hizbullah MP Nawaf Moussawi accused the March 14 forces of seeking to avenge the March 8 coalition, mainly Hizbullah and Amal, by pitting southerners against each other over illegal construction on state property.

Moussawi told As Safir daily in remarks published Thursday that March 14, led by al-Mustaqbal movement, sought to “ignite sectarian strife” by pitting neighbors against each other and stirring animosity within the same family members.

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Obstacles Further Complicate Cabinet Formation Process

Premier-designate Najib Miqati won’t give up his task of forming the new government despite the latest surprising stance made by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun and more crippling demands by other March 8 members, Miqati’s sources told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat.

“There was an agreement to hold meetings between some leaders including a meeting between Aoun and Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah … but some surprising political stances … shattered the atmosphere of optimism,” the sources said in remarks published Thursday.

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Kidnappers of Estonians were after Ransom, Warrants Issued Against Suspects

The ring that kidnapped the seven Estonian men last month carried out its operation to demand a big ransom after thinking they were British or French tourists, judicial sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat.

The sources said in remarks published Thursday that the Estonians are still in the custody of their kidnappers – three Lebanese and one Syrian.

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Amnesty Urges Lebanese Authorities to Trace Civil War Missing

Amnesty International urged Lebanese authorities on Thursday to investigate the fate of thousands of people who disappeared during the 1975-1990 civil war and are believed dead or held in Syria.

The appeal came on the 36th anniversary of the outbreak of the sectarian bloodshed that left more than 150,000 people dead.

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Libyan Deputy FM: Hizbullah, Amal are Helping Rebels

Libya's deputy foreign minister, Khaled Kaim, has accused Hizbullah of joining the ranks of the rebels fighting against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s regime.

Kaim claimed Wednesday that several members of Hizbullah are fighting alongside the rebels in Misrata, but did not provide evidence.

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Report: Aoun, Nasrallah to Meet Wednesday Night over Govt Formation

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun will hold talks Wednesday night with Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on the regional situations and the cabinet formation issue, political sources quoted Damascus visitors as saying.

The sources told the Central News Agency that the two leaders' talks on the cabinet issue will tackle "the prospect put forward by premier-designate Najib Miqati which is based on constitutional principles and criterion in drafting any cabinet lineup."

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