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Shahhal Says Might Issue Jihad Fatwa against 'Sunni Attackers', Calls Army to 'Correct Path'

Salafist cleric Dai al-Islam al-Shahhal called on the army on Saturday to “correct its performance”, threatening to issue a fatwa that calls for jihad against those “slandering Sunnis”.

“We urge the army to change its path to preserve the country' security,” al-Shahhal said in a press conference during which he commented on Friday's incident in the Bekaa town of Majdal Anjar.

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Ali Says Syrian Army Responding to Sources of Fire along Lebanese Border

Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali stressed on Saturday that the Syrian Army is responding to the sources of fire along the Lebanese border to preserve the country's stability.

“The Syrian territories are attacked by gunmen, from various nationalities, who are entering Lebanon and violating the sovereignty of Lebanon and Syria,” Ali said after talks with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour at the Bustros Palace.

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Miqati Meets Berri, Says Country's Security 'Red Line'

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Saturday that the Lebanese authorities will not tolerate any security chaos across the country.

“We consider that every matter should be resolved calmly and slowly but it seems that some sides want to create sedition in Lebanon,” Miqati told reporters after holding talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh.

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Ballot Boxes Distributed Ahead of Municipal by-Elections

The Interior Ministry announced Saturday that all the ballot boxes needed for the municipal by-elections throughout the country have been distributed.

The ministry said in a statement that the boxes had been distributed by 10:00 am for the elections that will take place on Sunday.

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Tyre Prison Inmates Riot over Transfer of Prisoner

Inmates at Tyre prison in the South rioted on Saturday to protest the transfer of a prisoner back to their division, the state-run National News Agency reported.

NNA said the prisoners burned mattresses and banged on the doors and windows of the facility when security forces sought to return an inmate, Najib Gharib, back to their division.

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SCC Protesters Vow 'Comprehensive Mobilization' as Talks with Miqati Fail

Protesters demanding the government to refer the wage scale for the public sector to parliament for approval held on Saturday a sit-in near the vehicle registration authority in the North Metn town of Dekwaneh, vowing a "comprehensive mobilization" next week.

The protest was organized by the Syndicate Coordination Committee, which is a coalition of private and public school teachers and public sector employees.

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Report: Jumblat's Bloc, al-Mustaqbal to Join Miqati in Boycotting Session on Orthodox Vote Law

The National Struggle Front and al-Mustaqbal bloc are the two major parties that have so far announced that they would boycott a parliamentary session if the Orthodox Gathering proposal was put on its agenda, An Nahar daily reported on Saturday.

The newspaper said that National Struggle Front chief and Druze leader Walid Jumblat and the members of his bloc would boycott the session if Speaker Nabih Berri invites the lawmakers for a General Assembly to vote on the proposal.

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Berri Says Enough Time to Reach Consensus on Vote Law

Speaker Nabih Berri said Saturday the rival parties still had time to reach consensus on an electoral draft-law but he slammed them for failing to agree on his hybrid proposal.

Both the March 8 majority and March 14 opposition alliances rejected the proposal, which combines the winner-takes-all and proportional representation systems, he told al-Joumhouria newspaper.

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Geagea Hints LF to Vote for Orthodox Proposal in Parliament for Lack of Consensus Plan

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea anticipated accusations of his party's approval of the so-called Orthodox Gathering proposal during a future parliamentary session, saying no other serious consensus plans had been made.

“We haven't so far seen any serious move towards any consensus proposal 10 days after the approval of the Orthodox Gathering proposal by the joint parliamentary committees,” Geagea told An Nahar daily published on Saturday.

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Aazaz Abductors Agree to Swap Pilgrims for Women Held in Syria Prisons

The abductors of the nine Lebanese Shiite pilgrims held in the Syrian border town of Aazaz on Friday announced that they are willing to free the hostages in return for the release of all women detainees from the prisons of the Syrian regime.

“After several and repeated mediation efforts by international and humanitarian organizations and committees, we announce that we agree to free the nine Lebanese 'guests' in return for the release of all women detainees held in the prisons of Assad's gangs,” the so-called Northern Storm Brigade said on its Facebook page.

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