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Ghanem Meets Berri: Speaker Has the Final Say on Subcommittee Meetings

The parliamentary subcommittee dedicated to studying an electoral draft law concluded on Wednesday a first round of talks with sessions set to resume later during the day.

MP Robert Ghanem announced that the meetings will continue in the afternoon after his talks with Speaker Nabih Berri, during which he informed the speaker of the discussions at the subcommittee.

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Report: Lebanese Mother Stages Armed Kidnapping of her Children

A Lebanese mother led an armed operation on Wednesday to kidnap her own children while on their way to school in Mount Lebanon's Aley district, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The agency said Nadine Akkawi with the help of several gunmen kidnapped her sons Omar, 7, and four-year-old Jad while they were with their grandfather Farouq outside al-Iman school in the town of Aramoun.

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SCC Protesters Warn Miqati that February will be 'Fateful' over Delay in Salary Boost

Teachers and public sector employees held a nationwide strike on Wednesday and warned the government that they would take “fateful” measures in February if it continued to procrastinate in referring the new wages scale to parliament for approval.

The strike, which was called for by the Syndicate Coordination Committee, a coalition of private and public school teachers and public sector employees, was culminated by a march from the Information Ministry building in Beirut's Hamra thoroughfare all the way to the Grand Serail in the city center.

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First Russians Evacuated from Syria Via Beirut Land in Moscow

The first Russian citizens evacuated from Syria arrived in Moscow overnight via the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut.

The evacuation of 77 Russians was the first organized by Russia since the start of the Syrian conflict nearly two years ago, and it may be the beginning of what could become a difficult and dangerous operation to rescue tens of thousands of Russians living in Syria as rebels gain momentum in their fight to oust President Bashar Assad's regime.

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Jumblat Ready to Discuss 'Positive' Electoral Proposals, Reiterates Call for Dialogue

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat announced on Wednesday that he was ready to discuss any “positive” proposal on an electoral draft-law that would govern this year's parliamentary polls.

In remarks to As Safir daily, Jumblat said he was ready to discuss any “positive electoral idea” without giving further details.

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Berri Hints Mission of MPs Studying Electoral Draft-Law Won't End

Speaker Nabih Berri hinted on Wednesday that he would not end the mission of a parliamentary subcommittee tasked with finding common ground on an electoral draft-law, saying its members could continue to meet even if the file was referred to the joint committees.

In remarks to several newspapers, Berri said: “The session held yesterday (Tuesday) was better than its precedents.”

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Mustaqbal Open to Discuss Any Law that Doesn't Harm 'Coexistence', Reiterates Rejection of Orthodox Proposal

Al-Mustaqbal bloc confirmed on Tuesday its willingness to discuss any draft electoral laws that does not contradict with co-existence and with the constitutional values, restating its rejection of the Orthodox proposal.

"We cannot deal with some communities' concerns by adopting a law that would trigger new worries,” the bloc said in a released statement after its weekly meeting at the Center House.

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Miqati Asks Ministers to Revoke Firearms Licenses, Says Circumstances Not Appropriate for Civil Marriage Debate

Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Tuesday demanded the revocation of firearms licenses granted to citizens, in the wake of the latest attack on the convoy of Sports and Youth Minister Faisal Karami in Tripoli.

“During the cabinet session held at the Grand Serail, Miqati asked Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn to prepare a plan for revoking firearms licenses and the licenses of vehicles with tinted windows,” MTV reported.

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Aoun: I Will Reject Any Law besides Orthodox Proposal that Does Not Offer Fair Representation

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun renewed on Tuesday his support for the Orthodox Gathering parliamentary electoral law.

He said after the Change and Reform bloc's weekly meeting: “I will reject any electoral draft law besides the Orthodox proposal that does not offer fair representation among the sects.”

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Medvedev Meets Suleiman: Russia is Determined to Develop its Ties with Lebanon

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev hoped on Tuesday that President Michel Suleiman would help bolster ties among the Lebanese people and develop the state.

He said: “Russia will help the Lebanese people develop their state and it in turn will develop its ties with Lebanon.”

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