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AMAL Chief Denies Supporters, Hizbullah Members Joined Battle against Asir

The Speaker and Head of AMAL movement Nabih Berri denied on Wednesday reports saying that his supporters and Hizbullah members participated alongside the army in the battles in the southern city of Sidon.

“I urged AMAL supporters and the Haret Saida's residents to exercise self-restraint,” Berri said in comments published in local newspapers.

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Berri, Salam Agree on Quick Cabinet Formation

Speaker Nabih Berri has hoped for a quick government formation as Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam relied on his efforts to facilitate his task.

In remarks to local dailies published on Wednesday, Berri said that he has agreed with Salam during a meeting they held on Monday to put together a cabinet as soon as possible.

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Lebanese Canadian Bank Settles Case with U.S.

A Lebanese bank accused of laundering money from drugs and other operations for clients tied to Hizbullah agreed Tuesday to pay U.S. authorities $102 million to settle the charges.

Beirut-based Lebanese Canadian Bank was singled out in February 2011 for allegedly moving hundreds of millions of dollars for criminal groups and traffickers operating in Latin America, West Africa and the Middle East.

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EU Delegation Reiterates Support for State Institutions after Meeting with Rahi

European Union ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst on Tuesday reiterated the EU's support to the Lebanese institutions, stressing that security agencies "must be able to ensure peace and security throughout the territory."

"The security incidents in (the southern city of) Sidon, as well as in (the northern city of) Tripoli, the Bekaa and even in Beirut, once again demonstrate the volatility of the situation,” Eichhorst said in a released statement after heading a delegation of ambassadors and representatives of EU member states who met with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Bkirki.

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Hariri to Aoun: We Gave Army Full Cover and We Wish You Did the Same When Hizbullah Attacked

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Tuesday responded to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's accusations of his party supporting gunmen against the military institution, assuring that he gave “full political cover” for the army in its fight in the southern city of Sidon.

"We announced our support for the army in words and in deeds, and gave it full cover to strike with an iron fist anyone who may be tempted to assault the state and threaten national peace,” Hariri said in a released statement.

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Hizbullah Denies Any Role in Egypt Prison Breakout

Hizbullah on Tuesday stressed that it has “nothing to do at all” with the issue of helping inmates escape from an Egyptian prison in 2011, although it acknowledged that its official Sami Shehab was among those who made their way out.

Commenting on an Egyptian court's verdict that said Hizbullah and Hamas helped prisoners, including current President Mohamed Morsi, escape from the Wadi Natrun prison during the 2011 uprising, Hizbullah stressed that it had “nothing to do at all with the incidents that led to liberating prisoners from the Wadi Natrun prison … who included our jihadist brother Sami Shehab.”

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Clash between Members of Krombi Family, Political Party near Tariq al-Jedideh

A dispute erupted into an armed clash on Tuesday between members of the Krombi family, who are residents of Tariq al-Jedideh, and members of a political party in the adjacent Farhat neighborhood, state-run National News Agency reported.

Machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) were used in the fighting, NNA said.

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U.N. Says Syria Conflict Makes 'Impact' on Lebanon

The United Nations on Tuesday highlighted the impact of the Syrian conflict on Lebanon as it called for support for the country's armed forces and other key institutions.

U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon and U.N.-Arab League envoy Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi have stressed support for President Michel Suleiman and key state institutions as the 27-month-old Syria war increasingly spills over the border.

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Mustaqbal Says Unacceptable to Overlook Hizbullah 'Armed Activities' in Sidon

The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday stressed that “it is not acceptable anymore to turn a blind eye to the “armed activities of Hizbullah and associates” in Sidon, after the army managed to overrun Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir's security zone following fierce clashes that left 16 troops and at least 20 gunmen dead.

“We offer condolences to the Lebanese people and the residents of the city of Sidon and the surrounding areas,” the bloc said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting.

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Saniora from Sidon: Law Should Be Imposed on All Sides without Discrimination

Head of the Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora slammed on Tuesday the clashes that took place in the southern city of Sidon, hailing the army in containing them and restoring peace.

He hoped that the “law would be imposed without discrimination.”

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