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Berri says will respond Friday or Saturday to French paper

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has said that he will respond “Friday or Saturday” to the French paper proposing a solution for the Lebanon-Israel border conflict.

Berri, who had received the paper from the French ambassador to Lebanon, told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that it included “acceptable and other unacceptable points that should be modified.”

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Syrian refugees have 'no place to go' as Lebanon, Cyprus reject them

The European Union announced Thursday an aid package for Lebanon of 1 billion euros — about $1.06 billion — that will mostly go to boost border control to halt the flow of asylum seekers and migrants from the small, crisis-wracked country across the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus and Italy.

The deal comes against a backdrop of increasing hostility toward Syrian refugees in Lebanon and a major surge in irregular migration of Syrian refugees from Lebanon to Cyprus.

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Famous Lebanese TikToker and his gang held for molesting children

A drug and child molestation gang led by a famous Lebanese TikToker has been busted by Lebanese security forces, in a case that has shocked the country.

The well-known TikToker, Georges Moubayed, is a barber whose shop lies in the Metn neighborhood of Sabtyieh near Beirut, media reports said.

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Biden aides say Gaza truce could also pull Israel, Hezbollah back from brink of war

U.S. President Joe Biden has been personally involved in intense efforts in recent days to reach a hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, U.S. news portal Axios said.

Senior Biden aides said the deal could also pull Israel and Hezbollah back from the brink of war on the Israel-Lebanon border where tensions have been slowly escalating over the past six months, Axios added.

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Will France succeed in sparing Lebanon a full-scale war?

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said "a potential truce in Gaza must be accompanied by a similar truce in Lebanon," as he visited Cairo.

During his visit Wednesday, Sejourne exchanged with Egypt's top diplomat Sameh Shoukry assessments on the ongoing truce negotiations between Hamas and Israel", according to the Egyptian foreign ministry.

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Israel's army chief says Israel 'preparing offensive in north'

Israel's Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said the military was preparing for an offensive against Hezbollah, as he met troops on Lebanon's border amid ongoing skirmishes.

“You are doing an excellent job of operational defense in the north, and we are preparing for an offensive in the north,” Halevi said.

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EU chief, Cypriot president meet Mikati, Berri over refugee crisis

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides met Thursday with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Grand Serail.

Army chief Joseph Aoun and Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib also attended the meeting.

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Pro-Palestine banners dominate Workers' Day rallies in Beirut, around the world

For one day, workers ruled the world’s biggest streets.

Workers and activists around the world marked May Day with largely peaceful protests over rising prices, low wages and calls for greater labor rights. Pro- Palestinian sentiments were also on display.

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Fire kills eight at restaurant in Beirut's Beshara al-Khoury

Eight people were killed Tuesday after gas cylinders leaked and triggered a fire at the Pizza Secrets restaurant in Beirut's Beshara al-Khoury area.

The Beirut Fire Brigade said the eight victims suffocated to death inside the restaurant and that two other people were injured.

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Jumblat hits out at 'hardliner' Geagea

Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has said that the decision to boycott the latest Maarab meeting was taken by the PSP and not by him personally.

“It wasn’t me. It was the PSP that took the decision not to go to Maarab. Then what’s the point of meeting people who do not recognize us?” Jumblat added, in an interview with the L'Orient-Le Jour newspaper.

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