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Report: Aoun, Hizbullah ‘Discuss’ Sunni Hurdle

Discussions about the government formation process and the “Sunni representation obstacle” were reportedly held between President Michel Aoun and Hizbullah party, the pan-Arab al-Hayat daily said on Tuesday.

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Guidanian Apologizes after Saying Egypt is a 'Dirty Place'

Caretaker Tourism Minister Avedis Guidanian on Monday apologized to Egypt after describing the Arab country as a “dirty place.”

“In an interview with Lebanon's The Daily Star newspaper, I talked about the media's role in highlighting tourism's decent image, giving an example about the Arab Republic of Egypt,” Guidanian said in a statement.

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Bahia Hariri Says PM-Designate 'Not on a Retreat' in Paris

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is “not on a retreat” in the French capital Paris, MP Bahia Hariri said on Monday.

“The PM-designate is not on a retreat and he is taking his time in the issue of (the cabinet) formation,” the lawmaker, who is also Hariri’s aunt, said.

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Zakka Says Lebanese State in 'Coma' over His Detention

Lebanese citizen and permanent U.S. resident Nizar Zakka has lamented that the Lebanese state seems to be in “full coma” over his continued imprisonment in Iran.

In a statement distributed by his family, Zakka thanked the Iranian “political prisoners” who are jailed with him “underground” for celebrating his birthday.

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Al-Rahi Visits Aoun, Confirms Geagea to Meet Franjieh Soon

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi confirmed Monday that a much-anticipated reconciliation meeting between Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh will be held “soon,” as he stressed the need to facilitate the formation of the new government.

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Hariri Informs Aoun of Contacts to Solve EDL Fuel Problem

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri contacted President Michel Aoun from Paris and informed him on the outcome of his contacts with Algerian officials that led to the decision to unload fuel from the two Algerian tanker ships to supply Electricite Du Liban, the Premier’s press office said on Monday.

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Abi Khalil Says Funds Provided for Fuel Barges, ‘No Extra Power Cuts’

Caretaker Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil said on Monday that additional power cuts feared to hit Lebanon as the result of failure to provide necessary funds for purchasing fuel have been resolved.

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Report: Hariri Decides to Stay ‘On a Retreat’ in Paris

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri did not return Sunday evening to Beirut as expected to resume talks on the Cabinet formation, amid reports he has decided to “retreat” in the French capital, al-Akhbar daily said on Monday.

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Moussawi Advises Mustaqbal against 'Stubbornness' on 'Sunni Pluralism'

MP Nawwaf al-Moussawi of Hizbullah on Sunday said he “advises” al-Mustaqbal Movement against showing “stubbornness” on the issue of representing the so-called opposition Sunni MPs in the new cabinet.

“Stability in Lebanon and resolving its crises are based on the pluralism of sectarian representation, that's why we advise the brothers in al-Mustaqbal Movement not to deal stubbornly or intransigently with the issue of political and partisan pluralism in the Sunni community,” Moussawi said.

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Thunderbolt Hits High Voltage Line, Causes Nationwide Outage

A thunderbolt struck the 220-kilovolt high voltage transmission line between al-Zahrani and Aramoun on Sunday, bringing all power plants in Lebanon to a halt, the National News Agency reported.

Technical crews from state-run firm Electricite Du Liban were exerting efforts to reconnect all groups to the grid within hours, the agency added.

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