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Mikati holds talks with Berri in Ain el-Tineh

Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati held talks Monday with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh.

He left without making a statement.

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Baabda slams 'bastards' who are 'attributing statements to president'

The Presidency's press office has issued a strong-worded statement denying "everything that has been said by politicians and in the media about President Michel Aoun's staying in Baabda after the end of his term."

Slamming the accusations as "mere fabrications," the Presidency said they are "part of the ongoing scheme to target the Presidency's position and the president in person."

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Lebanese singer George al-Rassi dies in tragic car crash

Lebanese singer George al-Rassi was killed at dawn Saturday in a car crash in the al-Masnaa area following his return from a concert in neighboring Syria.

He was 39 years old.

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Lebanese plane makes emergency landing in Athens

A plane belonging to Middle East Airlines -- Lebanon’s national carrier -- made an emergency landing overnight in Athens due to an engine malfunction.

The plane took off from Beirut and was headed for the Heathrow Airport in London.

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Ibrahim says Lebanon waging 'holy battle' for maritime rights, border control

General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim said Friday that Lebanon is waging "a holy battle" to regain its maritime rights from the Israeli enemy.

He added that the battle includes controlling the land border crossings.

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Qaouq: Hezbollah contributing to ongoing efforts to form govt.

A senior Hezbollah official on Thursday confirmed that his party is pushing for the formation of a new government.

There is “a need to form a fully functional government that would work to alleviate people’s suffering,” Hezbollah central council member Sheikh Nabil Qaouq said.

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Aoun denies reports about 'staying in Baabda'

President Michel Aoun on Thursday dismissed media reports claiming that he intends to stay in the presidential palace until the election of a new president even if his own term expires.

“The president stressed the need to form a new government as soon as possible,” Maronite League chief Khalil Karam said after meeting Aoun in Baabda.

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Bassil says 'judges of negligence' will be 'held accountable'

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Thursday lashed out at the “judges of negligence” over the Riad Salameh and Badri Daher cases, warning judges to “beware” because they “will be held accountable.”

“The judges have begged the central bank governor to hike their salaries, whereas he is supposed to be put on trial by them over several crimes that he has committed, the least of which is that he gave a commission to his brother’s firm for treasury bonds issued by the central bank for the benefit of the Lebanese state,” Bassil said in a video posted on social media.

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touch and Alfa employees begin open-ended strike

The employees of Lebanon’s two state-owned mobile network operators, touch and Alfa, on Thursday began an open-ended strike to demand a wage hike, after their negotiations with the two firms’ administrations collapsed.

“All of Alfa and touch’s branches and selling points closed at the companies’ headquarters and in the various regions, as the sale of lines and recharge cards and customer services stopped and all maintenance works were suspended,” the National News Agency said.

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Saudi dissident threatens to attack Saudi embassy in Beirut

In an audio recording circulating on social media, Beirut-based Saudi dissident Ali Hashem has threatened to attack the Saudi embassy in Beirut should Saudi authorities continue to “harass” his family back in the kingdom.

“If anyone touches any member of my family, no employee at the Saudi embassy will remain alive. I will carry out an unprecedented act and I will annihilate every person at the embassy and you know my capabilities very well,” Hashem says in the recording.

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