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Mansour in Libya to ‘Turn Black Page’ of al-Sadr Disappearance

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said Wednesday he was visiting Libya to receive information on the investigations into the fate of Imam Moussa al-Sadr and to turn the black page of the past in the Lebanese-Libyan ties.

In remarks to As Safir daily published Wednesday, Mansour said: “We are not going there for exploration but to get the final result of the case of Imam Moussa al-Sadr and his companions.”

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Davutoglu in Beirut for ESCWA Conference, Could Meet with March 14

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and the former head of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, are among the high-level dignitaries who would attend a U.N. conference on democracy in the Arab world over the weekend, al-Liwaa daily reported.

The newspaper said Wednesday that Davutoglu and Moussa will address the "Reform and Transitions to Democracy" conference which will also see U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon as a keynote speaker.

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Spending Bill Back in the Limelight

Cabinet ministers engaged in a long debate on Tuesday over public spending amid a report that spending based on the 2005 budget was not enough in paying the salaries of civil servants.

A $5.9 billion 2011 spending bill hasn’t been approved by the parliament yet. But if approved, it would legalize spending by the government above 2005 levels.

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Jumblat Voices Support to Cabinet, Denies Requesting a Meeting with Nasrallah

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stressed that Lebanon can “overcome instability,” voicing his support to the cabinet that was able to prevent civil “strife and vacuum.”

“Maybe the developments need some time” to be resolved, Jumblat told al-Akhbar newspaper on Wednesday.

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Mustaqbal: Positions of Some Hizbullah Officials May Negatively Affect Lebanon

The Mustaqbal bloc condemned on Tuesday Hizbullah senior official Mohammed Yazbek’s statements that United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon is not welcome in Lebanon, noting that they may increase the party’s isolation

It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “Such remarks may negatively affect the country.”

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Change and Reform: Completing State Budget Most Important Govt. Task

Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan said on Tuesday that the bloc’s primary goal is to rectify the functioning of the country’s state institutions according to legal means and not by forcing the people to succumb to its political interests.

He stated after the bloc’s weekly meeting: “Completing the state budget is the government’s most important task.”

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Geagea: Assad Depicted Status Quo that Has Nothing to Do with Reality

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea criticized on Tuesday Syrian President Bashar Assad’s speech earlier in the day, saying that he addressed everything but the country’s crisis.

He said before reporters in Maarab: “Assad depicted a status quo that has nothing to do with the reality on the ground.”

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Israeli Fighter Jets Drop ‘Object’ in Southern Lebanon Valley

Security forces were on Tuesday searching for an “object” that Israeli warplanes dropped between the towns of Talousa and Houla in the South, the National News Agency reported.

NNA said the fighter jets dropped the object in a valley between the two southern towns.

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Hariri on Twitter: Assad is in Denial

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri deemed as “ridiculous” Syrian President Bashar Assad’s speech on Tuesday.

He said via Twitter on Tuesday: “Assad is in denial as he has deemed all the developments in his country as a conspiracy.”

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Watkins Meets Miqati, Mansour: Ban Keen on Visiting Lebanon to Show His Strong Commitment to Country

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon ad interim Robert Watkins revealed on Tuesday that U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is keen on visiting Lebanon, adding that the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 will be among the main issues of discussion with the various leaders.

He said after holding talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati: “The U.N. chief is keen to visit Lebanon to show his continued strong interest in and commitment to Lebanon.

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