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Judge Demands Death Penalty for Tareq Yatim

Beirut Examining Magistrate George Rizk demanded on Thursday a death penalty against Tareq Yatim for stabbing and killing a man, and a jail sentence against Lina Haidar for helping the fugitive.

An arrest warrant was issued in July against Yatim for stabbing to death George al-Rif over a traffic dispute, in a case that shocked the country after a graphic video of the incident went viral on social media.

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Intense Sandstorm Kills another Two

Two more individuals died on Thursday as the result of the dense sandstorm that engulfed Lebanon, bringing the total to five since the storm hit early this week, the state-run National News Agency reported.

A 70-year-old woman died from respiratory problems caused by the sandstorm in the Akkar town of Fnaideq, NNA said.

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U.N. Official Says Europe Exodus Result of Aid Lack to Lebanon, Jordan

The influx of refugees to Europe was triggered in part by donors taking the "cheap option" and not giving enough aid to displaced Syrians in Lebanon and Jordan, the head of the U.N. refugee agency in Jordan said on Wednesday.

Harper told The Associated Press in an interview that refugees feel betrayed by the international community and the aid agencies. This, he said, "is a reason why we are seeing movement back into Syria, and in many cases, movements continue on into Europe and further afield."

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Fresh Protests as Rival Parties Hold Fruitless National Dialogue Session

Lebanese protesters angry over a lack of basic services and festering garbage returned to the streets of Beirut on Wednesday and threw eggs at the convoys of officials arriving in parliament to attend a national dialogue that Speaker Nabih Berri chaired.

The protesters shouted "thieves!" and threw the eggs as the convoys of politicians drove by. Sparked by waste piling up in the capital and Mount Lebanon, a collection of protest movements demonstrated ahead of and during the dialogue and staged a mass rally at Martyrs Square in the afternoon.

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Suffocation Cases Rise to 2,000 as Dust Storm Continues for Day 3

The health ministry said that the individuals suffering from suffocation as the result of the sandstorm that has hit Lebanon rose to 2,000 on Wednesday.

The ministry added that no additional deaths were reported other than the three reported the day before.

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Report: Dialogue Sessions Doomed, FPM Adamant on Aoun's Presidency

As eyes gaze at Wednesday's dialogue session that is set to bring rival politicians together to discuss pressing issues, mainly the presidential deadlock, sources of the March 8 alliance have dimmed the hopes on its outcome as they say they are adamant to elect MP Michel Aoun “and no other,” or hold early parliamentary elections.

Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement head to the dialogue session with a “unified stance” to either consensually elect the Change and Reform bloc chief, Aoun, as head of the state or kick off parliamentary elections that will later elect a president, well informed March 8 sources told Asharq al-Awsat daily.

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2 Dead, More People Hospitalized as Sandstorm Hits Lebanon

The health ministry said Tuesday that two individuals died and almost 750 people were rushed to hospitals as an unseasonal sandstorm hit Lebanon, covering the country, including Beirut, with a blanket of yellow dust.

In a statement, the ministry said two women had died at hospitals in the eastern Bekaa Valley because of the storm.

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Hollande to Visit Beirut over Refugee Crisis

French President Francois Hollande said Monday that he would visit Beirut to meet with Lebanese officials and inspect Syrian refugee encampments.

Speaking at his bi-annual press conference, Hollande said that his trip to Lebanon would come after the U.N. General Assembly session in New York later this month.

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'People's Court' Activists File Complaint Against Mashnouq

The newly formed activist group dubbed the People's Court asserted on Sunday that they have filed a complaint against Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq for neglecting the waste management crisis that led to the spread of diseases.

“We filed a complaint against the Environment Minister for his administrative violations and for neglecting the trash crisis that led to the spread of diseases,” the activists said in a press conference they held in Marty Square in downtown Beirut.

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EU Ambassadors Anticipate End to Paralysis

European Union Ambassadors underscored the EU's expectation that a new President would be elected for Lebanon and that Parliament would approve important draft laws, a press release said on Friday.

“The ambassadors reiterated the EU's expectation that a new President would be elected without further delay and that Parliament would speedily advance on pressing legislation, including a new electoral law with a view to legislative elections,” the EU Ambassadors told Prime Minister Tammam Salam in a meeting held at the Grand Serail.

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