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Diab Says Won't Appear before Bitar Today

Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab will not appear before the lead investigator in Beirut’s port blast case Judge Tarek Bitar, as a defendant today, Thursday, according to a memo issued by the Premiership's General-Secretariat.

The memo was sent to Bitar informing him of his “lack of jurisdiction to interrogate the resigned prime minister.”

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Bitar Supervises 'Welding' Simulation at Beirut Port Site

The lead investigator into Beirut’s port blast, Judge Tarek Bitar, supervised on Wednesday afternoon a simulation of the welding work that preceded the explosion in hangar 12, the National News Agency said on Thursday.

“The simulation took place in the presence of a number of lawyers representing the concerned parties,” the agency reported, adding that “it was prepared by a joint committee of army officers, the ISF Intelligence Branch, members of the Civil Defense and a judge.”

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Miqati Makes No Statement after Meeting Aoun

PM-designate Najib Miqati held a new meeting Thursday with President Michel Aoun at the Baabda Palace.

Unlike after the previous meetings, Miqati left the palace without making a statement. "Hopefully things will be fine," he told reporters.

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INL and FBI Provide Counter Public Corruption Training for ISF Members and Judges

In collaboration with the FBI, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut has conducted a training on countering public corruption at the Internal Security Forces (ISF) academy in Aramoun, the Embassy said on Wednesday.

"Twenty-four ISF members and four judges were able to complete the training and benefit from the knowledge of the FBI experts," the Embassy added in a statement.

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Clashes Erupt at Gas Stations in South and North

A group of young men on Wednesday attacked a gas station in the southern town of Msayleh and assaulted its owner and his three sons, al-Jadeed TV reported.

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Miqati Reportedly Postpones Baabda Visit at Paris Request

Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati on Wednesday postponed a visit to the Baabda Palace to Thursday, al-Jadeed TV said.

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Shea, al-Rahi Stress Need to Form Govt. as Soon as Possible

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea on Wednesday held talks in Diman with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi.

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Judge Aoun Issues Search Warrant against Salameh

Judge Ghada Aoun issued on Wednesday a search warrant for Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh in the case against the Mecattaf firm and the SGBL bank, TV networks said.

The search warrant was issued after Riad Salameh refrained from attending several sessions in the case of the illegal money transfers of the beforementioned company and bank.

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Reports: Miqati Urged to Postpone Line-Up Submission

Prime Minister-designate Najib Miqati “had made up his mind and was intending to present a new cabinet line-up to President Michel Aoun” on Tuesday, according to media sources.

The sources told al-Liwaa newspaper, in remarks published Wednesday, that “local parties including Hizbullah have contacted Miqati to convince him to give more time for solving the conflicts and finding common ground with Aoun,” before deciding on the line-up.

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FPM Denies Bassil Interfering in Govt. Formation Process

The Free Patriotic Movement on Wednesday denied that its leader Jebran Bassil is interfering in the cabinet formation process.

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