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Electricity Crisis Tops Cabinet Session as Officials Seek a Way Out

The cabinet is scheduled to convene on Wednesday with a crowded agenda with the electricity crisis expected to top the discussions.

An Nahar newspaper reported that Energy Minister Jebran Bassil, Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's advisor Hussein Khalil held a meeting on Wednesday night to coordinate the stances before the government session.

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Suleiman: Miqati Took Appropriate Position on Electricity Dispute

President Michel Suleiman stated that he refuses to take sides in the government dispute over resolving the electricity crisis, reported the daily An Nahar on Wednesday.

He told the daily: “I believe that Premier Najib Miqati took the appropriate stand because he found the cost of Energy Minister Jebran Bassil’s proposal to be too high.”

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Berri: I Will Intervene in Govt. Dispute at Appropriate Time

Speaker Nabih Berri announced that the AMAL Movement ministers will take “the appropriate stand that will serve the Lebanese people” regarding the various pending issues in Lebanon, reported the daily An Nahar on Wednesday.

He told the daily: “I will not intervene in the dispute, but I will wait a week or two before I make my stand.”

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Mustaqbal Lauds Syria's Brotherhood Document, Slams Bassil

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday hailed the document issued last week by Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood, saying it stressed the Islamist movement’s “commitment to a civil, democratic and pluralistic state in Syria that is based on the rotation of power.”

“This document which stressed the importance of equal relations between Lebanon and Syria based on mutual respect … represents an advanced political document with a distinctive Syrian flavor that resembles the documents issued by (Cairo-based) Al-Azhar,” Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning, the bloc said.

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Bassil: We Can End Electricity Crisis by Leasing Power-Generating Ships, Constructing New Plants

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil rejected on Tuesday the abandonment of his proposal to lease power-generating ships in order to end Lebanon’s electricity crisis, saying that such a measure would lead to a “catastrophe” in Lebanon.

The minister said during a press conference after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting: “A solution, which we think is logical and fair, lies in leasing the vessels and constructing new power plants.”

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Safe Belonging to Yasser Arafat Found in Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

A safe belonging to late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been found in Lebanon, media reports said.

A civilian found the safe in a piece of land behind the Golden Plaza Hotel in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

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Suspect Charged as Israeli Collaborator

State commissioner to the military court Judge Saqr Saqr charged Jamil Reda Issa on Tuesday with collaborating with Israel and entering the Jewish state.

Saqr referred the suspect to the first military examining magistrate.

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EDL Workers Go on Open-Ended Strike

Workers of state-owned Electricite du Liban announced on Wednesday that they would hold an open-ended strike until the government meets their demands.

The EDL Workers Union said in a statement that it decided to go ahead with the open-ended strike and stop work at all of the company's departments until the authorities approve to transfer the necessary funds to pay the salaries of employees.

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Report: Clashes along Lebanon-Syria Border

Syrian security forces infiltrated the Bekaa border town of al-Qaa on Tuesday, said various media reports.

Local residents said that clashes ensued between the forces and members of the Syrian opposition.

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Britain Donates $1.6 Million to STL

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has announced that London will provide an additional £1 million ($1.6 million) to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).

“We will provide £1 million to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, taking the UK’s total contribution to £3.3 million since 2009,” Hague said in a written statement to Parliament on Monday.

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