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Cabinet Sets Parliamentary Elections for June 16, Approves Committee to Oversee Polls

Cabinet approved on Monday holding the parliamentary elections according to the 1960 electoral law on June 16.

Caretaker Information Minister Walid al-Daouq confirmed that it approved the necessary measures and a treasury loan worth L.L. 22 billion in order to hold the elections.

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Bahrain Bans Contact with Hizbullah

Shiite-majority Bahrain banned on Monday opposition groups from having contact with Hizbullah, a day after the foreign minister of the Sunni-ruled kingdom branded the party's chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as a "terrorist".

"Political associations are prohibited from having any form of contact with the Hizbullah organization," Justice Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ali al-Khalifa said in a ministerial decree.

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Jreissati Condemns Employment of Children in Armed Conflicts

Caretaker Labor Minister Salim Jreissati condemned on Monday the employment of children in armed conflicts, especially in the northern city of Tripoli.

He said in a statement that such actions are criminal offenses in Lebanon and are punishable by law.

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Jumblat: Only Authority of the State Can Ease Insecurities of Political Powers

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stressed on Monday the need for all sides to adhere to the state, saying that the dangerous regional developments require the Lebanese to unite to avert the repercussions of these conflicts.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website: “The Lebanese factions must shy away from recklessness and return to the state, which alone can ease their insecurities.”

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Plumbly Meets Miqati, Voices Support for Security Efforts to Tackle Situation in Tripoli

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly condemned on Monday the clashes in the northern city of Tripoli and Sunday's rocket attack in Beirut's southern suburbs.

He said after holding talks with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati: “I expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Lebanese army, the security authorities and the caretaker premier himself in trying to calm down and contain the security situation in Tripoli.”

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Maronite Bishops Council Rejects Extension of Parliament's Term

The Maronite bishops council reiterated on Monday the need for political powers to reach an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law.

They said in a statement after their monthly meeting: “We reject the extension of parliament's mandate without an agreement over a new vote.”

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Qabbani Warns Parliament Extension Would Lead to Further Security Chaos

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani urged on Monday Speaker Berri to supervise the adoption of a new electoral law, rejecting attempts to extend parliament's mandate for sowing further divisions.

“There should be a new electoral law that becomes the bridge to change,” Qabbani said in a televised statement.

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NGO: At least 79 Hizbullah Fighters Killed in Qusayr

At least 79 Hizbullah members have been killed fighting alongside the Syrian army in the town of Qusayr since last week, a watchdog said on Monday.

"The number of Lebanese Hizbullah fighters killed in recent months in the outskirts of Damascus and Homs has risen to 141," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement.

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Qabbani, al-Rahi Call for Joint Efforts to Prevent More Fighting

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi agreed on Monday to coordinate with the rest of the country's religious leaders to prevent strife.

A statement issued by Dar al-Fatwa, Lebanon's top Sunni religious authority, said Qabbani telephoned al-Rahi and congratulated him on his safe return to Lebanon from a month-long trip abroad.

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Tripoli Residents Take Stock of Gunbattles Damage

After the return of calm to the northern city of Tripoli on Monday those who hid in shelters or moved to other areas took stock of the damage caused by a week of deadly fighting between gunmen from rival neighborhoods.

The National News Agency said the majority of residents in the tense neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh, Jabal Mohsen, al-Baqqar, al-Rifa and al-Mankoubine returned to their homes as the army deployed heavily in the city.

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