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Mashnouq, Khalil, Zoaiter File New Lawsuits against Bitar

MP and Ex-minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq’s lawyer Naoum Farah filed on Friday morning a lawsuit before the Criminal Court of Cassation in Beirut to dismiss lead investigator into Beirut’s port blast, Judge Tarek Bitar, from the probe due to so-called "legitimate suspicion."

The Court of Appeals had turned down Monday requests to replace Bitar following a week-long suspension after al-Mashnouq, suspected of negligence leading to the tragedy, filed a lawsuit to replace the judge.

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Nasrallah Meets Abdollahian, Says Iran is 'True Ally, Loyal Friend'

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah met Friday with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and discussed the latest political developments in Lebanon and the region.

“Abdollahian has confirmed the firmness of Iran’s position and its support for Lebanon on all levels,” Hizbullah said in a statement.

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UNIFIL Head Urges Lebanon, Israel to 'Use Liaison and Coordination Mechanisms'

UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col on Friday chaired a special Tripartite meeting with senior officers of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and Israeli army at a U.N. position in Ras al-Naqoura.

Major General Del Col tackled the "serious breaches" in the cessation of hostilities on 4, 5, and 6 August, a UNIFIL statement said.

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Miqati Briefs al-Rahi on Govt. Rescue Plan, Says Measures Are Taken for Bitar’s Safety

Prime Minister Najib Miqati heading a ministerial delegation met Friday with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Bkirki.

The delegation included the ministers of information, justice, telecom and tourism -- the four Maronite ministers in the new government.

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Iran FM in Beirut: We’re Ready to Reconstruct Beirut Port, Build Two Power Plants

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Thursday that Iran is ready to rebuild Beirut port and that Iranian firms can build two power plants in Lebanon within 18 months.

He stated in a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Abdullah Bou Habib that “Iranian specialized companies are willing to build two power plants with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts in Beirut and the South within 18 months.”

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Gas Station Queues Return amid Pricing Confusion

Long queues returned to Lebanon’s gas stations on Thursday amid a delay in the issuance of the weekly prices schedule by the Ministry of Energy.

The delay has been blamed on a rise in the price of oil globally and on a surge in the dollar exchange rate on the black market in Lebanon.

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Iranian FM in Beirut Discusses 'Positive' Iran-Saudi Talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian arrived overnight in Lebanon on an official visit to meet with Lebanese leaders.

He was welcomed at the airport by a delegation from Amal movement and Hizbullah, along with the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, the Director of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a delegation of religious scholars.

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Cypriot FM after Meeting Bou Habib Urges Reforms to Unlock Int’l Aid

Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib met Wednesday with Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides in Beirut.

The meeting was followed by a joint press conference.

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Lebanon, Syria, Jordan Agree Plan to Supply Lebanon with Electricity

The energy ministers of Lebanon, Jordan and Syria met in Amman on Wednesday and agreed on a timeframe for supplying Lebanon with Jordanian electricity via Syria.

During the meeting, “a work plan and a timeframe were presented to reactivate the electrical connection line between Jordan and Syria, and to carry out all the technical studies and prepare the necessary treaties for the implementation of the supply process,” Jordan’s news agency said.

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USAID Launches $29 Million Project to Deliver Reliable Energy across Lebanon

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will "provide up to $29 million to deliver reliable energy across all regions of Lebanon," the U.S. Embassy said on Wednesday.

The Embassy added in a statement that USAID has awarded a contract to IMC Worldwide, Inc. to implement the Innovation for Affordable and Renewable Energy for All (INARA) Activity under the Initiative to Deliver Essential Assistance and Services (IDEAS) Project that is designed to provide up to $29 million to deliver reliable energy across all regions of Lebanon.

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