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Study reveals 'huge scale and impact' of Israeli incursions over Lebanon

A study documenting at least 22,000 Israeli overflights in Lebanon’s skies over the past 15 years has revealed the “huge scale and impact of Israeli incursions over Lebanon” as well as the “psychological effect on the country,” British newspaper The Guardian reported on Thursday.

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Aoun says to seek 'positive results' in sea border file

President Michel Aoun on Thursday stressed that he will seek “positive results” in the file of demarcating the maritime border with Israel, amid tensions sparked by the arrival of a gas production vessel in the Karish offshore field.

“The approach towards the file of the demarcation of the southern maritime border is based on preserving Lebanon’s interest as well as its rights to its water and land,” Aoun said in a Baabda meeting with the ambassadors of Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden.

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Bassil urges 'no gas from Karish without gas from Qana' equation

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Thursday reiterated his call for imposing the equation “no gas from Karish without gas from Qana,” amid controversy over Israel’s positioning of a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel in the Karish offshore field.

“It is not enough that the ship is positioned south of Line 29 as long as it is above Karish. And it is not enough for Israel to say that it will extract gas from the undisputed side as long as it will be from the same field,” Bassil tweeted.

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Reports: Aoun, Miqati, Berri 'about to' unify position before Hochstein visit

President Michel Aoun, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Speaker Nabib Berri are leaning toward holding a meeting over the maritime border demarcation next week, al-Manar TV reported.

The outlet said Thursday it had learned that the meeting might take place at the end of next week to discuss the latest developments regarding the maritime border dispute with Israel, as Israel had moved a gas production vessel into a disputed offshore field, sparking Lebanese condemnation.

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Lebanon marks ISF 161st anniversary

Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi and ISF chief Maj. Gen. Imad Othman laid Thursday floral wreaths on the Internal Security Forces Martyrs' monument on the occasion of the 161st anniversary of the ISF.

Mawlawi had asked the ISF members earlier on Wednesday in a social media statement to hold on to their institution and homeland "in order to build together a more safe and secure country."

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Electricity deal: Will Lebanon see the light?

Caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayyad has stressed on the sidelines of an energy conference in Jordan that Lebanon needs "before Summer" the approval on a deal that will supply Lebanon with electricity from Jordan through Syria.

"We need to get the approval before Summer," Fayyad said, as he asked Arab and foreign countries for help in gas and fuel supplies.

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Israel urges Lebanon to speed up talks on maritime border

Israel on Wednesday urged Lebanon to speed up negotiations on its disputed maritime border ahead of an expected visit to Beirut by the U.S. mediator in the contentious talks.

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Mawlawi refers Tripoli mayor to Public Prosecution over illegal money spending

Caretaker Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi referred Wednesday the Mayor of Tripoli, Riad Yamak, to the Financial Public Prosecution, as he was accused of wasting public money.

Some members of the municipality of Tripoli had filed a complaint against Yamak and an investigation was carried out by the Directorate General of Local Administration and Councils.

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Aoun, Berri, Miqati intensify coordination on gas row as Hizbullah names pointman

President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker PM Najib Miqati have intensified coordination over the past days over the latest sea border row with Israel, in order to “close the alarming gaps in the Lebanese stance” and to “agree on endorsing a unified rhetoric and a single Lebanese negotiations stance that would be informed to the U.S. mediator,” sources told An-Nahar newspaper.

“Those who know (U.S. mediator Amos) Hochstein know that he will immediately remind his Lebanese interlocutors of a proposal that he had offered to Beirut without receiving an answer,” the sources added.

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Bou Habib says 'Ukraine war must stop' in virtual meeting over food crisis

Lebanon's Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib warned Wednesday that rises in fuel and basic food stuffs were exacerbating the crisis in Lebanon.

"The war in Ukraine must stop at any cost," he said in a virtual meeting hosted by Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio over the global food crisis.

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