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Ongoing Contacts to Discuss Referral of Abdul Wahed’s Killing to Judicial Council

Prime Minister Najib Miqati held several meetings on Monday to discuss the possibility of referring the killing of Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahed and his companion to the Judicial Council.

“The ministers will vote on the issue just like all the other decision taken by the cabinet,” Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi told reporters at the Grand Serail after meeting with the premier.

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Mansour Shrugs off Criticism, Says Syrian Gunfire on North not Premeditated

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour shrugged off criticism over Lebanon’s failure to file a complaint with the U.N. on the latest deaths of Lebanese in a cross-border attack in the northern area of Wadi Khaled, saying the Syrian shelling was not intentional.

In remarks to al-Joumhouria daily published Monday and Tele Liban the day before, Mansour expressed regret at the death of two Lebanese in the shelling that took place over the weekend but said “such clashes do take place on the border of any country due to unintentional mistakes.”

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EDL Contract Workers Protest across Lebanon, Warn of Escalatory Measures

Electricite du Liban contract workers continued their strike on Monday, warning of escalatory measures if the company failed to pay their salaries.

Employees in the coastal town of Jounieh, north of Beirut, started flocking to the company’s headquarters in the area to participate in the sit-in.

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Charbel Advises Equipping Phone Call Center to Avoid Telecom Data Row

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said Monday he signed a bill to better equip a phone call interception command center in a move that would allow it to receive the so-called controversial telecom data.

In remarks to al-Liwaa daily, Charbel said if approved, the bill would allow the center to receive the equipment and later provide security bodies with the data to thwart security attacks or probe any incident that threatens to spiral out of control, including assassination attempts on Lebanese officials.

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Aoun Reiterates Ties with Nasrallah not Affected by Differences

Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun denies that his ties with Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah deteriorated over the controversy on Electricite du Liban’s contract workers, As Safir daily reported on Monday.

The newspaper quoted Aoun’s visitors as saying that the FPM chief shares with Nasrallah a lot of moral and patriotic values and both have gone through common circumstances.

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FPM Ministers Attend Cabinet Session after Reneging Boycott

The Change and Reform bloc attended Monday’s cabinet session after mulling the participation of its minister to address the recent security incidents across Lebanon.

The bloc, led by Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun, held a meeting before the session that convened at the Baabda Palace on Monday afternoon.

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Cabinet to Discuss Security, Budget after Deal on No Additional Taxes

The cabinet is expected to discuss on Monday the draft state budget that seeks to appease citizens and a series of security incidents that have been shaking the country in the past weeks.

An Nahar daily said that agreement has been reached to lower the spending without imposing any taxes. An earlier proposal called for increasing the Value Added Tax from 10 to 12 percent, which faced opposition from several ministers.

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EU Urges Syria to Respect Lebanon Sovereignty, End 'Repeated Incursions'

The European Union's top diplomat lashed out at Syria on Sunday over its deadly rocket fire along the border that left two girls dead and 10 other people wounded in the northern Lebanese area of Wadi Khaled.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton's office released a statement saying she "strongly condemns the recent shelling of the Lebanese border area by Syrian artillery, causing several deaths and injuries."

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Bassil Says FPM Not Boycotting Govt. or Seeking its Collapse

Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil on Sunday denied that the Free Patriotic Movement was boycotting government, describing the FPM’s shunning of two cabinet sessions last week as an “act of protest.”

“We’re not seeking the collapse of the government but we don’t want meaningless sessions,” Bassil told LBC television.

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Gemayel Urges 'Worst Govt. in Lebanon History' to Resign

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Sunday slammed the government as the “worst in Lebanon’s history,” calling for its resignation and urging the opposition March 14 camp to practice “political resistance.”

“The solution begins by the government’s resignation, reconciling with the international community and finding a radical and quick solution to illegitimate arms,” Gemayel said in a speech during the inauguration of an office for his party in the Jezzine District town of Libaa.

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