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Report: March 8 Says Miqati's View on Hizbullah Drone Does Not Reflect that of Govt.

A dispute emerged on Tuesday between Prime Minister Najib Miqati and other ministers over the Hizbullah drone that was launched over Israel on October 6, reported As Safir on Wednesday.

March 8 sources told the daily that Miqati's opinion on the drone “reflects his own view and not that of the government and therefore it is not binding.”

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Brahimi from Beirut: Syria Crisis Cannot Remain within its Borders Forever

United Nations and Arab League envoy to end the Syrian crisis Lakhdar Brahimi held talks on Wednesday with senior Lebanese officials on the conflict in the neighboring country, warning the unrest there will inevitably spread to the region.

He hoped that the ceasefire set for the Eid al-Adha holiday “will pave the way for a permanent solution to the crisis.”

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Berri Voices Support to Any Electoral Law if Consensus Reached

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Wednesday that he is exerting efforts and contacts with Lebanese foes to reach a convenient electoral law that is compatible with the Taef accord, local newspapers reported.

“If I reach a result, then I will refer it to the electoral subcommittee,” Berri said.

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Cabinet Not Expected to Refer New Wages Scale to Parliament as SCC Reiterates Threats to 'Paralyze' Country

The controversial issue of the new wages scale for public employees is ongoing as the Syndicate Coordination Committee threatened to stage a nationwide strike on Thursday while local newspapers reported that the cabinet isn't expected to resolve the dispute during its session at the Baabda Palace on Wednesday.

An Nahar newspaper reported that the government will delay referring the new salaries scale as it didn't find the appropriate resources to fund it.

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Report: March 14, Jumblat to Resume Contacts to Discuss Small-Sized Electoral Districts

The March 14 camp and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat are expected to resume contacts in a hope to reach an agreement over a proposal to adopt small-sized electoral districts during the 2013 parliamentary elections, reported An Nahar daily on Wednesday.

Sources from the camp told the daily that even though the MP is still opposed to the small-sized districts, he is open to dialogue that could introduce amendments to the electoral draft law proposed by the opposition.

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Miqati: Confronting Israeli Violations Mustn't Occur without National Consensus

Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Tuesday stressed that any retaliation to Israel's violations must enjoy “national consensus,” after Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah boasted Thursday that his group had sent a drone over Israel and noted that Hizbullah has the right to keep sending UAVs as long as Israel is violating Lebanon's airspace.

“The effectiveness of any Lebanese stance or military action in the face of Israel's violations … must not happen without national consensus, in terms of both the timing and the method,” Miqati said at the beginning of a cabinet session at the Grand Serail.

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Mustaqbal on Hizbullah Drone: Iran Continues to Undermine Lebanon Sovereignty

Al-Mustaqbal bloc rejected on Tuesday Hizbullah's acknowledgment of launching a drone into Israeli airspace, considering this incident a violation of the Lebanese state's sovereignty.

In a statement released after the bloc's weekly meeting, Mustaqbal MPs said the incident “is a clear defiance of the president's stances and is meant to serve Iranian interests only”.

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Aoun Slams Rifi, al-Hasan over Roumieh 'Major Scandal'

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday held Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi and ISF Intelligence Bureau chief Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hasan responsible for the escape of three Fatah al-Islam inmates from the Roumieh prison, voicing rejection of the 50 districts electoral law proposed by his Christian rivals.

“It is unreasonable to be able to arrest Israeli spies without being able to arrest inmates or seize cellphones and knives. The main responsibility falls on the Intelligence Bureau, Wissam al-Hassan and his boss Ashraf Rifi, and the officers are the last to blame,” said Aoun after the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc in Rabiyeh.

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Mansour Denies Saying Hizbullah Drone Did Not Violate Resolution 1701

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour denied on Tuesday media reports quoting him as saying that Hizbullah's drone over Israel had not violated United Nations Security Council resolution 1701, his media office said in a statement.

The minister was quoted as saying that the “drone did not violate resolution 1701 and Lebanon will assume responsibility for Hizbullah's stances.”

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2 Dead as Firefighters Battle Huge Blaze in Furniture Factory in Jadra

Two people were killed on Tuesday as firefighters battled to extinguish a fire that erupted in Batal Design furniture factory in Jadra on the Chouf coast.

According to Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3), the civil defense team lifted the body of Hisham Hallal, who isn't an employee at the factory but was there for maintenance work.

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