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Harb Says Presidential Polls First, People Want to Practice Democratic Rights

Telecommunications Minister Butros Harb said on Thursday that the municipal elections have shown the people's yearning to practice their democratic right through elections and warned against staging the parliamentary elections before the election of a president.

“Staging the parliamentary elections before the presidential ones will push Lebanon towards an undefined adventure,” said Harb in a press conference.

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General Security Arrests Syrian Involved with Terror Group

The General Security announced on Thursday the arrest of a Syrian national on charges of belonging to a terror group after providing his accomplices with arms and logistical support.

“Based on the General Prosecutor's request, and within the framework of follow-up activities of terror groups and their sleeper cells, the General Security arrested Syrian M.M. for his affiliation to a terror group,” said the the General Security Directorate in a statement.

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Army Clamps Down on IS Terror Cell and Kills a Militant

The Lebanese army killed an Islamic State group militant and arrested three others in Khirbet Daoud in Akkar, media reports said on Thursday.

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Grandi Says Naturalization of Refugees in Lebanon Unlikely

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi ruled out on Wednesday that the Syrian refugees and Palestinians will be resettled in Lebanon, the state-run National News Agency said.

Grandi's comments came after a meeting he held with Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi in Geneva where he is taking part in the International Labor Conference.

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Thursday's Cabinet Agenda to Tackle Thorny Files, Including Janna Dam

The cabinet is scheduled to convene on Thursday to tackle several issues, including the controversial issues of the Janna Valley dam and the waste management file, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

Sixty-one items have been added to the cabinet's agenda, which still carries eight items from its previous session.

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Report: Berri Pushes for Agreement on Electoral Law after Completion of Municipal Polls

Speaker Nabih Berri said that time is not in favor of stalling over reaching an agreement on a new electoral draft-law and pointed out that the momentum witnessed during the municipal elections enhances the chances of adopting a proportional electoral law, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

“Time is not in favor of a standstill with regard to the electoral law. What happened during the municipal elections heightens the momentum towards the adoption of a proportional law, particularly that the polls have shown that no single party can monopolize a specific sect,” visitors to Berri quoted him as saying.

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Fadlallah: Internet File Referred to Authorities, No Permission yet to Question ISF Members

MP Hassan Fadlallah stated after the parliamentary media committee meeting on Tuesday, that the ISF chief Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous has not given the approval yet to question ISF members and officials with regard to the installment of illegal internet equipment.

“The judiciary will question ISF officers and members who were present in their positions close to the locations where the network equipment was installed, but we have not obtained yet the approval of ISF chief on that,” said Fadlallah.

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Jamaa Islamiya Official Resigns in Wake of Tripoli Poll Results

Political official of the al-Jamaa al-Islamiya in the North and Tripoli Ihab Nafeaa submitted his resignation on Tuesday in protest to the outcome of the municipal elections in the northern city, the state-run National News Agency reported on Tuesday.

“Agreements and alliances were formed in the municipal elections in Tripoli which did not live up to the expectations of many in the city,” said Nafeaa in a statement announcing his resignation.

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Report: Security Measures Upped in Southern Suburbs of Beirut

Security precautionary measures were upped lately in the southern suburbs of Beirut six months after the last terror bombing attack that rocked the Bourj al-Barajneh area in November, An Nahar daily reported on Tuesday.

“The terror threats might resume any moment despite the vigilance of the security forces,” sources told the daily on condition of anonymity.

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Report: Hammoud Says Judiciary not Slowing Down Process in Illegal Internet File

State Prosecutor Judge Samir Hammoud denied on Tuesday the accusations claiming that the investigations in several judicial issues particularly the illegal internet file are being deliberately delayed, al-Joumhouria daily reported.

He called on those spreading rumors to look closely at the judicial mechanism and at the action of procedures provided by the law.

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