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Depositor takes money by force from Sidon bank for son's surgery

Lebanese depositor Wafik Mohammed Kalo on Monday locked up himself and other people inside BLOM Bank’s branch in the southern city of Sidon, demanding that he be paid $5,000 from his account to pay for his son’s heart surgery.

The drama ended a few hours later after the bank paid Kalo LBP 280 million.

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Parliament fails for fourth time to elect new president

Lebanon’s parliament on Monday failed for the fourth time to elect a new president for the country, only a week away from the expiry of President Michel Aoun’s term.

Out of 128 MPs, only 114 attended the vote’s first round.

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Hochstein says border deal to be signed Thursday

Lebanon and Israel will sign a U.S.-brokered maritime border demarcation deal on Thursday, U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein said.

"We're going to have a deal," Hochstein told CNN, adding that it will "hopefully" be signed this Thursday.

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Salameh statement lowers unofficial dollar, more measures expected

The dollar exchange rate dropped from LBP 40,600 to 36,000 on the black market overnight, shortly after Central Bank Governor Riad Salamah said in a statement that the Central Bank would stop buying dollars on the Sayrafa platform as of Tuesday.

The unofficial exchange rate later surged to LBP 37,000.

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Israel says thwarted drug, weapon smuggling attempt from Lebanon

The Israeli army said Monday it has thwarted a drug and weapon smuggling attempt from Lebanese territory into Israel overnight.

"A suspect was apprehended and two handguns and 30kg of drugs were confiscated," the Israeli army stated on twitter.

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Al-Rahi warns of presidency void 'as some nations seek to change Lebanon face'

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday said the political forces that seek presidential vacuum would be comitting "national treason."

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Presidency denies Aoun will issue decree accepting govt. resignation

The Presidency on Sunday dismissed as "totally baseless" media reports claiming that President Michel Aoun intends to sign "a decree accepting the government's resignation."

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Aoun says will continue work after leaving Baabda

President Michel Aoun said Friday that he will continue his work after the end of his presidential term on October 31.

“Our work will be better,” Aoun told a delegation from the National Commission For Lebanese Women.

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Presidency says no 'concessions' or 'bargains' in border deal with Israel

The Presidency’s press office stressed Friday that “what has been achieved as to the demarcation of the southern sea border is the result of a Lebanese decision that reflects the unity of the Lebanese stance and the result of tough and difficult negotiations that were led by the Lebanese negotiating team with the U.S. mediator.”

“During the negotiations, Lebanon did not offer any concessions and it did not bow to any bargains, swaps, ‘deals’ or the wills of foreign nations,” the press office added, dismissing recent media reports that have claimed otherwise.

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Rifi prays in Khalde, vows to end 'Iranian presence in Lebanon'

MP Ashraf Rifi prayed on Friday at the Khalde Mosque before moving to the house of the father of Hassan Ghoson, who had been slain in clashes with Hezbollah-linked gunmen.

“The incidents that happened in Khalde were in defense of the residents, Lebanon and all Sunnis in Lebanon,” Rifi said.

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