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Jumblat: Internal Division in Lebanese Govt. over Syrian Crisis Has Emerged

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat warned on Monday against attempts to create division among Syria and Lebanon’s Druze population regarding the former’s anti-regime demonstrations.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine: “Internal division has also taken place within the Lebanese government” where some sides support the Syrian regime and others back the protests.

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Moussawi Slams Syria ‘Humanitarian Corridors,’ Calls for Dialogue in Lebanon

Hizbullah MP Nawaf Moussawi criticized on Monday calls for the U.N. Security Council to discuss the setting up of “humanitarian corridors” to allow an aid group to reach areas hit with the Syrian army crackdown.

“Where were these humanitarian corridors to aid the Palestinian people in Gaza that is still suffering from the (Israeli) siege?” Moussawi said.

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Delivery Driver Stabbed, Robbed of Cash and Pizza

Three men have stabbed a Pizza Hut delivery driver and robbed him of LL250,000 in the town of Hadath in Beirut, the National News Agency reported Monday.

NNA said that Alaa Safwan, 23, was delivering a pizza on Sunday night when three men in a silver Nissan Tida intercepted his motorcycle.

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Man Dies from Heart Attack after Seeking to Mediate in Theft Row

A man died from a heart attack after he sought to mediate to end an armed dispute between his son and two other men in the north Metn town of Dekwaneh, the National News Agency reported on Monday.

NNA said that the father passed away at the Lebanese-Canadian Hospital after he was injured as he tried to mediate between his son Issam Kairouz, who works at a money exchange house, and two brothers from the Gedeon family.

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De Freij Criticizes Cabinet Performance, Slams Kanaan’s Draft Law

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Nabil de Freij stressed on Monday that the cabinet should have acted swiftly concerning Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas’ refusal to sign the transportation allowance decree and “withdrawn confidence” from him.

“The cabinet didn’t take so far a decision regarding Nahhas’ behavior while it should have taken a firm decision against him and maybe withdrawn its confidence,” de Freij told Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5).

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Bassil Plays Down Miqati’s Insistence for Nahhas to Sign Transportation Decree

Energy Minister Jebran Bassil sought on Monday to minimize the importance of signing a decree on transportation allowances by Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas, saying the issue will be resolved through parliament’s adoption of a draft law.

The issue will be resolved after parliament “approves a draft law proposed by MP Ibrahim Kanaan in agreement with the labor minister,” Bassil told An Nahar daily, saying “the signature of the transportation decree will remain a minor detail with regards to the importance of the law that will be issued next Wednesday.”

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Miqati Maintains Firm Decision on Transportation Crisis, Refuses Parliament’s Interference

Prime Minister Najib Miqati maintained a steady position regarding the suspension of the cabinet sessions if Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas doesn’t add his signature to the transportation allowance decree approved by the government, according to local newspapers published on Monday.

“The cabinet will not accept to discuss the issue before minister Nahhas (who is loyal to Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun) signs the decree,” Miqati’s sources told An Nahar newspaper on Monday.

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Berri Optimistic on Transportation Decree but Stresses Parliament Will not Replace Cabinet

Sources close to Speaker Nabih Berri expressed optimism that Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas would sign a controversial transportation allowances decree before a parliamentary session scheduled to be held on Wednesday.

The sources told An Nahar and As Safir dailies on Monday that Nahhas could sign the decree in the next few days, paving way for parliament to approve it and allowing the cabinet to annex it to a recent wage hike.

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Iran to Export Power to Lebanon, Syria

Iran is to supply Lebanon, Syria and Iraq with electricity after an economic memorandum of understanding was initialed to this effect between the four countries in Tehran on Saturday, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported on Sunday.

Senior Iranian energy ministry official Muhammad Bahzad, Iraqi Electricity official Adel Mahdi, Syria’s deputy energy minister Hisham Mushaffaj and Lebanese electricity official Najib Saleh put their initials on the MOU.

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Storm Subsides after Coating Lebanon in Snow

The snowstorm that has been lashing Lebanon since Friday will begin to subside on Sunday afternoon, reported the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Sunday.

The storm caused heavy snow in a number of mountainous regions, with snow falling at altitudes as low as 600 meters and temperatures plunging to as low as five degree centigrade along the coast.

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